A.L. FAAB Log: June 21, 2010

Conor Jackson $36. Other bids $27, $20, $15, $10, $3.
The wisdom of individual bids for a player like Jackson - a certain everyday player who is good but certainly not great - is hard to judge until the dust has settled and we see who has or has not been traded to the American League. At his best, Jackson is an 800-850 OPS hitter with some power and speed who should be useful in the A's OF. You want your bid to be fairly aggressive, but Jackson isn't the kind of player who want to spend all of your money on unless you're really, really desperate - and if you're that desperate at this point, maybe you should dump.

Scott Feldman $13. Other bid $1.
I wrote a pretty detailed piece about Feldman back on May 29. He's put up a decent June, sporting a 3.71 ERA while keeping his G/F ratio much closer to 1.0. He draws a favorable match-up against the Pirates this week, but bidding $13 for a match up is folly. Feldman might bounce back, but I can't recommend him when his cutter is showing so much negative value (per Fangraphs wonderful tool).

Chad Huffman $3.
Huffman was having an OK season at AAA Scranton, but nothing dynamite that suggests any "Free Chad Huffman" campaigns were in the making. Huffman has some decent power potential, but looks like he'd settle in at .230-.240 in the Majors, and he probably doesn't have enough power to stick if he does that. He's in the wrong organization with the Yankees to make much of an impact, and at Age 25 Huffman's not going to get a lot more chances. This bid is a next-year flier, but even if you're only playing for next year, I wouldn't bother here.

Mike Sweeney $2. Other bid $1.
Before his trip to the D.L., Sweeney was hitting well and also hitting for some decent power in a limited number of AB. It's unclear how much PT he'll get with Michael Saunders and Milton Bradley both playing, but Sweeney was swinging a hot bat before he went on the D.L. and might have a little left in the tank in the power department.

Tim Wakefield $1.
Wakefield has struggled of late, and perhaps his age is finally catching up to him. On the other hand, knucklers of any age tend to go through cold spells and perhaps that is what's happening here. Wakefield is on a decent run over his last three starts against some softer opponents and might be able to keep it going against the Giants. I wouldn't count on him, but he could surprise you as he often does.

Garrett Olson $1.
A former first round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2005, Olson's prospect sheen washed off some time ago and now he's trying to make it as a reliever with the Mariners. He's one of those pitchers who you can easily get sucked into if you watch him on a day when he has his best stuff, but despite all the movement on his pitches his velocity isn't all that great and control problems have plagued him throughout his career. Right now Olson is more of a project than a sure thing, which makes him more of a next year play/reserve stashee than someone to target if you're contending.

Joaquin Arias $1.
Arias is still relatively young (25), but he already looks like utility guy/organizational filler. He ran at times in the minors, but only has one SB thus far in the bigs and is worthless to a Roto squad if he isn't stealing bases.

Phil Coke $1.
Coke has provided plenty of value - especially in 4x4 - as a middle reliever thus far. His key has been keeping the ball in the park, though with his G/F rate some regression is probable. He's worth using, though, as long as he's this effective and with five wins thus far he's been quite the vulture as well.

Robert Manuel $1.
Manuel is one of those pitchers who - stop me if you've heard this one before - doesn't have good stuff but knows how to pitch. He's bounced around over his minor league career and the Red Sox picked him up off of waivers this winter. His numbers at AAA this year were - like most of his numbers throughout his career in the minors - eye popping, so the Sox gave him a deserved call-up. Manuel could be successful in the pen, though of course his mid-80s fastball and sub 80s off-speed stuff could get creamed.

Matt Treanor. Claimed by 12th, 6th and 5th place teams.
The limited yet loud applause for Max Ramirez has died down - as it does just about every year - and Treanor has settled in as the primary catcher for the Rangers. His numbers are certainly unimpressive - and the Rangers would be better off calling up Jarrod Saltalamacchia - but Treanor has provided some pop and his numbers for a #2 catcher in an A.L.-only league are actually pretty solid. Sorry Ramirez owners.

Jason Frasor. Claimed by 6th place team.
Frasor's numbers are terrible, but he's striking out over a batter an inning and his peripherals tell a different story (his FIP is 3.20). Frasor's been more than a little unlucky, and still has the stuff to rebound and be a very good set-up. Kevin Gregg has been successful enough as the closer that I wouldn't expect a switch at this point, but I would still pick Frasor up in an A.L.-only league if I had the chance. There is risk but also opportunity here.