What's better - A Star and a Scrub or two Good Players?

[Docwaukee]

This is kinda my AW version of 'would you rather'

Would you rather have two 3 WAR players or one 6 WAR player and one replacement player?  

[beatlesrule]

How much does the 6 WAR player cost? Are the 2, 3 WAR players cheaper? Does that 6 WAR star allow the team to get better players or does his contract restrict what the owners budget is and therefore make it more difficult to make the roster better?

[T.G.]

What does the rest of the roster look like?

[Docwaukee]

8 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

How much does the 6 WAR player cost? Are the 2, 3 WAR players cheaper? Does that 6 WAR star allow the team to get better players or does his contract restrict what the owners budget is and therefore make it more difficult to make the roster better?

let's assume the combined cost is the same.  

[Docwaukee]

6 minutes ago, True Grich said:

What does the rest of the roster look like?

I don't know.  Tell me why you think that matter if you'd like.  

[TempeAngel]

I think it's best to have more above average players versus one or two star players.

[Taylor]

Do any of the players get injured?

[T.G.]

20 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

I don't know.  Tell me why you think that matter if you'd like.  

I think a balanced lineup is best, generally. There are always exceptions, but a bunch of guys where the whole is better than the sum of their parts.

That being said, there isn't a magic formula.

[eligrba]

Yes.

[Docwaukee]

9 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Do any of the players get injured?

potentially.  

[Taylor]

How long are the players with the team? Is this just a one season deal, or are we building a franchise?

[Stradling]

Two 3 WAR starting pitchers would be much better than a 6 and a replacement level starter. 

[tdawg87]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Two 3 WAR starting pitchers would be much better than a 6 and a replacement level starter. 

Settle down Bavasi.

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Settle down Bavasi.

You were zero when that went down. 

[tdawg87]

Just now, Stradling said:

You were zero when that went down. 

I was a good swimmer.

[Slegnaac]

Two 3 WAR position players would have a better chance of keeping the line moving.

[tomsred]

It's a tough question to answer, a lot depends of where your organization is at development wise at this point.  Generally if you have a good pipeline and have solid healthy players at most positions, then a 6 WAR player could make a big difference.  If your pipeline is poor, and you have many holes, then generally 3 2.0 WAR players would be better.  How healthy your players can stay plays a big role as well.  

The Angels are in the latter position.  Their big 3 (Ohtani, Trout, and Rendon) can't pull the load for the remainder of the team, essentially they are pulling them down.  There are several problems, too many veterans who are not even 2.0 WAR players, poor minor league development (the pipeline), poor organizational plan and evaluation techniques, injuries hurt to some degree as well.  We are kind of the inverse of the Dodgers, not that they are perfect.  I would say the Dodgers are not efficient, they are wildly outspending the Angels to help create such a wide comparison gap.  Same with the Yankees.  Both the Yankees and Dodgers have much better baseball operations departments than the Angels, and better young player development.  Arte is trying to emulate them, but he is not spreading the investment wide enough or high enough.

[arch stanton]

No replacement levels if at all possible

[Skankhunt42]

Depends if he is hanging out of the passenger side of his best friends ride. 

[Taylor]

5 hours ago, Skankhunt42 said:

Depends if he is hanging out of the passenger side of his best friends ride. 

Nice