Fantasy Baseball 2012: Yu Darvish, Ben Zobrist Headline Twitter Q&A

Josh M. (@blkbearhckyfan) wonders: Can you judge this trade? I would receive Miguel Olivo, Ben Zobrist, Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo.

The other owner gets Yadier Molina, Jason Kipnis, Hunter Pence, Coco Crisp. For what it's worth, I also have Joe Mauer and Miguel Montero.

 

Answer

Josh, is this a two-catcher league? Otherwise, I can't think of any circumstance where I'd want two, let alone three, catchers on a 25-man roster. That said, I'd side with the Zobrist/Beltran/Choo end of this blockbuster. Both parties are splitting the four-on-four comparison, 2-2, but throw-ins like Olivo would quickly be replaced by a corner infielder with power, a speedy outfielder or potential No. 5 starting pitcher after the trade becomes official.

Pence (my No. 11 outfielder) is a prime candidate to compete for the National League batting title. Crisp could steal 40 bases for the A's with 135 starts, and Kipnis is a down-the-road fantasy anchor at second base. But right now, I'd prefer the big numbers generated from Zobrist (20-HR, 20-steal, 95-run candidate), Beltran (22 HRs, 84 RBI, .300 BA last year) and Choo (top-20 outfielder). And with Mauer and Montero serving as the full-time catchers, you wouldn't miss a beat at that spot.

It's a close trade and probably a win-win for both sides, but already having Mauer and Montero in the fold clinches it. Thanks!

 

Michael Murphy (@murphornothin) says: How would you rank these pitchers in a head-to-head league—Erik Bedard, Kyle Lohse, Bartolo Colon, Edinson Volquez?

 

Answer

To be honest, Colon (1-1, 5.84 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8/1 K-BB ratio) would not be a consideration in 12-team leagues. Yes, he pitched well against Seattle in Japan, but I'm just not comfortable with his season-long prospects at age 38.

After that, the order would go Lohse, Volquez and Bedard. Lohse (2-0, 1.35 ERA, 0.53 WHIP) would be pedestrian on the strikeouts end, but he's also a great source for ERA, WHIP and wins with the Cardinals. Volquez has managed to stay relevant despite only one great MLB season (2008: 17 wins, 3.21 ERA, 206 strikeouts); however, I'm curious to see how he'll fare at spacious Petco Park for 15-17 starts.

Last but not least, I like Bedard's status with the up-and-coming Pirates, but he's also not a good bet for a sub-3.85 ERA or 1.31 WHIP.

Phil Tierney (@testyspice) asks: If offered Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish for A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, straight up, would you do it?

Answer

I generally side with the hitters in 1-for-1 offers. However, in this special case of two foreign imports, I'd definitely want the Darvish end. His Japanese League numbers were so amazing (76-28, 1.72 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 1,083/221 K-BB ratio over 1,024 innings, 50 complete games) that I would hate myself for three months if Darvish developed into a 14-win, 200-strikeout pitcher in his first go-round against MLB hitters.

On the flip side, Cespedes certainly has 20-20 potential over the next three seasons, but for year one, the money's on Darvish to be a reasonable facsimile of his old self.

Jerry S. (@bruins310) asks: Should I keep Andrew Bailey on the disabled list since he's on it for 60 days?

Answer

On his own merit, Bailey (thumb surgery) is worth waiting for in 12- and 14-team leagues. But if you absolutely can't spare the bench space and someone like Giancarlo Stanton or David Wright also needs to be stored on the DL...then Bailey should probably go.

After all, you could probably reacquire Bailey in a few weeks without any hassle. It's not like other owners, even hardcore Red Sox fans or sentimental A's enthusiasts, are waiting in line to grab him. Bailey might have appeal to Alfredo Aceves owners—securing the Boston handcuff—but that's about it.

CeaDeez (@ceayoung36) wonders: Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's on the waiver wire; Giants first baseman Brandon Belt's on my bench. Should I make the switch?

Answer

I had Goldschmidt ranked higher than Belt in my preseason rankings; but at this point of the season, it's way too early to make any knee-jerk reactions on similar assets. So, I'm going to avoid saying yay or nay to this possible coup.

If you want Goldschmidt (38 total homers in pro ball last year) that much, then by all means, grab him off waivers. But it's not my job to endorse radical changes to a roster on April 11—especially when it comes to dumping a future batting champion like Belt.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.