Protect List due in a week! Please help!

by Aggiefan17 on Feb 16, 2026 11:55 AM EST

My protect list is due in a week for my keeper league, and am torn about some players. In my league, contracts of up to five years are given to players. For pitchers, aces get 5 year contracts, all stars and really good pitchers get 4 year contracts, solid pitchers get 3 years and so on. All stars and stud hitters get 5 years, very good hitters and fast players get 4 years and so on. I play in a 4x4 league that does not count strike outs for pitchers and does not count OBP/Slugging for hitters. I inherited a terrible team last year, so spent the whole year picking up prospects and trading for players.

I will definitely protect Andrew McCutchen, Pablo Sandoval and Adam Wainwright next year, but also have a slew of prospects for 6 spots. Here are who I have to choose from:

Julio Teheran

Shelby Miller

Trevor Bauer

Brett Jackson

Tyler Skaggs

Drew Pomeranz (only protectable for 3 years at most because of his current salary)

Arodys Vizcaino

Aroldis Chapman (Same situation as Pomeranz)

Anthony Rendon

Gerritt Cole

Carlos Martinez

Billy Hamilton

Jose Altuve and

Wilin Rosari

All help is appreciated! I would like to compete for a title this year, but tell me who I should protect thinking about this year and the future. NL only league. Thanks!!!

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Read More: Pablo Sandoval (3B - SFG), Adam Wainwright (P - STL), Andrew McCutchen (CF - PIT), Julio Teheran (P - ATL), Shelby Miller (P - STL)

Comments

Keep

Miller, Bauer, Cole, Teheran, Rendon, Hamilton

by auclairkeithbc on Feb 16, 2026 12:01 PM EST reply actions

why keep Hamilton?

there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to OBP .300 in AA, let alone the Majors.

I’d say:

Miller, Bauer, Cole, Teheran, Rendon, and Skaggs.

It’s VERY pitcher heavy, but you can always flip two for a good position player.

by JoelGuzman'sScout on Feb 16, 2026 1:15 PM EST up reply actions

I might keep Hamilton

only because OP said it’s a 4×4 league…making a one-cat star like Hamilton that much more valuable. I wouldn’t normally advocate keeping him here, but there’s a relatively strong argument here

by PrincetonCubs on Feb 16, 2026 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

this would be my list too

normally I would say Jackson or Skaggs over Hamilton, but in a league without SLG/OBP for hitters or Ks for pitchers (and steals being that much more valuable) I think it’s hard to let him go here.

by PrincetonCubs on Feb 16, 2026 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

Is it worth keeping Cole, Rendon and Hamilton even though they may not see 2012 in the majors? I could always pick them up in the reserve round of my draft (or at least two of them).

by Aggiefan17 on Feb 16, 2026 12:11 PM EST reply actions

do you have a minor league roster?

or they have to be on your major league roster?

by auclairkeithbc on Feb 16, 2026 12:31 PM EST up reply actions

also

why do studs get 5 year contracts? who determines who is a stud? or do you have increasing salaries?

by auclairkeithbc on Feb 16, 2026 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, it’s all about projecting who you think will be a stud. If I don’t protect a player, they go into the draft pool and whoever drafts that prospect gets him. Usually top prospects get 4 or 5 year contracts because salaries escalate very year. After a player’s contract is up, he goes into the auction pool.

by Aggiefan17 on Feb 16, 2026 1:19 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

So why would you not want to keep

Studs that are a year away?

by auclairkeithbc on Feb 16, 2026 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Even if I don’t protect Cole, rendon or Hamilton, there’s a decent chance I could pick all of them up during the chance or at least two of them. It’s just tough to decide which 6 I go with this year (obviously Teheran, miller and Bauer are automatics).

by Aggiefan17 on Feb 16, 2026 3:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I guess I just don't see the logic

Unless this is a two team league, you aren’t getting more than 1 of those guys back next year. There is minor league draft? Or you’d have to draft those guys in a regular draft, with major leaguers? You haven’t done a good job explaining the rules of this league. If you get to keep 6 minor leaguers, keep the guys I mentioned. If you get to keep 9 total players, it is a whole different argument. Prospects aren’t worth much at all in that type of league.

by auclairkeithbc on Feb 16, 2026 3:10 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry — you get to keep 9 players a year whether they are prospects or already in the major leagues. The idea is you get stud prospects, give them 4 or 5 year contracts so you have them controlled on your team once they’re in the majors. It’s a 12 team league and there is an auction draft where every team has a salary cap. After the auction, there is the reserve round where people generally take prospects.

by Aggiefan17 on Feb 16, 2026 3:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions