Matt Holliday $100. Other bids: $97, $57, $56, $49, $41, $19, $11.
I always expect to see 12 or 13 bids on a player like Holliday, but I guess that some teams either don't bid because they assume they won't get the player or can't fathom the idea of waiving someone good that they have. The big question with Matt Holliday hasn't been whether or not you should break the bank, but whether you should break the bank or wait for Roy Halladay to come over this week. I'm always a proponent of spending your money now, though I've been burned in the past taking this approach (the owner who bid $11 here bought Mark DeRosa earlier in the year and has been cursing under his breath ever since). I would say, though, that this isn't a case of blowing your budget on a mid-tier player. Despite the fact that Holliday's only been a mid-$20s player this year, he could definitely be an elite performer, particularly now that he's back in the National League and on a team with more RBI opportunities. I think you have to break the bank here and worry about Halladay later.
Julio Lugo $27. Other bids $20, $18, $13, $13, $3.
Lugo hasn't been named the starter in St. Louis yet, but if he continues to swing a hot bat it won't be long before Brendan Ryan takes a seat. I'm not sure that Lugo's going to run like he did in Boston, but if he does bounce back he's still capable of a .280-.290 BA with 10-12 HR pop and some speed. He's definitely worth a solid bid...though this is a case where if you need the pitching you might want to be a little less aggressive than this owner was and wait for Halladay.
Ryan Roberts $14. Other bid $2.
Rotoworld has Roberts listed as the starting 2B for the Diamondbacks, but so far it looks like he and Augie Ojeda are going to split time at 2B. Even as full-timers neither player is a good bet, but Roberts is a 28-year-old journeyman who was 3-for-27 in his MLB career entering the 2009 campaign. He's not worth a bid, let alone a $14 bid.
Steven Pearce $3. Other bids $2, $1.
With Adam LaRoche traded to Boston, Pearce should get a legitimate shot at the 1B job in Pittsburgh. He's 26 years old, so this is probably his last shot. He looks more like failed former prospect Brad Eldred than the departed LaRoche at this point, but he does have power and could provide some pop albeit with a low BA. Of course, so far in the three games he's started he's been hitting for average with zero power.
Matt Downs $3. Other bid $1.
This isn't a re-run, folks; I had Pearce and Downs listed back-to-back on June 22. Downs is back in the majors at back at 2B for the Giants but - unlike Pearce - I don't see a change in Downs' value. He's not going to hit enough to provide value even in deep leagues, and it's possible that the Giants make a trade to upgrade between now and August 1. Downs is 2-for-17 since his recall.
Kiko Calero $2.
Since returning from the DL earlier this month, Calero has been lights out once again for the Fish. Leo Nunez has been solid for the most part, though, so Calero's role will continue to be middle relief.
Chris Coste $1. Other bid $1.
With Lance Berkman on the DL, it looks like Coste will get some starts at 1B for the Astros. He doesn't offer much value as a corner infielder, but since Coste is catcher-eligible, he's definitely worth picking up if he's starting 3-4 times a week. He can pop the odd HR and won't hurt the batting average too much.
Joel Hanrahan $1.
Since the Pirates acquired him on June 30, Hanrahan has been a serviceable middle reliever. I suppose that he could close if Matt Capps is shipped out of town by the perpetually selling Pirates, but I don't necessarily think that Hanrahan's former closer status automatically gives him the inside track if that happens.
Rick VandenHurk $1.
This is the third year in a row VandenHurk's been called up to the bigs, but this is the first time he might actually be ready. The 23-year-old's overall minor league numbers aren't impressive, but he's a TJ survivor who could finally be coming into his own as a pitcher. He was dominant in the PCL this year and so far in the majors has been solid. I'm not sure how "safe" VandenHurk is, but if you don't pick him up this week, he might not be waiting there for you next week.
Jason Schmidt $1.
Fangraphs' great piece after Schmidt's 2009 debut pretty much summed it up. The former star pitcher is throwing in the high 80s - well off the velocity of his salad days. That could get better, but even given the forgiving nature of Dodger Stadium Schmidt is an extremely risky play right now. I'd stay away from him until he shows a little more out there.
Jeff Weaver $1.
Despite the occasional spot start, Weaver's been pitching out of the pen for the Dodgers in middle relief. His numbers have been OK - not terrible but a high WHIP and nothing else to write home about. He probably can be left in the FA pool.
Tim Dillard $1. Other bid $1.
Dillard will make his 2009 debut on Tuesday with a start against the Nationals. He's been a groundball machine in the minors, so maybe that will save him from the terrible K/IP and K/BB rates he's put up at AAA year to date. I think it's OK to put Dillard in there for a spot start against the Nats weak offense, but I'd stay away from him otherwise. He's not a prospect, and the drop in whiffs this year in the minors is a red flag for me, groundballs or no.
Sean Marshall $1.
Marshall's quietly put up some solid innings in the bullpen for the Cubs, including a scoreless July. He's nowhere near the line of succession to close and is only worth owning in the deepest of leagues as a result.
Jeff Baker $1.
Since his acquisition by the Cubs, Baker's been on the bench for the most part, though he does get the odd start against lefties. He has some pop and the 2B eligibility is nice, but Baker needs to play nearly every day to have value in most Roto leagues.
Rodrigo Lopez $1.
See July 6. Lopez has pitched very well for the Phillies, but he's in a bad park for pitchers and his strand rate is abnormally high. This isn't necessarily a disaster waiting to happen, but there should be some regression to the mean here. There's also the possibility that Lopez disappears entirely if Halladay is acquired or when Pedro Martinez is called up to the big club at some point. Still, I can't fault anyone for riding Lopez while he's hot.
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