Dear Mr. Fantasy: Controversies and scoring questions

Now comes the fun part.

With the Red Sox and Athletics kicking off the season in Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday -- though probably a week earlier than most of us would like -- the questions weighing on Fantasy owners' minds shift from keepers and draft picks to lineup adjustments and trade proposals.

This week's Dear Mr. Fantasy reflects that transition as well by tackling a few early-raging battles in what sounds like some hotly contested leagues.

Come on, fellas. Let's play nice.

But before we get into those fun and games, let me first address the one quirk in our fun game that probably had more than a few Fantasy commissioners ripping out their hair this morning:

Is there something each commissioner must do in his or her league to make the Red Sox-Athletics games in Japan from Tuesday and Wednesday count in Fantasy? If not, when should we expect the stats and scores to show up? -- Paul Hartfiel, Cincinnati

SW: I'll give you the answer right here. Your commissioner might have entered the wrong "season start date" when setting up your league, and it's a pretty easy mistake to correct. If your commissioner goes to the "Setup" tab in your league and scrolls down to "Schedule & Playoffs," he'll see a pull-down tab for "Season starts on:." If he has the date set for March 30, he can change it to March 25, and the stats should appear on your league's scoreboard immediately.

Now that we've finished the housekeeping ...

I was wondering if I should trade Albert Pujols for Ryan Zimmerman and Jonathan Papelbon? I could move Alex Gordon or Ryan Garko to first base. -- Jason Monday, Greenwood, Ind.

SW: I don't have Pujols' elbow holding up through the full season, but let's not go crazy here, people. We're still talking first-round production for Prince Albert as long as he stays in the lineup. Let's put it this way: Half a season of Pujols and the other half of Garko is still way better than a full season of Zimmerman, and the addition of Papelbon isn't enough to offset the possibility that Pujols ends up playing the whole season. And if Gordon, who I assume you currently have manning third base, ends up having a better year than Zimmerman -- a distinct possibility, mind you -- you'll really have trouble justifying that deal.

Is it worth keeping Evan Longoria in a non-keeper league? (US Presswire)

SW: I'm going with Longoria here because I think the Rays, despite their claims otherwise, sent him down strictly so he wouldn't become a free agent until 2014. I figure he'll spend a few weeks in the minors making some final adjustments and then start manning third base on an everyday basis for the Rays. Bruce, on the other hand, I could actually see not reaching the majors at all this season. I'm not saying he absolutely won't, but I think him doing so depends just as much on Corey Patterson flopping as it does his own performance in the minors. And as little as I like Patterson, I see him doing enough to keep his job.

Hey Scott, there has been a controversial move in my league already, and I needed an expert's judgment. Here's the situation: I picked up Johnny Cueto off the waiver wire and put him in one of my minor-league slots. Because the latest player update says he is guaranteed a spot in the rotation, the commissioner of my league says it's not fair for me to use a minor-league slot on him even though he has yet to make a major-league appearance. What should be the ruling here? -- Adam Kinney

SW: The ruling itself doesn't matter nearly as much as the clarity and consistency of the ruling. If your commissioner decides that players who have at least verbally earned a spot on a major-league roster don't have minor-league eligibility, and the majority of owners support his decision, then so be it. You need to accept it and move on. Just make sure your commissioner adds a note to your league constitution making the rule clear and that he upholds the ruling in all future scenarios like yours. Conversely, if you remember a past scenario in which he ruled differently, you need to call him out on it. The same set of rules should apply to everyone. For the record, I'd probably take your side. Whether or not a player has appeared in a major-league game sounds like much less of a judgment call than whether or not his major-league team has assured him a roster spot.

I am part of a Head-to-Head league, and I think my lineup is great. I have one problem, though. I have three outstanding catchers -- Victor Martinez, Russell Martin and Joe Mauer -- and I don't know which two to start. I can't place the third one at utility because I have Michael Young and Prince Fielder playing there. Should I trade the third catcher for an elite pitcher? -- Andrew Markaj, New York

SW: Well, you certainly don't need any of those three on your bench, so shopping one makes the most sense. Mauer is clearly the worst of the three -- in a whole separate tier, really -- but obviously, making a trade has just as much to do with what you can get back as what you can give up. If you can't land the pitcher you want for Mauer, try shopping Martinez or Russell instead.

Quick question: We have a points league with unlimited innings, so the entire bench is pitchers, meaning we have to really scour the waiver wire. I have to cut one of the following: Micah Owings, Homer Bailey, Clay Buchholz or Adam Loewen. I'm leaning toward Loewen. Who would you cut? -- Alejandro Sosa

SW: I'd probably say Loewen too if Homer didn't pull a big, fat "Doh!" this spring. His 5.21 ERA (including 16 walks in 19 innings -- ouch), combined with the emergences of Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, all but assures Bailey a spot in Triple-A to open the season. In fact, he might already be there by the publication of this column. I'm not sticking a fork in Bailey, but I think he still has months of work ahead of him before he becomes an effective major-league pitcher. I wouldn't trust Loewen much either, though. He has control issues of his own.

Which of the following players do you think will most likely have a breakout season: Jay Bruce, Lastings Milledge, Justin Upton, Evan Longoria and Jacoby Ellsbury? How would you rank them in terms of potential production this year? What about for keeper leagues over the next few years? My sense is that Bruce and Upton have the biggest upside. -- Phaelen Parker, Sacramento

SW: Well, immediate and long-term production don't always coincide, so I kind of have to distinguish between the two. I think you probably hit the nail on the head with Bruce and Upton making the biggest impact long-term, but Longoria isn't too far behind. And ironically, those three are the ones I want least for this season. In the short term, Ellsbury looks like the safest pick because he'll almost surely help in batting average and stolen bases this season. I wonder about his power, though. I'd probably prefer to wait and take Milledge, as he's already weathered the obligatory rough stages of a budding major-league career and, after his great spring, looks primed to go 20-20 in his first year with Washington. On the other hand, if you want the best combination of helping this year and helping in the future, go with Upton.

I'm in a Head-to-Head league with daily lineup changes. The daily lineup changes are new to us this year. What is preventing a manager from picking up seven starting pitchers every day for a total of 49 starts per week? Can you help us out with this subject? -- Jeff, Stockton, Calif.

SW: Yeah, I'll help, but you might not like what I have to say. Nothing is stopping a manager from doing exactly what you suggest unless your league makes a rule preventing it. It's called streaming pitchers, and although it works in your format, it's not an accurate reflection of competitive baseball. Winning becomes more a matter of you and your leaguemates racing to a computer to claim that night's unowned starting pitchers than it does assessing talent and playing matchups. Most daily leagues set a rule limiting the number of starts or innings allowed per team either per week or per year, and I'd suggest instating such a rule for your league.

I have a problem, though I realize it's a good problem to have. I'm trying to decide which outfielder to start. I currently have Jason Bay, Andruw Jones and Nick Markakis starting, with Rick Ankiel and Johnny Damon on the bench. I'm leaning toward keeping it as it is, but Ankiel has been mashing the ball this spring. I also have the option of sliding Victor Martinez to first base, putting Carlos Ruiz behind the plate and Lance Berkman in the outfield. I probably can't go wrong either way, but I figure, "Why not ask a professional?" -- Dave White, Akron, Ohio

SW: I'll always take time to answer a question from my long lost cousin in Akron. Dave, you certainly can go wrong one way -- and that's by slotting Martinez at first base. Martinez only goes as high as he does in drafts because he plays catcher, the weakest position on the diamond. So if you draft him looking for an advantage at a weak position and then slot him at a strong position, you end up at a disadvantage, which you obviously don't want. I think you should avoid getting cute right now and stick with what you have. If Bay looks sluggish out of the gate, you can always slot in Ankiel later.

I am looking for AL pitchers who will step up their strikeouts this year. I can absorb poor ERA/WHIP numbers, but I need some cheap sources of strikeouts (and wins would be nice too). I am looking to target Boof Bonser and Scott Baker. Maybe you could provide a few other players to target? -- David Engh, Dallas

SW: I'd probably put Kevin Slowey on equal terms with Baker, but I'm not sure either of them really qualifies as strikeout pitchers. If you can really absorb a poor WHIP and ERA, then Daniel Cabrera sounds like a perfect candidate for your team. He'll get his strikeouts, but he could destroy you in everything else. If you want a few lesser-known names, I like Andy Sonnanstine and just about any other pitcher on the back end of Tampa Bay's staff. Jason Hammel and Edwin Jackson come to mind. I think Dana Eveland in Oakland might surprise. Same with Gio Gonzalez and Greg Smith, if the Athletics ever call them up. Obviously, any of the major pitching prospects around the league -- the Adam Millers, the Luke Hochevars -- could come up at some point during the season and make an immediate impact. And I think Kevin Millwood might have a rebound of sorts in Texas. He won't strike out 200 batters by any means, but 150 seems within reach.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Dear Mr. Fantasy in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we do not guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.