OBSESSED BALLERS FANTASY BASEBALL LEAGUE

by Sean Chard

The OBFBL Offseason officially began on December 10th, 2011 when the league’s 12 teams named their keepers.   After more than 3 months since then, there has been a ton of transactions and activity as all teams get ready for the OBFBL’s 11th season.   The Offseason has been busy with the unveiling of the OBFBL Hall of Fame, the thrilling RK draft, a ton of OBFBL.com articles from many authors, and plethora of offseason trades, totaling 15.   Let’s take a look at what each team has done this Offseason.

THE CONTENDERS

The 2012 season draws near and there appear to be no fewer than 8 OBFBL teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the Shooter Cup this year.

This level of competition is higher than previous years, and as shown in Ryan Main’s Keeper Rankings articles (Part 1, Part 2), the strength of the teams this year is really close together.
Any of these 8 teams can win the Shooter Cup, with the group including 5 past winners (including both 2-time Champs), and 3 teams looking for their first Championship.

Each team has already made one or more trades to strengthen themselves heading into the all-important OBFBL 2012 Draft.

Pickering Dynasty
Perennial contenders Dynasty look to continue their streak of 6-straight-money-finishes, which includes one Cup win and three 2nd-place finishes. They started the offseason with a deep keeper set including 4 elite keepers, and have added 3 additional keepers and a couple draft picks, setting themselves up for a title run in 2012.

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-2nd with 55 keeper points (1 behind 1st)
Number of Trades = 4 (Motorboats – 3, Legacy – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +3
Draft picks added/subtracted = +2
Rookie keepers: 2 RK players traded, 2 RK picks traded (2012 – 1, 2013 – 1)

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Jeremy Hellickson (2-year RK), Mike Moustakas (2-year RK), #7 2012 RK pick (Miguel Sano), 2013 RK pick (Dynasty), 1st round pick (Dynasty)
IN: Yovani Gallardo, Brian McCann, B.J. Upton, 1st round pick (Legacy), 2nd round pick (Motorboats), 11th round pick (Motorboats)
FLIPPED: David Freese, 12th round pick (Motorboats), traded/reclaimed: 2nd round pick (Dynasty)

ASSESSMENT: With 3 extra keepers and 3 picks in the top 18 in the draft, the Dynasty are fully poised to win this season and to solidify themselves as the league’s #1 franchise. With their RK pick already dealt, the next best trade chip may be VMart, who is gone for the year but could still yield a healthy return in a trade. With no RK assets and a team aging a bit, the Dynasty appear to be all-in for 2012

DRAFT NEEDS: SS, RP, SP

Brooklin Legacy
Last year at this time, the Legacy entered the draft with 15 keepers, the first pick in the draft and a lot of extra picks. Seemingly the favourites, there were lots of question marks about the quality of many of their keepers and more importantly their age and durability. Things didn’t work out for the Legacy last year but they managed to re-tool their lineup, keeping only 1 player from last year’s opening day team (Ellsbury) and adding Kemp and Halladay. This year they appeared intent on making another run at it with a transformed team and approach

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): 8th with 45 keeper points  (11 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 2 (Dick Dogs – 1, Dynasty – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted =  even (added one, dealt one)
Draft picks added/subtracted = -1
Rookie keepers: Acquired one 2012 RK pick, selected Anthony Rendon

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Ricky Romero, 1st round pick (Legacy), 5th round pick (Legacy)
IN: David Freese, #10 2012 RK pick (Anthony Rendon), 2nd round pick (Dick Dogs)

ASSESSMENT: A relatively quiet offseason saw the Legacy make a couple adjustments to improve their team for this year and beyond. The Legacy could end up being buyers or sellers this year depending on how things go

DRAFT NEEDS: 2B, SS, RP

London Tribe
Since their 2nd place finish in 2007, the Tribe have gone through 4 years of mediocrity in the OBFBL, but got very serious last year, upgrading their keepers and preparing to break the moneyless streak in 2012. The Tribe also have had great success in the RK draft in recent years landing Giancarlo (don’t call me Mike) Stanton in 2010 and Michael Pineda in 2011. They hope to strike gold again with hometown product Jason Kipnis

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): 5th with 51 keeper points (5 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 2 (Crackheads – 2)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +1
Draft picks added/subtracted = even
Rookie keepers: Traded #3 and #12 2012 RK picks, added #4 RK pick, selected Jason Kipnis

TRADES (net result):
OUT: #3 2012 RK pick (Jurickson Profar), #12 2012 RK pick (Addison Reed), 2nd round pick (Tribe), 7th round pick (Tribe), 8th round pick (Tribe), 14th round pick (Tribe)
IN: Nick Markakis, #4 2012 RK pick (Jason Kipnis), 2nd round pick (Crackheads), 6th round pick (Crackheads), 8th round pick (Crackheads), 12th round pick (Blue Balls)

ASSESSMENT: The Tribe picked up an extra keeper and several draft pick upgrades, in exchange for RK pick movement. Heading into 2012, the Tribe have their best keeper set in years, and are ready to finish in the money, at least

DRAFT NEEDS: 3B, SP, RP, SBs

Beaverton Gaping Gash
The Gash won the Shooter Cup in 2010 but then proceeded to finish dead last in 2011. In 2012 they appear ready to go for another title run, despite the consensus of many that they aren’t strong enough. We will see what happens though

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-9th with 41 keeper points (15 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 2 (Crackheads – 2)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +3
Draft picks added/subtracted = +1
Rookie keepers: Traded two 2012 RK picks, traded 2013 RK pick

TRADES (net result):
OUT: #4 2012 RK pick (Jason Kipnis), #8 2012 RK pick (Nolan Arenado), 2013 RK pick (Gash), 8th round pick (Gash), 10th round pick (Gash), 13th round pick (Gash)
IN: Jimmy Rollins, Drew Storen, Aramis Ramirez, 7th round pick (Crackheads), 8th round pick (Blue Balls), 10th round pick (Crackheads), 12th round pick (Crackheads)

ASSESSMENT: It was all about dealing future RK assets for help for 2012 as the 2 trades netted the Gash 3 extra keepers, an extra mid-round keeper and some pick upgrades. These moves left little doubt about the Gash’s intentions for 2012 as they seem to be falling into a pattern of compete-rebuild-compete-rebuild, not wanting to extend the rebuild section for more than a year

DRAFT NEEDS: 2B, SP, 1B, C

Frankford Fury
After two straight years of finishing just outside the top-4, the Fury are determined to get back into the money and ideally win their 2nd Shooter Cup. Armed with elite keepers and Ranked #1 for keeper strength, the Fury then added stud SP prospect Matt Moore to further solidify their pitching staff

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): 1st with 56 keeper points (1 ahead of 2nd)
Number of trades = 2 (Asshats – 1, Blue Balls – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +1
Draft picks added/subtracted = +2
Rookie keepers: Swapped #2 2012 RK pick for #1, selected Matt Moore. Traded one final year RK

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Carlos Santana (final year RK), #2 2012 RK pick (Yu Darvish), 1st round pick (Fury), 3rd round pick (Fury), 5th round pick (Fury)
IN: Joakim Soria, #1 2012 RK pick (Matt Moore), 1st round pick (Asshats), 1st round pick (Blue Balls), 4th round pick (Blue Balls), 6th round pick (Asshats), 18th round pick (Blue Balls)

ASSESSMENT: Already heading into the offseason strong, the Fury made a couple trades that appear to have given them minor improvements heading into the draft. Adding the #12 overall pick will be a big help for the team on the end of the snake, who had 22 picks in between their first and second ones, prior to the trade

DRAFT NEEDS: OF, SP, C

Durham Dick Dogs
The defending OBFBL champions threw back a ton of talent into the draft after acquiring it last year to solidify their 2nd Shooter Cup. Their keeper strength is still very good, with the possibility of becoming the first back-to-back champions if they can rekindle the magic from last year

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-6th with 50 keeper points (6 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 1 (Legacy – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +1
Draft picks added/subtracted = even
Rookie keepers: Traded one 2012 RK pick

TRADES (net result):
OUT: #10 2012 RK pick (Anthony Rendon), 2nd round pick (Dick Dogs)
IN: Ricky Romero, 5th round pick (Legacy)

ASSESSMENT: Just one trade made in the offseason, which appeared to be a move to compete in 2012. The Dick Dogs are very much in a position to compete this year or quickly switch direction mid-season, and build upon an already strong base for a title run in 2013

DRAFT NEEDS: 1B, 2B, RP

Ajax Super Sods
The Super Sods had their highest finish ever last season, ascending into 2nd place on the last day. They are looking to reach the pinnacle this year and win their first Shooter Cup, and they may just have the team that can do it.

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): 4th with 53 keeper points (3 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 1 (Blue Balls – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = +2
Draft picks added/subtracted = -2
Rookie keepers: acquired one final year RK, acquired one 2013 RK pick

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Joey Votto, 12th round pick (Super Sods), 13th round pick (Super Sods), 17th round pick (Super Sods)
IN: Zack Greinke, Ryan Zimmerman, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana (final year RK), 2013 RK pick (Motorboats), 4th round pick (Motorboats)

ASSESSMENT: The Sods were quiet all through the offseason and then BOOM (or BLAM as Kim would say), a blockbuster. The rebuilding Blue Balls wanted a stud 1B, the Sods had two of them, and a deal quickly came together. The acquisition of several keepers and picks in exchange for Votto was a huge statement made by the Sods, who now are clearly one of the favourites this year

DRAFT NEEDS: OF, RP

Aurora Asshats
As a new expansion team who joined in 2008, the Asshats have had to build their team from very little, and the building has been gradual and deliberate. The fans in Aurora have began to get restless after 4 years of mediocrity, but the optimism is strong for this season. The Asshats have a killer pitching staff, the best slugger in baseball, the biggest Japanese phenom pitcher ever and the arguably the most hyped prospect ever. Things are looking great for the Asshats to break their goosehead in the franchise earnings column, and potentially even do much better than that

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-6th with 50 keeper points (6 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 1 (Fury – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = even
Draft picks added/subtracted = even
Rookie keepers: Swapped #1 2012 RK pick for #2, selected Yu Darvish

TRADES (net result):
OUT: #1 2012 RK pick (Matt Moore), 1st round pick (Asshats), 6th round pick (Asshats)
IN: #2 2012 RK pick (Yu Darvish), 1st round pick (Fury), 3rd round pick (Fury)

ASSESSMENT: A relatively minor trade at the time might end up paying big dividends in 2012. It’s conceivable that Darvish might outperform Moore in their RK contracts, and the pick upgrade to the beginning of the 3rd round should yield the Asshats a very good player
DRAFT NEEDS: 1B, OF, RP, SBs

THE BUILDERS

The Builders in 2012 all decided to start their projects quickly and decisively in the offseason. All 3 have made significant moves to transform their team and to improve it with their sights set more on 2013 than 2012. They recognized that they were up against numerous powerhouse teams in 2012 and that they were better off to make moves towards to become those teams themselves in 2013. Consequently, all 3 of these teams tied for the most trades made in the offseason with 5. Also, out of the total 15 trades made, only 3 of them did not involve one of these BUILDERS.  Of course there will be other Builders joining this trio early into the season as things start to play out.

Brampton Blue Balls
Without question, the Blue Balls have been the boldest and most driven team this offseason, making big trades with 4 different teams and 5 overall. The Blue Balls joined the OBFBL a little over a year ago and have systemically rebuilt the entire franchise, through numerous trades and largely through acquiring RK assets and young keepers. With several strong RK players graduating, and more building moves likely to occur this year, the Blue Balls should be scary good heading into 2013

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-9th with 41 keeper points (15 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 5 (Motorboats – 2, Fury – 1, Super Sods – 1, Crackheads – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = -4
Draft picks added/subtracted = -3
Rookie keepers: Acquired two RK picks and selected Anthony Gose and Travis d’Arnaud, acquired one two-year RK (Wil Myers), acquired one final year RK (Wade Davis)

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Nick Markakis, Joakim Soria, Colby Rasmus, Zack Greinke, Paul Goldschmidt, Eric Hosmer (2-year RK), Julio Teheran (2-year RK), 1st round pick (Blue Balls), 2nd round pick (Blue Balls), 3rd round pick (Blue Balls), 4th round pick (Blue Balls), 5th round pick (Blue Balls), 6th round pick (Blue Balls), 8th round pick (Blue Balls), 12th round pick (Blue Balls), 18th round pick (Blue Balls)
IN: Joey Votto, Wil Myers (2-year RK), Dustin Ackley (final year RK), Wade Davis (final year RK), #9 2012 RK pick (Anthony Gose), #11 2012 RK pick (Travis d’Arnaud), 5th round pick (Fury), 9th round pick (Motorboats), 12th round pick (Super Sods), 13th round pick (Super Sods), 13th round pick (Crackheads), 17th round pick (Super Sods)
FLIPPED: Ryan Zimmerman, Carlos Santana (final year RK), 2013 RK pick (Motorboats), 4th round pick (Motorboats)

ASSESSMENT: With so much movement, it’s hard to siphon through it all. The end result overall is the acquisition of stud keeper Joey Votto and restocking the RK shelves, in exchange for their back-end keepers and numerous draft picks. Having high end keepers is a proven key to winning the OBFBL, and the Blue Balls will now have several of them by the end of the year
DRAFT NEEDS: Tradable assets

Toronto Motorboats
Like the Blue Balls, the Motorboats also joined the O last offseason, taking over a franchise. Unlike the Blue Balls though, the talent and assets acquisition/upgrades has taken a longer amount of time. With numerous strong RKs now with the team though, they might be on the right path to continual growth towards contention either in 2013 or 2014

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-11th with 38 keeper points (18 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 5 (Dynasty – 3, Blue Balls – 2)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = -4
Draft picks added/subtracted = -2
Rookie keepers: Acquired four 2-year RKs, acquired 2012 RK pick and selected Miguel Sano. Traded their 2013 RK pick

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Ryan Zimmerman, David Freese, Brian McCann, Yovani Gallardo, B.J. Upton, Dustin Ackley (final year RK), 2013 RK pick (Motorboats), 9th round pick (Motorboats), 11th round pick (Motorboats)
IN: Colby Rasmus, Eric Hosmer (2-year RK), Jeremy Hellickson (2-year RK), Mike Moustakas (2-year RK), Julio Teheran (2-year RK), #7 2012 RK pick (Miguel Sano), 2013 RK pick (Dynasty), 1st round pick (Dynasty), 6th round pick (Blue Balls)
FLIPPED: 2nd round pick (Dynasty), traded/reclaimed: 12th round pick (Motorboats)

ASSESSMENT: Out the door are several middle tier keepers. In the door are lots of RKs with potential, and a real wild card with Rasmus. The loss of their 2013 RK pick might be tough to swallow later

DRAFT NEEDS: Keeper replacements, high-upside players

Etobicoke Crackheads
Last year’s preseason consensus favourite, the Crackheads stumbled, and even fell to 3rd place on the last day of the season. The core keepers were still relatively strong and a second run at the title or a money finish was possible, but the Crackheads chose to go in a different direction. Taking a look at the strength of all the “Contenders” going into 2012, the Crackheads chose not to be one of the teams fighting in that mix, and instead use the 2012 season to build on the base for several title runs starting in 2013.

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-2nd with 55 keeper points (1 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 5 (Gash – 2, Tribe – 2, Blue Balls – 1)
Number of keepers added/subtracted = -3
Draft picks added/subtracted = +3
Rookie keepers: Traded two RK players, acquired three 2012 RK picks (#4, #8, #12), swapped #4 for #3 RK pick, selected Jurickson Profar, Nolan Arenado and Addison Reed in RK draft. Acquired one 2013 RK pick

TRADES (net result):
OUT: Jimmy Rollins, Drew Storen, Aramis Ramirez, #9 2012 RK pick (Travis d’Arnaud), #11 2012 RK pick (Anthony Gose), Wil Myers (2-year RK), Wade Davis (final year RK), 2nd round pick (Crackheads), 6th round pick (Crackheads), 7th round pick (Crackheads), 8th round pick (Crackheads), 10th round pick (Crackheads), 12th round pick (Crackheads), 13th round pick (Crackheads)
IN: #3 RK pick (Jurickson Profar), #8 RK pick (Nolan Arenado), #12 RK pick (Addison Reed), 2013 RK pick (Gash), 2nd round pick (Blue Balls), 2nd round pick (Tribe), 3rd round pick (Blue Balls), 5th round pick (Blue Balls), 8th round pick (Gash), 8th round pick (Tribe), 10th round pick (Gash), 13th round pick (Gash)
FLIPPED: Nick Markakis, #4 2012 RK pick (Jason Kipnis), 8th round pick (Blue Balls), 12th round pick (Blue Balls)

ASSESSMENT: Gone are 3 back-end keepers and a couple RK players. In are 3 potentially high impact 3-year RK players, several draft picks and a 2013 RK pick. The Crackheads will look to leverage those extra picks into players to deal and build a strong 8 keeper-set, reminiscent of their strategy going into 2010

DRAFT NEEDS: Keeper replacements, tradable assets

THE WAIT-AND-SEE’ers

There was one team that didn’t make a single move in the Offseason, preferring to make their mark after the draft

Whitby Poo Dogs
By all accounts, the Poo Dogs are likely in the “Builders” group with one of the lowest ranked keeper-sets. The Poo Dogs have been known to surprise us though so we’ll wait and see. If you recall, in 2009 the Poo Dogs were listed low in the standings in the pre-season poll, but ended up finishing 3rd that year

SUMMARY:
Team Keeper Ranking (at deadline): T-11th with 38 keeper points (18 behind 1st)
Number of trades = 0
Number of keepers added/subtracted = N/A
Draft picks added/subtracted = N/A
Rookie keepers: selected Gerrit Cole in RK draft

ASSESSMENT: Adding Cole to an already strong RK group makes the future look bright in Whitby

DRAFT NEEDS: 2B, SS, high-upside players

IN CONCLUSION
In the 10 year history of the OBFBL, 8 different franchises have won the Shooter Cup. Will this be the first time in a few years that a new franchise gets their team etched into Fantasy Baseball’s holy grail?  Will the first three-time champion be crowned this year? We’ll begin to find out very soon, with the MLB season starting in just 1 week on March 28th. Let’s get ready to rumble!