Baseball Prospectus - Chat with Ben Carsley

Chat: Ben Carsley

Welcome to Baseball Prospectus' Wednesday April 16, 2014 7:00 PM ET chat session with Ben Carsley.

Talk fantasy in an evening chat with Ben.

Ben Carsley: I have the flu and am dealing with a pretty serious thumb injury (very small cut), but I'm still here for you. Never say I don't care.

Silverback38 (VA): In response to your desire of more questions, I will add a few to the list. First, Have Daniel Norris and Caleb Kowart changed people's mind of them? Everyone seemed to have soured on them due to last years subpar performance. Both have started off well this year. Your thoughts on expectations as of now.

Ben Carsley: This is going to be a "small sample size awareness" chat, I can already tell from the queued questions. Let's put it this way – those who completely wrote Norris and Cowart off last year are just as foolish as those who put a ton of stock into their first two weeks. Norris' projection is as a mid-rotation starter, and Cowart's is as a starting third baseman. That hasn't changed yet, but if people gave up on these guys last year in shallower MiLB leagues, sure, go get 'em.

DanDaMan (Sea Cliff): Hi Ben, I know it's early, but Billy Hamilton really hasn't looked good. What are your latest thoughts on him?

Ben Carsley: I do not feel any differently about him now than I did before the season began, and neither should you. He will face his ups and downs, certainly, but he's got legit 100 SB potential. He's a fantasy unicorn, and you should hold on to him all year in every format unless he's demoted. He's the type of player who can turn his value around in five games.

Adam (NYC): Snow in the Northeast? in April? Goodness. This means no global warming, right? Well, that's what Fox & Friends tells me. Steve Doocy talks directly to God.

Ben Carsley: I have no idea what this means (I know nothing, of Snow?) but I was dismayed to find frost on my balcony last night. No, not a euphemism.

SBP (Indiana): I received this trade offer in a dynasty league: Give Archie Bradley and Gyorko, receive Anibal Sanchez. I just lost Matt Moore so I'm kind of itching to get another SP, but this doesn't seem like nearly enough, right?

Ben Carsley: No, I don't make that deal. Bradley could be better than Sanchez by 2016, and Gyorko is a good MI option with starting 2B upside. Even if you think Gyorko moves to 3B next year, your package is better.

Cole (Hilly Mountains): At what point in the season do you start deviating from your predraft/draft rankings? We all know about SSS and to take early season production with a grain of salt (assuming it has no bearing on playing time) but if someone offered you Player X who was an 8th round pick for Player Y who was a 5th round pick - when does the round someone was selected in cease to have an affect on value?

Ben Carsley: This is tough to answer, because it's really player-specific. If I can identify why a player is struggling - an issue with approach, early command issues - I'll stick with him. If I see a huge regression in bat speed or velocity, I'm going to be more likely to dump that player. I know this is a cop-out, but I really can't put this under an umbrella or in a tidy package or in a different cliche.

russellj90 (Iowa): Have a couple AL only guys to try and buy low on at this point?

Ben Carsley: How about Trevor Bauer, Jonathan Villar and Craig Gentry? Not Mike Moustakas, unfortunately. Stay away.

Silverback38 (VA): Pick a Hunter.....Renfroe or Dozier?

Ben Carsley: Let's go Renfroe, for fantasy purposes. I bet he gets there first, and zomg power.

cal guy (cal): Hi Ben, Who would you rather have in a dynasty league, Sano or Gallo?

Ben Carsley: Sano will still beat Gallo to the majors and is a much, much better prospect. It's Sano, and it's not close, and that's coming from someone who is relatively high on Gallo for fantasy purposes.

Joe (NY): Bonifacio, Brad Miller, and Dee Gordon are my 2B/SS options. I picked them all up, but not sure who to start on a daily basis. Also, one of them are going to be dropped when Latos comes off the DL. Of the 3, who should I drop?

Ben Carsley: I'd bet Bonifacio regresses first and is who you should drop. Right now, Miller is who I'd keep out of daily lineups. Also, Brad Miller best shortstop in AL joke.

msimotes (Kalamazoo): Soooo how big of a blunder did I make not dropping Aoki, Eaton, or Elich for Springer....should I just retire now?

Ben Carsley: The Springer hype is out of control. He's going to be a nice fantasy player, but he's probably an OF 3/4 this season and he's going to strike out a TON. I know people look at his gaudy AAA stats and see superstar, but he's not going to make contact enough to hit .275-plus in the majors, in my view. He could go 20/20 this year, I acknowledge the skills, but he's not in the Bogaerts/Baez/Taveras/Buxton tier.

Matt (Detroit): Opinion on Springer in a -1/K league? Still a must add?

Ben Carsley: If you have room, yes, but that's a bad format for him. If he strikes out in 1/4 of his PA, I won't be surprised in the least.

Brian (Auburn): Who do you trust more: Fernando Rodney or a chick with a paw print tattoo??

Ben Carsley: That depends where the paw print tattoo is located.

Daniel B (OH): I've been offered R. Zimmerman, Arenado, Smyly for Ryu and Skaggs in a 12 team 15 player dynasty league. I'm semi-deep at pitching, and currently start Headley.

Ben Carsley: I take this deal. Zimm is a good keeper, even if he moves to 1B next season, and I think Arenado is better than Headley by 2016, if he's not already. I like Skaggs a lot and Ryu is tough to part with, but these players are easier to replace than is finding another Zimmerman to add to your crew.

dianagram (VORGville): What are you drinking?

Ben Carsley: Way to rub it in. I need to get better so that I may resume drinking this weekend, so right now I am drinking water. I want a beer.

Joe (NY): I dropped Grady Sizemore for Chase Headley. Will Headley pick it up? I also am wondering if Yangervis Solarte will keep it it?

Ben Carsley: Sizemore will keep it up if he's healthy, yes, but who knows how long that lasts? I'm sure Headley will perform better than he is currently, but I don't think he's a superstar - I'm down on him compared to some. No, Solarte will not keep this up. If you dropped Sizemore and you still have Solarte and you don't need a SS, rectify that immediately.

Joe (NY): Also feel better and band aid up your thumb.

Ben Carsley: Thank you Joe. You are a sweetheart.

Always Be Closing (Chicago): Do I really care about saves enough to keep rostering both Nate Jones and Daniel Webb? Drop one or both? (16team dynasty, 40 man rosters)

Ben Carsley: Yes, in that type of league both players should be rostered. I think Jones is better, but Lindstrom can't be long for the role and there's always the chance Webb grabs the job next week and never looks back. So Webb. But it's a coin toss.

Craig (DC): What do you think Mau means, specifically, when he says he wants things to get "weird" with that edge to it?

Ben Carsley: I'm willing to bet I'd have to pay dearly to find out, and I'm not entirely sure I'd view life through the same lens once I knew. I thought it was a joke until that night at The Moon, but there was something very, very unsettling in the way Mau consumed his tequila. People probably think you and I (let's be real, you) are the strangest members of TINO, but they shouldn't sleep on Mau. Literally.

Lona Misa (The Projects): 5x5: Should I start Jason Castro or John Jaso? Also I caught my significant other drinking from the bathroom sink. What do I do?

Ben Carsley: Can you play match-ups? Play match-ups, but Castro is a better bet this season. I don't see the big deal with bathroom sink drinking, especially if the two of you live alone. Answer is different if you live in a dorm/greek housing/with several roommates. I have low standards.

Iggles Fan (NY): Know small sample size and all, but what do you make of Will Venable so far this season?

Ben Carsley: My thoughts are SSS. He's still a nice speed/power blend, but he was a borderline top-40 OF to begin with. If he's on the waiver wire I take a look at him, but don't make room for him, necessarily.

Jason (Uranus): Who wins this trade Aramis Ramirez, Nate Eovaldi and Tyler Skaggs for Eric Hosmer Doug Fister and Chris Archer?

Ben Carsley: Is this real? The Hosmer/Fister/Archer side, all day errday. I guess there's some cause to hesitate in redraft leagues, but even then, give me Door No. 2

Jamie (Pennsylvania): How long should I wait to start Springer? I have A. Jones, J. Upton, C. Blackmon, H. Pence, and M. Morse at OF already? Thanks.

Ben Carsley: Springer is better than Blackmon and Morse. Start him over Morse immediately, but know that Blackmon's ride will come to an end sooner or later as well.

Jordan (craig's wallet): Please rank the following hamantashen flavors: raspberry, apricot, strawberry, chocolate, poppyseed, prune, blackberry, apple, cherry, prune.

Ben Carsley: I had to look up what a hamantashen was (#goyum), but based on what I know of basic taste, let's go with: cherry, raspberry, chocolate, apple, blackberry, apricot, strawberry, poppyseed (??), prune, prune

MRubio52 (Chicago): Do you want to go to prom with me?

Ben Carsley: Yes, but we're going to need an adult after.

Silverback38 (VA): Going to watch all three games of Asheville and Hickory this week. What players should I watch out for the most; the usual of Dahl, Tapia, McMahon, Nomar, Brinson? Also, Brinson seems to be figuring it out, don't you think?

Ben Carsley: Looks like you know the names to me. I'd also look out for Jairo Beras and Akeem Bostick. And I agree with you on Brinson - saw him a bunch this spring in Arizona, and was impressed. Looks like he took a step forward, though there's still a long, long way to go.

dancini (Pgh): I've been offered Yan Gomes for AJ Pierzynski and Chris Owings (RBI S HR AVG RUNS) H2h do you bite Mr. Carsley

Ben Carsley: Yes. I think Gomes and AJ are roughly equivalent, and Owings is a great throw-in. I bite.

Alex (Anaheim): Was Tanaka's performance today a big step forward for him or mostly the result of a weak lineup?

Ben Carsley: It's nice to see him succeeding early. I was able to watch some of today's game and came away impressed with his command and his split, but I don't think today's game in and of itself signifies anything for Tanaka. He's good and the Cubs are not.

Gotribe31 (VA): M/F/K: Craig, Mau, Brett. Go.

Ben Carsley: Marry Bret, that's easy. F/K between Craig and Mau is tough. I am more physically attracted to Mau, but Mau is also underratedly weird, as I addressed above. It would probably boil down to how I felt that night, how drunk I was that night and how much life I had left to live. But def marrying Bret.

CharlieWerner (Manayunk PA): What do you make of Joey Gallo's great start at High A? The Ks are still there in bunches but not to the extreme as last season, and his Walk Rate is looking very promising

Ben Carsley: SSS. I like Gallo more than most, but I would continue to like him even if the start to his season was terrific. Walking more is a good thing, yes, but he's also a big boy bat in that lineup and could be getting pitched around to a certain extent. That's why scouting stats is so dangerous.

Craij (In yo mentions): What's a Thornburger?

Ben Carsley: This is a Thornburger, and it is an adequate representation of Tyler's might.

http://brewers.mlblogs.com/2014/04/15/what-john-and-cait-ate-the-thornburger-from-aj-bombers/

msimotes (Kalamazoo): Will Rafael Montero be called up anytime soon? Do you see him being a solid fantasy pitcher especially in an 18 team league?

Ben Carsley: Probably not until later in the season, and yes, he will certainly be relevant in a league of that size. No. 3 MLB starter, No. 4/5 fantasy guy at his peak.

Gav (England): Now Michael Bourn is off DL, I need to ditch someone. Is it worth persisting with Grady Size more, or should I expect more of a return from Bourn?

Ben Carsley: Is there no one else you can drop? I guess I'd take Bourn between those two, just because Sizemore will probably get hurt again, but I feel like there must be a worse option for you to cut.

birdzfan52 (Baltimore): The security of a contract extension doesn't seem to be helping Yunel Escobar perform. Can Hak-Ju Lee unseat him before the extension is up?

Ben Carsley: I don't think the extension has anything to do with Escobar's performance. Lee has a long road back from a very serious injury, and depending on how much stock you put into defensive metrics, Escobar is an above-average player. Personally. I think those metrics overrate Escobar and he's just average, so sure, Lee could replace him at some point. Even if he's not named the starter outright, Joe Maddon loves using his bench.

Chris (Orlando): Barring injury to Asdrubal(but assuming his fairly pedestrian offensive output continues), what do you see as a reasonable ETA for Lindor?

Ben Carsley: September, with an eye toward grabbing the starting job next season. Just remember that he's not the same caliber of fantasy prospect as he is prospect IRL.

MattN (Silver Spring): What do you think about Mike Olt? Will he keep the job all year?

Ben Carsley: I've been on the Olt bandwagon for too long to jump off now. The Cubs don't have much reason to not give him at least 400 PA this season - really, only Christian Villanueva could conceivably steal time away from him later in the season. I think he can be a low average, 25 homer guy.

Sick Rutcliffe (CA): 16 team dynasty league...I received a Sonny Gray for Starlin Castro deal(I'd be the one getting Gray). I already own Jean Segura. I gotta take this, right?

Ben Carsley: Yes, I was late to the Gray party but I prefer him to Castro, especially if you already own a better shortstop.

Gotribe31 (VA): Thumb injury? Hasn't anyone taught you not to slide head first into 1B?

Ben Carsley: More like "has anyone taught you not to cook at 2am while impaired?" But we're not dealing with a Napoli situation, no worries. I shall persevere.

Kevin (Ottawa): I have a number of injured players on my team that are due back at the end of April,when they are back I need to drop players. Some of the replacements I have are doing well, while players I drafted higher aren't living up to expectations. Is it is too soon to give up on players that aren't preforming?

Ben Carsley: Again, dependent on the player. You need to look at why he's struggling and make a judgement call from there. In general, this is way too early to give up on players.

LCB (BFP): If Xander and Mike Trout were to engage in a battle to the death, how would Xander dispatch Trout and eventually win? Do they spearfish in Aruba often?

Ben Carsley: This battle would end with me falling upon a great pyre, a la Dido (Carthaginian Queen, not resilient ship-faring pop artist), attempting to get the two loves of my life to stop fighting a futile battle that will harm all. I cannot pick between the two. This is my Sophie's Choice.

jacks (LA, CA): Drafted Bogaerts in my keeper league, hoping at best he'd blast out of the gate and never look back and at worst make for a decent trade chip mid-season. Didn't think he'd hurt me this bad ... he's a pitiful 0 for 17 with men on base! Are you adjusting your expectations for him this year given he's struggling like a typical rookie? Has he lost some of his "special" aura?

Ben Carsley: You are banned from further participating in my chats. Go to your room.

Gravybill (New York, NY): I just traded Nolan Arenado, Julio Urias and Brian Goodwin for David Wright in a 16 team, 40 man roster, 5x5 league. I am middle division team with a surplus of good prospects. Thoughts on the deal?

Ben Carsley: I think you gave up a lot, but if you think you can compete in the next two seasons, this is fine. I like Arenado more than most and used to like Goodwin more than most, though his star is fading in my eyes. Urias will be quite good, but not irreplaceable.

Sean (NY): Has Montero made any progress on his secondary pitches at Vegas? Also, Brandon Nimmo is RAKING!

Ben Carsley: I have not seen Montero - this would be a better question for our talented prospect team. I am glad for Brandon Nimmo, but SSS!

Cristobal (Texas): What are your expectations for Nick Franklin with the M's? It doesn't seem like they'd just throw him in as an everyday outfielder does it?

Ben Carsley: They should let Franklin play every day - he's better than Morrison (who I know is on the DL), he's better than Almonte, he's probably better than Ackley and I'm not convinced he's worse than Brad Miller, either. It would be cool if they turned him into a Ben Zobrist-type, but that's easier said than done. Wherever he plays, I hope he gets 450 PA, because he can hit 20 homers in that time.

Sara (Tacoma): I know you said Sano > Gallo, but if Gallo keeos up this pace and improved recognition/patience, then could that equation be reversed or at least allow for them to be equal?

Ben Carsley: It's hard for me to envision a scenario in which Gallo is a better prospect than Sano. Gallo would have to completely retool his swing, and even with Sano's injury, the latter is much closer to the majors. People are bored with Sano because he's been a big-name prospect for a while, but he's going to be a monster. I really, really, really like Gallo - probably more than anyone else at BP - but they're not in the same tier.

birdzfan52 (a far distant future): Rafael Devers got some love in the Futures Guide, but Phillies' Luis Encarnacion was not mentioned. How would you compare the two?

Ben Carsley: This is a great question. I'm not a scout and haven't seen either of these guys in person, so I'm not qualified to say what any differentiating factors are here. From a fantasy POV, they should be pretty much equal – both 3B lottery tickets with plus-power potential who shouldn't be touched unless you're rostering around 200 MiLBers. Devers does seem to be more popular right now, so if you can get Encarnacion later, why not?

Not Craij (Craij's House): Standard 12-team dynasty league. I'm in contend-now mode. I have Harvey and Moore on the DL for the season. 1B is my weakest position. I've been offered Prince and Kluber for Harvey and Moore. Flags fly forever, right? Would you do the deal?

Ben Carsley: I don't love Kluber (sorry Paul), but I probably make that deal, yes. You're not going to see Moore until late 2015 and his command was a mess to begin with. It's really, really tough to give up Harvey, but Prince is a stud. You can pull the trigger here.

AJ (Phoenix): Dynasty (no minors): My team is locked at 3B (Longoria), and SS (Bogaerts). I have Javier Baez and Byron Buxton on my bench, who will be vying in the future for the DH gig on my team. The only way around this for me is if Baez ends up playing 2B on Chicago's North Side. Should I hold my ground, or make a deal? What kind of SP (my biggest need) should I be targeting with Baez if I need to deal him?

Ben Carsley: There absolutely has to be an OF you can drop to make room for Buxton. Unless your OF is Trout, Harper, McCutchen, Cargo, Stanton, find a way to deal an OF and keep both Baez and Buxton.

AMetsGuy (Boston): I am in a 10 team mixed league that has K's and OPS in addition to the normal 5 for hitters. My outfield is really scuffling as Heyward and Bruce are not performing and Braun is very risky at the moment. My backup at the moment is Aoki, should I jettison him for Springer even with all the K's?

Ben Carsley: In a 10-team league you need to go with upside, so Springer is the pick. If he flops, you'll be able to find an Aoki-like player on waivers. Always shoot for the most talent in shallower leagues.

brukru (Pittsford): All the guesses on pitchers and arm injuries I was wondering if perhaps misuse of the slide step could be contributing to arm ailments? I recently attended a high school game and seen kids using it with really bad mechanics, elbows dragging way behind the rest of their bodies when using slide step. Your thoughts?

Ben Carsley: I think this is a really interesting theory that I am utterly unqualified to answer. I don't see many HS guys, and I threw one inning in HS. I'd ask Doug Thorburn. He's amazing with this stuff.

birdzfan52 (Baltimore): What do you make of Marcell Ozuna? He was rushed to the bigs and wasn't considered a polished player to start with, but he looks like he's getting his feet under him. Is that ballpark and lineup enough to keep him down from a fantasy perspective?

Ben Carsley: Very talented, but I bet the lack of polish/experience gets to him at some point this year. I've likened him to The Good Josh Reddick before #interracialcomps and I'm going to stick with that for now. Exciting player, but I don't think he's a finished product, despite his nice start.

The other Ross (SD): My big brother may be in the big leagues already, but in the end he'll be "the other Ross", won't he?

Ben Carsley: You've come to the wrong place looking for Joe Ross love. Try, like, any of my colleagues. I don't think Tyson is that special either. Let's talk about Zach Eflin. Zach Eflin > Joe Ross.

Loria (Milwaukee): Projecting Javier Baez in the major leagues, what position will he play?

Ben Carsley: Alcantara is the future at 2B there with Bryant in RF/LF. If they keep Castro, I think Baez goes to third and they move Olt/Villanueva. If they move Castro, Baez is your shortstop. I think SS and 3B are the only options.

dianagram (VORGville): Favorite "non-traditional" roto categories to include in a league?

Ben Carsley: I like holds in deeper leagues, because it adds another layer of strategy. I also prefer QS over W and OBP over AVG, and the reasons why should be fairly self-explanatory. That being said, I do mostly 5x5 leagues so I can better relate to you, the beloved reader. Apologies to that one dude who keeps ragging on us for not writing about OBP.

Silverback38 (VA): Going on a week-long baseball road trip in NC starting tomorrow. Anyone on the Salem team I'd want to see(when they play Winston-Salem)?

Ben Carsley: Bad luck - Salem is pretty much the only boring affiliate Boston has this year. Try to go when Brian Johnson is starting, and look out for Simon Mercedes, who I know turned some heads this spring. On offense, it's Vicino and Dent, which isn't inspiring. The good news is you'll see Courtney Hawkins and Tim Anderson on the other side of the field, and if you're hot the breeze from Keon Barnum's swing should cool you down.

jacks (LA, CA): Nobody puts baby in the corner! Seriously, Bogaerts, any adjustments to your expectations? He's looking very frustrated currently and having some bad ABs ...

Ben Carsley: He's had a bad few games and he's still hitting .260/.350/.300 as a 21-year-old shortstop. He'll be fine, so long as you weren't expecting a top-5 SS finish from him this season anyway. He's a bit off-balance right now, but if there is ever a prospect to trust in when it comes to making adjustments, it's Bogaerts. I still say he finishes .270/.350/.420.

Chris (Dallas): Now that Springer is up, how far behind do you think Singleton is and the corollary, how much rope will they give Chris Carter?

Ben Carsley: I think Singleton will pace himself. If he performs well, I bet he's up within a month. If anyone would losing playing time, it would be Jesus Guzman/Mark Krauss, not Chris Carter.

AJ (Phoenix): Follow up re: Baez... OF is Harper-Trout-Pence. We use LF/CF/RF instead of OF. Only 1 Util. 2B = Kendrick.

Ben Carsley: Dear god. Well, if you really need to deal Baez or Buxton, you shoot for the moon. Any non-Kershaw/Darvish pitcher, any hitter outside the Top 20. Really go for it - someone will bite eventually if this is a dynasty league.

Nathan Eovaldi (The high 90s): A few injured pitchers are going to be coming off the DL in the coming months (ERA WHIP K SAVES WINS) A.J. Griffin or Joulys Chacin are the injuries serious enough to avoid the pickup and who's the better of the two?

Ben Carsley: Nice to see you off to a good start, Nate. If either guy makes it back healthy you can pick him up, but I strongly prefer Griffin, given Chacin's contextual factors.

Chris (MA): I know that there isn't an exact date, but when is Prospect Christmas, the Super 2 Deadline? Who shall we see in the bigs soon after?

Ben Carsley: Late May/Early June usually, I believe. I bet you see Gregory Polanco up right around then. Perhaps Archie Bradley too. I would've said Taillon and Sano, but sadface.

Kyle (Detroit): I'm in a 10 team mixed league with QS in place of W. Right now my starters are Strasburg, Sonny Gray, and Michael Pineda. I have an open roster spot I want to fill with another starter to give me a shot at competing in QS. I figure I might as well grab another long shot starter to join Gray and Pineda. I have it narrowed down to Danny Salazar, Jose Quintana, Taijuan Walker, or Roenis Elias. Who's my best bet?

Ben Carsley: Good god man, step away from Roenis Elias. Out of the options you listed, Quintana is the safest bet while Salazar provides the highest upside. If you're truly just going for QS, I guess I'd go Quintana. I like Salazar a bit more overall, though, even if he's overrated. Walker's injury scares me now, so I'm staying away.

Chris (California): My prospects in this dynasty league are Bryant, Alfaro, Alcantara, Bradley, Gausman, Appel, and A. Sanchez. How many top 100 players in 2017 can I expect and which do you think has the most upside?

Ben Carsley: Bryant and Bradley have the most upside. Let's go with Bryant, Bradley, Gausman and Appel as Top 100 guys in 2017.

gavstone (England): Re. my Sizemore/Bourn question you answered earlier. I've also got Pagan and Austin Jackson. One of this lot will have to go.

Ben Carsley: Despite his hot start, I would drop Pagan.

the Undetaker (Death Valley): In need of CI Help (AVG HR STEALS RBI RUNS) best available are: Mike Olt, Lonnie Chisenhall, David Freese, Lucas Duda, Marcus Siemen thank you and I hope the rest of my league RESTS IN PEACEEE

Ben Carsley: It will never cease to amaze me how many smart people I follow on Twitter like wrestling. For 2014 only, I go Freese, Semien, Chisenhall, Olt, Duda.

oscarbluth (Madison, WI): I'm in a 14 team, 6 keepers per team league with traditional 5x5 roto scoring. We also get 20 minor leaguers who can be kept for 3 free years once they pass 120AB/50IP. I'm being offered a deal of Jose Reyes, Aramis Ramirez and either Huston Street or Eddie Butler for David Wright and Matt Lindstrom or Alex Gonzalez. Is the injury history of Reyes/Ramirez too much? Should I not give up the best player in a keeper league? Or does the quantity outweigh those concerns?

Ben Carsley: If you can only keep 6 players, I keep the Wright side. If you think you can win it all this year with another closer and some speed, then pull the trigger and pray for health.

Silverback38 (VA): 10tm 5x5mixed. Would you give up Anthony Rizzo for Anibel Sanchez? (I already have D.Ortiz and Hosmer)

Ben Carsley: Yes, definitely. I like Rizzo, but Sanchez is very good right now and you have limited need for Rizzo.

Bubbles (Sunnyvale): 5x5 12 team roto 40 man roster 400$ cap keep as many as you want, +2-15ish $ per year raise (determined by other teams via arbitration). Grienke 34$ Jj hardy 14$ for Ventura 4$ crick 3$ and Aaron Sanchez 3$. Which side wins? Trying to win this season.

Ben Carsley: If you're trying to win this season you need to stick with Greinke and Hardy, but god does Ventura at $4 look good. Still, FFF.

D Rock (Atlanta): Would you trade for Peter Bourjos in a NL-only league? Also is Craig's girl Spanish?

Ben Carsley: That depends what I'm trading for him. He's certainly worth rostering, but I'm not going to make a huge push for him. And I've only seen a picture, but I think no. Unless you're referring to Mau, in which case def yes.

NightmareRec0n (RI): Why don't you drink while you are sick? A couple of drinks(or more) is the best way to fall asleep when one is sick.

Ben Carsley: I have drank while sick many a time, but my health is required this weekend - my girlfriend is running in the Boston Marathon - and I can't risk making it worse. In college, I drank through many an illness. Yes, I'm pretty cool, it's nbd but kbd.

Gila Monster (Cambridge): I'm in a 1st year 20 team dynasty with a 40-man rosters(23 active) and I have a slight problem. I got insanely good value drafting injured guys like Holland,Corbin,Quentin, and Maybin/ C. Kelly in my draft,even considering injury. But that left me with few healthy reserve players. I'm trotting out Kalish on offense and with the Brett Anderson injury(breaking my heart again), I'm worrying. Should I trying to make some deals or just wait on guys coming back? I have a solid core.

Ben Carsley: Getting injured guys late is a great strategy and one I use all the time, but you went too heavy on that strategy here. You probably need to make a cut or two - I'd probably suggest Maybin and Kelly - and give yourself a chance to compete. As much as I love Anderson, you could also let him be someone else's problem.

Ben Carsley: Alright guys, we only went an hour (#slack) but I did answer more than a question per minute (#rig). Hopefully I'll be back with a tastier beverage, all 10 digits and a winning attitude in a few weeks. Thanks as always for the questions, and feel free to send any unanswered queries to TINO or the bat signal. And don't quit on Xander. Don't you ever quit on Xander.