The league is really deep, so there are no quality starting pitchers and absolutely NO relief pitchers who get saves (let alone sniff a save) available on the wire.  I have a fairly deep hitting team, and Pablo Sandoval coming back to take over 3B for M. Young.  I have 9 OF's, so losing one is not the end of the world.

If Josh Johnson didn't have that little red "DL" next to his name  AND  if there was a single positive thing written about his injuries lately, I may have pulled the trigger.  As such, it is still sitting there.

Any thoughts, especially regarding Josh Johnson…I am not finding much news about him?

REALLY appreciate your reply Bob.  I like getting your advice.

You are right.  The befuddling thing is just how injured Johnson is.  Again, can't find any news of late.  And it is disconcerting that his injury has been listed in 3 different ways, ie, shoulder, forearm, and elbow.  Which is it?

As for my team, we have 4 OF slots to fill and 3 UTIL.  One of the Utility spots is filled with David Ortiz.  So for those other 6 slots I've had to pick from the following outfielders:

1)  Andrew McCutchen (whom the other fellow is after of course)

2)  Josh Hamilton

3)  Mike Stanton

4)  Drew Stubbs

5)  Jacoby Ellsbury

6)  Matt Joyce

7)  Logan Morrison

8)  Michael Morse

9)  Alex Gordon

So, personally, I think I'm rather stacked at OF.  And of course, I have Gordon with 3B eligibility and Pablo Sandoval at 3B about to come back from injury, so that would make up for the loss of Michael Young.

So, again, if it weren't for that little red "DL" next to Johnson's name………..

Any more thoughts you would have would be greatly appreciated.

well….My one hangup here is Johnson's injury…if it's worse than Florida lets on, then who knows?  He could be done for the year even.  

I wouldn't trade for a starting pitcher who is injured and shrouded in mystery….but what about this:  Just trade Young for Axford straight up, take the other two out of the equation?

Good thought about the one for one deal.

Actually, I don't recall you sharing about Moustakas before, other than you said there was a boatload of talent coming through the Royals system.

On the other hand, you may very well have…we have something like 400+ posts between us…I imagine I have forgotten a few of the things written,

Well, this one keeps going around and around.

I declined sending the commish the one-for-one of McCutchen for Axford.  Looking at my team and thinking long-term strategy in this league, I need these multi-category guys.  I have Ellsbury, McCutchen, and Stubbs getting me wins in the SB category each week.  At the same time, Ortiz, Morse, Stanton, and eventually Hamilton will win me the HR category (as have my multitude of hitters so far).

So lately, a few guys in the league have tried to pry away Ellsbury and his 24 steals for a RP.  Just can't do it.   

The commish takes the cake though.  He's all nice what with sending me a pitcher on the DL (Reported last night that the Marlins shifted Josh Johnson from the 15 to the 60 day DL list!!).  After I declined that one, he was a little pompous in thinking he was sending me a good deal in Chris Carpenter and John Axford for Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew McCutchen.  He threw a temper tantrum when I declined that one too (after all, he was GIVING me what I wanted, a SP and a RP), so I pointed out that I wasn't interested in giving up the #6 overall player for an SP with one win all year.

So then he gives me a lecture about how I shouldn't look at the stupid rankings and that was looking in the past, and how I should look to the future.  Huh?  Keeping Ellsbury instead of grabbing an over the hill starter is NOT looking to the future?  So I said, "Let's put it like this guys:

Ellsbury = Untouchable."

Then he resorted to name calling.  Unbelievable.

So another owner has joined the fray…and I have to be careful because there is a part of me that wants to give the new guy a good deal and stick it to the commish!  

I've ranted enough, I'll just leave it here until this new guy and I figure something out….

Never say never.

This long plot has finally come to a close.  And I gave kudos to the other owner for his persistence in getting his man.  And for being a gentleman about the whole process.

So he sends me a note and says my trade box is full, so cancel one of the them because he is going to send me a "doozy."

When the trade came back, he was offering me Cole Hamels and Mariano Rivera for David Ortiz.

Wow.

I couldn't stop thinking about that, so I pulled the trigger.  On a pitching poor squad, I finally have an ace.  My bench is deep (I'll have 14 guys with double digit HR's this year), so I could afford to give up one slugger.  And I have a RP on a contending team.

I don't want to sound like I am blowing my own horn, but a month ago I had no regular relief pitchers, and had lost the saves category for 7 straight weeks.  Now………I have Mariano, Andrew Bailey (who has been on my DL all season), Mark Melancon (who I did NOT drop when Lyons came back) and M. Adams (who I hope will be the closer for SD if the Padres trade H. Bell).  That will bode well for saves, ERA, and walks in this league.

The thing to learn: persistence pays off.

You are so right.  It was real nice to see Hamels in his start this weekend.  That will be a nice blessing every 5th day.

The trade had no real affect this week, as my pitching staff went crazy and I won the wins column by a 8-3 count.  Alas, lost saves 4-7…with Mariano picking up 3 of them!  The poor other guy though was facing inter-league play, and I believe Ortiz went 2-13 on the week with limited playing time.

This particular league has fast become the one I want to win though.

I noticed no one smart mouthed me this week as I beat the #2 team 11-2.  Have now climbed into 2nd place by a whopping 4 games (I was behind by 3 last week and in 4th).  

But next up:  The 1st place squad!  No time to get cocky.