Hisanori Takahashi $31. Other bids: $26, $16, $15, $10, $5, $4, $1, $0.
Takahashi is now the closer in New York; given his success over the last month, I expect him to stay in that role. Bobby Parnell has not looked good in close games, and Pedro Feliciano is better off in his current role, so bid heavily for Takahashi if you need saves. The top bidder in our league has four potential points to gain including two two-point swings with competitors, so this was an excellent bid (if only due to the Josh Willingham and Ricky Nolasco injuries giving him the cap space to make the move).
Wilton Lopez $5. Other bids: $1, $0.
Speaking of saves, Wilton Lopez got a save out of the blue the other night. Apparently, most people in our league believe in Brandon Lyon more than Lopez. I would not underestimate Lopez, however; he has only walked five batters out of the bullpen this year, and he will likely see any save opportunity that Lyon cannot convert. If you need a stray save here and there with a neutral ERA/WHIP at worst, Lopez is a good place to look.
Esmil Rogers $3.
John Sickels rated Rogers as a B- coming into the season. “Useful” is the best Sickels could say, and I agree that it is likely Rogers’ ceiling. He is a little too hittable for my liking, and is generally not a strikeout pitcher, despite his 42 Ks in 47 IP so far this year. If he remains in the rotation, he might be a decent match-up play, but I would generally avoid him.
Argenis Diaz $1.
Picked up in anticipation of defensive metrics being added to our fantasy league (well, I am Commissioner – I can make that happen), Diaz has shown no interest in hitting home runs, triples or doubles. He has also not shown much interest in running. In short, he really adds nothing to your fantasy team.
Jay Gibbons $1. Other bids: $1.
Nice to see Gibby again. He mashed in Albuquerque, and he has continued mashing with the Dodgers, posting a 1.213 OPS in limited at-bats. He is certainly better than Garrett Anderson at this point, but will likely amount to nothing more than a pinch hitter this year and into the future.
Dave Bush $1.
Wins, wins, wins. Bush is a two-start pitcher this week, with the Dodgers and the Pirates on the schedule. In five starts this year, Bush gave up 32 runs in 18 and 1/3 innings. In his other 19 starts, he posted a sub-3.00 ERA. If you need wins, this is a pretty good play given what is on the free agent wire in N.L.-only leagues.
Willie Harris $1. Mike Sweeney $1. Aaron Miles $1. Ryan Church $0. Juan Gutierrez $0. Sean Burnett $0. Jesus Feliciano $0.
There is little to say about this group. Gutierrez is the most interesting of the group, as he has pitched well outside of the closer role. He will likely see a few more save chances before the season is over. Burnett has been good out of the pen this year for the Nationals, but is 0-7 with 2 saves…not much to help you there. Harris will play some with Willingham out, but he is hitting .180 on the season. Again, not much help there.
1 comment:
I pointed this out last week, but Takahashi's been dominant as a reliever this season vs. pedestrian as a starter. He's down to a 574 OPS against out of the pen.
Storen's probably the man in DC, but I'd look past Burnett's wins. He's striking out a batter per nine, has a sub-3 ERA, and has been white hot Post All-Star (.157 BAA). Burnett is useful in deep 5x5 leagues.
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