AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:
That said, I do not at all understand the discount applying to the guys like Harper, Machado, JD Martinez, etc. I've bemoaned the Cardinals relying on a lot of mid-level guys with no scrubs and thinking that will be good enough. And, it irritates me because there are only 25 roster spots and only 8 positions. It doesn't matter if you have 20 position players capable of 2 wins. Only 8 start. While depth is nice, it's inefficient to have so many 2 win players because not all o fthem will even be on the roster. Similarly, there aren't many players that can be penciled in for 5+ win seasons. Those extra wins have more value simply because they're all in one player. Or in other words, it's more efficient to have 6 wins coming from RF than to have 3 wins coming from RF through a platoon of 3 players. As such, those players that can produce at higher levels still provide value even when they're making more than the FA market $/WAR suggests, imo.
This is one practical lesson that playing fantasy baseball actually teaches you. Invariably, someone will offer you a trade that's basically three Kolten Wongs for one Paul Goldschmidt, and then get upset when you don't accept it. As you say, you can only start 8 guys. A deep roster of 2.5 WAR players has value, but also won't win without a decent number of high performers. Which is why you make a trade like Weaver/Kelly for Goldschmidt if the opportunity is presented.
It's also why you sign a Harper or Machado.