The Guys You Just Can’t Quit
Oh, Ike Davis, what is it about you that convinces me, time and time again, to draft you, sign you, and trade for you? When all of my leaguemates are willing to cut you loose and leave you on the wire, why am I always the one to say, “No! Ike Davis is NOT a waste of a roster spot!”
And it is not like Ike is the only player I have this problem with. I’ve hung on to the belief that Chad Billingsley was moments away from being an ace and that Miguel Montero is about to become an MVP candidate, and I get burned over and over. So why are there guys that I just can’t quit?
And I know I am not alone in this problem. One of the owners in the original ottoneu league has been on and off the Ubaldo Jimenez roller coaster for years. Another just finally cut Dustin Ackley (who, naturally, I picked up).
For me, these attachments typically pop up when I identify a player I am high on and get instant returns. Jason Kipnis was one of these guys for me. I always felt Kipnis was a bit overlooked, as Ackley seemed to be the young 2B on every fantasy owner’s shopping list. And when Kipnis tore the cover off the ball in his initial call-up, I was hooked. Even through some rough stretches, I have remained convinced that Kipnis is bound for stardom.
Of course, in this case, my faith has been rewarded. And this is not the only time that has happened. In the very early days of ottoneu, I latched onto Carlos Quentin, and stuck with him during rough years and injuries (and more injuries) and reaped the benefits of his huge 2008 at a minimal price. Now, 5 years later, I am still stuck on Quentin and I am still reaping rewards when he plays and paying the price when he doesn’t (which is most of the time).
And to some extent, the Kipnises and Quentins are exacerbating the problem.
“Ike was hurt,” I can tell myself. “Just like Carlos!”
So how do you quit these guys? Honestly…I have no idea. I’d say to look at the stats without the name, see what you think, and make a decision, but, let’s be honest, you have already tried that.
I’d say cut these guys loose ASAP in October and then evaluate them in the off-season. With a mind relieved of the burden of ownership and cleared of any attachment, maybe you can be more objective. But I know I will look at the low price tag on Davis and say, “Think of the profit to be had…” and convince myself to keep him.
I am sure I could come up with 10 more strategies, and I am sure you could come up with dozens as well. But you know as well as I do that come April, I’ll be slotting Ike Davis in as my 1B in at least a couple leagues, and watching as he tanks (or carries!) my team.
A long-time fantasy baseball veteran and one of the creators of ottoneu, Chad Young's is the Managing Editor for RotoGraphs, and can be heard on the Keep or Kut Podcast. You can follow him on Bluesky @chadyoung.bsky.social.
I’m still waiting for D’Angelo Jiminez to have his breakout season.
this year, mine was Anthony Rizzo. he’s put up decent numbers in a few categories, but i’ve watched as he’s slowly brought my ship down, and then boom, a multi-hr game. or 2 doubles and 5 RBI. finally cut him loose a couple of weeks ago to add a more consistent hitter in Adam Lind, and so far it’s paid off.
This is the first time I’ve ever read ‘Adam Lind’ and ‘consistent’ in the same sentence. Any Jays fan will lament his inconsistency, even though he may be a bargain next year at $7m.
“consistent” and “Adam Lind” are close to synonymous this year, and much more consistent than Anthony Rizzo.
Brett f-ing Lawrie
Seconded. But look at his numbers in Aug…I’m doing it again…
Mine is Josh Reddick. His wrists are made of glass.
Swisher for me. Burned me all year. Dropped him right before playoffs. Best week of season last week. Figures.
I feel your pain brother. I had Brandon Belt for a while and dropped him for LaRoche for the playoffs. Had I held onto belt his monster Saturday would’ve put me into the finals.
Ah, Jermaine Dye. You’d had a good year, I’d keep you. Then you’d have a terrible year, and I wouldn’t. Then you’d have another good year, and I’d draft you, then you’d have another terrible year.
My friend and I call them “Brokeback” players given the “I can’t quit you” line in the movie. And Yovanni Gallardo. I can’t quit you.
Jed Lowrie, finally paid off for me.
Lucas Duda (someone tell Eno) and Dayan Viciedo personal man-crushes for years. I had Liriano on all his bad years and quit him on all his good years.
This year for me it was Nick Franklin. He looked sooo damn good there for a while. Good enough for me to deal off Pedroia for Reyes when I already had Hanley. I did however manage to force myself to cut bait and move on back in early Aug but the damage had already been done..
Chris Carter, JP Arencibia, Mike Moustakas.
The former has remained in my lineup all season, the other two I keep hoping and hoping. Even when the Jays move on, I’ll probably still keep JP in the hopes a new environment helps him.
Also, part of it is the do not sell low thing. But then when they get hot, it’s hard to sell high b/c you want to believe.
It’s also hard to sell high because no one else believes…
rizzo for this year atleast
Headley
I’m still waiting for Ackley
I just cut Swisher. Although, earlier in the season, I cut Eric Hosmer just before he learned how it it again.
greetings, fellow Hosmer victim! drafted E in a keeper following his breakout rookie campaign…proceeded to hold for ~1.5 years before dealing him for Old Man Weaver just as Hos broke out mid-season 🙁
Victor Zambrano, Daniel Cabrera and Austin Kearns. Ugh.
My crystal ball tells me it will be Danny Espinosa over these next couple years.
Oh, you wanna kick it old school. Yeah, I did the Cabrera thing. And here’s one: Adam Eaton (the pitcher).
Rizzo for me also. So disappointing.
For a long time it was Erik Bedard and Francisco Liriano. I finally swore off Liriano for good this year. Luckily, I was stuck with him on a multi-year deal and couldn’t unload him before the season.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. However, this does put me back in his pocket for the next few years.
C’mon Brandon Wood! you’ll show them any day now…
Haha so much potential!
I’ll see your Brandon Wood and raise you one Dallas McPherson!
Please don’t be where I write a future Billy Hamilton post, please don’t be where I write a future Billy Hamilton post, please don’t….
That post gave me Dee Gordon deja vu.
Brandon Morrow for me. If he could have just put it all together. I was close to cutting bait a few years ago and then he had that 17 K gem against the Rays towards the end of the season and then the process started all over again. I think I’m finally done with him, but I know, come draft time next year and he starts to fall some….
In keeper leagues, Dustin McGowan was the MiLB version.
Aramis. Have had him in ’09 (82 games), ’10 (.746 OPS), then quit him, until this year.
Oh god, Ricky Nolasco. I’ve been a believer since 2009 and FINALLY he does me good – only to blow up and allow 7 runs vs the giants, costing me my semifinal fantasy matchup!
Any Diamondback pitcher ever. I fall in love with them and they reward one year and then punish me greatly at some point.
I had an “opposite” thing with one of the D-backs picthers. I saw Max Scherzer pitch when he was a Diamondback and thought he was the next Tom Seaver…he wasn’t. So I let him go. Then he was.
Had Adam Jones for 2-3 years and he was a turd. Let him go and he became a stud.
I have had “love affairs” with Carlos Quentin, Adam LaRoche, Brandon Morrow, Chase Headley, Vernon Wells,….Also didn’t know when enough was enough with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
I loved seeing the Andy Marte reference, too.
I will make the playoffs in my H2H league this year but will be easily eliminated if I make it to the finals.
Cameron Maybin !$# Used to be Jayson Werth … but i quit him this year, and look what happened
Among those where my devotion has not paid off:
Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, Josh Johnson, Dustin McGowan, Phil Hughes.
Jimmy Rollins, Conor Jackson, Corky Miller, Andy Marte, Geovany Soto, James Loney, Andy (not Adam) LaRoche.
Brandon Morrow. And I’m going to keep on taking him until it happens!
gallardo, edwin jackson, lincecum last year.
The Greek god of walks. I am sure next season during the spring when hes “healthy”, he will find his way on my team yet again.
I will never use valuable roster spots to speculate on young talent that may or may not come through. There was some idiot in my keeper league that held Teheran at $10 for two seasons, then finally cut him before this year. Another idiot held onto Belt, Lawrie and Dominic Brown for three years. Despite their breakout years, he’s still in last place.
Still other people in my league won’t promote their young talent from the minor roster so they can have more low budget keeper years(you only have to promote a player the year after he loses rookie status.) Shelby Miller and Jose Fernandez languished in the minors this year as their teams finished under .500. Same with Trout last year.
I always promote my minor leaguers, like Harvey last year, who pitched me into the playoffs. I’ll always take a cheap, productive veteran (Torii hunter, Alfonso Soriano) over a speculative young player.
(Although this year, I’m in the playoffs but I’m still using roster spots to keep George Springer and Jason Castro from getting to the draft next year.)
you’re the best, Rob!
Rich Harden. Someday…