What would be the optimal role/usage for these guys?  I'd especially like to get as many innings as possible from my top guys, but don't know what to expect/how to use them in the regular season or playoffs.  Any advice would be appreciated.  

Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Don Aldridge

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Use the first two as part of a tandem B as both should be able to pitch pretty much every 2nd/3rd day.  Long A for #3, Set up A for #4 and closer for #5.

At what stamina do you being using guys as long A?

I use a stamina/durability combo approach to determine if a guy can do LRA or LRB.  From purely stamina, 50-65 works for me, but if a guy is effective, has a stamina of 43 but a durability of 70+ (meaning he can bounce back fast) he could fill that role.  I do this for all roles, some guys become starters with a stamina of 60 because of a durability of 30+.

I have had a stamina 32 guy fill SUA with a durability of 80+. Starters get the most innings, so if a guy is effective, and can fill the role, you want him there.  Next would be SuA for me, they tend to eat more innings for me than a LRA guy.  Closers are optional, some of my teams I don't use closers.  My sweet spot is to look for a stud SuA that can eat up 170+ innings in a season, a guy with good ratings across the board with a stamina/durability of about 40/90 can be key.

Posted by a_ersberg on 12/13/2011 10:54:00 AM (view original):
At what stamina do you being using guys as long A?

I'm assuming you're asking me.

I usually look for 40-60 stamina for long relief.   The reason I suggested his guy as Long A(with the 33 STM) is because of his DUR and my suggestion on how to use the first two pitchers.   If those two are used as Tandem B two out of every three days with "normal" pitchers, you're not going to need your long reliever to throw very often as the tandems will eat up 110 pitches 4-6 times every 7-8 games.  

How many innings do you think I can get out of those Tandem B guys if I do it that way? 

I've never had guys like that but IP is tough simply because a lot of it depends on your competition.   Just ballparking it, I'd say 150+ for DA and 170+ for GW.  You'll have to get their PC right so they're not over pitching and having some 68(95) fatigue instead of 75(100) in order to limit the down days but, if you don't get 300 innings from them, I'd say you did something wrong.

Mike, how would you use these two guys?  Your rationale is very interesting. 

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I'd definitely use Villa as a Tandem B every time he hit 100%.    Probably 40-50 PC in order to try to wring 3 innings from him 65-75 times a season.  Failure to maximize his innings would be a mistake and I wouldn't leave it up to simmy to decide when he pitches. Cabrera is still developing but he's nothing "special" just yet.   With his low GB/FB, I'd probably use him as a tandem B in negative homer parks and as a LRA with a PC at 35-45 in neutral/plus homer parks.

Doing what I'm suggesting means you have to check your team every couple of games at a minimum.   If that's not part of your schedule, it probably doesn't work.

Really all I'm trying to do is avoid letting simmy decide when my best pitchers pitch.    It's one thing when your pitcher can't handle 40 pitches(the minimum for a SP or tandem).   You have to use him in relief.   But when you've got a 65/39 DUR/STM guy who's lights out, you can use him when you want to use him by utilizing tandems.   This gives your bullpen a rest and allows you to maximize his innings.   You could use them as regular SP but then you don't get to decide who's pitching next.   If you put them with a "normal" SP, you can set his pull/PC for whatever you like and utilize your best pitcher fully.

I've been using Villa strictly as set up A and getting 160-180 innings a year and just called up Cabrera because I don't have great minor league coaching and he's very good.  My fear is that I waste Villa's innings when a game is out of control.  But I guess good innings are good innings, regardless of when you get them.

Could Villa really hit 200 innings? That seems like a ton for a "reliever" type.     

Yeah, good innings are good innings in my book.   Since we don't have much control when RP are used, I'd just want to make sure I used all my good innings and hope for the best.  Using him as a Tandem B guarantees he pitches when he's 100%.

The average number of pitches per inning for an average pitcher is just over 15.   He'll be under that.   So, at 45 pitches, he'll throw 3 per game(more or less).   With his durability, he should be able to pitch pretty much 40% of the time.  That's 64+ games.  Math says 192 inninngs. 

Posted by frankum on 12/13/2011 5:07:00 PM (view original):
I've been using Villa strictly as set up A and getting 160-180 innings a year and just called up Cabrera because I don't have great minor league coaching and he's very good.  My fear is that I waste Villa's innings when a game is out of control.  But I guess good innings are good innings, regardless of when you get them.

Could Villa really hit 200 innings? That seems like a ton for a "reliever" type.     

More.

If you were really seeking to maximize his innings instead of doing what Mike suggests, he'd be closer to 240 than 200.

Oh, and maximizing his inning would be with him as Setup A, along with the rest of the pen.

I'd expect him to be able to go about 40 pitches or so between 70 and 80 times in a season. Because he's a good pitcher, as Mike mentioned, he won't usually need the 15 pitches per inning, so I think 40 pitches will get roughly 3 innings. If I had him (with my normal good D, etc.), and my goal was merely to maximize his usage, I'd expect 210+ innings without using him below 100%.

I remembered that I do(or will) have one of those guys.

Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Matt Christensen

Took over a team, drafted a player who wouldn't sign so I'd get a comp pick when I had more in scouting and used that pick on this guy.   Already 65/37 after his rookie year.   If he develops properly, I'll be using him as a Tandem B as a pro.