Max Scherzer----How Good Can He Be?

by dancer on Jan 27, 2009 9:49 PM EST Comment 10 comments

About a week ago, I made a trade and acquired Max Scherzer for only 5 chips ( NL Only Auction Bid Keeper League)---which I've won the past two years. I needed a fourth starter (I have Hamels, Lincicum and Cain) and a closer (lost Valverde), but in order to get Scherzer and Chris Perez (also 5 chips), I had to trade Geo Soto(20 chips) and JJ Hardy (22 chips)---thats a lot of offense! First, did I make a good deal, and secondly how does the group feel about Scherzer(can he pitch 200 effective innings?) and Perez(will he close or not) this year? I know LaRussa is not his biggest fan for the closing job this year---but I still think he is their closer of the future, that's one of the reasons I made this deal. Bob

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Scherzer

I really love Max and think he can be a future ace, but I don’t think he can throw 200 innings in 2009. I think maybe by 2011, he can do that.

I like Perez alot to, but I’m always leary of trading for unestablished closers. You can usually find a guy who emerges as a cheap closer via the bargin bin/waiver wire.

Unless you were looking to shead payroll/depth, not sure I like your end of that trade.

"In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the Bigs." - Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker

by prince of power on Jan 27, 2009 10:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

Depending on your offense, it wasn’t a good deal for you. If you’ve got good replacements for Soto and Hardy, you may land up winning out in the long run.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Jan 27, 2009 10:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah i agree with Prince, i think you gave up way too much. You got a case of prospectitis. You traded the best catcher in the NL and a top 3 NL only SS for 2 guys who you literally have no idea what you’re going to get out of. I like Scherzer a lot, but there is no chance he is throwing 200 innings this year. There’s 19 pitchers in the NL last year who went over 200 innings and each of them had over 30 starts, I just don’t see Max doing that. I like him, I think Perez is overrated, but he could be useful. i just think you paid too much here.

But if you have won the league the past few years, you know how to get over on your league mates so you’ll just have to make up for this one

by loop on Jan 27, 2009 10:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Soto....

I think that McCann would have something to say about who the best catcher in the NL is.

by PHGold09 on Jan 27, 2009 11:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I also think

there are three NL East shortstops that might take offense to the idea that J.J. Hardy is better than them

by Meddler on Jan 28, 2009 1:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

At the least...

Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, and Jimmy Rollins are better than Hardy. Miguel Tejada, and a healthy Troy Tulowitzki are right around that 4-6 range with Hardy.

by byronlhsdrmr on Jan 28, 2009 11:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks for the imput guys———-I do have a love affair with good young hard throwers and it sometimes skews my judgement—————However, I got Hamels, Lincicum and Cain for 5 chips each as budding prospects(they all would probably now go for $35+ at our auction), and tried to do the same with these two——its been a winning formula for me. In addition to getting these two pitchers in the deal, I saved 32 chips, and I hope to use those extra chips to pick up one or two good hitters at our auction draft——-which would in effect mean that I traded Soto and Hardy for Scherzer , Perez AND whatever player/players I pick up at the auction with those 32 chips——-maybe not as one sided when you think of it that way—but thats the way I always think of it when making trades——-its really more than just player for player, but how those players are priced is very important————- in our type of league, chips are golden!!. Based on previous auctions, I could probably land a player such as Cory Hart or Brandon Phillips with those 32 chips———not so bad!!

by dancer on Jan 28, 2009 12:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Question

Do you have prosepcts at C or SS? If so, who are they? A good keeper at one of these positions would easily turn this deal to your favor.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Jan 28, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For his sake

I hope Perez doesn’t get thrust into that closing role this year. I know he’s a very talented arm and that there are a lot of people (okay, a lot of fantasy owners) who would love to see him get a crack at it, but he needs some time to work on his command and letting him do it in the 7th or 8th inning sounds a whole lot better to me than making him do it in the 9th.

I think if they give him a year or two to consolidate a la Frankie Rodriguez, even if it seems apparent that Perez would be a better option in the 9th right now, they’ll greatly reduce the risk of Perez flaming out early.

by mrkupe on Jan 28, 2009 1:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Scherzer

I too like the young power arms. It just seems a bit premature to expect that many innings from him this year. They had him down in the minors for awhile after his injury last year so my thinking here is that he gets somewhere in the 140-160 inning range. This is all assuming he has a spot in the rotation.

2009; John Lester becomes an ace?

by bodyiq on Jan 28, 2009 1:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs