In Season Free Agents: What's the Best Way to Get Value?

When it comes to managing rosters in deep leagues, we all have the same conundrum. Finding statistics during the season is difficult. Different owners have different strategies. Some owners spend most of their FAAB on hitters, figuring that since pitchers are unpredictable that you're better off going after quality hitting when it's available. Some owners hold on to their FAAB, waiting to make a big splash when there's a trade from the other league. Others take a more innovative approach. Brian Walton in Tout Wars is savvy at bidding on players that are about to be called up from the minors or that are free agents about to sign with a National League team. 

There is always a lot of discussion about process. But what do the results say? Where do the best values come from in-season?

Top 10 A.L. Free Agent Hitters, 2011

	Player	$	Sal	+/-	CBS	LABR	TW	2010
1	Eric Hosmer	$23	1	21		4
2	Jemile Weeks	$17
3	Ben Revere	$17						-$0
4	Casey Kotchman	$15	1	15	1		1	$4
5	Eduardo Nunez	$13						$3
6	Robert Andino	$12						$2
7	Endy Chavez	$11
8	Brent Lillibridge	$11						$3
9	Alejandro de Aza	$11						$1
10	Eric Thames	$11
	Average	$14	0	14	0	0	0	$1

There’s an almost even split on this list between the rookies and the fringe veterans that usually sit on a Major League bench. The big-ticket items here, though, are the rookies that were (mostly) deemed far enough away by the expert market that they weren't even worth a $1 bid.

You might suspect that in home leagues that these rookies would be snatched up pretty quickly in farm drafts. However, only Hosmer was taken in my home league. Weeks, Revere, and Thames were all free agents that received FAAB bids later in the year.

The lesson here is if you have a dead spot you should fill it up no matter what. Andino, Lillibridge and de Aza all looked like dead wood when they were picked up, but managed to produce a fair amount of value in only leagues. If you sneered at them – or tried to wait until the “ideal” player showed up – you probably lost out.

Top 10 N.L. Free Agent Hitters, 2011

	Player	$	Sal	+/-	CBS	LABR	TW	2010
1	Emilio Bonifacio	$28	1	27	3			$7
2	Ryan Roberts	$22						$1
3	Jason Bourgeois	$16						$4
4	John Mayberry Jr	$15	0	15			1	$2
5	Darwin Barney	$14						$1
6	Jesus Guzman	$14
7	Dee Gordon	$13
8	Willie Bloomquist	$13						$7
9	Nate Schierholtz	$13	0	13		1		$5
10	Lucas Duda	$13	0	12			1	$2
	Average	$16	0	16	0	0	0	$3

The N.L. had even fewer prospects in the free agent top 10. Gordon is the only guy on this list I’d really classify as anything close to a top prospect in the N.L. last year  - and he was really more of a Roto top prospect because of his speed. Mayberry and Duda were rookies, but they were most definitely under the radar.

Nearly everyone else here is a run-of-the-mill, grizzled veteran type that not only wasn’t assured of a starting job but wasn’t even assured of any time with the big club in 2011. If you spent $1 on Guzman in your N.L.-only bully for you, but that makes you less of a genius and more like the blind squirrel stumbling upon the acorn. You’re also forgiven if Darwin Barney’s pedestrian 85 plate appearances didn’t inspire enough confidence even for a $1 bid.

However, some of these guys probably should have gone for at least $1 in N.L.-only leagues. Schierholtz, Bonifacio, and Bloomquist all earned decent money as part-timers last year; there’s no good reason why in a 13-team league where there are only about 10 starters to go around per team.

This exercise isn’t merely a question of where to get the best free agents but how to optimize your roster at your auction. It’s one thing to pass on Eric Hosmer or Jemile Weeks, but another entirely to pass on a guy like Schierholtz who could have been had at your auction. Guys like this aren’t sexy, but in only leagues they’re the keys to the kingdom…and better plays than sexier rookies that aren’t as likely to help your squad this year.