A.L. FAAB Log: June 23, 2008

Max Ramirez $11.
Ramirez was a Grade B prospect this winter whose sick year at Double-A Frisco (17/50/.363/1119 OPS) has likely raised his stock at least half a grade. With Gerald Laird on the shelf, Ramirez will likely play catcher, first base, and DH until Laird returns. The knock on Ramirez is his defense, but with a bat like his, the Rangers might eventually shift him to 1B. The problem is that Jarrod Saltalamacchia's defense also leaves much to be desired (particularly his throwing), so the Rangers might someday have a logjam of ex-catchers at first base. I'm not sure how long Ramirez will be up. This bid might be a better long-term bid than a short-term one.

Dan Giese $3.
I didn't get to see Giese pitch against the Reds, but the scouting reports have been generally positive. Giese is a 31-year-old career minor leaguer who actually has put up some decent stats down there. His change-up is considered his strongest pitch, and his m.o. is control artist. He'll probably have some games like he did against the Reds, but he'll probably also have some days where he gets knocked around the park. He's not a great bet for success, but sometimes taking a chance on guys who actually know how to pitch can pay off.

Joe Inglett $3. Other bid $3.
He's swinging a hot bat right now, so he's playing a decent amount at 2B while Aaron Hill continues to recover from his worrisome concussion. Inglett's not much of a power or speed play (though he did steal two bases in one game), but worth it as a fill-in in deep leagues while Hill is out.

Robb Quinlan $2.
With the Angels returning to full health, Quinlan's minimal value has been sapped to virtually nil.

Pablo Ozuna $1.
He's got a .309 BA but he also has 55 AB for the entire season. He isn't even subbing in the OF this year; most of his AB have come as Ozzie Guillen tries to rest Joe Crede's back at 3B.

Kyle Davies $1.
At some point, it's all going to come crashing down for Kyle Davies. I squinted as hard as I could this morning and couldn't find a single metric that supported that wonderful 3.12 ERA he has. Even the G/F doesn't support the zero home runs he's allowed to date. He has the Cardinals this week. I would avoid him.

Jesse Crain $1. Other bids $1, $1.
He's looked better as the season has worn out, and could see his value increase in the set-up role for the Twins, particularly if they stay in the race and give all of their pitchers increased win opportunities. Joe Nathan's probably one of the safest closers in the game, so don't expect Crain to inherit the closer's role. But he should provide value as a set up, and is even on the periphery of having 5x5 value with his improved Ks as of late.

Craig Hansen $1.
Craig Hansen's a good object lesson as to why you have to take all of these minor league closers who were drafted early this year in the MLB player draft with a grain of salt. Hansen was touted as the closer of the future based on one strong year at St John's. Since then, he's displayed flashes of great stuff, but still has had trouble refining his secondary pitches. If he ever does improve his non-fastball pitches, Hansen could be scary good, but you can say the same for a lot of relievers. Hansen certainly has some value in the Sox pen for the wins potential, but Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Jose Veras $1.
While bigger names like Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins flounder, all Veras does is come in there with that funky delivery of his and get people out. He's a two-pitch pitcher, but the difference in velocity and movement between his fastball and slider is extremely confusing, to say the least. Veras is starting to see action in more important situations as of late, and could be a good vulture candidate in the second half.

Vicente Padilla. Claimed by 11th place and 5th place teams.
It's amusing to think that Vicente Padilla is on pace to win 20 games this year. His numbers this year are pretty similar to what he's done in previous years, so I'd expect an ERA correction in the near future, particularly given the unreal 17 HR he's allowed 98 2/3 IP to date. Padilla is an OK innings eater if you've got a strong staff, but I wouldn't recommend him for more than spot starts.

David Dellucci. Claimed by 5th place team.
Dellucci has cooled off and the playing time has predictably dropped off as a result. The Indians may not be in rebuild mode just yet, but they're definitely better off taking a look at guys like Ben Francisco and Franklin Rodriguez right now than they are trotting Dellucci out there every day. He might go on another mini-HR streak, but he's better in leagues where you can mix and match.