Keith Lipscomb

  (3:00 PM)

Happy deadline day, where rumors are abundant and trades aren't.

Alex(Chicago)

Is Ichiro going to start stealing again? I need steals and I've been offered Ichiro for Magglio. Ichiro stole 1 base last month what's his deal?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:03 PM)

I'm not expecting more than 10 steals from him the rest of the way, and he may not even get that many. He's only stolen more than 6 bases in August or September twice in his career. The hammy problems in July might be somewhat to blame, but it's hard to ignore his history of slowing down.

Dave (MI)

So, Eric Karabell likes Carpenter over Liriano. I'm having some trouble filling a starting pitcher hole in my roster. Would you go with experience, over younger pitchers with good numbers for this year? (Also, available Maholm, Slowey, Perez, Josh Johnson). What's your take?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:05 PM)

I like Liriano better than Carpenter the rest of the way, because he's further along in his return from Tommy John and he's shown great progress during his time in the minors. I expect him to get the call very soon, maybe even this weekend finally, and be effective.

Chris (Orlando)

FOOTBALL PLEASE!!!...Keeper question?Can only keep 1 in a 12 Team PPR League?Vince Young in the 8th, Kevin Curtis 10th, Kevin Jones 11th or Dallas Clark in the 12th.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:07 PM)

I think I'd go with Curtis, because I think you'll be able to get the others in similar rounds or later in your draft. Too many question marks on Kevin Jones to take that chance on a keeper.

ARob(State College)

Speaking of steals, does Soriano pick it up from here on out? He's got 3 steals his last 3 games and his legs seem fresh...

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:09 PM)

I really like Soriano the rest of the way, ARob (not to be confused with A-Rod, of course). I think he could steal 10-12 bases the rest of the way, if he legs remain healthy, of course.

Jim (DC)

Hey Keith. How about Dave's second part to the question: Rank Liriano, Carpenter, Slowey, Maholm, plus Ubaldo Jimenez

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:12 PM)

Sorry about that. I'll say Liriano, Jimenez, Carpenter, Slowey, Maholm, but my opinion on these types of guys is constantly changing, to be honest. Pretty tight group, in my opinion, overall.

Jeff (Juno)

Keith, I have been offered Johan for Kinsler, in a vacuum should i do it?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:14 PM)

I'd prefer to know more about your situation, but if you are in desperate need of a steady force in your rotation, it's a good deal for you, provided you can afford to lose what Kinsler gives you. Tough to answer in a vacuum, often times. Trades just don't ever seem to work that way.

Mike (NJ)

FB keeper question- McGahee or Grant?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:16 PM)

Much like our rankings in the magazine, I've got those guys in the same tier in my rankings. I like McGahee slightly more, though.

Brian (Chicago)

Is Wandy and Bradley too much to give up for Dye? I have some pitching depth and am looking for some more certainty than with Bradley's leg issues. Thanks.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:20 PM)

It's hard to blame you for having a hard time with Bradley's constant injuries. Wandy is tough to own, even though he's leveled out the home/road splits this season. I'd still like to get a second player back in that deal, even if it's the worst player in the trade. Someone who might be able to help you a little going forward. Bradley's been too good when in there.

Michael (atlanta)

I'm in 1st place but with a small lead, and several people are trying to get Lincecum from me (he is keeper eligible). Is he one of the few players that should be considered untradeable in a keeper league? I could get Hanley and Javier Vazquez (neither are keeper eligible). SBs, runs, BA, era and whip are all categories I need to be strong in the rest of the way. Thoughts?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:23 PM)

I think Lincecum is a great keeper obviously, and if you need ERA and WHIP the rest of the way, I'd rather have him than Vazquez, who just hasn't been sharp for a while now. I'm not sure how many players you keep in your league, but that would factor into my decision making in a deal like this. After all, it is about winning and you might as well try to do it this year.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:24 PM)

Just so you all know, I'm just going to stay away from other networks' reports until we get the go-ahead here at ESPN on deals. Right now, we haven't confirmed the Bay to TB thing, so I'm holding off.

Blair (CT)

If Brett Favre is still available in Round 5, and you have 2 RBs, a QB and a WR, would you take him?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:26 PM)

No, I wouldn't, because at this point in time we don't know for sure he's going to take a snap this season. And secondly, you already have a QB, which I would assume is a good one. I'd take another RB or a WR, most likely.

Mike (Nashville)

More steals from here on out: Jerry Hairston Jr. or Carlos Gomez?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:28 PM)

I'm going to say Gomez, because I'm not sure Hairston will be able to keep up the pace he was on before going on the DL with a bum hamstring. The good news for Hairston is that he could return within a week, so we'll see how much he runs.

Brett (NZ)

Keith - what's going to happen with Swisher's PT? The last thing I need is a platoon player...

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:30 PM)

Well, there's no doubt he could be affected at some point. Right now, it appears Konerko is headed to the bench, but if Swisher struggles even more against lefties, maybe he'll lose ABs to Konerko, who has uncharacteristically had trouble with LHPs this season. Lots to learn in the coming days on the south side.

Ryan(NJ)

Rudi Johnson had 4 straight years of 12-1300 yards and 12 TD's. He appears healthy and they seem commited to the ground game. Do you like him as a RB2 this year?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:32 PM)

I think I like him more than others do. He was injured pretty much all of last season and I think the team would prefer him to carry the load and have Kenny Watson spell him, as opposed to truly sharing carries. I could be wrong here, but the early reports on Rudi are encouraging. I think he's a No. 2 RB in 10-12 team leagues for sure.

Dan (NY)

Need steals Keith. Giving Granderson for Kemp sound good to you? Hoping i dont lose too much on runs. Who do you like more the rest of the way?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:34 PM)

Hey, if you need steals, Kemp is definitely the guy to have. Granderson's steals last season apparently were a bit over his head. And the good thing is that Kemp can hit, so you're really not going to lose much to Granderson in any other category.

Danielle (San Jose, CA)

Keith, I have 2 questions. Which 2 would you own: Lind, DeJesus, Hermida, Ankiel, Scott Hairston and Tatis? Also, I have 3 first basemen: Delgado, C. Davis and D. Lee. I must drop one guy (no one is willing to trade), who should it be? Thanks for helping me DOMINATE my 3 leagues!

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:36 PM)

I would go with Hermida and Ankiel for the first question. And I guess I'd have to drop Davis, because his role isn't as clear as Delgado and Lee. So, no matter how good Davis has been, there's always a chance he could lose ABs at some point, whereas that's not an option with the other two. Good luck!

Mike (Fairfax, VA)

PICK ME!!! I'm in a dogfight leading saves and in the pack in wins. Is it worth taking a chance on multiple middle relievers to vulture wins? If so, who are some names that you'd take a chance on?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:39 PM)

Mike, I picked you, but I'm not sure my answer will satisfy you. I'm of the belief that wins is the hardest category to predict and isn't worth trying too hard to improve. Guessing on middle relievers involves more luck than anything, and streaming pitchers can wind up hurting you in other categories if they don't pitch well. I think you have to trust the guys you've got to come around (unless you just don't like your staff, that is).

Josh, NYC

Keith- I'm in a 10x10 roto and have a sizable lead. Themost important (to gain or lose) stat to me is complete games. But simply from an overall pitching perspective, do you think that Teix, Sheff and Duch are too much to give up for Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. I have enough of a lead to replace the offense with suitable replacements (Chris Davis and Abreu). Am I over-thinking this?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:41 PM)

You're just trying to make sure you hang onto your lead, Josh. Complete games are so infrequent, that there's no guarantee Felix or Lee get one the rest of the way. But if you can replace those guys with players like Davis and Abreu, maybe it IS worth the gamble. The key word to me was 'sizable'.

Alex (NJ)

Michael Turner and Laurence Maroney seem to cause a lot of differing opinions as to thier 2008 production. What do you see from each of them?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:46 PM)

Well, the more I look at RBs, the tougher it is to find more than 15-18 guys you feel are going to get a strong majority of their team's carries for sure. So my position on Turner has changed somewhat, in that I think if he plays a full season, he should run for 1,100-1,200 yards and 8 TDs. Maroney's a tough call, because of the great depth the Pats currently have at RB. I was really encouraged by the way he ran the ball at the end of last season, so I still think he can put up similar numbers to Turner if given the opportunity to do so. I think the preseason will help us determine that some.

AJ Jolly, MT

I have a surplus of RP?s: Farnsworth, Morrow, Putz, Corpas, Soriano and Broxton. Should I drop one for Liriano? My SP?s are Jurrjens, Johan, Baker, Lincecum and Edison.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:48 PM)

If you could use more Ks, a starter like Liriano will certainly help you more than any reliever, even ones as good as you've got. If the Rockies hang onto Fuentes, as is expected right now, Corpas might be the easiest to let go, since he'd be least likely to pick up saves the rest of the way and strikes out the fewest guys.

Fred (East Lansing)

Keith, With 55-60 games to go would you advocate middle relief to improve/protect ERA and WHIP? Are Dotel, Arredondo, Howell good Mid-RP to choose?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:51 PM)

This is a strategy I've seen used with differing results, Fred. While the guys you mentioned have been good thus far, it's also possible that they'll have a bad outing or two and from this point forward could post ERAs worse than one of your starters that you are looking to upgrade. With relievers, the bad outings are more glaring because of fewer innings pitched, so proceed with caution.

Rod(Reading Pa)

Fielder just launched another one. Have you seen a mechanical reason for his decreased power or is because of the lack of prime beef in his menu?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:53 PM)

I haven't seen anything to suggest such a reason for the decrease from 50, but maybe he just went way over his head with the 5-0...maybe he's going to be a 30-40 homer guy from here forward, which isn't so bad, right? I still think he hits at least 30 this season.

Andy (St. Louis)

Keeper question. Is it better to keep a promising starter like Price or a proven (and still young) RP like Soria? Thanks

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:56 PM)

Starters are always more valuable if they become big-time studs like many think Price will, simply because of the weight they have on 4 of the 5 major categories in traditional roto leagues. Saves can be streaky, and as much as I like Soria, it would be tough to know you let the next stud starter go before he even got a sniff of the bigs.

Joe (NY)

Really going out on a limb with predicting 30 homers for Fielder with 2 months left. He needs only 8 more homers in two months to get to 30. I say he has a chance to get to 40 this year!

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:57 PM)

Well, at least you went out on the limb, Joe. I said back when he was struggling early that he'd hit more than 30 homers, and I'm simply sticking to my original thoughts of at least that many.

Mike (DC)

I have Griffey, Konerko, and Swisher. They're all going to be affected by this trade - who loses out most (and should I cut him)?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:59 PM)

Right now, from all reports, Konerko would be the loser initially since he's reportedly going to the bench. It really depends on how deep your league is to decide whether you should cut him or not. But if you're in a 12-team league, there should be some possible help on the wire.

BOB(NY)

STREET LOSES THE CLOSING JOB TO _____?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:00 PM)

If he stays in Oakland, I don't see him losing the job.

Brad (columbus)

With Ichiro not running anymore would you rather have Kemp?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:01 PM)

I think I would, especially if Ichiro's not going to hit .320-.330 the rest of the way, ya know?

Teddy

Is it safe to cut closers in waiting from both Oakland and Colorado?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:02 PM)

Good question, Teddy, because it's good to remember that this was only the deadline for non-waiver trades. It's still possible for Oakland and Colorado to deal Street and Fuentes, so don't give up hope just yet.

Adam - long island

Hey Keith... Hanraham.. is he ever going to get a save or for that matter, a save CHANCE?! Should I think about dropping him for either Yates or Farnsworth? Much appreciated!!!

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:05 PM)

I just saw this one and it's interesting, because the one thing to remember is that saves are streaky. The Nats simply aren't very good, but when they do win, the games should be close. While I think Farnsworth should at least share closer duties in Detroit, the team hasn't said as much for sure. And I just don't trust Yates, at least not any more than I do Hanrahan.

Greg (Sylvania, OH)

Can you briefly explain how waiver-trades work in MLB?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:09 PM)

Sure, Greg. Just a Cliffs Notes version ... many players (even big-name guys) are run through waivers at some point from here forward. Mostly because of big contracts, many of them go unclaimed. And once a player clears waivers, he can be dealt to any team. But if a team claims a player (say Street, for example), the A's can either pull him back and decide to keep him, or they can try to work out a deal with the team that claimed him.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:10 PM)

I hope that wasn't too confusing. Gotta get back to work, but thanks for all the questions. Sorry there wasn't much action (at least not of the confirmed variety ... it's our policy on here not to discuss deal until someone here has cleared them. I hope you understand that!). Have a great weekend everyone!

Rod(Reading Pa)

Remember, teams often wait until they can notify the players involved before announcing it, so something could be announced a bit later.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:14 PM)

That's exactly right, Rod. The deadline has passed and often times, teams got them in just under the wire. But no action during our one hour, unfortunately. Take care, everyone.