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Feb23_2026_BHQChat
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Brent Hershey
12:00
Greetings again (or for the first time), Monday chatters! It's a snowy one for us here in the East, but we've got boxscores, news, keeper deadlines and drafts. So ...let's get to it!
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo
12:02
i know the answer is : It depends on the makeup of your list and what categories other teams are projected to keep BUT in a genuine vacuum - WHAT is a better keeper for a final spot? A star $30 player that you could keep at $32 OR a $5 player that you could have for a $1.
Brent Hershey
12:02
Star player fairly easily; when the salary is reasonable. More likely to able to buy back the end-gamer. Again, in a vacuum.
Fernand gignac
12:05
good morning, now that the Olympics are finished, it smells like baseball time. Do you expect Michael Busch to be a full timer? Is he improved enough vs LP to deserve it? Turner is not in in 2026. Are shaw, conforto and ballesteros a treath? Thank you
Brent Hershey
12:05
Yes, feel like Busch has graduated to that full-time status; the Baseball Forecaster UP reflects that as metrics point to even more growth. Don't see the three listed here as much of a threat. Maybe Shaw is the closest; Conforto also LH and Ballesteros, for all this accolades, has yet to do it in MLB.
will
12:08
Hey Brent, thank you for the chat. do you think Trout can actually play even half a season regularly in CF.without injury. ive  never heard of CF being easier than  the corners, maybe more comfortable but never easier.
Brent Hershey
12:08
This is curious to me, b/c from what I've seen it's Trout (and not the team) saying regular CFer. Did note that he started there yesterday. Feel like your distinction is (comfortable/easier) is valid. For me, Trout is just likely to miss time no matter where he plays. But will be super interested to see how new manager Suzuki handles this.
will
12:10
Brent, 4x4 AL only keeper league.Ober, SWR,Taj and Mathews. best sleeper vlaue amongst the 4 and who you think will have the best season? Thank you
Brent Hershey
12:10
I'd go Ober for 'sleeper' value, provided rest of spring is semi-strong and there will be some never-Obers out there. Think I prefer SWR for the best season (esp if the late-season adjustments stick). But also like Matthews probably more than I should.
Anna Banana
12:13
Oneil Cruz? I can keep him just at value. Is the upside worth one of my valuable keeper spots? With a high inflation rate, he'll go for way more in the auction.
Brent Hershey
12:13
I'm kinda off Cruz this year. If you feel he's at value now, but will go for way more in the auction, then let others deal with his inconsistency, swing and miss, and a skill set that seems stagnant (even with the impressive Statcast #s).
Mr Van Buren
12:14
How? How can there be this much snow when they're playing baseball on my TV?!
Brent Hershey
12:14
Joys of living in the Northeast. Be thankful for that TV, ha!
Chase
12:16
Hi Brent; 4x4 AL only Dynasty, plenty of inflation…thoughts on keeping Carter Jensen @$10; also Zach Cole @$10
Brent Hershey
12:16
Jensen yes; Cole I'd be lukewarm at that price. He's been talked up by Houston, but the shaky contact rate gives me pause. Wish he was a single-digit keeper. At 10, think I'd throw back.
Kent
12:18
Jazz Chisholm. Career year?
Brent Hershey
12:18
It's possible — but I would have said that before this weekend's 50/50 comments. Those self-evaluations too often are a bit lofty, and aren't something I usually incorporate (consciously, at least) into my draft plans.
Pennytree
12:19
Who do you think ends up most valuable in fantasy this season: Jacob Melton, Brooks Baldwin, or J Loperfido?
Brent Hershey
12:19
Melton fairly easily, as long as he can get enough AB in Tampa.
Beano
12:25
Thanks for the chats! Helps take my mind off walking the dogs in the blizzard!
I have, as usual, a few questions. NL 10 team 5x5
I have Andy Pages at $18 (which I think is his value)- with 25-30% inflation, is he a keeper? Is his PT assured?

Blaine Crim is $1 & he might be the Rockies 1b. I will take a wait and see, but why not Crim?

Braxton Ashcraft is getting lots of notice in fantasy articles as a great "sleeper" - the articles mean, of course, that he is no longer a sleeper. I am considering keeping him at $10 to avoid having to buy him at $13 while hoping to get him at $8! Thoughts?
Brent Hershey
12:25
Pages - I think his PT is stable, yes. $18 keeper seems a bit high on the surface, but I guess I could see it when inflation is folded in. Would probably be on the keeper bubble for me.

Crim - Why not? Because he's an older prospect, and the new regime in COL brought in several new options for 1B (Julien, Rumfield) to add to a high-upside prospect in Condon. If Crim is the starting 1B when you have to decide, well then of course. I just think that scenario is very unlikely.

Ashcraft ... yeah, he's the type of guy I'd could see taking a $10 shot on, in an NL-only keeper league. Could well blossom into a mid-teens guy in the next few years. Not a slam dunk (not a ton of MLB experience), but reasonable.
Pennytree
12:25
Better keeper in deep AL only: T Melton $5, W Warren $2, or Zebby M $1
Brent Hershey
12:25
Probably Zebby at 1. Melton the bigger long-term upside, but not sure the extra $4 is worth it.
Bones
12:26
Hunter Green. Can he deliver value as a 4th round pick. Redraft league  Standard 5 categories.
Brent Hershey
12:26
Yes, he CAN beat that value in a redraft. Not by a lot, but the tools are there. Interested to hear the news of him working on/using additional pitches this year.
Art
12:29
Thanks for the chats, they are very helpful. 10 team AL only standard 5x5, $260 budget, 25% inflation. Please rank the following as keepers: Basallo $5, Pasquantino $21, Adell $2, Butler $5, Buxton $21, Westburg $12. All can be retained for 2026 and 2027. Are there any you would not freeze?
Brent Hershey
12:29
I would throw Westburg back. Best case for him is, what, 4 1/2 months of playing with a injured elbow? His comments the past day or so just felt like TJ is inevitable. That happens, and yes he's maybe back for 2027 ... but is he a $12 player then? At that price, too risky for not getting much of anything for 2026. The rest look great, though.
Babe
12:32
Brent, thank you for all the insights and analysis.  Always appreciated.

12-Team, AL-Only, 4x4 Roto Keeper League.  

It's looking like the Auction pool will be very thin at MI, and SS in particular.  A few big names at the top, then pretty grim.  in light of this, how would you view $11 B. Rocchio, $11 Meidroth, and $10 C. Young as a potential Keepers?
Brent Hershey
12:32
Don't hate any of these -- not getting great value, but each could exceed. Sometimes by looking at the pool, you need to make a choice like this. My order would as you have them listed, with a gap after Meidroth. Like some late-season gains from Rocchio, esp, though small-sample altert.
rockford
12:35
What do you think about Rhys Hoskins getting a decent amount of PT this year?  Will he be worth much?
Brent Hershey
12:35
I think he's Manzardo insurance mostly ... maybe he gets some short-side platoon AB, but the fact that he didn't sign until and could only come up with a minor-league deal says a ton to me. Would think a repeat of last year (PT and production) is the ceiling here.
Hesh
12:36
Will Drake Baldwin be worth going to extra $2-3 at the auction table in 12 team 1-catcher leagues?
Brent Hershey
12:36
$2-3 extra over his price? Not in a 1-C, 12 teamer, no. Definitely would be a target, but C is deep enough that you shouldn't need to overpay in a league with those parameters.
Hesh
12:40
1B tier question - how likely/unlikely would it be to see Mazardo, Torkelson, and/or Caglione be better or equal options to Pasquqntino and Soderstrom?
Brent Hershey
12:40
In most standard leagues, Cags is not 1B-elig; check your rules there. Manzardo has the raw pop to approach Pasquantino and Soderstrom, but those two have done it before. If it's a choice, I'm more comfortable w/ the vets.
Paulie
12:41
If Gunnar Henderson is valued as a $40 player in a 12tm mixed categories league, how much more would you be willing to pay for Elly?
Brent Hershey
12:41
Don't think I'd be willing to pay more for Elly. Maybe the same, if this is in a keeper lg that includes inflation.
Tony
12:43
Would you be comfortable rostering any of the following as your SP1 in 12 team mixed rotos;  Eury Perez, Gausman, Kirby, Cease, Framber, Peralta, Bradish
Brent Hershey
12:43
In a 12-teamer, all of these look like #2s. Peralta and Kirby (and maybe Eury) would be my choices if I HAD to make it.
rockford
12:45
Who is your favorite "ace like" SP in each league this year (besides Skubal and Skenes)?
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