LABR FAAB Report: Week of August 13

Welcome to this week’s LABR FAAB report.

The American League only and National League only formats are 12-team contests using standard 5×5 scoring rules. There’s an old-school flavor as players purchased in the auction cannot be freely bounced from the active to reserve roster. A player purchased in the auction can be placed on the disabled list if he’s on the MLB DL. However, he can’t be reserved then replaced by a player won with FAAB; he must be released. A auction-purchased player may also moved to reserves if subsequently sent down to the minors.

The 15-team Mixed LABR league allows free movement between active and six-man reserve.

In all three leagues, a player acquired via FAAB must be immediately inserted into the team’s active lineup. Each LABR squad starts with 100 FAAB units, with a minimum bid of $1. Owners can ask for a FAAB rebate upon releasing a player on the DL.

Each week’s report will display the winning bids along with listing all contingency and failed bids so you get a feel for the level of interest in each player. After the tables showing the successful and unsuccessful bids, Lawr Michaels, Brian Walton and yours truly will offer commentary for our respective leagues. I’ll share additional thoughts for each league. The heading for each league doubles as a publicly accessible link so you can check the standings, roster and complete list of transactions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

UNAWARDED BIDS

Lawr Michaels’ Commentary

An active cluster of post deadline swaps, and related advancements, fostered an active week of movement led by the search for steals, saves, and catchers, with a lot of players from the AL East as targets.

There were five bids on potential speedster Cedric Mullins, who went for $17 more than I had in my budget, and the same could be said of Brock Holt, who fetched $22, besting five wannabes.

More hitting interest went to Tyler Austin, but perhaps the most interesting hitter after Mullins this cycle is potential Toronto backstop Danny Jansen, and highly touted rookie (the 22-year old scored #127 on my Top 250 Prospect List last year.) giving some hope for American League catching potential between now and 2019.

The search for saves forced a troika of bids for Trevor May, and then there were the requisite $1 crap shoots of whom Artie Lewicki and Brett Anderson, at least could deliver some production.

Todd’s Take

.With Russell still under contract through 2019, it was expected there would be a passing of the baton to Jansen. Is that what will occur in the last quarter of the season, setting Jansen up to be the bell cow next season? Perhaps, but there could be something else in play as the Jays are also calling up some young arms, all familiar with Jansen in the minors. Thomas Pannone and Sean Reid-Foley will join Ryan Borucki giving us a glimpse of the Jays future.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

UNAWARDED BIDS

Brian Walton’s Commentary

In National League LABR, I held the hammer, with $32 remaining of my original $100. It is not an ideal position to be in, but with the next-highest owner holding $18, I still have some wiggle room. So, even though no American League players came across this week, I could spend as much as $13 and still be on top next week – or the weeks after, if necessary.

With Martin Prado finally healthy, the infielder is seeing consistent playing time for the last-place Marlins. Needing a backfill for injured Yairo Muñoz, I bid $6 for Prado’s regular at-bats. Sadly for me, that was $5 too much, as there were no other bidders.

San Diego called up prospect right-hander Jacob Nix, who tossed six scoreless innings in his MLB debut on Friday. Clearly the best pitcher available, Nix drew a pair of $3 offers, but I won on the tiebreaker. Nix replaces injured Washington reliever Kelvin Herrera on my active roster.

Speaking of struggling Nationals’ closers, Ryan Madson was a $3 acquisition of Zach Steinhorn of Baseball Prospectus. I am guessing Zach made his bid before Madson had a full-scale meltdown at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. The right-hander coupled a Wilmer Difo error with two hit-by-pitches followed by a walk-off grand slam by David Bote. That ruined a stellar start by Max Scherzer and perhaps Madson’s further chances of getting the ball in the ninth for manager Dave Martinez.

Todd’s Take

Nix is an interesting pick-up as he’s slated to stay in the Padres rotation. The Padres are beginning to graduate their outstanding young pitching, though the jewels of the system are still at the lower levels. Nix isn’t overly dominant but doesn’t beat himself with walks and will be protected by Petco Park.

MIXED

SUCCESSFUL BIDS

UNAWARDED BIDS

Todd Zola’s Commentary

Stephania Bell from ESPN opened her purse, fortifying her staff with new A’s starter Mike Fiers and behind the dish with Austin Romine.

Catchers in general were a hot commodity with Russell ,Martin, Danny Jansen, Caleb Joseph and the soon to be returning from suspension Welington Castillo all finding homes. Two catcher leagues may be falling out of favor, but I hope LABR doesn’t change.

Needing some help in the rotation, I put in a string of min bids on several arms, landing on Borucki, Hardy and Richard. All three have two starts with only Borucki’s second scheduled tilt against the Yankees being against a top offense.

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