Monday, May 05, 2008

A.L. FAAB Log: May 5, 2008

Darrell Rasner $8. Other bids $7, $4.
Rasner could very well be a Quad-A guy long-term, but with both Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes out of the rotation, he could wind up sticking as long as he keeps the Yankees in games, which is something I think he's capable of doing. He's got the Tigers this week, so if you're playing match-ups and can reserve Rasner you might want to do so. But I think he's a very good addition as a wins play.

Garret Olson $6. Other bid $6.
Olson is definitely more of a prospect than Rasner; the question here is about his short-term success. Reviews of his 2008 debut start were mixed. He kept falling behind in the count, but was praised by some for battling back and getting the outs he needed. This isn't necessarily a skill you can count on, so I'd be wary that Olson has actually learned how to do this. Like Rasner, he could very well stick, though, so he's not a bad addition, particularly if you're not risk averse.

Brandon Boggs $5. Other bids $4, $4.
For the moment, Boggs is playing over Frank Catalanotto, as the Rangers look to shake things up after a poor start. I like Boggs better than most. He's not a superstar, but he strikes me as one of those players who makes the most of the ability he has and will probably do a little better than the MLEs say he will. He might not be a full time player this year, though, once things shake out.

Shelley Duncan $3.
A lot of people were excited about Duncan heading into the season, looking at 37-year-old Jason Giambi at first base and thinking that Duncan could steal a good deal of AB. That scenario is possible, but so far Duncan really hasn't done much to justify it. He's obviously better than he's played, but don't expect the Hank Steinbrenner-led Yankees to display too much patience, or go with the struggling kid (relatively speaking) over the struggling vet they're paying an arm and a leg.

Chris Shelton $2.
Shelton and Duncan are similar players: borderline major league first basemen with some pop and low batting averages who could still contribute, particularly in a platoon role. Shelton has a better chance with the struggling Rangers than Duncan does with the mighty Yankees, but Shelton's also off to a power start, and might start losing AB to other candidates if he doesn't pick it up soon. Like Duncan, his baseball age is 28.

Brian Bass $2.
Brian Bass is an organizational solider-type who put up OK minor league numbers (mostly with the Royals) up until this year. He's now pitching in long relief for the Twins, and is a poor play for Roto purposes.

Jesse Crain $1.
Crain is working his way back from a torn rotator cuff and labrum. Apart from one bad outing, his numbers have been OK, but the Twins have understandably been breaking him in gently this year. As a result, his Roto value will be limited in the near future.

Jamie Burke $1.
He's especially not worth owning now that Jeff Clement is on the roster and seems to be starting the games Kenji Johjima isn't. This pick-up was necessitated by the fact that Jarrod Saltalamacchia is in one owner's farm system, while another owner has four catchers on his roster, with Johjima at DH and Brandon Inge at CO. The choices for the injured Jorge Posada were either Burke or Chad Moeller. Ick.

Jack Hannahan. Claimed by 6th and 3rd place teams.
Hannahan was probably waived prematurely by his owner after a poor start and a two HR game by Donnie Murphy. Hannahan should still get most of the AB at the hot corner for the A's. He's more of an accumulator than anything else, but if he's accumulating 20 AB a week or so, is worth owning.

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