No this is not another feature on Max Scherzer. I will however say that those with your number 2 waivers will be happy when Y! decides to add Clayton Kershaw and you realize you didn’t spend your waiver yet.

I am currently in the middle of reviving one of my teams by pulling off a blockbuster to get Cole Hamels and Hanley Ramirez for at least 3-4 prospects and 1-2 players. This is a 30 team Dynasty league in which a combo of real life and league contracts are used for full rosters and minor league systems. That is the short version of the rules. It is as close to MLB as any league is ever going to be.

To start this off I’ll say I was dealt one of the worst hands possible entering the league this year. I was given a team that had been moved around a ton and not very well. I also got the “Marlins” franchise, which means I have significantly less money to spend than every other team. The following is a list of my “useful” guys:

C:Victor Martinez 08:$4.25M, 09:$5.7M, 10:$7M club option ($0.25M buyout)
CI:Ryan Zimmerman $400,000 (Prospect 08-10)
MI:Ian Kinsler $400,000 (Prospect 08-10)
OF:Chris Duncan $400,000 (Prospect 08-10)
OF:Andruw Jones 08:$9M, 09:$15M
UTIL: Ivan Rodriguez 08: 3.5 09: 3.5
SP:Joe Blanton 08:$3.7M
RP:Huston Street 08:$3.3M
BN:Anibal Sanchez $400,000 (Prospect 08-10)
BN:Jeff Niemann 08: $1M 09: $1.1M
Minors: LeBlanc, Truinfel, Latos, Paulino, Wood, Headley

Everyone else are stopgaps with bad contracts or lower tier prospects that have little to no effect in a deal for Hamels and/or Hanley (both of which have min contracts of 400,000).

Since you are all dying to see how trades work in this sort of league, I thought I’d give you an inside look at the dialogue between the Padres and Marlins.

Marlins: I am interested in either or both Hanley and Hamels, if it is possible to deal a combo of prospects and MLB guys I would rather do that. I would like to keep 3/4 of Headley, Kinsler, Zim, and Wood. There is plenty of talent in my minors… have at it and let me know what you think you’re interested in.

Low balling how much I would have to give ultimately. Not that selling the pupu platter of farm guys wouldn’t be enough, but this still is fantasy and he is going to need some immediate production back as well

Padres: Hmm, you do seem to have a lot of talent. I’ll rank them for myself then sort it out.

1. Zimmerman
2. Kinsler
3. Wood
4. Headley
5. Niemann
6. Triunfel

I agree with this although I’d swap 3-4 and 6-5. Which means Neimann and Wood are definitely going to be involved since he has a higher opinion of them than I do. This is basic trading that I trust you all know.

To get Hanley you would definitely need to send me more than one of those 4 guys. To get Hamels I might be able to accept only 1 but i would need more. I wouldn’t mind a Chris Duncan throw in because my outfield is “poop”. (Adam Lind is on you bench sir, I am not sure why)

Hamels for
Wood, Niemann, Triunfel, Duncan
OR
Hanley for
Kinsler, Wood, Triunfel, Niemann, Duncan.

These are just thoughts, get back to me.

asking for 5 min salary guys in return for one guy is probably not going to fly even if it is Hanley. Asking price to start off for Hamels I was pleasantly surprised with. but my team is really not in a good way, I’m shooting for both these guys, prospects be damned…..to a degree

Marlins: A. Lind is about to help your OF situation big time, but Duncan can be tossed in I can handle Spillborges starting for me.

I’d just like to throw this out there, just to show you I am serious about this, because my team is not very good. And If I can get some guys with nice contracts I can start to build around them.

Kinsler, Wood, Neinmann, Trunifel, Duncan, Paulino, and one of these three (Latos, A pick, or LeBlanc).
for both of them

I do not mean this as a shot at your knowledge but please look up Latos Paulino and Leclanc before you immediately say no. I am basically throwing my farm system outside of Headley at you.

I assume we will go back and forth more before we hammer this out.

With the last message I tried to be as polite as possible without scaring him. That is a long list of names with plenty of talent. If you notice the names missing are Zimmerman and Headley. Duncan is virtually meaningless to me besides his great contract. So essentially I trade a 2b stud and 4 prospects for the best roto player alive (yes I said it) and a young high K rate pitcher on a great run support team. None of these prospects are can’t miss guys like Longoria, Bruce, or Kershaw… but they are worth taking onto your team any day for their upside.

I invite you to try to predict the ending of this sequence of talks. I will be posting it next week so you can all check your answers if you’d like.