N.L. FAAB Log: July 23, 2007

Chris Capuano $29. Other bids: $9, $8, $7, $7, $2, $2, $1
For those of you in non-carryover N.L. only leagues, you're probably shaking your head at this one. Even though his numbers this year are subpar, Capuano's the kind of guy who wouldn't simply be discarded in a deep N.L. league. However, these are the kind of moves you'll begin to see in keeper leagues come July. The team that 86ed Capuano had nine superior pitchers active, and wasn't able to find a taker amongst his fellow contenders for a pitcher with a poor ERA/WHIP. Teams out of the running in 2007 didn't want to spend much for a $13 pitcher who probably will go for less in next year's auction. So back he goes into the free agent pool, where FAAB is less valuable than even a farm player. As far as the wisdom of this bid goes, I think Capuano is a good candidate to bounce back. His peripherals are very comparable to his 2005/2006 numbers, so even if you think 2006 was the anomaly, Cap should still be able to put up a 4.20 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP. Don't expect last year, in other words, but he should be able to help out a Roto team with some OK numbers the rest of the way.

Jason Kendall $20. Other bid $1
Kendall's worthless from a Roto perspective, and his bat has been so bad this year that major league teams should be questioning how much his defense is worth. I wish the $20 bid was a typo, but Kendall was purchased by a non-contender who is probably hoping to get something small for him at the trade deadline. After nearly 1,600 games behind the dish, I think Kendall might be done at the age of 33.

Rick Vanden Hurk $1. Other bid $1
He's a terrible risk if you're playing for this year and, frankly, probably won't be worth taking a gamble on at the $10 free agent price if he's on the Marlins Opening Day roster in 2008. Vanden Hurk is clearly not ready yet. He's a power pitcher who isn't refined, and there are a lot of guys like this floating around in the minors who would also fail if brought up too soon. This is a guy who put up 96 2/3 IP above Rookie Ball coming into 2007. He had a great Arizona Fall League, but the Marlins should know better. I hope Vanden Hurk isn't ruined by this exposure; he has a nice ceiling.

Matt Kata $1
He's inexplicably picked up three starts in a row now for the Pirates, despite the fact that they have a serious middle infield logjam at the moment. Kata is doing for Pittsburgh what he did for Texas: coming out of the blocks quickly. He folded up like a five dollar tent for the Rangers, and I wouldn't bet on him staying hot for two months with the Pirates.

Buddy Carlyle $1
Journeyman pitcher who so far has had some luck as the Braves 5th starter. He's not a good bet to continue with this success; his severe flyball rate coupled with the lack of a truly dominant out pitch spells trouble for Buddy if he stays in the rotation. To put it more succinctly, he'll be exposed shortly.

Aaron Miles $1
Has Miles officially replaced Adam Kennedy as the Cardinals starting 2B? It would seem so, as Miles started five games in a row before being rested tonight against the Braves. For Roto purposes, Miles' only advantage over Kennedy is his .269 average. Otherwise, Miles is a Roto cypher. Not worth owning.

Norris Hopper $1
With Alex Gonzalez on the restricted list and Josh Hamilton on the D.L., Hopper should see a few extra AB this week. If Adam Dunn somehow does get traded, Hopper could see action as a starting outfielder the rest of the way. He's only offered speed thus far in the way of value.

Marlon Anderson $1
Anderson's started the last three days for the Mets, even though Lastings Milledge and Chip Ambres are both better options than Anderson at this point. With Moises Alou scheduled to come off the D.L. early this week, Anderson's limited value should sink down to next to nothing.

Brendan Ryan $1
Ryan's a throwback to an era where shortstops could have a tremendous glove, hit .220, and it didn't matter because that's what your hometown team shortstop was supposed to do. Flash forward to 2007 and every shortstop seemingly can hit 20 HR, drive in 100, and be integral to a team's Roto championship. David Eckstein should knock Ryan back to the bench quickly, so Ryan's not worth having even if he was good.