Players in a slump

[bosunmate]

How do you handle players in a slump do you bench them or handle them some other way....

[Kushiel]

I might move them in the batting order. Remember it is RNG's. My guy may go 5 for 5 tomorrow.

[bailey]

If one of your top cards shows up on the not hot list, what are you supposed to do? Are you going to run out and buy Oscar Charleston? (I did, but that's just me being impatient).

On the other hand, if a card has been on your team a very long time and whose best weeks are in the past like Jean Segura, then maybe you can afford to replace it with Rizzuto (needed for the Babe) or something else.

[bosunmate]

Thanks for feedback guy's....

[muskiehunter99]

My approach depends on whether the card is a pitcher or position player, and whether they are one of my best cards or could be replaced by a similarly-rated card from my bench.

If it is a SP, I will usually switch them into a RP role and set them to avoid high leverage and mop up, e.g., middle relief or long relief, avoid high leverage as primary, and then mop up as secondary. I'll keep them in that role until they get out of their slump. If they keep blowing up, whatever, the games they are appearing in are probably lost already.

For a position player, I think it depends on whether their value is primarily driven by offence or defence. If it is offence, then I'll try to limit their exposure. If they have a dominant handedness split, e.g., they are weaker against lefties, then I will have someone else hit against lefties and only play them in their strong side until they break out of their slump. If there's no split, then I might just reduce their playing time and have them play every second game. If they are defense-first, then I might just let them play through it.

These approaches are adjusted by how strong the player is compared to whomever would be replacing them. The closer in ratings their replacement, the quicker I will be to limit their playing time or exposure. If they are heads and shoulders above their replacement, I'll be more inclined to just let them play through it and break out ASAP. Even in a slump, they may still perform fairly close to a their non-slumping but inferior-rated replacement.

I don't have hard evidence, but I think breaking out of slumps is a combination of playing decently and a function of time passing, so simply benching someone and giving them no playtime is basically giving up on them for a big part of the season.