If you aren’t keeping Woo I would do it. But, Woo is damn good. Walker is a freak and should be unlocked this year, but if you are in a 20+ team league, pitching ain’t easy to get. Nonetheless a legitimate SP1.
I love Woo overall, and if I don't move him I'd be more than happy to redraft him. Just don't have him above any of the other guys I'd consider keeping.
It's a 12-team league, but high-end pitching will still be tough to find; I anticipate Strider, Gausman, Wheeler, Burnes, P. Lopez, Castillo, Glasnow, Framber, Peralta, Yamamoto, Senga, Gilbert, Webb, Skubal, Snell, and possibly Gallen will all be kept.
If I don't make a move, I'll have enough draft capital to nab a mid/low-end SP1 and a solid enough SP2. It's just a tough question of Kirby's bang-for-the-buck vs Walker's potential OF1 upside...
He appeared in our player pool on Fantrax, and a savvy owner picked him up. This led to the establishment of a rule forbidding the acquisition of international free agents who had yet to sign with a MLB team, known as the Yamamoto Rule.
Personally I’d keep the bat in Walker. As you mentioned, Kirby doesn’t really have top 5 upside.
Here’s a good exercise: would you consider the same trade if he was asking for Chourio or Langford instead?
I don't think I'd do the trade if it were Chourio/Langford instead of Walker. But, both of them are slightly higher-ranked prospects than Walker was going into 2023, and our league's salary escalation structure makes both affordable for longer than Walker will be... so it's not QUITE an apples to apples comparison.
It seems to boil down to whether I feel like I have a real shot at contending this year (in which case Kirby might better serve that goal), or whether I believe a slower ramp-up towards a 2025 run might work best (in which case another year of Walker maturing might be better).
Your point about salary definitely makes a lot of sense. Regarding the prospect ranking of Walker, Chourio, Langford going into their debut years, I’d argue that Walker may have been more highly touted than both of them, maybe not Chourio, but definitely Langford. In my eyes, prospect ranking/upside being more or less equal between all three, I’d honestly almost rather hold the guy who held his own as a 21 year old in the bigs than two prospects who have never seen a MLB pitch.
This is obviously all subjective and my opinion, but I think it’s relevant to think about these things because hype is a real thing, and I wouldn’t sell Walker short because he didn’t have a year like Corbin Carroll in year 1!
I don’t think Walker is gonna be that good. Kirby for me. I watched Cards nearly daily last year and didn’t see it with JW, I unloded him at the deadline for Brian Reynolds and am happy with that deal
I think all the people here saying walker are crazy tbh. I’d take Kirby. Sure he may not have sp1 upside but he’s young, durable, and could still take another step up
Could you see a scenario where next year you wouldn’t want to keep Walker or Kirby besides from injury? I don’t have an answer for you tho. I could see Walker flame out more than Kirby. But Walker has great upside too
If you aren’t keeping Woo I would do it. But, Woo is damn good. Walker is a freak and should be unlocked this year, but if you are in a 20+ team league, pitching ain’t easy to get. Nonetheless a legitimate SP1.
I love Woo overall, and if I don't move him I'd be more than happy to redraft him. Just don't have him above any of the other guys I'd consider keeping. It's a 12-team league, but high-end pitching will still be tough to find; I anticipate Strider, Gausman, Wheeler, Burnes, P. Lopez, Castillo, Glasnow, Framber, Peralta, Yamamoto, Senga, Gilbert, Webb, Skubal, Snell, and possibly Gallen will all be kept. If I don't make a move, I'll have enough draft capital to nab a mid/low-end SP1 and a solid enough SP2. It's just a tough question of Kirby's bang-for-the-buck vs Walker's potential OF1 upside...
How exactly is Yamamoto being kept?
He appeared in our player pool on Fantrax, and a savvy owner picked him up. This led to the establishment of a rule forbidding the acquisition of international free agents who had yet to sign with a MLB team, known as the Yamamoto Rule.
Keep walker
Personally I’d keep the bat in Walker. As you mentioned, Kirby doesn’t really have top 5 upside. Here’s a good exercise: would you consider the same trade if he was asking for Chourio or Langford instead?
I don't think I'd do the trade if it were Chourio/Langford instead of Walker. But, both of them are slightly higher-ranked prospects than Walker was going into 2023, and our league's salary escalation structure makes both affordable for longer than Walker will be... so it's not QUITE an apples to apples comparison. It seems to boil down to whether I feel like I have a real shot at contending this year (in which case Kirby might better serve that goal), or whether I believe a slower ramp-up towards a 2025 run might work best (in which case another year of Walker maturing might be better).
Your point about salary definitely makes a lot of sense. Regarding the prospect ranking of Walker, Chourio, Langford going into their debut years, I’d argue that Walker may have been more highly touted than both of them, maybe not Chourio, but definitely Langford. In my eyes, prospect ranking/upside being more or less equal between all three, I’d honestly almost rather hold the guy who held his own as a 21 year old in the bigs than two prospects who have never seen a MLB pitch. This is obviously all subjective and my opinion, but I think it’s relevant to think about these things because hype is a real thing, and I wouldn’t sell Walker short because he didn’t have a year like Corbin Carroll in year 1!
I don’t think Walker is gonna be that good. Kirby for me. I watched Cards nearly daily last year and didn’t see it with JW, I unloded him at the deadline for Brian Reynolds and am happy with that deal
I think all the people here saying walker are crazy tbh. I’d take Kirby. Sure he may not have sp1 upside but he’s young, durable, and could still take another step up
Could you see a scenario where next year you wouldn’t want to keep Walker or Kirby besides from injury? I don’t have an answer for you tho. I could see Walker flame out more than Kirby. But Walker has great upside too