Jarrett Hoffpauir $11. Other bids $10, $1.
With Edwin Encarnacion's somewhat surprising demotion to the minors, Hoffpauir has taken over in the short-term for Toronto as their 3B. He makes excellent contact but up until the last couple of years hadn't really done enough in the power department to make him a viable MLB option as a starter. His bat his shown a little more life the last two years in the minors, though, and if that holds he could be a 15-20 HR guy in the Majors. The rub is that Hoffpauir is 27 and is realistically more of an organizational soldier type than a potential starter. However, some hitters don't start showing their power until late and Hoffpauir could be one of those cases. I don't think he is, but just keep this in mind.
Andy Oliver $10. Other bid $6.
Oliver was considered a top prospect entering his junior year of college in 2009, but a battle with the NCAA over an alleged attempt to skirt his college eligibility led to a poor season and Oliver's status dropped in the '09 draft. The Tigers took him in the 2nd round, and so far it looks like they did well for themselves here. Oliver's big problem in college was the loss of his slider, but he threw it in his MLB debut against the Braves enough to make me think that he once again has enough confidence in it as a plus pitch. Oliver's minor league numbers at AA Erie were pretty solid, and while it's hard to predict what pitching prospects are going to do in their first go 'round the league, Oliver's fastball alone make me believe that he's a worthy flier type pitcher and definitely worth a look if you're rebuilding.
Jason Repko $5.
Repko's big chance to play in the Majors came way back in 2005 for the Dodgers. He's now pushing 30 and is a Triple-A lifer who will occasionally get called up to fill in from time to time. His numbers were decent at AAA, but his best chance to contribute is if he steals a few bases off of the bench. He's marginal even in A.L.-only leagues.
Bobby Wilson $1.
Wilson's a great guy to root for in real life - he's a 48th round draft pick who made the bigs - but he has little fantasy value. He has a little pop in his bat but won't see too many opportunities in L.A. behind Jeff Mathis.
Eliezer Alfonzo $1.
Alfonzo has been splitting time fairly evenly with Rob Johnson in Seattle. He doesn't have much value, but he has gone on some HR binges in the past and that's what you're hoping for here: a little luck and hopefully not too much damage to your batting average.
Colin Curtis $1.
Curtis was considered a potential future lead-off hitter when the Yankees drafted him in 2006 out of Arizona State. Alas, the steals disappeared and Curtis has done virtually nothing in the minors since. His promotion speaks more to a lack of organizational depth than a sudden career turnaround, and you'd be hard pressed to find a poorer A.L. OF to buy in your free agent pool than Curtis.
Sergio Santos. Claimed by 12th and 7th place teams.
Santos has struggled somewhat as of late due to a lack of regular work. His control, which was a moderate problem even when he was going well, has really slipped as of late. He's more of a future play in deep A.L.-only leagues than someone you should trust if you're contending.
Brian Bannister. Claimed by 8th place team.
Bannister is a good example of a Catch-22. His solid rookie season back in 2007 raised the expectation that he might post decent season like this in the future, but if not for that solid 2007 he probably wouldn't still be pitching in the Majors three years later. Bannister is a fifth starter type who is a smart pitcher who can once in a while fool a line-up and put up a solid outing. The problem is that he can go out with that same stuff and put up a dud. Pitchers who rely on their fielders as much as Bannister does are vastly unpredictable. This doesn't mean that Bannister is worthless, but he's mostly a fit for teams that have a very strong staff in front of him that can afford the bad nights he's capable of posting.
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