Build your own team....

[Anthony K.]

So, most of us are definite arm chair GM's who love to play fantasy baseball, baseball video games or give our general opinion on what we would do if we were a GM.

Now, you can.

I have added up all of the team salaries from 2008 and then found the average, which is $89,913, 086. You need to fill out an entire 25 man pro roster, just as every major league GM has to. Salaries can be found here: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players Some players base salaries are not listed (like those of in season call ups such as Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce). Everything is based on the 2008 salary for each player. Player's salaries who are not listed, would need to be researched (like on ESPN, in some articles they have certain rookies' salaries, such as Longoria http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3353025).

Positions you must fill (please show salary of each player as well, so we know you didn't go over the salary threshold):

C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, 3 OF, 5 SP, 1 CL, at least 5 MR, plus 6 bench players (extra arms or extra bats).

I think this will be a very fun and interesting thread and I will be posting my team shortly.

EDIT: To make things interesting and to keep people from loading up and young studs, you can have no more than FIVE players with 4 years or less of service in the majors. It has been brought to my attention that people will just load up on young talent. So, you MUST use all $89 million of your salary. this isn't the Marlins here Also, the player must have been up for the 2008 season...so no minor league players allowed

 

[ballerskrip]

Anthony,

Love the thread. THe only problem is that we will all pick the studs that are 2-3 years out of the minors that are cheap.... Every team wants those players, but it is unrealistic.

With that pointed out, I will do a team here in a bit..
skrip

 

[hive17]

Anthony,

Love the thread. THe only problem is that we will all pick the studs that are 2-3 years out of the minors that are cheap.... Every team wants those players, but it is unrealistic.

With that pointed out, I will do a team here in a bit..
skrip

This was my first thought too. I'll load my team with guys like Gallardo, Shields, Braun, Longo, Hamels, and Hamilton b/c I know they are resonably priced.

 

[Anthony K.]

Anthony,

Love the thread. THe only problem is that we will all pick the studs that are 2-3 years out of the minors that are cheap.... Every team wants those players, but it is unrealistic.

With that pointed out, I will do a team here in a bit..
skrip

I thought about that, but I figure you would want to compose a competitive team.

It's tough sort of picking out of everyone in the majors. I have a few of the young studs so far, but I am mixing it up.

Going after the young guys, plus established players to even it out.

Like a real team.

 

[kentuckyderby]

Cool idea but have to agree that 99.99% of us would pick a team that would dominate over any "real" team due to the fact that many very talented CHEAP players can fit roster spots (guys who are talented as can be but haven't had the contract yet that makes them too expensive)

Sometimes the veterans are overpaid because it's kind of the thing to do (put their time in, now status quo forces teams to pay them at least___)

Real major league teams get stuck with contracts they really know they aren't getting true value out of. In this neat scenario, there wouldn't be any "bad" contracts on one's team

 

[Anthony K.]

I edited the first post, to make this more of a challenge and to make sure all you prospectors don't just load up on the under 25 guys.

It is taking me a little while here, trying to find a good medium of young players and established players with some decent contracts that would be competitive.

 

[ballerskrip]

WEll, you edited after I already did all my work, I am not going to go back and change it....

Here is my squad, with about $12-13 million to spare.

SKRIPS Team Thrasher

C – Geoany Soto – $401,000
1b – Albert Pujols - $13,800,000
2b – Ian Kinsler - $700,000
SS – Hanley Ramirez - $439,000
3B – David Wright - $5,250,000
LF – Carlos Quentin - $400,000
CF – BJ Upton - $412,000
RF – Josh Hamilton - $396,000

SP – Adam Wainwright - $688,000
SP – Jonh Lackey - $7,333,333
SP – Tim Lincecum - $405,000
SP – Francisico Liriano - $500,000
SP – Johan Santana - $16,900,000
CL – Brad Lidge - $6,350,000
RP – Carlos Marmol - $430,000
RP – Pat Neshek - $435,000
RP – Rafael Perez - $406,000
RP – Brad Ziegler - $400,000
RP – CJ Wilson - $417,000
RP – JP Howell - $397,000

BN – Gabe Kapler - $800,000
BN – Reed Johnson - $1,000,000
BN – Chris Ianetta - $396,000
BN – Yunel Escobar - $402,000
BN – Mark Derosa - $4,750,000

 

[kentuckyderby]

Well, after looking at ballerskip's team....one thing is obvious ----------

Major league teams have too many "bad" contracts on their rosters.

Here Baller was able to put together a monster team (although bench gross) and still have $12M left over?

I guess the key to having success as a GM is to having the knowledge and luck to not get stuck with bad contracts (either overpaying for past successes or overpaying for DL guys)

 

[ballerskrip]

I treid to make a REAL bench, not just more stars sitting there....

Well, after looking at ballerskip's team....one thing is obvious ----------

Major league teams have too many "bad" contracts on their rosters.

Here Baller was able to put together a monster team (although bench gross) and still have $12M left over?

I guess the key to having success as a GM is to having the knowledge and luck to not get stuck with bad contracts (either overpaying for past successes or overpaying for DL guys)

 

[Anthony K.]

C- Taylor Teagarden $390,000
1B- Adrian Gonzalez $875,000
2B- Brandon Phillips $2,937,500
3B- Evan Longoria $500,000
SS- Cristian Guzman $4,200,000
LF- Carlos Lee $12,500,000
CF- Grady Sizemore $3,166,666
RF- Alex Rios $4,835,000

B- Aaron Boone $1,000,000 1B, 3B
B- Matt Treanor $705,000 C
B- Mark DeRosa $4,750,000 1B, 2B, 3B, RF
B- Willie Harris $800,000 LF, 2B, 3B
B- Wes Helms $2,400,000 1B, 3B

SP- Chris Carpenter $10,500,000
SP- Roy Oswalt $13,000,000
SP- Erik Bedard $7,000,000
SP- John Lackey $7,333,333
SP- Brandon Backe $800,000

MR- Pat Neshek $435,000
MR- Manny Delcarmen $421,000
MR- Chad Qualls $1,312,500
MR- Dan Wheeler $2,875,000
MR- Jon Rauch $1,200,000

Setup Man- Mike Gonzalez $2,362,500

Closer- Joakim Soria $426,500

Salary: $86,725,999....as close as I can get.

That was pretty tough, but I feel like this team could really compete in the majors.

 

[blitzerlover]

Can the same player be used twice?

 

[Anthony K.]

Can the same player be used twice?

Like on my team and then yours?

Doesn't matter.

Just looking to see what people can do with a midrange salary budget, with a youth constraint and a competitive balance/edge.

As you can see by mine, it will be all over the place (and I am talking injuries notwithstanding).

 

[thenumberonemetfan]

c.Brian McCann-$966,666
1b.Justin Morneau-$8,400,000
2b.Dustin Pedroia-$457,000
ss.Hanley Ramirez-$439,000
3b.Alex Rodriguez-$28,000,000
lf.Carlos Quentin-$400,000
cf.Carlos Beltran-$18,622,809
rf.Xavier Nady-$3,350,000

sp.Johan Santana-$16,984,216
sp.Cole Hamels-$500,000
sp.Tim Lincecum-$405,000
sp.Chad Billingsley-$415,000
sp.Fausto Carmona-$457,800

rp.Johnathan Broxton-$454,000
rp.Heath Bell-$420,000
rp.Cla Meredith-$415,000
rp.Chad Bradford-$3,666,666
rp.Pat Neshek-$435,000

bn.Endy Chavez-$1,800,000
bn.Jesus Flores-$400,000
bn.Willie Harris-$800,000
bn.Skip Schumaker-$396,000
bn.Nyjer Morgan-391,000
bn.Matt Lindstrom-395,000

FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF:88,970,157
This team wouldnt lose a game.

 

[Therion]

Does the player have to be in their 2008 position if they have a history of other positions?

 

[Anthony K.]

c.Brian McCann-$966,666
1b.Justin Morneau-$8,400,000
2b.Dustin Pedroia-$457,000
ss.Hanley Ramirez-$439,000
3b.Alex Rodriguez-$28,000,000
lf.Carlos Quentin-$400,000
cf.Carlos Beltran-$18,622,809
rf.Xavier Nady-$3,350,000

sp.Johan Santana-$16,984,216
sp.Cole Hamels-$500,000
sp.Tim Lincecum-$405,000
sp.Chad Billingsley-$415,000
sp.Fausto Carmona-$457,800

rp.Johnathan Broxton-$454,000
rp.Heath Bell-$420,000
rp.Cla Meredith-$415,000
rp.Chad Bradford-$3,666,666
rp.Pat Neshek-$435,000

bn.Endy Chavez-$1,800,000
bn.Jesus Flores-$400,000
bn.Willie Harris-$800,000
bn.Skip Schumaker-$396,000
bn.Nyjer Morgan-391,000
bn.Matt Lindstrom-395,000

FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF:88,970,157
This team wouldnt lose a game.

You also did so with 12 guys that have been in the league 4 years or less.

And I made sure to edit that in (waaaay before you posted your roster).

It is supposed to be a little challenging, or else I would have had Hanley AND Pujols, plus Lincecum and Hamels.

 

[Therion]

Therion's OBP Insanity

C – Joe Mauer $6,250,000
1B – Albert Pujols $13,870,000
2B – Ian Kinsler $390,708
SS – Alex Cora $2,000,000
3B – David Wright $5,250,000
LF – Brad Hawpe $3,925,000
CF – B.J. Upton $412,100
RF – Lance Berkman $14,500,000

SP – Tim Lincecum $405,000
SP - Roy Halladay $10,000,000
SP – Cliff Lee $4,000,000
SP – Rich Harden $4,750,000
SP – J.J. Putz $4,400,000
CL – Brad Lidge $6,350,000
RP – Octavio Dotel $5,000,000
RP – Juan Cruz $1,937,500
RP – Takashi Saito $2,000,000
RP – Carlos Marmol $430,000
RP – Jose Valverde $4,700,000
RP – Joba Chamberlain $390,000

BN – Mike Fontenot $405,000
BN – Ramon Santiago $575,000
BN – Brian McCann $966,666
BN – Ryan Theriot $428,000
BN – Carlos Quentin $400,000

I went $1,993,308 over budget, which isn't bad. It is amazing how few mid-range batters there are in baseball. It is all rookies and $1,000,000,000,000 contracts. This team would be monstrous.

 

[Pastretta]

C-Geovany Soto 401,000
1B-Derrek Lee 13,250,000
2B-Brian Roberts 6,300,000
SS-Mike Aviles 390,000
3B-Chone Figgins 4,750,000
LF-Jason Bay 6,000,000
CF-B.J. Upton 412,100
RF-Bobby Abreu 16,000,000

SP-Brandon Webb 5,500,000
SP-Dan Haren 4,050,000
SP-Erik Bedard 7,000,000
SP-Rich Harden 4,750,000
SP-Tim Wakefield 4,000,000

CL-Brad Lidge 6,350,000

MR-Carlos Marmol 430,000
MR-George Sherrill 980,000
MR-Chad Qualls 1,312,500
MR-Darren Oliver 2,000,000
MR-Michael Wuertz 860,000

BN-Reed Johnson 1,300,000
BN-Augie Ojeda 550,000
BN-Miguel Montero 400,500
BN-Rajai Davis 392,500
BN-Tony Clark 900,000
BN-Willy Aybar 401,200

Total Salary: 88,679,800

 

[blitzerlover]

I am working on mine. I had to many yound guys, and now I have to revise my team. Stupid rules.

 

[Anthony K.]

I am working on mine. I had to many yound guys, and now I have to revise my team. Stupid rules.

I wanted it to be SOME sort of challenge.

I may come up with a second roster as well.

One with a youth loaded pitching rotation and a lot of speed on offense.

Hmmmmm.....

 

[marterburn]

C - Yadier Molina - 1,812,500
1B - Justin Morneau - 8,400,000
2B - Ian Kinsler - 700,000*
3B - David Wright - 5,250,000
SS - Jose Reyes - 4,000,000
OF - Carlos Quentin - 400,000*
OF - Matt Kemp - 406,000*
OF - Matt Holliday - 9,500,000

SP - Tim Lincecum - 405,000*
SP - Cliff Lee 4,000,000
SP - Dan Haren 4.050,000
SP - Brandon Webb - 5,500,000
SP - Jake Peavy - 6,500,000
CL - Bobby Jenks - 550,000

MR - Scot Shields - 4,250,000
MR - Dan Wheeler - 2,875,000
MR - Hideki Okajima - 1,275,000*
MR - Joba Chamberlain - 390,000*
MR - Matt Thornton - 875,000
MR - Scott Downs - 2,250,000

bench - Manny Ramirez - 20,000,000 - DH
bench - Gabe Kapler - 800,000
bench - Jerry Hairston Jr. 500,000
bench - Mark DeRosa - 4,750,000
bench - Mike Rivera - 395,000


89,883,000

I don't think Okajima counts on the < 4 yrs pay scale, so I have 5 players with < 4 yrs experience.

I think my one weakness is OF defense.