Valuations to Date: N.L. Pitchers

Last week I took at peek at what American League pitchers have earned to date. Today, I'll take a gander at what their National League counterparts are doing. Earnings are as of May 28, 2012

Top 10 N.L. Pitchers

1) Gio Gonzalez $40

2) Cole Hamels $39

3) Chris Capuano $36

4) Brandon Beachy $36

5) Clayton Kershaw $35

6) Lance Lynn $34

7) Matt Cain $34

8) Aroldis Chapman $33

9) James McDonald $32

10) R.A. Dickey $29

Hamels and Cain are the only repeaters from last year's list. As typically seems to be the case, the National League has more arms that come out of nowhere than the American League does in the Top 10. Half of this list cost $5 or less in the expert auctions. Chapman is the lone reliever to make the list (Kenley Jansen is 12th overall) and his earnings are mostly powered by his ridiculous ERA/WHIP and not by his saves to date.

Top 10 N.L. Relievers

1) Chapman $33

2) Kenley Jansen $25

3) Santiago Casilla $24

4) Jonathan Papelbon $23

5) Jason Motte $21

6) Joel Hanrahan $21

7) Craig Stammen $19

8) Brad Lincoln $18

9) Craig Kimbrel $19

10) Brett Myers $18

For all of the talk of how unreliable relievers are, six of the 10 closers here were closers on Opening Day, and the Javy Guerra/Jansen swap is one of the least surprising closer swaps in recent memory. Deep league players knowingly nod at middle relief studs Stammen and Lincoln; you need guys like them to win in N.L.-only...even if it isn't clear in April who these guys will be.

Top 10 Profits

1) Lynn +32

2) Capuano +32

3) McDonald +30

4) Chapman +28

5) G. Gonzalez +25

6) Dickey +25

7) Casilla +23

8) Wade Miley +21

9) Jeff Samardzija +20

10) Kyle Lohse +19

The first six pitchers on this list also appeared in the Top 10 earners. The lack of studs here makes this a super cheap group; only Gio cost more than $5, while six of the 10 and every pitcher from Casilla on down cost $3 or less. You have to take some gambles in your end game, and while this list won't look the same at the end of the season, right now some of these cheap plays have paid off quite handsomely.

Top 10 Losses

1) Tim Lincecum -34

2) Jair Jurrjens -25

3) Daniel Hudson -21

4) Jhoulys Chacin -20

5) Carlos Marmol -20

6) Josh Johnson -19

7) Heath Bell -19

8) Chris Volstad -18

9) Drew Storen -17

10) Mike Minor -16

Not to beat a dead horse, but for all the talk of what a terrible investment closers are, only three make it on this list. Lincecum is the pitcher everyone is probably trying to desperately overcome, and while repeating, "he'll bounce back" is a comforting mantra, what's done is done in terms of the damage to your squad. With the exception of Lincecum, the danger zone here is the usual $15-18 range: a place where you're less likely to stumble into an ace and far more likely to stumble into a big bust that will wreck your season.

N.L. FAAB Log: May 28, 2012

Josh Bell $10.  Other bids: $8,  $6, $1, $1.

Josh Bell is back and just as bad as ever.  Called up as a result of his good minor league campaign and because of Ryan Roberts’ struggles, Bell cranked a home run in his first game.  He has done very little since, except rack up strikeouts.  Apparently, he is already falling out of favor, and I expect him to be back in the minors, or released, in the near future.

Vinny Rottino $7.  Other bids: $0.

Rottino is back for his second stint with the Mets, and could see some at-bats with Ike Davis riding the pine against tough lefties.  Rottino has a bit of pop, but he is a journeyman for a reason.  He can be ignored except in the deepest of leagues.

Shawn Camp $6.  Other bids: $4, $0.

Camp is in line to get some saves (with James Russell) as a result of the failure of Rafael Dolis in the closer role.  Of course, the Cubs stink, so they are not missing out on much in terms of a lack of reliable closer.  The harder part is speculating on Cubs bullpen help.

Joe Mather $5.  Other bids: $3.

Mather picked up a full week’s worth of at-bats with various injuries to Ian Stewart, Alfonso Soriano, etc.  Mather is a fine deep league pick-up as a roster spot filler…he will move the chains for you when he plays.

Randy Wolf $5.  Other bids: $1, $0.

Wolf is erratic at this stage of his career, but he spends the next couple of weeks facing the Dodgers, Pirates, Cubs and Padres.  This seems like a good time to stream Wolf and see how he does.

D.J. LeMahieu $4.  Other bids: $1, $0, $0.

Next year play here.  LeMahieu is up for depth purposes after hitting one home run and stealing 11 bases in AAA.  He has some skills, but will likely not see enough at-bats to matter.  Matt Diaz $0.

Joaquin Arias $3.  Other bids: $1, $1, $0.

Arias was red hot last week, racking up 29 at-bats, a home run, a couple of runs batted in and a couple of steals.  Since no one else can effectively play second base, Arias will until he stops hitting…which, given the history of Giants’ second basemen recently, could be this coming week.

Tyler Moore $3.  Other bids: $0, $0.

Charlie Morton $3.

Morton, with his terrible WHIP, is nothing but a very low end option in NL-only leagues.  If you are desperate to fill a roster spot…very desperate.

Kyle Kendrick $2.

Kendrick has pitched well over the last three weeks, and may stay in the rotation with the injury to Roy Halladay.  I do not like the upcoming Miami match-up, however, so you may want to think twice.

Mike Fontenot $1.  Other bids: $0, $0.

Travis Wood $1.  Other bids: $0.

Wood pitches in the majors for a bit every year, teases us with his potential, then fades into obscurity.  His stuff is okay, and, if everything broke right, he could be a three or four.  Since an impressive initial campaign a few years ago, however, he hasn’t done much, so I would consider him a low-end NL-only option at this point.

Jose Arredando $0.

Mike Baxter $0.

Ivan DeJesus, Jr.  $0.  Other bids: $0.

Koyie Hill $0.  Other bids: $0.

Mike Nickeas $0. 

A.L. FAAB Log: May 28, 2012

David Cooper $17
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.

N.L. Gearing Up: May 29-June 3

Josh Bell (1% owned last week, 7% owned this week)
I wrote about Bell 11 days ago so there's no need to rehash that in this space. Bell will be starting at 3B in the short term for the Diamondbacks and should be owned in all N.L. leagues. He could crash and burn but he also could put together a hot streak and provide a nice, short-term source of power for the D'backs and his fantasy squads.

Kyle Kendrick (2%/7%) MIA
Kendrick is far more valuable to the Phillies than he is to fantasy owners. In real baseball, it's great to have a fungible pitcher just waiting in the bullpen who can come in and mop up, be the middle man, or sit there eating sunflower seeds all game waiting for the rare, magical moment when you need 4-5 innings starting in the bottom of the 13th, all while seldom showing any signs of rust. We don't really need or want relievers like this on our squad though. Kendrick might be doing the Phillies a solid by giving up five runs in five innings in a 7-2 blowout, but that doesn't do us any favors. He's also not the most desirable starting pitcher when he is starting. Vance Worley's mysterious injury has put Kendrick in the rotation indefinitely but - despite two decent outings - Kendrick's low whiff rate doesn't inspire confidence. Kendrick's xFIP by year since 2007: 4.57, 5.02, 4.04, 4.62, 4.42, 4.65. He's extremely dependent on his defense and on getting lucky with batted balls in play, and this isn't an inspiring combination for Roto. Feel free to start him against the Marlins next week, but even in N.L.-only I have a hard time recommending him.

Jose Arredondo (1%/5%)
For about five minutes there, it seemed like Arredondo might close. For now, Aroldis Chapman is the favorite for the job, though Dusty Baker has shown that he's not afraid to mix and match in the 9th. Logan Ondrusek has picked up a couple of saves as well and if Sean Marshall rights the ship he's probably a decent ninth inning candidate as well. Arredondo should be viewed as a valuable set-up man with strong ERA/WHIP who should be owned in N.L.-only.

Travis Wood (2%/5%) SD, @SF
Wood is probably being grabbed because of what looks like a pretty tasty two-start week in terms of quality of opponent. The last two years Wood has been a Quad-A starter (strong in the minors/marginal in the Majors) but his success in 2010 coupled with his relatively young age (25 isn't old for a pitching prospect) make me think that he could still turn it around and amount to something, particularly for a Cubs team with an eye on the future. Wood's stuff isn't great but when he's on he throws strikes, changes speeds, and lives off of a solid change-up that just freezes hitters. Wood's a better option if you can stash him. He's not someone I'd leave active week in and week out until he shows over the course of a few starts that he's for real.

In the Minors
Fernando Martinez
The interest in Martinez has less to do with him and more to do with the fact that Brian Bogusevic and J.D. Martinez are both sucking wind. Martinez has been solid in the minors...though I suspect that his 872 OPS at AAA would morph into a low 700s OPS in the Majors and he wouldn't be much better than the guy he would replace. If Martinez does make it, he offers a modest power/speed combo and should be grabbed immediately in N.L.-only. As far as a stash, though, I'd only do it in leagues with deeper reserve lists. Martinez isn't lighting up the world and isn't a prospect like Anthony Rizzo, so there isn't any kind of imperative to call him up. He could go absolutely nuts and still spend the entire year in the minors.