Monday, May 18, 2009

N.L. FAAB Log: May 18, 2009

J.A. Happ $3. Other bids $1, $1.
Happ is someone to hold on to in Rotisserie leagues where you can bury him on reserve. Chan Ho Park doesn't inspire confidence, and Happ could very well be next in line to start if the Phils decide to pull the plug on Park. Predictably, Happ's throwing a little harder as he fills in in the pen. His repertoire is as an 88-91 MPH fastball with a few OK secondary offerings. Long-term he could wind up filling out the back end of someone's pitching staff, he could be Quad-A.

Chris Sampson $3. Other bids $1, $1, $1.
Sampson picked up a five-out save yesterday, but I wouldn't read too much into it; LaTroy Hawkins is still the closer. Sampson's been solid out of the pen this year, but probably won't do much beyond his current middle relief role, and probably won't go back into the rotation barring a string of injuries.

Nick Stavinoha $2.
The rash of injuries in the Cardinals outfield led to a call-up from AAA Memphis for Stavinoha, where he had 4 HR in 110 AB but a low BA. With the exception of his 2008 minor league campaign, this has been Stavinoha's M.O.: decent power, but poor contact rates and poor plate discipline. He might see some starts while Rick Ankiel is out, but long-term he projects as a 4th or 5th OF type.

Todd Coffey $1.
He's put in some solid middle relief work for the Brewers, but with Trevor Hoffman back in the fold Coffey is firmly entrenched in a middle relief role. He's worth FAABing for a buck or two in 4x4 for his peripherals, but don't expect a CIW.

Dan Meyer $1. Other bid $1.
Sometimes, even Billy Beane swings and misses. Many years ago, Meyer was a key component of the Tim Hudson trade with the Atlanta Braves. Meyer got many opportunities as a starter and failed miserably each time. Now he's found new life as a very successful middle relief option for the Marlins. Unlike a lot of converted starters, Meyer's success hasn't come from greater velocity but instead from more reliance on his slider. He doesn't have much of a chance of unseating Matt Lindstrom, but is a name worth remembering if Lindstrom went down to injury.

Chris Burke $1.
When the Padres re-acquired Burke from the Marlins in April, it looked like he'd be the 25th man, but injuries to Luis Rodriguez and Everth Cabrera have given Burke the opportunity to start at SS. He's a longshot to stick as a regular, but if he gets hot he could offer a little power and speed at a MI position and is well worth it as a temporary fill-in option.

Alejandro de Aza $1.
de Aza was called up by the Marlins because Alfredo Amezaga is hurting on the Marlins are thin on OF depth. He might get some starts over Cody Ross against righties, but he's a poor option who probably won't do much for your team unless he's playing every day.

Angel Pagan $1.
Pagan was called up from his minor league rehab assignment and may get a start or two a week while Carlos Delgado is on the DL. He offers slight power and speed but isn't that strong of an option for Roto unless he gets hot or someone else goes down for the Mets.

Mark Loretta $1.
Loretta's off to a hot start for the Dodgers, but with everyone in the infield healthy is only seeing action 1-2 times a week. He'll be the first guy in line for Joe Torre if Casey Blake or Orlando Hudson gets hurt, but isn't going to push past either one of those options if they're healthy any time soon.

Reynel Pinto $1.
Like Meyer, Pinto's been an important middle relief cog this year for the Marlins. Pinto's control leaves something to be desired, so I suspect that we'll see some regression to the mean with that ERA, but he's still hard to hit and should be a solid middle relief option in N.L.-only 4x4 formats.

Bryan Augenstein $1.
Augenstein is a middling prospect for the Diamondbacks who makes the most of the stuff he has, which is acceptable but nothing special. He got hit around by the Reds in his major league debut, but will probably linger in the rotation anyway. He has a favorable match-up next week in Oakland, but is someone you'll want to keep on a very short leash and is better for leagues where you can reserve active players.

Ramon Troncoso $1. Other bid $1.
Troncoso's been a more than solid option for the Dodgers in a middle relief role. His K/IP rate is very low, but he makes up for it due to an extreme G/F rate. Some regression to the mean is due here, but Troncoso could remain a very solid option for the Dodgers and for Roto teams all year long.

Wil Nieves $1.
With Jesus Flores on the DL, Nieves has been getting the bulk of the playing time for the Nationals over Josh Bard. He's done next to nothing with the bat, but he hasn't hurt the batting average and is probably OK to use in deep N.L.-only leagues as a result. He won't offer much in the way of power or speed, though, and the 31-year-old career journeyman is just that.

Clay Condrey $1.
Since I last wrote about Condrey two weeks ago, he's continued to provide solid middle relief innings for the Phillies. He won't get a shot to close even if Brad Lidge continues to struggle, so Condrey should primarily be viewed as an emergency fill-in in deep 4x4 leagues.

Alex Cora $1.
Cora's been playing SS for the Mets with Jose Reyes out with minor tendinitis in his right calf. Reyes is supposed to be back in the line-up today, so Cora's limited window is probably closing. He left yesterday's game with a thumb injury anyway, and might wind up sidelined for a few days himself anyway.

Brian Stokes $1.
Ever since Stokes was called up by the Mets last year to patch up their bullpen, he's been one of its strong members, relying primarily on a mid-90s fastball with excellent movement. If J.J. Putz's bone spur in his elbow lands him on the DL, Stokes could see more vulture opportunities and maybe even the odd save or two when Francisco Rodriguez can't go. That's a best case scenario, though; Stokes is still most likely a solid middle relief option and nothing more.

No comments: