Tuesday, May 26, 2009

N.L. FAAB Log: May 25, 2009

Kris Medlen $1. Other bids $1, $1.
Medlen tore through AAA Gwinnett in six starts this spring before getting called up by the Braves. He was rocked against the Rockies last Thursday, but will probably get more than one opportunity to establish himself. He's been described as a pitcher who doesn't have overpowering stuff, so he might wind up back in the pen long-term (he converted from relief to starting in '07). I like his K/IP and K/BB ratios and think that despite the lack of a dominant pitch he could be a #4 SP long-term.

Felipe Paulino $1.
Since I wrote about Paulino on April 20, he's been hit pretty hard, though most of the damage came in two relief outings. My concern about Paulino is that irregular work is going to lead to more bad outings which will lead to more irregular work. I'd avoid him right now.

Craig Monroe $1. Other bids $1, $1.
This is the third time I've written about Monroe this year, including a scant two weeks ago. He started two games at DH this weekend against the White Sox in interleague play, so is worth stashing and then moving into your line-up during the next round of interleague games in very deep leagues.

Jonny Gomes $1.
Gomes is miscast as an everyday outfielder, but since his call up from the minors last week has been picking up most of the starts for the Reds. He's got 20-25 HR pop if he plays every day, so he should most definitely be snatched up if he's a free agent in your league. Keep in mind that his splits strongly favor his work against LHP, so Gomes could wind up on the wrong side of a platoon...or hit .230 and kill your BA if he plays 5-6 days a week.

Eli Whiteside $1.
Whiteside's slightly intriguing as a backstop with some power, but he's buried behind Bengie Molina in San Francisco, and probably will do nothing more than serve as Barry Zito's personal catcher. He's worth $1 bid in very deep leagues, but even that minimal investment might not pay off.

Jesus Guzman $1. Other bid $1.
Guzman's never been viewed as more than a borderline prospect, but ever since his 2007 High-A ball breakout campaign, he's done nothing but hit. Defense is apparently a major issue, but the Giants haven't been afraid to use him at 1B thus far, and Guzman could wind up spelling Travis Ishikawa if Guzman's glove is even passable at 1B. This is an interesting gamble for Roto, and if you're desperate for power I might take it.

John Mayberry $1. Other bid $1.
Mayberry hit an impressive HR this weekend at Yankee Stadium, but I'm not sure how long he's going to stick in the majors now that we're back to N.L.-only games this week. He's always had a solid power bat, but other weaknesses in his stroke have led to low BAs in the minors and the suspicion that Mayberry would never make the majors. The sample sizes from this weekend are too small, but Mayberry looked decent against the Yanks this weekend. I think he'll get sent down, but keep an eye on him.

Tim Redding $1.
Redding did well against the Dodgers in his Mets debut, got beat up a little bit by the Red Sox, and looked kind of meh in both games. He's probably a match-ups pitcher at best, and at some point the Mets could wind up finding a replacement via trade or the minors.

Ron Belisario $1.
Belisario is a solid middle reliever with good velocity who is helped by his home park. The former Marlins prospect isn't a serious contender for saves, but has some value in deep 4x4 leagues and is currently riding an 8 1/3 IP scoreless streak.

Doug Davis $1.
Another guy who is now appearing here for the third time. Here is the full write-up. He continues to be an up-and-down pitcher, and not even necessarily based on the match up he gets. He's home against the Braves this coming Saturday.

Bobby Scales $1.
I wrote about Scales on May 11. There were a few Fantasy/Rotisserie sources that thought that Scales would have a larger role than I believed, but so far Scales has been more of a part-timer than a full-timer. He has been playing at 2B, so his value is higher in leagues with five-game requirements, but Scales hasn't shown the power that excited that small handful of Roto experts in the first place.

Matt Stairs $1.
Even interleague play didn't help Stairs much; he picked up one start against the Yankees this weekend. If Mayberry sticks, Stairs penny stock will drop into the half-penny bin.

Angel Guzman $1.
The former top pitching prospect has put up some solid middle relief numbers for the Cubs, including a 9.0 K/IP ratio thus far. He has a very minimal chance of getting saves, but could vulture some wins and see a more high profile role if he continues to pitch this well.

No comments: