It's Time to be a GM and Protect Your Players: NL East version

by LaserVortex888 on Sep 18, 2011 2:11 AM EDT

To refresh:

There is a new expansion draft format and for one day you get to be a GM of all 30 teams. Here's the catch; you can only protect three players from each organization (sorry not 15, then 3 more, etc., that would take way too long). You get the player as is with his current contract (it makes things more interesting). Keep in mind each teams financial statuses.

Today's version: NL East

Much much more after the jump.

Braves protect: Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson, Brian McCann

Analysis: I don't think anyone will disagree with my first two picks. Elite catchers are so rare these days so I had to slide McCann in the third spot. If anyone wants to protect Jair Jurrjens, Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, or Freddie Freeman, I'm not going to argue.

Marlins protect: Mike Stanton, Josh Johnson, Logan Morrison

Analysis: The first two picks are locks to protect, but the third spot is the toughest once again. Hanley Ramirez seemed like a lock just a year ago, but I'm not sold on him anymore. Morrison is young and has potential, so that's good enough for my third spot.

Mets protect: Zach Wheeler, Matt Harvey, David Wright

Analysis: The Mets ~~are in~~ need to be in full rebuild mode and it starts with two young talented pitching prospects. The only reason I put Wright in there is because he caught a ball barehanded, once, like six years ago, which I guess is something no one else on the Mets can say they did. I really wish Jose Reyes wasn't as good as gone and could be slid into one of these spots. Regardless, the Mets have just too many injuries to make solid picks. Not a bright future for the Mets. Help me out here people.

Nationals protect: Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper

Analysis: Doug Glanville will tell you that he would rather have Wilson Ramos over Zimmerman. No chance here. Strasburg is coming back from surgery, but I like what I have seen so far and the upside is just too good to pass up. Bryce Harper, cover boy. Enough said.

Phillies protect: Cole Hamels, Hunter Pence, Domonic Brown

The Phillies have a star studded cast, but it's aging. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Jimmy Rollins are all on the wrong side of 30 and not getting any younger. I would listen to an argument for Shane Victorino who has pushed himself into the MVP discussion. The Phillies need to hold on to their youth.

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Braves im going: Heyward, Hanson and Teheran: just a nice young bat in the outfield and then it goes back to they old saying pitching pitching pitching you can never have enough.
Marlins: Stanton, Johnson and Ramirez. Stanton a young power bat easy pick. Josh johnson a good young pitcher i like him alot. Ramirez i could keep of my picks i mean he struggles but they guy has 30 30 power and thats just rare now adays.

Mets: Ike Davis, Wheeler, Harvey: Wheeler and harvey young good pitching talent gotta love pitching and davis a young guy with good power. He is only 24 and although he struggled with injuries this year last year at 23 he had 19 homers. this year is about 40 games he is a .302 hitter. Reyes and Wright would have made my list last year but now are becoming older and more fragile still good players though.

Nationals:Strasberg, Storen, Harper: gotta bit of it all here Strasberg a special kid with and arm from the heavens easy pick. Storen a really good closer that no one hears about. And then Harper little boy wonder to be.

Phillies: Hamels, Brown, Worley: Hamels a great young lefty pitcher easy pick. Dominic brown a good prospect with a power bat who is close or if not major league ready. Vance Worley it has been a small sample but the kid is 11-2 with a 2.85 ERA at the age of 23 in 117 innings a big enough sample size already 108 k’s and only 107 hits i like this kid.

by Jt Malley on Sep 18, 2011 2:58 AM EDT reply actions

I'm no English teacher

(studying to be a civil engineer) but I think it would be smart to take an extra two minutes to write a well thought out response instead of one in broken English.

Back on topic, I disagree with your protection of Drew Storen. Closers are a dime a dozen nowadays and there is no need to protect him. I agree with you that he is a very good under-the-radar closer, but elite third basemen are rare, especially ones that can put themselves in MVP discussions. I would protect Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos before even thinking about protecting Storen.

In addition:

117 innings a big enough sample size

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Sep 18, 2011 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

It's actually difficult to decide on the Braves and Phillies

The Braves have a hell of a lot of young talent and the Phillies have a lot of players who are older but still very valuable.

I’m confused as to why anyone would want Storen over the Zimmermans, though? Wouldn’t you want to focus on first tier starters first over relief pitchers? Maybe I’d change my mind if Drew Storen were as good Craig Kimbrel or Johnny Venters.

by subtle on Sep 20, 2011 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

Totally agree.

You can’t build around a reliever. I’d take Strasburg, Harper and one of the Zimmerman’s. Probably Jordan.

Yes, my real name is actually Satchel.
I'm a columnist for Beyond the Box Score and a writer for MLB Daily Dish.
Oh, I'm on Twitter, too.

by Satchel Price on Sep 20, 2011 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

The braves were the toughest so far

They not only have some fantastic young talent in the majors, but some promising young players trying to make their way to the show. I’m sure the Mets are asking the Braves to share some of the wealth.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton

by LaserVortex888 on Sep 20, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmmm...

The Braves have a bajillion people. I’d go Delgado or Freeman (probably Delgado) over McCann. If we’re operating under the whole “everyone then gets to draft from the leftover talent pool” thing, they’ll find a catcher. They probably won’t find many potential TOR-flamethrowers with six years of control.

Marlins: Was originally going to suggest Gaby Sanchez over Morrison, then saw that Morrison actually has a higher wRC+… ditch Sanchez & move LoMo back to first where his defense won’t constantly suck value out of his bat. This team is a train wreck.

Mets: Do they even protect Wright? I’d just keep another prospect. That or keep Wright and immediately trade him for prospects….

Nationals: Yeah, pick a Zimmerman.

Phillies: I keep Halladay over Hamels in a nanosecond. It’s Doc Halladay. He’s a god among mere mortals. Hamels is headed into Arb4 anyways, so he’ll make like $14MM. Halladay is expensive, but he’s incredibly epic and is under control for a while.

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by Dan Strittmatter on Sep 27, 2011 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

Some thoughts

nationals – Harper, Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman. Prefer Jordan over Ryan
Mets – Ike Davis, Jonathen Niese, Zach Wheeler – Rather have davis and niese
Phillies – Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Dominic Brown – Hamels is only there for one more year, Pence for Two. Rather have the two top pitchers in the game and use Phillies money to improve offense.
Marlins – Stanton, Morrison, Reyes – Rather have jose reyes over injury prone josh johnson
Braves – Heyward, Hanson, Friedman – Batting over Pitching for Friedman

by Will Groves on Dec 18, 2011 2:19 PM EST reply actions