First year in a baseball keeper for me and this was the first year of the league. Just looking for some suggestions on who I should keep. There are some obvious ones (Pujols, Sizemore, Soto) but there are also a decent amount of question marks as far as I'm concerned. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ETA: This is a 20 team league if it matters.

G Soto
Pujols
Alexei Ramirez
Sizemore
Loney
Votto
Y Escobar
Milledge
F Lewis
Zobrist
Adam Jones

AJ Burnett
Greinke
Cliff Lee
F Carmona
Wade Davis
Carlos Carasco
Gio Gonzalez
Scherzer
Samardzija

Wood
Marmol
C Perez

So Loney over Votto? And Scherzer?

Loney >> Votto

i saw 7 that might get some consideration

Well Pujols and Sizemore are automatics.

After that I think you keep guys at positions tough to fill so I'd go Ramirez and Soto. You have a ton of nice young talent but those two will fill SS (Ramirez will likely be at SS next year and even if not, filling 2B with his numbers across the cats is nice) and C and probably be top ten or top five producers at those positions. I like Loney and Jones also.

Pitching is a little harder to predict with all these young guys and I'm ot sure why people are picking Scherzer who looks like a future closer over Davis, Grienke, or Gio. I'd take all three of those guys over Scherzer but I don't think I'd keep any of them. Carmona is a sinker ball pitcher in a division with some hackers above all others and Cliff Lee is hard to not keep given what he's done this year. I'd do that and probably keep Grienke if if you feel you have to keep two starters and although I like Marmol, get closers at the draft.

Also since a lot of people here and elsewhere seem to be so smitten with Scherzer maybe you can deal him for a pick also. Might be too late for that but whatever. Looks like you really went young and I'm guessing this team is middling which would be fine if this was a dynasty league, but I'd draft some vets higher next year to go with that six man core you have. I'd keep Pujols, Sizemore, Ramirez, Soto, and Lee as it stands now and then you have a ton of young guys like Loney, Gio, Scherzer, Carmona, Grienke, and Jones to chose from for the last spot. I'd wait until the season plays out to chose which one might be best but if I had to pick one I'd go Grienke right now.

Good stuff, Doc. Thanks for the advice. Do you think Loney's power will come around? Even in LA? Do you think he tops out around 20 HR or so? I see him putting up Mark Grace type numbers with a bit more pop. Is that a fair enough guess?