Offseason trades continue in the JLB with keeper deadline looming

The excess pitching is being pawned off before the draft, and once again, the Outs was able to turn an extra veteran pitcher into a key bat.

Last year, he sent Zack Greinke packing, and after the year he had, going 19-3 with 200 strikeouts and a 1.66 ERA, one would think that the Outs made a huge mistake, but Josh Donaldson’s 41 homers and 123 RBIs suggest otherwise.

It was one of the great player-for-player swaps in JLB history. It matches, or even beats the Joey Votto for David Price deal the Gamblers and Slammers put together many years ago.

Now, in 2016, with the keeper deadline looming eight days from now, the Outs is at it again, sending Gerrit Cole and Garrett Richards away for players and picks.

I guess he doesn’t like anybody with the name Gerrit/Garrett. Too similar, I suppose.

He prefers names like Madison Bumgarner, Corey Kluber and Jake Arrieta, as would most — a lot of strikeouts, a lot of potential.

Outs also sets himself up with now two picks in the second round, and a left fielder in Starling Marte, a player whom I’ve inquired about numerous times.

Now, he fills out a lineup that is quite formidable, one that will be a stronghold in the JLB for many years to come with the likes of Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa and Bryce Harper, to name a few.

So many young stars for the 2013 JLB World Series champion. He’ll certainly be in the running for another one.

The 2015 JLB Champion Cheese Steaks made a deal for a pitcher, too, grabbing Adam Wainwright from Vandelay’s excess stash of starters. He’ll lose a second-round pick and a minor league pitcher for the deal, and it creates a strong pitching staff for the champs.

Wainwright is 34, which is a theme for the Steaks. Jose Bautista is 35, Edwin Encarnacion is 33, Troy Tulowitzki is 31, Todd Frazier is 30 and Max Scherzer is 31. That’s a lot of Steaks on the grill that are on the verge of being overcooked.


If the Steaks is going to add another title, he better do it quickly. The hill is coming and some of these players are about to head down the other side. Fortunately, the Steaks has a few young stars on the rise.

KEEPERS DUE NEXT MONDAY
With keepers due next Monday, it's time for me to release mine, so that you can post yours when you're ready. Anyone who is ready to post, please do so. You can still change, it just gives me a head start on making sure all rosters are compliant. Choo has been "deleted" as a JLB manager for this final week and he'll get his "commish powers" back after the keeper deadline.

I'll be going with the following, which includes a few exceptions explained below.

C: Salvador Perez
1B: Eric Hosmer
2B: Jose Altuve
3B: Mike Moustakas
LF: Yoenis Cespedes
CF: Andrew McCutchen
Wild Card Selection: Anthony Rizzo

Minor bats: Corey Seager, Xander Bogearts, George Springer

SPs: Chris Archer, Dallas Keuchel, Shelby Miller
RP: Hector Rondon 

ML SPs: Carlos Rodon, Andrew Heaney, Blake Snell

My two exceptions will not be based on what others do, but rather on what they players do. I may switch out Moustakas for Starlin Castro, but that is very unlikely. The other that I may switch out Hector Rondon for Aaron Sanchez. I reserve the right to change those two up until the deadline. The other players are set in stone, barring a devastating injury.

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