Monday, May 14, 2012

A.L. FAAB Log: May 14, 2012

Andy Pettitte $15. Other bids $12, $8, $6.
I didn't need him, but I'm surprised that more than four teams didn't take a flyer on Andy Pettitte last night. He looked decent in his first few innings against the Mariners before running out of gas, and I suspect that the issue with him going forward is going to be endurance and the ability to last down the stretch. Pettitte wasn't throwing nearly as hard as he used to, but he had the Wily Veteran package of changing speeds on display and it seemed to work for him. We'll see how he does against tougher line-ups, but for now I say take the risk and buy.

Brandon Snyder $12. Other bids $5, $3, $1.
Snyder has been swinging a hot bat, so Ron Washington has been trying to find ways to get Snyder in there now and again. Snyder's still a back-up though - and his career profile doesn't show that his bat is strong enough for 1B over the long haul - so this is a high bid unless there's an injury.

Daniel Nava $12. Other bids $8, $1, $1.
Nava was hitting at AAA and he came out of the gates hitting last week for Boston. He's a likely fourth outfielder, but the competition in front of him isn't strong so Nava could pull 15-20 AB a week if he hits. He's a nice little power/speed combo assuming it lasts, but that's the rub: I'm assuming it won't last. Nava's profile is that of a reserve.

Xavier Avery $10. Other bid $5.
Avery has what Snyder and Nava don't have: opportunity. With Nolan Reimold and Endy Chavez ailing, Avery has a small window of opportunity to rack up regular starts and maybe stick if he performs. Avery's a speed guy, but what makes him more intriguing than your garden variety AAA speedster is that his on-base percentages have always been really good. Avery is a great pick-up if you're trolling for cheap steals. A lot of the teams that bid on Avery had Nava ahead of Avery. If I needed an outfielder, I would have taken Avery.

Darin Mastroianni $10. Other bids $7, $1, $1.
Mastroianni and Avery are cut from the same cloth. Translating a decent walk rate to the Majors would go a long way toward making Mastroianni a viable Major Leaguer, but in the short-term he'll play so he has to be owned in A.L-only. For people that say stolen base plays are difficult to make in-season, here are two examples of modest FAAB bids that could pay big dividends.

Scott Diamond $4. Other bid $2.
I wrote Diamond up on Friday. He had another great start, this time against a tough Toronto offense. He's definitely an A.L. buy and maybe he'll be one of those strong first time around the league plays.

Bobby Wilson $4. Other bid $1.
Wilson was picked up by Chris Iannetta's owner, so the aggressive bid here makes sense. Wilson should get most of the at bats for the next couple of weeks while Hank Conger recovers from his own AAA injury. I wouldn't expect much from Wilson, but even in mixed two catcher leagues playing time is gold. Grab Wilson in all two-catcher formats.

Jason Frasor $2.
Frasor might get some save opportunities if Casey Janssen can't get the job done or if Janssen needs a break, but I'd anticipate that the job is Janssen's and wouldn't bid on Frasor for saves. He's fine as a middle relief spec play, and has good strikeout numbers as well.

John Hester $1.
Hester is the guy who will split time with Wilson behind the plate in L.A. He's a fringe back-up type, but might get more at bats than your typical back up since Wilson is stretched as a starter as well. There's some slight power potential here but it comes with a potentially bad batting average.

Eric Chavez $1.
Chavez is a back up for the Yankees, but he's provided a decent amount of pop even in a limited number of at bats for the Bombers. He's a worthy third corner in A.L.-only for the homers he'll provide.

Bill Hall $1.
Hall isn't a starter for the Orioles, but a slew of injuries combined with some weak starting options on the field make Hall more intriguing than your typical bench guy. He could do what he has done in the past, get lucky and put up a bunch of starts for the O's. He could also do nothing, hit .150 and disappear again. As $1 FAAB play, though, Hall is a fine gamble.

Zach McAllister $1.
McAllister's a savvy under-the-radar pick-up at $1. The former Yankees prospect was written off after two bad seasons in the minors but he has quietly started pitching well again and has now had two solid big league outings in a row. The party doesn't always continue for guys like this, but McAllister's low walk profile works for me. I'd gamble on him this week against the Mariners and have no problem riding the hot hand here.

Erik Komatsu $1.
Komatsu will get a few AB here and there but is a bench option mostly for the Twins. He won't play enough and is the guy who keeps a slot warm while your roster is dealing with an injury

Eric Sogard. Claimed by 12th and 8th place teams.
The addition of Brandon Inge to the line-up relegates Sogard to a utility role. He's decent Jemile Weeks insurance, but is better in leagues where you can stash him on a reserve list and in case of injury break glass.

Derek Lowe. Claimed by 11th, 6th and 4th place teams.
I wrote about Lowe on Friday. I thought there'd be more play for him here, but owners are wiser about FIP than they used to be.

Nick Hagadone. Claimed by 7th place team.
Hagadone picked up a save last week, but only because most of the key parts of the bullpen were unavailable. Chris Perez's job is safe and Vinny Pestano is still the next in line. Hagadone is a fine middle relief own in only leagues and is an OK long-term saves flier if that's your thing.

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