Roster Doctor

Josh writes: 16-team, keeper league (eight keepers announced at the end of the year) My team is currently middle of the pack due to the lack of offense, particularly from my outfield.
Active roster positions are C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF x3, UTIL – SP x2, RP x2, P x3 – BNx5 – 21 roster spots in total. Keepers marked with a (k).
My main question is, do I deal one of my dominant starters (Ubaldo or Wainwright) and either Jones or Quentin for an upgrade in the OF and a somewhat lesser arm?

C – A.J. Pierzynski
1B(k) – Kendry Morales
2B(k) – Ian Kinsler
3B(k) – David Wright
SS – Juan Uribe – replacing Yunel Escobar (DL)
OF(k) – Andruw Jones
OF(k) – Carlos Quentin
OF(k) – Jay Bruce
UTIL – Juan Rivera
BN – Delmon Young

SP(k) – Ubaldo Jimenez
SP(k) – Adam Wainwright
SP – John Danks
SP – Edwin Jackson
SP – Rick Porcello
RP – Rafael Soriano
RP – David Aardsma
RP – Grant Balfour
RP – Sergio Romo
RP – Tanner Scheppers
DL – Chris R. Young
DL – Edinson Volquez

Josh, I wouldn’t trade either of those pitchers (particularly Wainwright) except for a top, top-tier outfielder. You don’t have an acute need in the outfield yet. Bruce and particularly Quentin should start producing eventually. Quentin’s BABIP is below .200 after all.

In general, I prefer not to make trades due to under-performance this early in the season. Trading for need due to injury or lost playing time is a different matter. But there’s not much reason why a trading partner would put more value than you in waiting out Quentin’s bad luck.

That said, you can try various offers to see if you can make a value trade (i.e. find some players that other owners might have given up on). But don’t force yourself to trade a Jimenez just to get, among others, a small-value player. However, the deeper the league the more viable it is to trade (giving up) a star for two middle-rank players.

I would have an itchy trigger finger with respect to your DL, particularly Young. If another of your players gets injured, I wouldn’t hesitate dropping first Young and then Volquez in order to DL roster the injured player (assuming he’s not irreparably damaged). Young is going nowhere and question marks abound around Volquez, so I wouldn’t lose an injured player at a thin position just in order to keep them.