Fantasy Baseball 2012: Josh Hamilton Headlines Q&A with Twitter Followers

Here are a few baseball-related fantasy questions from the Twitter masses:

1. Jordan Perez (@fingerguns99) wonders: I'm trying to include Martin Prado in a trade offer for Josh Hamilton. What tier pitcher would you suggest including?

Answer

(NOTE: This question was sent before Hamilton belted four homers in one game on May 8.)

Even before Hamilton's historic night against the Orioles, it would have been extremely difficult to land him in a 2-for-1 offer involving Prado (two HRs, 16 RBI, 18 runs, three steals, .283 batting) and even Justin Verlander or Clayton Kershaw on the other end. He's that prolific!

But now, it's darn-near impossible to pull off a traditional trade, so either drop the idea altogether or add another high-end pitcher or hitter to the deal. Without knowing your squad, something like Prado, Verlander (3-1, 2.63 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 48/11 K-BB ratio) and Ian Kinsler might get it done with Hamilton (14 HRs, 36 RBI, 25 runs, two steals, .406 batting through May 9).

2. Pete Smick (@PeteSmick) asks: I recently traded Bryan LaHair/Doug Fister for Eric Hosmer/Matt Harrison. My rotation's already strong. Thoughts? Tried to sell high/buy low.

Answer

Let's attack this one in two parts:

Hosmer may be my favorite player of the four-man swap, but LaHair's current stats (seven HRs, .377 batting through May 9) are simply too strong to trade right now—short of a blockbuster involving Josh Hamilton, Matt Kemp, Carlos Gonzalez or Curtis Granderson, to name a few superstars.

As a hypothetical LaHair owner, I would have sent an email to every league owner, advertising his sale to the highest trade bidder. After that, I likely would have gotten a greater haul back than Hosmer (three HRs, 12 RBI, 10 runs, .170 batting) and Harrison (3-2, 6.10 ERA, 1.52 WHIP since April 9).

For the second part, if this trade had been presented to me during spring training, I would have easily taken the Hosmer/Harrison end. So, that begs the question: Can six weeks of productivity (or lack thereof) really affect the overall perspective of a big trade—especially given Hosmer's 2011 numbers (19 HRs, 78 RBI, 66 runs, 11 steals, .293 batting in 128 games) and entrenched status as one of baseball's most dynamic under-25 talents?

It's a really tough call, and now, you're left in the position of (quietly) hoping that LaHair comes back to earth, numbers-wise.

3. Soumyajeet Ghosh (@soumyajeetghosh) asks: What do you think of a Bryan LaHair/Ryan Dempster for Kevin Youkilis/Wandy Rodriguez trade? Would you prefer the LaHair side?

Answer

Another LaHair question from the masses, involving the treatment of a star hitter who's struggling mightily at the plate.

After six weeks of play, LaHair (.377 batting) and Dempster (0-1, 1.02 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 36/10 K-BB) obviously have greater numbers than Youikils (two HRs, nine RBI, 14 runs, .269 batting since April 10) and Rodriguez (3-3, 2.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 29/12 K-BB).

However, if this particular deal had been offered during spring training, it would have a blowout in Youk/Wandy's favor. After all, there has to be a reason why the 29-year-old LaHair toiled in Triple-A ball for six seasons. Right?

So, it's important to walk on eggshells when viewing a player's stats to date...and projecting numbers for the next 130 games. There's nothing wrong with patience and prudence when considering core-altering deals.

That said, Youkilis is 33 years old and coming off his worst full season since 2007; and as we saw a few days ago, Will Middlebrooks, the Red Sox' No. 1 prospect, is making a strong case for a full-time promotion to the big leagues (three HRs, nine RBI, .346 batting in his first 26 at-bats), perhaps taking over Youkilis's current spot at third base.

Verdict: Given Dempster's high-strikeout track record and LaHair's red-hot hitting stroke, I'd surrender Wandy and Youkilis for the Cubs duo.

4. Salvatore Cucchiara (@scucchiara84) wonders: What starting pitcher could I get for Kevin Youkilis/Tommy Hanson, as part of a 2-for-1 deal?

Answer

Assuming Youkilis' stay on the disabled list only keeps him out just a few days (May 15 or so), you might be able to swing something in the realm of Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Madison Bumgarner, C.J. Wilson or Brandon Beachy. But Owner B would have to be swimming in quality pitching prospects...and would have to be in desperate need for a declining third baseman with 17-homer potential.

Aside from that, Youkilis' fantasy value has taken a severe hit in recent weeks, and Hanson (3-3, 3.63 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 34 strikeouts) has been underwhelming in all four categories. Of course, the 25-year-old Hanson can reclaim his preseason standing in the top 30, but he'll need a sustained run of greatness to make a sizable leap in the pitching rankings.

Brandon Morrow serves as a great example of what's expected of Hanson in the coming weeks. In Morrow's last four starts (spanning 27.2 innings), the Blue Jays pitcher has surrendered just two runs while rolling for four victories and 30 strikeouts.

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