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Mar20_2026 BHQ Chat
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Ray Murphy
12:00
Let's go! It's one of my favorite days of the year... our home page is absolutely overflowing with content, I spent the morning polishing up our projections, many people have drafts this weekend (I've got an NFBC Main Event tomorrow)... and the queue is full of questions. Let's do this...
Broken Bat
12:02
Estavez struggling, Erceg as backup? But who else in that bullpen can close if Erceg is 8th inning pitcher based on matchup.
Ray Murphy
12:02
Always appreciate an opportunity to answer a question with a pointer to a tool on the site. In this case, KC depth chart page (jump to pitcher percentage tab): In this case, besides Erceg you also want to look at Matt Strahm and (deeper) John Schreiber, based on skills.
Joe Lis
12:05
Good morning Ray. I’m in a 10 team NL-only league, and we have to set our keepers by Sunday. We have a yearly auction where inflation can go as high as 25%. I’m trying to determine a final offensive keeper, and my choices are between Eldridge $2, Churio $38, Abrams $24, O. Cruz $24, Muncy $13, Arreaz $18, and Bader at $5. Do you have any advice on a keeper from this list?
Ray Murphy
12:05
Some tough prices there. Depends a little on the rest of your keeper list. I'm generally not excited about O. Cruz, but if you need to take a gamble, he's got the ceiling to pay off if he pulls it together this year. Otherwise, I think I'd just keep Bader for $5 and head for the auction table with cash in hand.
Rich Murphy
12:08
Hi Ray. My question is this: You have to draft one of three young, up and coming hurlers. They are: 1) Nolan McLean, 2) Cam Schlitter and 3) Connelly Early. Who do you take and why? Thanks!
Ray Murphy
12:08
Hi Rich! Assuming you're asking for this year only, I'll take McLean by a nose over Schlittler (though I do love Cam)... better environment, think the GB lean with McLean limits the volatility a bit more. I like Early too, but he's a distant third behind these two.
Boat Bum
12:11
whats your concern level/prediction for N.Marte? Thanks!
Ray Murphy
12:11
Not someone I've been getting in drafts this winter. Bold prediction? This is probably way too bold, but in trying to figure out their OF/1B/DH mess in CIN, I said to our CIN team analyst earlier this week "what if Marte doesn't even make the team out of camp?"
Michael
12:13
Hi Ray, NL only keeper, needs are hr and rbi.wrestling with 1b,3b and corner. Have room for a top player and 2 relatively cheap players. Considering..Harper,Olson,devers,Suarez, Riley,bregman,Polanco and then muncy,baty,norby,Shaw,Gorman,Ballesteros,Vaughn,steer and ohearn. Any combo suggestions or personal likes? Thank u
Ray Murphy
12:13
First group... tough to separate that tier. I might go Riley... like the bounceback potential, he was such a solid 4-cat guy for a few years before injuries got in the way last year. And the reports that he might even run a bit this year are interesting.

Second tier: I love Ballesteros, and Baty too if he finds the AB. But I think you have to go Muncy there.
Matt
12:14
Ray! Quick question about Travis Bazzana. Still "in" on the kid? Just got him on the VERY cheap this offseason and looks like he could be up around mid-year.

Appreciate the Friday chat!

Matt
Ray Murphy
12:14
As always, I'm the wrong guy to ask about prospects. Save those questions for Brent on Mondays.

My only-semi-informed take on Bazzana is that I get a "better real-life player than fantasy asset" vibe from the scouting reports I read.
Beano
12:16
NL 10 team 5x5 V Scott will steal. But will he hit? His contract is $8 & I think I should toss him back as he’s only a one-trick pony - yes?
Ray Murphy
12:16
I'm interested in Scott... STL has every reason to play him a lot, and there were some good reports about results of retooling his swing this winter. That said, you can probably get him back for less than 8.
Jud
12:17
Ray, can Mike Burrows be a breakout pitcher this year?
Ray Murphy
12:17
I think we're pretty bullish on him, yeah. I know Brent loves him. Should get a lot of run in Houston, lots of questions in that rotation. My only hesitance is that he didn't work deep into games with PIT last year, he needs to show he can do that. I've got some shares...
vinny
12:18
Ray, thank you.im reading bachman in LA  leasure in CWS and erceg in KC as next  up or sleepers. your thoughts on them closing by ASB?
Ray Murphy
12:18
Not sure about any of these. Covered Erceg above. I think I'd be eyeing Grant Taylor over Leasure in Chicago. LA... Bachman's having a nice spring, but he needs to show some health. Hard to say who is going to stay healthy and effective in that LAA pen, but Bachman would have a lot of guys to climb over.
will
12:20
will jazz meet his 50/50 goal? if not how close?
Ray Murphy
12:20
50/50? Um, no. I might buy 50 SB, even that suggests a level of health we've rarely seen from him. Just give me 550-600 PA and I think we'll all be happy with where he settles.
Nuxie
12:20
Nl only keeper  8 team 6x6 - isn’t stars and scrubs the way to go?
Ray Murphy
12:20
In general, the shallower the league the more you want to go S&S... esp with hitters.
fernand gignac
12:25
hi Ray, thank you for taking my question. According to BHQ at bats projections, none of the following left handed batters seem to be Fulltimers, at least due to to their bad recent performance against lefties. According to you, which lefthanded hitters from my list are the most potential fulltimers? carter, keith, yaztremski, l garcia, mccarthy, josh lowe, lux, sanchez, gimenez, ballosteros, mitchell, scott, mcmahon, b lowe, muncy, butler, holliday, stott, marsh, nootbaar, kwan, barger, fraley, horwitz, moniak, caglianone, a thomas, larnach, jh lee, donovan, simpson, merrill, carpenter, cowser, arraez, grisham, beavers, friedl, manzardo, lile, abreu, baty, happ, burleson, frelick, varsho, mcneil, canzone? Thank you
Ray Murphy
12:25
Good grief that's a long list. A couple who could escape PlatoonsVille: Gimenez, McMahon, Butler, Kwan, Cags, Merrill, Cowser, Varsho.
Zeek
12:25
How do you see the Chicago Cubs catcher options settling in  for the season. Of the three: Ballesteros, Herrera and Amaya which two would you keep? The landscape would be 1 catcher mixed leagues 10 and12 team H2H, and a 15 team Roto League. Thanks Ray for all your great work.
Ray Murphy
12:25
Those are all replacement-level guys in one-catcher leagues. Maybe not even that in your 10- and 12-teamer. (Herrera my favorite here if he's C-eligible for you right away.) Specific to the Cubs, Ballesteros will mostly DH and therefore should play more than Amaya. (Again, depth charts.)
blondie
12:27
AL only, obp league.  What are your SB predictions for LAcuna and VRobles?
Ray Murphy
12:27
Tell me their AB total, I'll tell you their SB total with great confidence. Our current projections are 400 PA/25 SB for Robles, 442 PA/32 SB for Acuna. I think I'd rather have Robles, though... he should get to 400 PA if healthy. I think there's real PT downside for Acuna.
blondie
12:27
AL only, obp league.  Better fantasy player this year:  Wallner or KCarpenter?
Ray Murphy
12:27
As much as I like Wallner, have to take Carp here.
tuco
12:28
AL only.  SWRichardson or ZEflin?  Jacob Lopez or Zebby Matthews?
Ray Murphy
12:28
SWR and Lopez for me.
angel eyes
12:29
AL only.  Please rank:  Framber, Pepiot, Gray, Ragans.
Ray Murphy
12:29
ADP would say Ragans-Framber-Gray/Pepiot (tie). That's probably the right order if they all cost the same. Man, I really do like Pepiot though.
angel eyes
12:31
Maybe a silly/impossible question but I have it in my head!  AL only.  Should I draft Skubal at about 45 or two other SPs (e.g. SGray and Pepiot) for about a total of 45?
Ray Murphy
12:31
AL-only? I might go with the pair. Means you only need 7 more P instead of 8. As mentioned above, stars/scrubs (which you'd probably be doing with your P if you go Skubal) tends to work better in shallower leagues.
tuco
12:32
AL only, obp league.  Please rank:  ZCole, CSmith, or JLoperfido.   Also separately, Cowser or Nimmo?
Ray Murphy
12:32
I can't figure the Astros out anymore. I might take Loperfido by default there, just too worried about the other two. Cowser over Nimmo for me... projections are close, I'll take the higher ceiling of a Cowser breakout.
rockford
12:33
AL only, OBP league.  Please rank:  CRafaella, Beavers, JSanchez, CMullins.  Any favorite here?
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