Monday, September 14, 2009

N.L. FAAB Log: September 14, 2009

Juan Uribe $5. Other bids $1, $1.
I'm not sure what Juan Uribe was doing sitting out in this league's free agent pool, but he's arguably the hottest hitter in Major League Baseball right now, has MI/3B eligibility, and must be owned even when he's not swinging the bat the way he's swinging it now. His former A.L.-only owners remember all too well that Uribe is mostly cold but can carry a Roto team when he's banging the ball around the park like this. If he's somehow available in your league, buy, buy, buy.

Ian Desmond $2. Other bids $2, $1.
Desmond's 2008 caught some of prospect mastermind John Sickels' attention, and he suggested that Desmond might be "turning his tools into skills." Desmond went beyond that in 2009, getting on base 40% of the time and simply smoking the ball between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He's been white-hot for the Nationals thus far and probably will get a good long look down the stretch. N.L.-only owners in need of speed should snatch him up, and if you're playing for next year you should consider bidding somewhat more than the $2 winning bid you see above.

Todd Wellemeyer $1.
This is a next-year, wait-and-see play by the owner who made this bid. There's no other reason to pick Wellemeyer up right now, and if he runs the risk of picking up a start down the stretch after the Cards clinch, he's actually a dangerous guy to have on your active roster.

Micah Hoffpauir $1. Other bid $1.
With Alfonso Soriano done for the year, Hoffpauir should see some starts at both OF corners for the Cubs. He's a decent source of power if you can tolerate what will likely be a bad batting average.

Kevin Correia $1. Other bid $1.
Correia's a great streamer if he's available in your league. He's a two-start pitcher this week and gets the Diamondbacks at home and the Pirates on the road. He's riding a nice hot streak and is a worthwhile back of the rotation pitcher in deep N.L.-only leagues. Keep in mind that he's somewhat a product of Petco, though he has curiously allowed more HR at home than on the road this year.

Garrett Mock $1.
The league I track for these FAAB bids is a 4x4, so this isn't a strikeouts play. I have to presume that it's a wins play, then, since Mock is pitching at Philadelphia and at New York, and draws Cliff Lee and Pat Misch (don't laugh, Misch has pitched fairly well this year). Even with the Mets decimated line-up, it's not a play I like. Mock has been erratic this year to say the least, and lately has been more bad than good. Unless you have a very fat ERA/WHIP lead, I'd avoid.

Chris Johnson $1.
Johnson is a 3B prospect for the Astros who should get some AB down the stretch, so he should be grabbed in N.L.-only leagues and at a higher price than this (this league is pretty much out of FAAB). He's one of those players who generate a healthy difference of opinion. His proponents believe that Johnson's got breakout potential, and point to his great tools. His detractors say he hasn't hit outside of the Texas League and that his K/BB show a hitter who is going to have trouble keeping a MLB job unless he becomes Adam Dunn or Mark Reynolds. I'm with the detractors here, but you're going to have to take a stab on Johnson if you're playing for next year, because as we all know what the Astros think is much more important than what the experts think or what I think.

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