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Lord I used to be pretty good at this game. Now I am obviously terrible. Scary thing is I don't have a clue what I stopped doing right but my record speaks for itself.

Why do I sit Martin Perez in Toronto and he throws six shutout and gamble with Holland?

Why did I after seeing that start say well heck at least I have Garrett Richards on two of my three teams and he looks great.

I am bald, seem to gain more weight every year all I want is to be good at the nfbc again.

i hear you chest. been a brutal 4+ weeks.

at least we have the braves

Need a theme song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAKPJEq1Ew

One thing I know I do wrong and absolutely have to correct. In my job all day I look for value and have to be risk adverse. Having visible ADP's is the worst thing that ever happened to me. I used to simply draft the guys I liked and push the envelope. Now I look for value. I tend to end up with names that are long past their glory days and teams with very little upside. First step to getting better is saying you got a problem. My two Braves fans pals here I think the gold is pretty far away at the end of that rainbow. Tell me one prospect besides Swanson that he has acquired that you feel great about?

great about? that's a tough one.

im warm to blair, ruiz, and jenkins(though he's the biggest wild card of all probably).

if they sign the venezuelan kid, maitan, and draft a solid college bat, ill be more optimistic.

The plan in theory makes sense. My one concern is they have gone quantity over quality.

I play a good bit of golf, including some competitive. I often see friends/colleagues really get upset and struggle. What I say is "hey, golf is hard..." Rickie Fowler said it a couple weeks ago after being asked why he show over 80.

Fantasy baseball, at the higher/highest levels, is hard. Wouldn't have it any other way. It is easy to think we are the only ones who make bad lineup decisions or draft the wrong guy. It is happening to everyone. I started a thread last year titled "venting misery.." And it was therapeutic to read people venting about the pain of fantasy baseball.

It might be 2018. As of right now, the Braves have only five guys under contract next year (and a $3M option on Girlie). Flowers ($3.0M), Olivera ($6.0M), Teheran ($6.5m), Markakis ($11.0M) and Freeman (gets an $8.5M raise to $20.9M).

What have the Braves given up and what have they gotten?

Traded OF Jason Heyward and RHP Jordan Walden to the St. Louis for RHP Shelby Miller and RHP Tyrell Jenkins. The key piece here was Jenkins. "The 6-foot-4 right-hander doesn't miss a ton of bats, but uses his three-pitch mix well and gets soft contact consistently. He'll sit 93-94 mph with his fastball, touching 95 mph at times. It plays up because he throws downhill and with sink to generate groundball outs. His power curve can be above-average and his changeup, while fringy now, has the chance to be a third above average to plus offering. He seems to have a feel of when to expand the zone on hitters, getting them to chase. His overall command is a tick below average, but should get better thanks to that athleticism." I.e. he still walks too many batters and has had some health issues, but is considered a really good prospect. The Braves really had no chance to resign Heyward. The Cubbies overpaid (eight-year, $184 million).

Traded OF Justin Upton and RHP Aaron Northcraft to San Diego for LHP Max Fried, INFs Jace Peterson and Dustin Peterson, OF Mallex Smith. Upton was another guy the Braves would not be able to afford to resign (or maybe it is better to say wasn't interested in the money it would take to resign him). Detroit did poney up (six-year, $132.75 million). Mallex Smith is already up and showing he can turn the light out in the bedroom and be in the bed under the covers before the room gets dark. Probably up prematurely. Has to prove he can get on base in order to use his speed. Jace Peterson is probably just a utility player but anyway he is only keeping the bench warm for the next-gen Bravo middle infielders. Max Fried is a longer term prospect because four months prior to the trade, Fried had TJS. When healthy, Fried has an exciting three-pitch mix that made him worthy of being a Top 10 pick back in 2012. His fastball will sit in the low-90s, and he can reach back for more. He has a plus curve, modeled after Sandy Koufax's breaking ball, that misses bats and his changeup was improving before he got hurt.

Acquired OFs Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Jordan Paroubeck and RHP Matt Wisler for OF Melvin Upton, Jr. and RHP Craig Kimbrel. Mainly a salary dump by both teams. Losing Kimbrel hurt of course. After a pretty rough 2015, Wisler is showing some stones (21 hits in 33 IP with nine walks...not so good...and 23 K's...good ERA, WHIP under 1.00). Showing he belongs. Solid guy who could be mid-rotation for years.

Acquired INF Hector Olivera, LHP Paco Rodriguez and RHP Zachary Bird from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami's 2016 competitive balance draft lottery selection A for LHPs Luis Avilan and Alex Wood, RHPs Bronson Arroyo and Jim Johnson and INF Jose Peraza. Olivera was supposed to be the key piece here. Ho-hum. Bird (21) has an electric right arm with upside similar to Tyrell Jenkins but similar issues with consistency and command. Down in A-Ball getting tagged.

Traded SS Andrelton Simmons and C Jose Briceno to the Los Angeles Angels for SS Erick Aybar, LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Chris Ellis and $2.5 million. Aybar is a rental until the MI of the future shows up. Newcomb (22), a 2014 first-rounder has easy heat in low/mid-90s with peaks at 98, plus curveball, change-up needs work but is improving, stuff in general is usually overpowering. Needs tighter command, potential top of rotation arm if he gets it. The "other" guy in the trade, the Angels pushed Ellis in his first full season after taking him in the third round of the 2014 Draft and he spent half the year in Double-A as a result. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has two above-average pitches in his fastball and slider. While the heater sits at around 92 mph, it plays up because of its life. His power slider has shown the ability to miss bats. His changeup should give him a third Major League offering. He was generally around the strike zone during the first half of 2015, but struggled with his command and control once he got to Double-A. Could be sneaky good.

Traded Shelby Miller and Minor League reliever Gabe Speier to Arizona in exchange for outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-hander Aaron Blair and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Inciarte gives the Braves a legitimate LO hitter (something they have not had in a while) for a long time (2017 will be his first arbitration year). There isn't much more for Blair to prove at the Minor League level. He has three above-average pitches in his repertoire with a good feel for pitching. His fastball can touch 95 mph and will sit in the low-90s consistently. He throws it with movement and sink, generating a good amount of groundball outs. He's always had a very good changeup and his breaking ball has improved to the point where it, too, flashes above average. He works quickly and tends to go right after hitters, typically not hurting himself too much with walks. Swanson (22), a first round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2015 out of Vanderbilt. Outstanding across-the-board prospect with moderate power, good speed, excellent strike zone judgment and line drive hitting ability, above-average to excellent defense at shortstop, superior makeup. Won't need long in the minors at all, should be long-term regular and potential All Star. With "home grown" prospect Ozzie Albies, will be part of the MI for years to come.

Traded Evan Gattis and pitcher James Hoyt to Houston for right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, third baseman Rio Ruiz and right-hander Andrew Thurman. Gattis was great, but a man without a position for the Braves. Foltynewicz probably deserves to be in the bullpen. Ruiz (21) has a smooth swing from the left side and excellent plate discipline, Ruiz should hit for average. He also has more power than he's shown thus far. He goes very well to left-center, and the Braves don't want to take that away from him, but they were working on getting him to tap into his pull power a little more consistently. While there have been concerns about Ruiz's ability to stay at third, he improved his agility just enough, adding a touch more range that could help him stay at the hot corner. Doing well in AAA this year.

Traded infielder Philip Gosslen to Arizona for pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Touki Toussaint. Basically a salary dump (Arroyo) by Arizona. Toussaint (19), Arizona’s first round pick in 2014 unexpectedly traded to Braves last June, highest ceiling right-handed arm in system.

In all of this, the Braves got also:

1) Miami's 2016 competitive balance draft lottery selection A
2) The 41st overall selection in the 2015 first-year player draft from San Diego
3) International bonus compensation.

The Braves went from one of the worst to one of the best farm systems in baseball. It cost them Simmons, Peraza, (both to be replaced by Swanson and Albies who both have already moved up one level in the minors this year), Heyward, Upton, (both salary dumps), Gattis (can't use a DH), Kimbrel, Wood and Miller.

Wood this year 5.18 ERA and 1.48 WHIP so far. Miller this year 8.49 ERA and 1.97 WHUP so far.

It may be 2018 before it all comes together. Still need at least one OFer and a catcher, but man the pitchers! And with so few players under contract, they have lots of money to throw around.

At this level, fantasy baseball is humbling. If you ever want to torture yourself, go back and look at the draft boards from the some of your leagues. The number of picks I wish I could redo a lousy month into the season is large. The number of FAAB bids I wish I could redo are almost as large. The number of lineup decisions where I thought I was being smart, only to have it backfire in my face, are more than I care to admit. The one saving grace is the same can be said, in varying degrees, for most players. The perfect draft, if there is such a thing, is incredibly elusive. So is perfect, or even close to perfect, execution in FAAB and lineup decisions. We're all just trying to be a little less sucky at these things than our competitors. Unfortunately, we tend to magnify our mistakes and shortcomings, and often overlook the good calls that we make every now and then. You can spend months researching players and strategizing, etc., and there is no guarantee of success. Still, as much as these considerations can frustrate the hell out of you, they also make the game, and the chase, great and addicting as hell. And I haven't even mentioned the luck factor, which permeates everything. Just my two cents.

Mike

A stat I would love (hate?) is a percentage of our optimal points we have achieved over a season. My decision to sit Duvall this week pretty hard to swallow.

Chest Rockwell wrote:Lord I used to be pretty good at this game. Now I am obviously terrible. Scary thing is I don't have a clue what I stopped doing right but my record speaks for itself.

Why do I sit Martin Perez in Toronto and he throws six shutout and gamble with Holland?

Why did I after seeing that start say well heck at least I have Garrett Richards on two of my three teams and he looks great.

I am bald, seem to gain more weight every year all I want is to be good at the nfbc again.

Funny stuff Chestie! I haven't won d*** in years and just want to pound sand 6 out of every 7 days. The low lying fruit has up and blown away leaving hard core November drafting fantasy extremists. Every year I add onto my playbook on what NOT to do...it seems that chapter has no ending... Hang in there pal, you're not alone.

Chest Rockwell wrote:One thing I know I do wrong and absolutely have to correct. In my job all day I look for value and have to be risk adverse. Having visible ADP's is the worst thing that ever happened to me. I used to simply draft the guys I liked and push the envelope. Now I look for value. I tend to end up with names that are long past their glory days and teams with very little upside. First step to getting better is saying you got a problem.

Truth!

I've publicly chronicled my last 3 ME teams to hold myself accountable. It's humbling, but it serves as my reminder to stop sucking the same way each year. I feel its working, but it also feels like Cerci's shame march from Game Of Thrones. (If you don't watch GOT, google it. It's worth it.)

knuckleheads wrote:

Chest Rockwell wrote:One thing I know I do wrong and absolutely have to correct. In my job all day I look for value and have to be risk adverse. Having visible ADP's is the worst thing that ever happened to me. I used to simply draft the guys I liked and push the envelope. Now I look for value. I tend to end up with names that are long past their glory days and teams with very little upside. First step to getting better is saying you got a problem.

Truth!

I've publicly chronicled my last 3 ME teams to hold myself accountable. It's humbling, but it serves as my reminder to stop sucking the same way each year. I feel its working, but it also feels like Cerci's shame march from Game Of Thrones. (If you don't watch GOT, google it. It's worth it.)

I can't wait to see the Sparrows get what's coming to them.

Write on the blackboard 100 times --- "I will not draft injured players, and I will not draft players who had significant injuries last year" Wainwright, Mesoraco, etc.