"I'd Rather Have Nothing Than This"

Tom writes:

As an English teacher once wrote on my friend's term paper, "I'd rather have nothing than this."

I've had an injured catcher (Navarro) active for the last two weeks because the replacements available were so crappy. Sometimes it's best not to bother with a replacement when the pool is that thin.

That sounds like something a bitter and disgruntled public employee might say.

Dioner Navarro's still active in my American League as well. Of the hitters who were purchased in my A.L. who were on the D.L. at the time of our auction, this is how it has shaken out so far:

Player	Cost	Replaced?	By?	Date	FAAB
Eric Chavez	$10	Yes	Andy Marte	4/7	$1
Curtis Granderson	$31	Yes	David Dellucci	3/31	$3*
Michael Cuddyer	$21F	No
Dioner Navarro	$5F	No
Scott Rolen	$11	Yes	Willy Aybar	3/31	$3*
Jerry Owens	$11	No
Danny Richar	$3	Yes	Matt Tolbert	4/14	$7
Rocco Baldelli	$2	Yes	Denard Span	3/31	$3*

As you'd expect, this isn't an impressive group of replacements. More than half of the hitters purchased who were on a major league DL on our auction date (4/5) weren't replaced.

Part of that is due to the odd rule we use where a replacement made right at the auction costs $3 worth of FAAB. Typically, people wait, unless they're either buying a cheap win or steal retroactively (like I did with Boone Logan) or if they feel like they won't get the guy they want if they wait (like I did with Willy Aybar...ah, crud).

As we keep discussing, the broth is never thinner than it is at this time of year. Chavez's owner waited a week and then held his nose and plunked $1 down on Andy Marte. He waived Marte for farm player Evan Longoria the following week. Richar's owner wisely waited two weeks, but still wound up with Matt Tolbert, who might steal a few bases but probably won't do much else.

The tougher thing to gauge right now is whether or not it will be beneficial to pick someone up or simply wait until your injured player comes back. Richar's owner waited two weeks and Navarro's owner is still waiting. Chad Moeller and Jaime Burke seem like terrible bets to do anything, and could hurt your BA enough so that it isn't worth it. Yet each catcher has a HR that Navarro's owner has missed out on.