I feel like I've written about Cooper a thousand times in this space when in reality this is only the second year that Cooper has been called up to the Majors. Yan Gomes didn't work out so Cooper gets a turn at 1B for the Jays. Cooper was more highly regarded as a prospect in the low minors until he struggled to hit for average at AA in 2010. All of this is somewhat immaterial if Cooper's playing...which he will be at least in the short term. Las Vegas is a great hitters' venue, but Cooper has patience and some gap power, and could hit .250-.260 with a solid OBP and some RBI in a best-case scenario. This bid is high but I don't know why the room fell asleep on Cooper. Memorial Day Weekend is one of those rare times when even some active owners simply fall asleep at the switch and do nothing. If I had needed a 1B, $8-12 would have been my comfort zone.
P.J. Walters $14. Other bids $8, $1
Walters was featured in Friday's Gearing Up. He danced through the raindrops against the Tigers, allowing only two runs despite allowing seven hits and five walks. I'm still not recommending him.
Quintin Berry $13. Other bids $11, $8, $5, $4, $1
Originally a Phillies farmhand, Berry was a marginal prospect once upon a time who at the age of 27 is now organizational depth. He is very fast and we care about him because he has the potential to steal a lot of bases. Berry stole 19 bags in 39 AAA contests this year and has three swipes in the Majors already. His subpar contact rates make it unlikely he'll defy expectations and stick as a starter, but Berry might wind up in a bench role once Austin Jackson returns. In A.L.-only, I'm fine with the speed play.
Charlie Furbush $9
Brandon League was removed as Mariners closer over the weekend. The team was fuzzy about who will close, but conventional wisdom seems to be that Tom Wilhelmsen will get the gig. I'm inclined to agree. One owner thought differently and took a $9 gamble on Furbush. He has been terrific out of the pen (albeit with a lucky BABIP), but there are probably better ways to spend your money than a $9 stab at Furbush.
Orlando Hudson $7. Other bids $5, $3, $1.
Hudson was the victim of the Padres wanting to clean house and an eagerness to declare him finished despite some signs that Hudson still offered some value. The White Sox decided that Hudson still had some game, and so far the results have been more than solid. Hudson should get regular playing time at 3B while Brent Morel is on the DL and it is entirely possible that Hudson keeps the job after Morel is healthy. Even if Hudson only hits .240 or so, a middle infield eligible hitter who steals bases and moves the chains in R/RBI is someone worth owning in my book. The bids here (including mine) were far too tepid. Hudson's a starter with a defined role. Bids should have started at $10.
Scott Podsednik $5. Other bids $5, $5, $1.
Some would have you believe that the arrival of Scott Podsednik in Boston is a sign of the apocalypse; in reality, it just means that the Red Sox have had a lot of outfield injuries. It's hard to guess who will play and who will sit on a weekly basis, but Pods was swinging a hot bat last week so picked up some PT as a result. I'm not sure how much he has left in the tank or how much he'll play, but he's worth adding at this kind of spec bid for the possibility of some steals.
Kole Calhoun $5. Other bids $4, $3, $2.
Calhoun impressed the Angels and prospect watchers with his strong work ethic and his solid skills so the Angels gave him a chance to play with Vernon Wells on the DL and Torii Hunter on the restricted list. Hunter is probably coming back early this week, so I'd imagine that Calhoun is the guy who will get sent down. If he does stick around, AB will be hard to come by. Looking down the road a little bit, Calhoun might wind up as a fourth outfielder but could be one of those guys who sticks as a starter despite the lack of tools. His plate discipline is very good and he has hit at every level (with the caveat that he has been in hitters parks and/or leagues since 2011). I'd put a low end bid in if I were playing for 2013 and cross my fingers.
Che-Hsuan Lin $4. Other bid $1
Lin is probably a better baseball player than Berry but a poorer Roto option. He has speed but not category changing speed like Berry and his plate discipline/patience doesn’t help in BA leagues...and Lin's BA has not been very good in the minors. Lin was a contingency bid for the two owners left standing here, and I'm wondering if the winning bidder wishes he had pushed a little higher for someone else.
Kevin Millwood $3. Other bid $2.
Millwood was profiled in Friday's Gearing Up. The winning bidder here is playing for next year and there's no way Millwood's going to be a $10 keep. His trade value is limited to low level farm picks or players, and this owner is stacked with those already. Millwood's a this year play only at best.
Adam Rosales $1
I suppose Rosales could pick up a start or two this week if Cliff Pennington continues to slump, but Rosales needs to play every day to offer even marginal Roto value.
Mitch Maier $1
Maier is the Royals fourth outfielder, and he typically doesn't play much. He's worth paying attention to this week in A.L.-only because Jarrod Dyson bruised a hamstring over the weekend and could miss some additional time this week even if it isn't a DL situation. Maier offers little in the way of HR/SB production, though, and should be left in the free agent pool unless you have a complete dead spot.
Danny Worth $1
Worth's positional utility makes him a useful 25th man for the Tigers but his lack of a bat makes him just about worthless for us.
Jose Quintana $1
Quintana's has had some success in both the minors and Majors this year, but this is a puzzling bid from a contender trying to keep his ERA/WHIP steady. The White Sox signed Quintana as a minor league free agent after the Yankees let him go. He has an 89-91 MPH fastball and a decent curve and change up. He doesn't strike me as a great short-term play though, and a match-up at Tampa this week looks bad, bad, bad for Roto teams. Pass for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment