Fantasy Baseball 2012: Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez Headline Twitter Q&A

Jordan Perez (@fingerguns99) wonders: Can I get your opinion on this trade? Troy Tulowitzki, Mark Teixeira, Jemile Weeks for Michael Young, Dustin Pedroia, Derek Jeter. Who wins here?

 

Answer

In an apples-to-apples, position-by-position breakdown of the deal, Tulowitzki tops Jeter, Pedroia beats Weeks and Teixeira earns the slight nod over the highly-versatile Young. That would give the Tulo/Tex/Weeks side a narrow 2-1 victory. Using the disparity measurement, though, the gap with Pedroia over Weeks may be greater than the discrepancies for Tulo over Jeter or Teixeira over Young.

Put it all together, and we're basically talking about an equitable swap, where its balance would be altered with a significant injury to any of the six talents. If I had the proverbial gun to my head, I'd probably want the Tulo/Tex/Weeks end, simply because Tulowitzki (my No. 6 overall player during spring training) stands as the jewel of the blockbuster. Conservatively speaking, it's a probably win-win for both parties.

 

Phillip Zajdel (@ATL_PEZ) asks: I just received this 1-for-1 trade offer: I'd get Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez for Brewers OF Corey Hart. Should I do it?

 

Answer

This is no longer the blowout offer it appeared to be during spring training, but I'd still want the Hanley side of this mano-y-mano swap. Sure, Hart is the safer bet for more homers and RBI, but Han-Ram's potential for across-the-board dominance is simply too enticing to pass up; plus, there's the whole dual-versatility thing at two of baseball's scarcest positions (SS-3B).

In the long run, this could easily be a win-win for both groups...but I'll take the focused Ramirez (three HRs, six runs, 10 RBI, two steals, .923 OPS) over a potential four-category stud (Hart) who's been a little more injury-prone in recent years.

Soumyajeet Ghosh (@soumyajeetghosh) asks: I've been proposed a 1-for-1 deal, getting Blue Jays pitcher Henderson Alvarez and giving up Adam Dunn. Should I do it?

Answer

The great worry from this trade lies with giving up on Dunn one year too late and going all-in on Alvarez one year too early. But then again, what would you truly be missing without Dunn? He has 12 homers in his last 540 at-bats, with a stomach-churning batting average that's perilously close to the .150 mark.

Here's another way to frame it: If you needed cheap power in free agency, I guarantee Dunn would be no better than the 10th waiver-wire consideration with 12-team leagues. It's time to erase all memories of Dunn's 40-homer assaults from the 2004-08. The gravy train ends here.

On the flip side, acquiring Alvarez (2.77 ERA, 0.92 WHIP in two starts) is a no-lose proposition. Sure, he's only a No. 6 starter at this point in his young career...but any asset with the capacity for 12 wins and a sub-3.50 ERA would prevail over Dunn.

CeaDeez (@ceayoung36) wonders: Personally, how high are you on Phillies pitcher Vance Worley? Would you condone picking up Kansas City's Danny Duffy or Toronto's Kyle Drabek to replace him? Thanks.

Answer

From a preseason standpoint, Worley (my No. 49 pitcher) enjoyed a sizable advantage over Drabek and Duffy. But that gap has closed considerably after just two weeks of the season due to the rapid improvement of Drabek (2- 0, 1.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 10/4 K-BB) and Duffy (1-1, 2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 15/5 K-BB), not because of Worley's own marks (0-1, 3.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 10/5 K-BB).

From a seasonal-upside angle, I still prefer Worley's potential for 14 wins, 3.45 ERA and 155 strikeouts. But let's be clear here: For keeper leagues, Duffy has the greatest capacity to be a fantasy ace in two or three years. He's a great candidate to replicate C.J. Wilson's roundabout numbers from 2009-10 (15 wins, 3.30 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 180 strikeouts), especially when the Royals' deep corps of soon-to-be stars finally hit their stride in the majors.

(And that day will come.)

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