Rebuild/ reload a championship team or go for another playoff run?

[Bigry009]

Hell All,

I am in a fictional online league. We are in our 22nd season. My team, the Alabama Bears, has been in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and finally in the fifth year, with our lowest win percentage of our current run, we won the world series.

We reached the playoffs with a top 3 pitching staff and a top 3 defense with a middle of the pack offense.

To win the title all three categories came together and we dominated our way through the playoff.

Now, Alabama finds itself at a crossroads. I had two stud starters who led the way. One starter is no longer with the team.

Now, I find myself with one absolute stud starter (32 years old), 1 middle of the rotation starter and a back end starter(31 years old).

The rest( 3 60 plus rated pitchers) are a handful of young pitchers who have yet to reach their full potential.

There may be a few starting pitchers that are very good in free agency. But, Im not to big on overpaying 30 year old starting pitchers who want giant multi year contracts.

Meanwhile, during this off season, other teams in my division and in the AL have loaded up mostly via trade. I don't see my team winning the world series. The playoffs are still a very real possibility.

My minors isn't terrible but could use an infusion of talent.

My lineup is a nice mix of young and old. I could make a few trades and acquire some young offensive talent.

I am very competitive and the thought of a rebuild/reload and not making the playoffs really eats at me. This is the first time in awhile I am not 100 percent confident Ill make the playoffs though its still quite realistic.

So, after all that, I am asking others who may have had similar experiences.

Trade now while I can and reload or hang onto possible glory?

[darkcloud4579]

With online leagues, it's tough because you're going up against other people. Having played lots of online play, the key to winning online is having the most amount of information + time and knowing the players better than everyone else. Don't be afraid to make moves and be willing to jettison guys at the right time....and you can take a rebuild when it's about getting the team back into position, rather than trying to squeeze glory out of a team that's probably needing to be broken up.

Think '03 Marlins. That doesn't happen if they bring back the '97 team for '98.