I talked with my buddy Ryan, who is re-interested in joining. He was, reasonably, not that interested in taking the Twins. He was a little bummed about being passed over, but also was ok with it because he's been in between jobs looking for work. But he's now back interested in taking on the challenge.
He has already begun analyzing the Marlins once I told him that it was again open. He said he has already begun creating a spreadsheet with key major/minor league player stats for the players.
Given that he was passed up for Walter, who was a complete bust, I'd like to ask that he be given quick consideration for Miami rather than be drug through another "well, we are looking at this other guy, too" sort of routine.
He's very baseball smart, has a wide range of knowledge about current and past players and teams and is committed to statistical analysis of players. I think he would do a good job making the Marlins competitive within a couple seasons, which is something the NL could use.
Let me know your thoughts.
Marlins GM
Moderator: Executive Committee
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Cardinals
- Posts: 7734
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2002 1:00 am
- Location: Manch Vegas, CT
- Name: John Paul Starkey
One of Jake's buddies is also interested. He shot me this email today:
I’ve never done a sim league; I’m interested in seeing how it works. Fantasy is great, but I think I need something more robust.
I watch a lot the Mets and the O’s. I watch a lot of Dodgers games, especially when Kershaw is pitching.
I’ve been in an NL only keeper league for 13 years. We have a three round minor league draft and can keep up to 10 minor leaguers every year. I know everyone in the top 100 and most of the top 10s on NL teams.
I’ve been reading Bill James since 1987.
12, 14, 15, 17, 22
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Guardians
- Posts: 4649
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:00 am
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Name: Pat Gillespie
As a refresher, this is what Ryan initially wrote to JP months ago when he was first considered for the Marlins:
"So, I've been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. I started playing when I was 5 and have followed it since. This includes the minor leagues, as I like to know how my Red Sox stack up in their farm system compared to other teams, because as Pat will tell you, we always debate how we'd make the Sox better if we were the GM. And I'm definitely interested in doing the same with the Marlins as long as the cost isn't high.
And that's my first question...does it cost anything to join? Second, in the beginning it's OK if I focus on team building to win in the long term instead of just trying to win in the short term (i.e., the Phillies, who are scrambling now to replenish the farm system)?"
"So, I've been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. I started playing when I was 5 and have followed it since. This includes the minor leagues, as I like to know how my Red Sox stack up in their farm system compared to other teams, because as Pat will tell you, we always debate how we'd make the Sox better if we were the GM. And I'm definitely interested in doing the same with the Marlins as long as the cost isn't high.
And that's my first question...does it cost anything to join? Second, in the beginning it's OK if I focus on team building to win in the long term instead of just trying to win in the short term (i.e., the Phillies, who are scrambling now to replenish the farm system)?"
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Cardinals
- Posts: 7734
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2002 1:00 am
- Location: Manch Vegas, CT
- Name: John Paul Starkey
Nate had a guy email me too:
Sorry for the belated message, my family and I are traveling through Europe and we had to rather unexpectedly switch up our plans last week due to the terrorist attack in Nice and we are just now getting our bearings again. Traveling with kids is hard enough without that kind of stress...what a world right now.
Anyway, Nate Hunter said you needed a player to take over a team in your keeper league, and it sounds like a blast. I've played Yahoo fantasy baseball for the past decade with pretty solid success and have always been pushing to gt our league to try out the keeper approach with no luck, so this is just what the doctor ordered for me... though it sounds like the depths of knowledge your league has with minor leaguers is going to keep me on my toes! Nate showed me the roster I'll be taking over, looks like a bit of a lost cause this year, but I'll be grateful for a couple months to flounder about and learn the new system, strategy, and formulate a game plan moving forward. I tend to favor veterans quite a bit and this looks like a young roster, so it looks like I'll be trying something new whether my old ass likes it or not!
Can I answer any questions for you? I'm a Realtor here in the Denver area and am married with 2 young boys. I really enjoy traveling, playing drums, RE investing, microbreweries with friends, and daydreaming. Nate and I have known each other since middle school, and we still keep in touch fairly regularly...doesn't hurt that my wife is from Cincinnati and grew up a Reds fan
I love the Rox, this year, any year. I would still slap Dante Bichette a high five if I saw him and would probably cry if I ever met Todd Helton, though I grew up a Red Sox fan. Wade Boggs 4 lyfe son...
Cheers and hopefully I'll be a good fit for your league!
12, 14, 15, 17, 22
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Rangers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3930
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:00 am
- Location: Prosper, TX
- Name: Brett Perryman
My two cents is that there isn't a lot to go on, aside from what Pat and Nate think about the guys' fit. But just taking the comments at face value -
Nate's guy makes me very nervous. Like I said, very little to go on there, but I get some bad flashbacks reading through his email.
Pat's guy seems worth a shot, but I think that we should give some thought to how to help him get full value from veterans he may decide to move. Not that he wouldn't know what a Castellanos or Desclafani is worth, but we all know that a) it is an uphill battle to get good value for guys like that as a new GM who wants to go even younger, and b) I'm not sure why it is but there seems to be a natural desire to move guys in their mid-20s as a part of a rebuild so that you feel like you're moving things forward.
What I think we want to avoid as a league in this instance is for someone to come in and trade the handful of nice in-their-20s assets that roster has for very thin (even if defensible on some level) return, leaving it with only marginal prospects to work from and further benefiting the handful of guys who will go after a new seller like piranhas.
I'd also ask Pat as a favor and an exco member to do his best to refrain from a repeat of Danny's initial days - he is a good GM and is an asset to the league, but Pat got a lot of good deals from right off the bat as he was getting to know other people and getting a feel for trade values. I don't necessarily think that any of us should be at a competitive disadvantage just because we're on exco but I do think that it's reasonable that we look at things a little more altruistically for a brand new GM who we know is in a very tough position, and especially if we have a relationship with him.
Nate's guy makes me very nervous. Like I said, very little to go on there, but I get some bad flashbacks reading through his email.
Pat's guy seems worth a shot, but I think that we should give some thought to how to help him get full value from veterans he may decide to move. Not that he wouldn't know what a Castellanos or Desclafani is worth, but we all know that a) it is an uphill battle to get good value for guys like that as a new GM who wants to go even younger, and b) I'm not sure why it is but there seems to be a natural desire to move guys in their mid-20s as a part of a rebuild so that you feel like you're moving things forward.
What I think we want to avoid as a league in this instance is for someone to come in and trade the handful of nice in-their-20s assets that roster has for very thin (even if defensible on some level) return, leaving it with only marginal prospects to work from and further benefiting the handful of guys who will go after a new seller like piranhas.
I'd also ask Pat as a favor and an exco member to do his best to refrain from a repeat of Danny's initial days - he is a good GM and is an asset to the league, but Pat got a lot of good deals from right off the bat as he was getting to know other people and getting a feel for trade values. I don't necessarily think that any of us should be at a competitive disadvantage just because we're on exco but I do think that it's reasonable that we look at things a little more altruistically for a brand new GM who we know is in a very tough position, and especially if we have a relationship with him.
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Guardians
- Posts: 4649
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:00 am
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Name: Pat Gillespie
I understand the concerns and am not too surprised at BP's considering how critical he has been of deals I made with Danny in the past. Of the three deals I made early on, the only that really was lopsided was getting Jose Altuve, who was in the midst of a 0.7 fwar season when I got him. I would argue that's no more lopsided than dealing a top 25 prospect for a DH with a neck injury, an injured outfielder and an outfielder who can't hit homers, but I digress 
I think Ryan would be happy to jump on gchat with a group of us to talk through his ideas. I would label him as much more conservative in those types of trades than some others have been over the years. What I mean by that is he is too smart to deal a 25-year-old Castellanos, for instance, for a 22-year-old 3B prospect and change as some might. I think you'd come away impressed with his knowledge and I would bet he would rake me over the coals more than others in any trade talks.
Also, I mentioned this to JP in chat: if you want to put some sort of restriction on me dealing with him since I'm on Exco, I'm fine with that. I genuinely think Ryan would be good and he'd enjoy it, which is also important.
I think Ryan would be happy to jump on gchat with a group of us to talk through his ideas. I would label him as much more conservative in those types of trades than some others have been over the years. What I mean by that is he is too smart to deal a 25-year-old Castellanos, for instance, for a 22-year-old 3B prospect and change as some might. I think you'd come away impressed with his knowledge and I would bet he would rake me over the coals more than others in any trade talks.
Also, I mentioned this to JP in chat: if you want to put some sort of restriction on me dealing with him since I'm on Exco, I'm fine with that. I genuinely think Ryan would be good and he'd enjoy it, which is also important.
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Guardians
- Posts: 4649
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:00 am
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Name: Pat Gillespie
Well, this sucks. Ryan has spent the last six months unsuccessfully looking for communications type work from coast to coast, starting with universities and then onto private companies. Despite being qualified, he couldn't land a gig. After treading water for a long time, he has taken a position teaching English at a Vietnamese academy. Between learning a new area and a new culture, he told me tonight he is stepping back from the league. I'm obviously disappointed because I think he has the baseball knowledge to really enjoy it and do well. And I'm also sorry that this didn't work out. I wish we hadn't wasted the time on my recommendation. I recall there being a couple other options we were discussing.
I did ask Ryan why he never made any moves in his time and he said that since he didn't know what would happen with work he didn't want to make major moves someone else would have to live with if he couldn't stay on. So, at least the next guy will have the same roster. But, still frustrating for all of us.
I did ask Ryan why he never made any moves in his time and he said that since he didn't know what would happen with work he didn't want to make major moves someone else would have to live with if he couldn't stay on. So, at least the next guy will have the same roster. But, still frustrating for all of us.
