Bailing V

At this point in the season, teams need to assess where they stand, where the best chances of making-up ground exist and executing the plan without attracting the most attention. This is important because other teams will recognize what you are doing and will take actions to thwart you, either by competing for the same players or making trades to other teams that harm your chances.

For a few reasons, the two worst categories to attempt a big move in are HR and RBI as these two categories are the easiest to track and the ones every team, from the greenest tyro to the crustiest veteran, understand. These are also to two that will cost you a ton. No one is going to give away a 25/100 player. And finally, every hitter contributes HR and RBI resulting in a net gain that is difficult to maintain.

The easisest to make-up ground in are Saves and SBs. If you deal a player with no SB or Svs for one who accumulates those statisitics, then you will always have a net gain in either category. The problem is what you need to deal to obtain a SB guy or a closer. This usually results in some sort of loss in points in other categories.

As acquiring these players is an easy strategy for others to discern, it is also one that is hard to thwart because of the limited number of SB and SV players and the price that must be paid to acquire them. Last season, I dealt Todd Helton for Jason Isringhausen. At the time, I was tied for last in SV with only a struggling John Smoltz. I finished the year at the top of the category - by 11 saves. (I recognize that I had both closers at there nadirs, but to create an big move upward, that is sometimes necessary.)

What also makes this strategy somewhat sneaky is the players traded are usually good enough to distract teams from implementing a strategy to stop you. If you trade a three-category hitter like Todd Helton for a "one-cateogry" player like Jason Isringhausen, other teams have a hard time seeing past the surface stupidity of dealing Helton.

The easiest place to make-up ground is in ERA and WHIP. It is axiomatic (prior to this season) that middling starting pitchers hurt your ratios. This occurs because their 4.00+ ERA and 1.30+ WHIPs are weighted more heavily than a middle relivers due to triple or quadruple the number of innings pitched. With this in mind, when you trade for a SP, most teams have the reaction that you have just as likely hurt your team twice - once by dealing a decent player and second by getting your ratios hurt.

This stops others from attempting to thwart you. They are not going to begin trading decent players for pitchers who they believe to be risks to their ratios. As a result, you can execute this with minimal competition.

And here is where it is easy to make-up ground. In the ratios the spreads betweent he top an bottom are measured in decimal points. The worst WHIP in my AL league is 1.41. To gain 6 points, I need only improve .07. This can be done easily. I dealt Derek Jeter/Tom Gordon for Mark Buerhle and recieved a bail offer from a team only 10 points ahead of me and the one right at the bottom of the pitching ratios. Doesn't he understand innings pitched and weighting? And is there better proof than receiving a bail offer after a trade that you can implement your strategy without concern for competition?

And what makes pitcher acquistion the best route in June? The fact that hitters will be traded into the league over the next six weeks and you can aggressively bid on them to replace the contributor you dealt for the SP!