Mastersball

Wednesday, May 2 – 8:15 PM

The Kevin Youkilis saga just gets worse and worse, doesn’t it? Earlier today, the Red Sox decided that since their banged up third baseman was missing so much time anyway, it might be a good idea to just place him on the DL and hope he comes back relatively healthy in a couple weeks. It’s official. My decision to draft Youk in both Tout and NFBC was a monumental mistake. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if Youkilis makes a few more trips to the DL before this season is through. This guy just can’t seem to stay on the field. At least in Tout there are unlimited DL spots, so I can simply stash him away and pick up a replacement. NFBC is a different story, as there are no DL spots. That’s harsh. Top prospect Will Middlebrooks, who was called up today from Triple-A Pawtucket, is slated to take over at the hot corner, and his career minor league numbers, including this year (.333 AVG 9 HR 27 RBIs in 24 games) jump off the page. I’m leaning towards giving him a shot. Most of the other waiver wire options are really boring. I’ve got a few more days to mull this over.

Thursday, May 3 – 3:30 PM

Drafting the same players on multiple fantasy teams makes a whole lot of sense. After all, these are guys we like, so why not scoop them up in as many leagues as possible? What’s the downside? Well, I’m feeling the downside right now. If Kevin Youkilis is my starting third baseman in two of my leagues, who could possibly be my starter on my other three squads? Could it be Pablo Sandoval? Yup. Turns out that Kung Fu Panda broke a bone in his hand during yesterday’s game, an eerily similar injury to the one that sidelined him for six weeks last season. Although the team says he could be back in as soon as four weeks, I’m bracing for six weeks without Pablo. When it comes to third basemen this year, I’m not counting on catching any breaks.

Thursday, May 3 – 11:40 PM

Wow. When I heard what happened over at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, I had no idea it would be this serious. I thought that Mariano Rivera would miss maybe a few weeks, not a huge blow for the Yanks, who already have two more than capable ninth inning replacements in David Robertson and Rafael Soriano. But a torn ACL? That’s an instant season-ender, and a devastating blow to my NFBC team. But you know what? This is the last thing on my mind. I could care less about fantasy as long as Mariano returns in 2013 and ends his career the way it deserves to end. Going out like this? That would be terrible.

Friday, May 4 – 2:25 PM

Some owners react to injuries to their big name players by frantically proposing all sorts of trades in hopes of completing a swap as soon as possible. Others are more hesitant to trade away value and would rather go the waiver wire route. The severity of the injury of course plays a huge role here, as no mixed league owner would feel comfortable with Chris Johnson or Kyle Seager as their starting third baseman for an extended period of time. That’s why I’m pretty much in frantic mode right now, as Johnson and Seager are indeed the best waiver wire guys in both of the mixed leagues where I own Pablo Sandoval. It’s hard enough to negotiate one trade under time pressure. Try working on two! Oddly enough, Chase Headley is the player I’m looking at in both leagues. Minimal power (except for this year, but I’m not buying it) but an OK batting average and some speed. It just so happens that the Headley owners don’t really need him. He’s not even starting for them, and he’s at least a decent starter. So there’s no way I’ll need to give up anything significant. Or so I thought. While one owner is unsatisfied with my Brennan Boesch or even Jarrod Parker for Headley offer, the other flat out rejects Bartolo Colon for Headley. Maybe I’m crazy, but I thought this was fair. Instead, he wants Jose Altuve. Not a chance! Altuve has been on fire all year, and the more I watch him the more I’m believing in those Dustin Pedroia with less power predictions. The bottom line is that trade discussions are a real pain. Just because you propose a trade for a certain player doesn’t mean that the player all of a sudden has this incredible amount of value. But many owners tend to think along these lines. He wants Chase Headley. Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t be benching Headley. Maybe I’m better off starting Headley over A-Rod. Well, not quite, but you get the point!

Saturday, May 5 – 10:12 AM

Phew. Mariano’s career plans are a secret no more. Rivera, unwilling to let the ACL tear end everything on a sour note, has guaranteed that he will return to the mound in 2013. What a relief.

If only the wait for my two wounded fantasy third basemen could be as soothing.