Going for It - Audit Request

[Kraftster]

12 team Roto - R, HR, RBI, SB, OBP || W, K, Sv, ERA, WHIP
Contract years cap -- Players signed to contracts, years left on contract is cap hit, cap size of 50 (see below).

Currently in third place. My current position:
R (8), HR (9), RBI (9), SB (6), OBP (7) || W (2), Sv (9.5), K (11), ERA (7), WHIP (11)



Roster:
Jonathan Lucroy C 3 (DL) (Carlos Ruiz)
Prince Fielder 1B 3
Michael Cuddyer 2B/OF/1B 2
Ian Desmond SS 2
Emilio Bonifacio SS/3B/OF 1
Adrian Beltre 3B 1
Josh Hamilton OF 3
Carl Crawford OF 2
Shin-Soo Choo OF 1
Curtis Granderson OF 3
Mark Teixeira 1B 1
Clayton Kershaw SP 5
Felix Hernandez SP 2
Brett Anderson SP 3 (DL) (Casey Janssen)
Jake Peavy SP 1
Jeff Samardzija SP 3
Matt Garza SP 3
Cliff Lee SP 1
Kenley Jansen RP 3
Huston Street RP 2
Jim Johnson RP 1
Tyler Clippard RP 1


I currently have Carlos Ruiz and Casey Janssen as injury fill-ins. They will need to be dropped when those guys return from injury (although one can be kept, probably Ruiz, because Desmond will move to the DL). We can call up our farm players for injured players but they otherwise cannot play unless signed to a contract. Farm is as follows (500 AB, 250 IP):

James Darnell, 3B
Jake McGee, RP/SP
Michael Pineda, SP
Brett Morel, 3B
Ben Revere, OF
Nick Franklin, SS
Zack Cozart, SS/2B
Trayvon Robinson, OF
Matt Lipka, IF/OF
Taijuan Walker, SP
Jose Altuve, 2B
Rex Brothers, RP
Tim Wheeler, OF
Collin Cowgill, OF
Tyler Pastornicky, SS
Eric Surkamp, SP
Alex Liddi, 3B

I am willing to go all in this season. I want to win bad. Realistically, I need to get a couple big weeks of wins from my pitchers to have a chance -- I can't win with a 2 in wins. That said, I definitely have the staff to do it.

11 in WHIP and 11 in Ks is pretty well locked up for me. I think I have the line up, or will with a trade or two, to also put together R (10), HR (11), RBI (11).

My biggest hole right now is 2B. Cuddyer has collapsed and his OBP has really been hurting me. I have Altuve on the farm who I can call up, but he has struggled as well. I've been talking extensively to the Phillips owner. I have also reached out to the Kinsler owner.

Aside from upgrading 2B, is there anywhere else that you guys would target for an upgrade? I am getting a little bit nervous about Clippard and saves is clearly a three horse race, so I wouldn't mind adding a better closer than Clippard as my (gasp) fifth closer.

I was offered Phillips/Andrus/Nathan for Cuddyer/Clippard/Walker/Pineda. I am very hesitant to move Walker unless I am sure that I am set up to win it (which again might come down to the stupid Wins category more than anything else). Phillips is signed for 3 years and Andrus for 2. If I made this deal, I could definitely try to swap Desmond for another upgrade somewhere, but where? Anyone nervous about having all three of Andrus, Beltre, Hamilton (and Nathan too)?

Thanks in advance for thoughts/help.

[djkiang]

Wouldn't be nervous about owning most of the Rangers team considering they're an elite team. Don't mind the trade so much, but think you should start off by offering him his choice of either Walker or Pineda. If not, try swapping Nathan for a positional player or another reliable starting pitcher.

[Kraftster]

Thanks, I was sort of thinking the same. I would rather include Walker + Altuve or Pineda + Altuve since I'd be getting Phillips as my 2B for the foreseeable future and I don't really love Altuve going forward as anything all that special.

What do you think of:

Desmond (2)
Altuve (farm)
Brett Anderson (3)/Pineda (farm)

for

Ian Kinsler (3)
Asdrubal Cabrera (1)

[dmvincent]

Thanks, I was sort of thinking the same. I would rather include Walker + Altuve or Pineda + Altuve since I'd be getting Phillips as my 2B for the foreseeable future and I don't really love Altuve going forward as anything all that special.

What do you think of:

Desmond (2)
Altuve (farm)
Brett Anderson (3)/Pineda (farm)

for

Ian Kinsler (3)
Asdrubal Cabrera (1)

I would do that in a second.

[Kraftster]

I may be able to get Lincecum (3 years) in the Andrus/Phillips deal, but I would need to move one of Garza, Samardzija, Peavy to make room for him the rest of the season. Balancing trying to go for it this year with a great opportunity to buy low on Lincecum.

I like Samardzija's upside. K/9 in his first season as a starter, very solid sub 3.5 xfip. Tough call for me on him vs. Garza. Peavy seems like he should give the best numbers the rest of the way, but he is only signed for this season while Samardzija and Garza are both signed for 3 years, so he would be the obvious choice if I am looking long-term.

Walker/Pineda/Cuddyer/Altuve + Peavy/Garza/Samardzija for
Andrus/Phillips/Lincecum

Any thoughts? Thanks again.

Edit: Actually, to make it work cap wise it would have to be Garza or Samardzija. I am initially offering Walker/Cuddyer/Garza/Altuve for Phillips/Andrus/Lincecum.