Felipe Paulino $2.
Perhaps it's because he pitched last night, but it seems to me like this league fell asleep at the switch on Paulino. The Dominican product has been a prospect since he was in his early 20s but was always described as having raw stuff but as a work in progress. 2007 was considered by many to be his breakthrough, but a pinched nerve in his right (throwing) arm cost him all of 2008. He's still considered projectable; he was listed at 95 MPH on the gun versus the anemic Reds, but the scouting reports say that his curve was still erratic. He's certainly worth a cheap pick-up like this one, and will probably get another start this week against the Brewers.
Craig Monroe $1. Other bids $1, $1.
Monroe burst on the radar with a 2 HR, 6 RBI line against the Braves last week and may have put himself in line for a little more playing time if Brandon Moss continues to struggle. Keep in mind Monroe's limitations: he's a poor contact hitter who will probably hurt your BA if he plays more than 2-3 times a week and despite his reputation he's actually been a weaker hitter against lefties than he has against righties from 2006-2008. Worth a bid if you have a hole in your OF, but keep in mind he could disappear entirely.
LaTroy Hawkins $1.
I didn't think much of Hawkins coming in to get a save this past week against the Pirates, but now there are whispers that Jose Valverde's battling back issues and may need to hit the DL. Even if Valverde doesn't go on the DL, he is having moderate to severe problems with his location, which could lead to a few short-term save opportunities for Hawkins down the line. Hawkins isn't a great pitcher by any means, but saves are all about opportunity and less about ability, making Hawkins a good gamble at $1-3.
David Ross $1.
Normally, Ross would be a bottom of the barrel second string catcher for deep N.L. leagues only. But with Brian McCann suffering chronic blurriness in his left eye, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus suggests that a D.L. stint is possible for McCann. This makes Ross a decent short-term pick-up. He's a low average hitter but has some pop and could hit a few HR depending on how long McCann is out. McCann is currently hoping to play today, so Ross still might amount to next to nothing.
Todd Coffey $1.
I normally wouldn't put much stock in a 2+ inning save on a Sunday afternoon game. But Coffey has been the best reliever in the Brewers pen by far this year, Carlos Villanueva has struggled this year, and Villanueva has also been used in plenty of non-save situations. Coffey could be in line for the next save opportunity in Milwaukee. All that being said, Trevor Hoffman is now slated to begin a rehab assignment this week so even if Coffey does get the closer job, it could be extremely short lived.
Alberto Gonzalez $1.
With Cristian Guzman on the DL, Gonzalez has a modicum of short-term value for deep N.L.-only leagues. He should play almost every day, but he offers virtually no power and not enough SB speed to make him all that enticing. You're moving the chains with Gonzalez, but very, very slowly.
Doug Davis $1.
Davis is off to a tremendous start so far, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP through his first three starts. I hate rolling this cliche out about anyone, but Davis is someone who knows how to pitch. His game is guile and deception, as his fastball is an 85 MPH slow pitch that he mixes in with a cutter, curve, and change, with the cutter getting more and more play as Davis gets older and older. He's gutty enough that he could continue to rack up some good numbers, but the problem with stuff that is this non-filthy (clean? spic-and-span?) is that he can also go out there and get lit up like there's no tomorrow. Most of the D-Backs games are against the weak-hitting N.L. West from now through May 7, so Davis is probably OK to own through this point. When the D-Backs start playing outside the division, I'd cut bait or trade Davis for something of value if his numbers still look this good.
Wes Helms $1.
Emilio Bonifacio is 0-for-his-last-14, so if you believe that Bonifacio is a fraud, then taking the guy who would get more starts at his expense isn't a bad play. On the other hand, Helms hasn't been a productive major league hitter since 2006 and it isn't exactly an injustice that he's sitting on the bench. If he does start spelling Bonifacio, he's got some pop but will probably hurt your batting average unless he replicates 2006.
Mike Rivera $1.
He's apparently going to be Dave Bush's personal catcher. This means that Jason Kendall will now start 80% of the time instead of 90-95% of the time. Rivera has a little pop and is worth owning in deep N.L.-only leagues but these types of players are victims or beneficiaries of small sample sizes and usually don't offer much value.
Ross Gload $1.
He's off to a solid start as a part-time 1B/OF, but Gload has virtually no power and barely cracked a 700 OPS from 2006-2008. He's a borderline major league hitter, and is probably best suited for PH work and not a regular gig in Florida.
Alfredo Amezaga $1.
Utility guy for the Marlins who offers a little positional flexibility if your league uses less than a 20 game requirement or uses liberal rules for in season requirements. He's got speed and not much else. With Cameron Maybin struggling early, maybe Amezaga will sneak into a starting role if Maybin gets optioned to AAA. With the Marlins off to a blazingly fast start, though, that's not likely to happen.
John Grabow $1.
Grabow's a solid set-up guy for Matt Capps who is prone to the longball. He's worth a shot in 4x4 leagues, and is not a bad option to stash on reserve if your rules allow it, particularly if you own Capps.
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