Every Thursday evening we pick some Fantasy Baseball questions out of the mailbag, helping owners with trade offers, roster decisions and just plain chatter.

Chris Derr, Youngstown, Ohio: I am about to cut the cord on J.D. Closser. I took him relatively early in my league's draft following a run on catchers, hoping he would be this year's Victor Martinez. Well, he's not! I have actually lost points on him this year. Should I give up on him?

M.L.: Good question, Chris. Drafting Closser this year also burned me. He's been downright awful and has shown no signs of breaking out of his funk. It is time to cut ties with the young catcher. He's got just two multi-hit games in 20 starts this year. Todd Greene has been much more reliable and deserves to get the majority of starts in Colorado. It's probably also time to give up on John Buck, who is hitting a buck seventy-three, and maybe even Miguel Olivo as well.

Chad Fehr, Carbondale, Ill.: I have two great catchers in Joe Mauer and Jason Varitek. Should I try to trade one? And if so which one and what level of player should I expect in return?

M.L.: Most Fantasy leagues require two starting catchers and you have two of the best in Mauer and Varitek. Most teams do not have this luxury. If your league does require two backstops, you should hold tight with both. Mauer is a bit of an injury risk, but has tremendous upside. He's capable of winning a batting title. If you were to deal a catcher, you would find that the free-agent pool is amazingly thin at the catcher position. You might even be forced to pick up a player like Closser or Buck (see above question).

Mark Rhayem, Harrisburg, Pa.: Is Chone Figgins worth starting at this time? -- he only has one hit, one run and three walks in the past 30 at-bats and I received no points from his play. He has plays at Cleveland and at Los Angeles.

M.L.: Figgins is definitely worth starting despite the recent tailspin. He broke a 4-for-44 slump with a three-hit game on Tuesday. In Rotisserie leagues, Figgins is invaluable with his multi-position eligibility. He should finish around .300 and might steal as many as 40 bases. Keep the utilityman in your active lineup -- he won't disappoint.

Matthieu Hertilus, N.J.: Do you think Shea Hillenbrand will keep up his production? A team in my league has offered me Hillenbrand and Torii Hunter for Scott Rolen and Carl Crawford. Should I do the deal or try to get more for Rolen?

M.L.: Despite the fact that Rolen will be out until late June, this deal is a no-brainer. Hillenbrand is a .300 hitter, but is playing way over his head this year. Rolen posted career-highs in average (.314), home runs (34) and RBI (124) last year and is a bona fide top-five Fantasy third baseman. John Mabry is a decent short-term replacement until Rolen comes off the shelf. Hunter went 11-for-11 in stolen bases in April, but is just 0-for-2 since. Crawford could potentially steal 60-70 bases, so you are getting an upgrade at each position.

Scott S., Indiana: I have a chance to grab Yhency Brazoban off of waivers. Is he worth keeping on reserve for a while to see if the Dodgers trade him in hopes of getting a good deal based on how well he pitched in Eric Gagne's absence?

M.L.: The Dodgers are currently not shopping Brazoban. A reliable setup man is almost as necessary as an effective closer, so the Dodgers will continue handing Brazoban the ball -- just now, it'll be in the eighth inning. He'll still provide quality ERA, WHIP and strikeout numbers, but won't give you too many more saves. As one of the better middle relievers, he's only worth using in NL-only Rotisserie formats.

Matt Callahan, Hingham, Mass.: Who got the better of this trade: Jason Bay, Doug Davis and Joe Borowski for Brett Myers, Wade Miller and Erubiel Durazo? Pretty big trade in our league.

M.L.: Although super sophomore Jason Bay might be the best player in this deal, I'd say the Myers, Miller and Durazo side got a little better value back. Myers is pitching by far the best of his career this season. After striking out seven-plus batters in just six of his first 75 starts, he's already done it seven times in just eight starts this year. Miller could potentially win a dozen games with Boston's dangerous lineup behind him and Durazo hit .335 (128-for-382) with 15 home runs and 68 RBI after May 22 last season. Davis is a .500 pitcher at best and his 5.01 ERA is downright scary now. Borowski is expected to reclaim his closer's role, but he's a major question mark coming off reconstructive surgery.

Mark Rhayem, Harrisburg, Pa.: Long time reader, first time question. I'm in a 14-team, head-to-head league. I have Tino Martinez, who is on fire, but I need some pitching. I also have Eric Hinske at first base. What do you think of trading Tino for Orlando Hernandez and Derek Lowe?

M.L.: If you can get somebody to take this deal, you should definitely make the move. Lowe is going to have a decent season pitching in Los Angeles and "El Duque" could win 15 games for the white-hot White Sox. Tino will come back down to earth soon. Even Babe Ruth couldn't keep up his recent pace. Jason Giambi is swinging a better bat recently and will continue to take away playing time from Martinez. Make the move before Tino turns from red-hot to ice-cold.

Randy Rataiczak, Marietta, Ohio: I received a trade offer that I am debating. I would receive Joe Nathan, but I have to give up Keith Foulke and Roy Oswalt. Would I be giving up too much?

M.L.: Nathan is one of the top-five closers in the game. After posting a stat line of 44 saves, 1.65 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 2004, he's on a remarkably similar pace again this year. He'd make a nice addition to any Fantasy squad, but you are giving up a bit too much here. Foulke struggled early on, but has looked great in his past three appearances. His ERA has finished below 3.00 each of the past six years, so you can expect him to be lights-out for most of the final three quarters of the season. Oswalt won 20 games last year and is a legitimate Cy Young candidate as well. So unless you can get another decent player in return, don't pull the trigger on this deal.

Justin Martin, Waynesboro, Pa.: Howdy, I am in an 18-team head-to-head league where each team is required to start five pitchers (three starters). I picked up Jeremy Bonderman in a four-team trade about a month ago and have been pleased ever since. Should I consider trading him now or can he keep winning with the Tigers the whole season?

M.L.: Bonderman is the real deal. He's 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his past four starts and is on his way to a huge breakthrough season. Unless you can land someone like Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett or Jake Peavy in return, hold on to Bonderman. At age 22, he's a spectacular keeper candidate as well.

Kevin W., Houston: I have been offered Miguel Tejada and Cliff Floyd for Francisco Rodriguez. I already have Rafael Furcal at shortstop and I have a surplus of good outfielders including: Carlos Beltran, Luis Gonzalez, Larry Walker, Lance Berkman, Brady Clark, Brandon Inge and Barry Bonds when he returns later in the year. Should I pull the trigger on the trade or should I keep my dominant closer?

M.L: K-Rod is definitely one of the most dominating closers in baseball, but you are giving up too much. Tejada is the best Fantasy shortstop out there, bar none. He's an RBI-machine and is in the midst of a modest 10-game hitting streak. Closers pop up all the time around the league, so it worth getting two potential All-Stars for Rodriguez.

Eric Ramirez, Hawthorne, N.J.: I am in a 16-team, head-to-head league. We start two relief pitchers each week. I currently have Jason Isringhausen, Chad Cordero and Brandon Lyon. Who should I start? Should I make a trade to get rid of the other?

M.L.: Izzy is the obvious must-start of the three. Although Lyon has been terrific in the closer's role, he's worth shopping. He's also recently been placed on the disabled list. If he does struggle, Jose Valverde or Greg Aquino are salivating to get back into the stopper role. With the vastly improved Nationals, Cordero is one of the best up-and-coming closers.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Bleacher Banter in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.