Conger just can't win. With Chris Iannetta and Bobby Wilson both down due to injuries, it seemed like a fairly safe expectation that Conger would get most of the at bats behind the plate for the Angels. Instead, John Hester is picking up a good chunk of the starts. Conger is a must-own in A.L.-only, but he's not worth the aggressive play like it seemed he would be earlier in the week. Looking at Conger's minor league career, I can't help but wonder if some of the mild hype surrounding Conger was overblown. He might put together a solid Major League career, but it's unlikely he'll ever be a star.
Brandon Moss $5
Moss is the latest in a long line of bodies to get a shot at claiming the A's first base job. If Moss' name sounds familiar it should; he was part of the huge 2008 deadline deal with the Pirates, Red Sox, and Dodgers where the Red Sox got Jason Bay, the Dodgers got Manny Ramirez and the Pirates got four prospects that didn't pan out, including Moss. Now 28, Moss probably will never make it but at least is with the right team to get a late-in-baseball-life start. He has crushed minor league pitching since his one-and-only legitimate shot in the bigs in 2009 and could be the next success story for the A's. Odds are Moss won't be, but if you're looking for power/need to gamble, this is the place to do it.
Jordan Danks $2
Like Moss, Danks is a one-time prospect that is viewed as a future minor league regular or future Major League depth. He has above average speed/power according to John Sickels but also whiffs a lot. Given an everyday opportunity, Danks might go 15/15 but he also might hit .220 and strike out 200 times. It's far more likely that Danks is a fourth outfielder and produces marginal value in deeper leagues mostly for his stolen base potential.
Tanner Scheppers $2. Other bid $1.
No one has ever doubted Scheppers' raw stuff; it has been his command and health that have kept him from arriving in Arlington. Both of these issues were not on display on AAA and now Scheppers is here and contributing to a big league bullpen. Feel free to add in A.L.-only. Joe Nathan's two-year deal takes some of the future closer luster off, though.
Darren Oliver $1
Scott Atchison $1
Boone Logan $1
Duane Below $1
These relievers are all lumped together because they're all part of the same play by their buyers. It's housecleaning time for your pitching staff if you're contending, and all four of these relievers are an attempt to shake off the deadwood and add some "safe" relievers with good rate stats, high K/IP, and decent all around numbers. These guys are highly unlikely to close but their new owners know that. They're just looking for some solid arms that will keep the rate stats healthy. In this 12-team, A.L.-only, Atchison should have been picked up long before this.
Daisuke Matsuzaka $1
I wrote about Matsuzaka on Friday. This league fell asleep on Dice-K. He's a risk (his 2012 MLB debut was hardly inspiring), but he's worth a shot if you're in the middle-of-the-pack and on the fence about dumping.
John Hester $1.
A funny thing happened on the way to Conger being the Angels' #1 catcher...Hester started being fairly productive. I wouldn't expect much from the 28-year-old organizational depth, but Hester has already surpassed expectations and could continue to get the majority of the at bats for the Angels. In A.L.-only, playing time is king.
Octavio Dotel. Claimed by 12th and 3rd place teams.
Nick Punto. Claimed by 11th place team.
Darin Mastroianni. Claimed by 10th place team.
Jose Quintana. Claimed by 8th and 3rd place teams.
Joe Smith. Claimed by 3rd place team.
No comments:
Post a Comment