Paul Sporer: Hello everyone! Sorry I’m late, I have to add my chat back to my Reminders app. I was just going through the day as if it were Tuesday

clydethedog: NL only 4 x 4 (no runs, no k’s) Keeper League

I have Emilio Pagan and Bryce Eldridge at incredibly cheap, would you try to package them together for another cheap keeper like James Wood or Jackson Chourio?

Paul Sporer: If you can do that, absolutely. I benefitted from Pagan’s huge year but I’m cashing the hell out. No chance I’m running it back. If he beats the HRs again (1.3 in ’25), I’ll tip my cap and eat the L

Deep in Draft Prep: Who is the one player (can be any position) you’re planting your flag on who is currently being drafted outside of the top 150 who will finish the season in the the top 75?

Paul Sporer: Addison Barger (190 ADP) is someone I really like. A bit raw, but smacks the absolute piss outta the ball. I don’t think he’d need to make a huge leap to go .260/30 – think Brandon Lowe from last year.

Davio: Sox get Ranger. Who do you prefer over Tolle or Early? I’d bet on of them goes in a deal.

Paul Sporer: Hello everyone, Happy New Year and thanks for coming out!!!

Greg: I have one of the best teams in my league that’s pretty even based on hitting and pitching quality keepers. 12 team points league. Who would you pick as my last three keepers: Samuel Basallo (9th round), Kevin McGonigle (25th), Zach Neto (3rd), Trey Yesavage (25th), Alex Bregman (25th).

Greg: That’s for a keep forever league – sorry meant to add that.

Paul Sporer: I feel like I wanna run the 3 round 25ers (presumably the other 2 would be 23rd/24th which is still good) buuutttt push come to shove I’d go Neto over Yesavage. Yes, he’s high priced, but he has 20/30 and 25/25 seasons the last 2 years at SS. So ya, Neto-Breg-McGonigle for me

Dave: Facing a few contract extensions in my NL only league.  Would you extend any of the following; H. Ramos, Vientos and I. Herrera?  Future playing time and position eligibility are concerns with each of them

Paul Sporer: Yes very valid concerns. Herrera can absolutely rake, but he’s DH-only and unlikely to even earn in-season C this year. — POST-CHAT ADD: Thanks to commenter TheBabbo for this info on Herrera getting time at C this year as I had missed it: “Cards are planning to use him as a catcher this season: https://www.mlb.com/news/ivan-herrera-could-reach-his-potential-in-2026“ — I still might take a shot extending him in NL only though bc the bat is so good. How long are the extensions? Vientos is someone I like as a player but my fantasy brain keeps me at arms length distance. In other words, I understand his flaws so my fandom doesn’t cloud my judgment. I hooope he fixes his K issues, but I doubt he will. I think Ramos is SF fixture for the next year or two as long as he doesn’t melt w/the bat so he could be extendable, too.

Herrera – yes (if it’s not TOO many yrs)
Ramos – maybe, leaning yes
Vientos – no, but would redraft at a cheaper price bc I love the power, just not the plate skills

Paul Sporer: Good afternoon, y’all, thanks for coming out!!

bb: What are we doing with Adley next year?

Paul Sporer: This is definitely one of those where the price will be the key indicator. He was the 11th catcher off the board in the Meatball draft (11 rounds of a 15-team 5×5 roto draft that WILL be played out) with only Kirk and Basallo going behind him in those 11 rounds. I don’t hate that price, but I’m not chasing him down next year. This is now 1000 PA of league average work and while that’s not terrible, the catcher pool is getting deeper so I might just want other Cs in his price range or a bit ahead as I’m not against paying up for catchers.

He did finish 6th on the Player Rater last yr with a solid 19 HR/79 RBI/.250 AVG yr  which is around what Yainer Diaz has done this year (19/68/.256) and he’s 12th on this year’s PR so that’s a little microcosm of how the field have improved while Adley’s regressed even further. His name will keep him from going super cheaply, too, as every room will have at least one believer

Schilling & Pence: Why was every sit/start decision I made in my home league this year wrong?

Paul Sporer: I’ve certainly gone through funks like that where every stream I line up – hitting and pitching – just comes in with a 10th percentile outcome for seemingly 6 weeks. In the end, it’s usually not that we’re making EVERY wrong move, but rather that some key ones are REALLY sticking w/us and stacking up in our head as a problem.

Now, sometimes there is a process issue worth investigating. If you’re finding similarities across the streaming misses, it could be that the process needs tightening. Are you chasing hot hands and always catching the rotten end? Are you missing splits on particular pitchers that are making seemingly good-looking streams actually more dangerous? Etc… It’s probablyyyy just a tough year, but don’t be afraid to question your processes and see if you’ve fallen behind your competition

Paul Sporer: The queue is expectedly light because a) I was late and b) it’s the last week of the season. My apologies on the former, I was doing physical therapy for a neck injury, but the latter I cannot help and totally understand. I will likely take a couple week break from chats in October before we get back into the review grind. I’ll hang around a bit longer to see if we get a few more Qs!

Paul Sporer: Hey y’all, thanks for coming out!

Dave: So… uhhhh… the Tigers are going to hang on, right?  Right….?  I was all the way back in for another Gritty Tigs run after the Carp homer last night and then, well… the top of the 10th happened.  And now I am anxious again.

Paul Sporer: I’m also anxious, but yes I think they hold on. The pitching is rickety outside of Skubal, though, just not enough bat-missing. I’m worried the playoffs could be a breezy 1-and-done

Sam: Hey Paul, appreciate all that you do!  Looking at a SS for the last week in a points league. Caballero, Meidroth or Colson Montgomery (been ice cold) or Ha-Seong Kim 김하성?

Paul Sporer: Matchups would play a role and I don’t have them off-hand, but absent a major edge one way or the other, Caballero & Meidroth are my faves there

lwomack58: Does Severino look like a good stream in h2h cat. league. Need QS and ratios protection.