Scoresheet: Waving the White Flag

It’s time for me to wave the white flag on this year in Scoresheet. At 27-42, I’m only nine games out of first in my division, but I’m in last. As in dead last in King Kaufman’s AL-Skeeter 12-team AL-only Scoresheet league in the inaugral year. A couple of injuries lasted longer than I thought they would, and I’m not sure I understood how much depth is needed going into the season. In any case, I’m willing to jettison non-keepers to improve my position for next year. Inauspicious beginnings, but there are some things to like about this team still.

Perhaps you can help me identify the best non-keepers. It’s my firm belief that a fire sale should come with a white flag waive — I did that by trading Derek Lowe for a 21st-rounder next year — and then a quick strike with the best tradeable chips leaving first. We keep 13 veterans and as many prospects and/or rookies as we like (rookie is defined as anyone under the rookie eligibility 130/50 PA/IP cap).

So who should I be pushing next? Where are my biggest decisions? I’ve put asterisks next to the veteran keepers I’m looking at — I need three of the guys with (*) next to their name. I shopped Napoli some, but the offers were not exciting, so I’m more likely to work around the edges.

C Mike Napoli *
1B Albert Pujols *
2B Kelly Johnson *
SS Yunel Escobar *
3B Brent Morel
LF Carl Crawford *
CF Alejandro De Aza *
RF Brett Gardner *
DH Nolan Reimold (*)

BN Cliff Pennington
BN Johnny Damon
BN Shelley Duncan
BN Colin Cowgill
BN Alex Liddi
BN Tyler FLowers
BN Alexi Amarista
FM Jacob Marisnick
FM Nick Castellanos
FM Mike Olt
FM Nick Franklin
FM Brian Buxton
FM Lewis Brinson
FM Matt Antonelli

SP Matt Moore *
SP Ubaldo Jimenez *
SP Derek Holland *
SP Jerome Williams (*)
SP Brian Matusz (*)

BP Greg Holland (*)
BP Kyle Farnsworth
BP Addison Reed (*)
BP Matt Thornton
BP Franklin Morales
SM Drew Smyly *
SM Tom Wilhelmsen
SM Charlie Furbush
SM Jacob Turner (*)
FM Rafael Perez
FM Junichi Tazawa
FM Brian Johnson