Chris Dickerson $19. Other bids $17, $2, $2.
The knock on Dickerson is the high K/AB rate, but his BB/AB rate indicates that he could contribute as a major league regular if given the opportunity. So far, so good for the Reds, and Dickerson should be bid on aggressively in N.L.-only leagues even if he's 26 years old and his pedigree doesn't speak to him doing more than serving time as a 4th OF in the bigs. He could be better than that, and on a team like the Reds, he might get a shot at proving it.
Pedro Feliciano $4. Other bid $1.
Feliciano picked up a save this week, and the ESPN Baseball Tonight crowd seemed to be all atwitter about him as a result. The problem is that Feliciano's been a punching bag against righties this year, and is far more suited to the LOOGY role than at the closer role. The tepid bids here are about right. Feliciano might pick up another save or two against the left-handed part of a line-up, but he shouldn't be in line for taking over as the interim closer for the Mets, no matter how bad their pen has been.
Cha Seung Baek $4.
We all had the opportunity to see Baek pitch against the Phillies tonight. I wasn't impressed. Baek's command seemed poor and - Petco or no - I think he was lucky to have escaped with as little damage as he did. Baek's pitches are perpetually too far out of the zone and his stuff isn't strong enough to get hitters to swing at every offering he throws up there. Like a lot of Padres pitchers, he might be OK in Petco, but Baek's not a pitcher I'd be willing to bet on going forward.
Tadahito Iguchi $3. Other bid $2.
With Khalil Greene on the shelf, Iguchi's been logging regular playing time, but hasn't done much with it. Hopefully, he'll start running again soon, because otherwise Iguchi's Roto value is marginal at the moment, and the Padres could turn to younger options in September as they plan for 2009.
Travis Ishikawa $2.
Ishikawa should get the bulk of the AB at 1B for the Giants down the stretch, as they decide whether or not he's going to be part of their 2009 plans. He'll be 25 next month, so he's certainly not young, and more time in the minors isn't going to prove anything. Unfortunately for Ishikawa, his minor league numbers are all over the map, and it's hard to get a read on whether his power outburst at Fresno this year was legitimate, a product of small sample size, or a frustrated veteran hitter swinging for the fences. His minor league BAs have all been very low, so Ishikawa might only project as a .240-.250 hitter in the bigs. He's going to need to bring all of that power to The Show to be viewed as legit, in other words, and the odds of that happening are poor. On the other hand, he could be a nice September addition if he winds up facing a bunch of roster expansion pitchers throwing him cripple pitches.
Pablo Sandoval $1.
Sandoval's a guy who came out of nowhere this season; he wasn't even listed in John Sickels' off-season Top 20 Giants prospect list, and the Giants don't have a prospect-rich system. Sandoval's power didn't come out of nowhere - he did hit 11 HR in 401 AB in 2007 - but he went nuts this year, smacking 20 HR in 448 AB between High-A and Double-A before his promotion. Like Ishikawa, I imagine that Sandoval's up to get a long look. However, Bengie Molina's signed through 2009, and unless the Giants are considering moving Sandoval to 1B, he could get squeezed. He's a worthy FAAB play since he's catcher eligible, but might not make much of a Roto impact. The low BB/AB in the minors suggest that he should probably spend another season there refining his game a little more and consolidating his gains in AAA.
Laynce Nix $1.
Nix put up some tasty power numbers in the minors before the Brewers called him up, but he's a 27-year-old ex-prospect whose star never really shined that brightly to begin with. He could do what he did with the Rangers (decent power, low BA) if given another opportunity, but that opportunity won't come with the deep, deep Brewers.
Luis Ayala $1.
With the Mets bullpen in disarray, the owner who grabbed Ayala probably thought the same thing that Omar Minaya thought, which was something along the lines of "what the hey". Ayala's poor numbers make him a long shot for saves, but stranger things have happened. Another way of looking at it is that a pitcher pitching poorly within the organization would have no chance of getting save ops, while a new import might.
3 comments:
Interestingly, Sandoval is a converted middle infielder who played a lot of time at 2B. Molina may be signed through 2009, but Sandoval may get ABs at a number of different positions, including 1B, 2B and catcher.
The Baseball Cube and Baseball Reference list him at C, 1B and 3B over the course of his minor league career. One thing I'd be curious about is his actual weight. The Baseball Cube lists him as 5-11 and 180 lbs, while Baseball Reference and Baseball America list him as 5-11, 245 lbs. If he's closer to the latter, he's not playing 2B in the bigs without the help of a Little Rascal.
Various reports I've seen on Sandoval this week seem to indicate that he's 5-11 245 lbs. Yikes.
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