Ok boys, I got some news for ya: We are welcoming a new member to our team tomorrow, and I want everyone to make sure he feels welcome. His name is Angel Sanchez (no not that Angel Sanchez), and he’s from Houston, so it might take him awhile to get used to the weather.
I think my speech in the clubhouse would go something like that…
Then I discovered if I add a player, I need to drop a player– seems obvious, right? But who am I going to let go? I have a hole in my batting lineup because Rafael Furcal, in my SS/2B slot, is on the 15-day DL with a broken thumb. That hole is costing me points, not to mention that my team is 9th out of 10! Should I drop him cause he’s injured? That way I can call up another player, like Angel, to the ranks. What’s the best strategy? Hang on to Rafael and wait it out till he’s healthy? Or do I toss him into the stands like a foul ball? Maybe I should be less attached to my team, besides, it’s not like I’m really hurting anyone’s feelings, right? Rafael, hopefully, is far too busy to check out his fantasy league rankings. Just because he’s on the DL doesn’t mean he’s sitting at home on twitter, watching reruns of The Cosby Show, and eating cheetos.
Regardless, this whole season is about learning. And you learn from your mistakes, don’t you? So here’s my plan: I’m going to drop Rafael altogether. No more of this hole-in-my-lineup-cause-I-can’t-hurt-his-feelings business. I’m adding Angel, who’s batting .302 right now (nice!). And finally, just so I can wallow in self-loathing later, I’ll put Rafael on my watchlist. That way, I can have a constant reminder of how he performs once he’s no longer on my team. Whether he recovers and goes All-Star and Batting Title and Gold Glove, or if he’s out for the rest of the season, I’ll be able to reflect on this moment with either pride or discontent.
That wasn’t so hard. See how it helps you solve problems when you blog it out?
UPDATE: I made the right decision. Rafael is expected to be out 4-6 weeks! Research pays off, you guys. Maybe not in real life, but at least in the world of fantasy baseball it does.
A Rookie's Fantasy 
Posted by The game has changed… « A Rookie's Fantasy on April 24, 2011 at 2:56 pm
[…] 3. Also, just brought in Angel Sanchez for my 2B/SS slot, after the transaction went through. Angel was my replacement for Rafael Furcal who is still on the DL. You can read more about that tough decision in my post “Deal or No Deal?” here. […]