I get a kick out of reading the Main Event bids every Monday.
A little like reading a newspaper. We have to find the articles that are interesting and humorous to ourselves.
At this time of year, rookies become the gleam in owners eyes. They offer hope for teams that need help.
This week, Franklin Barretto and Bruce Maxwell from the A's were the shiny objects.
Barretto's bids ranged into the hundred's. Maxwell's lower.
The A's like calling their kids up before other teams. Billy Beane loves to wheel and deal around deadline time, so he likes his prospects at the Major League level before then.
Matt Moore was bought for $1 and $7.
Matt Moore is one of those pitchers that is easy to love.
He throws in a big ball park for a team that was thought to be good.
He has a nice, fluid, graceful delivery to the plate.
Koufaxian, even.
He looks wonderful.
Then, the ball arrives at the plate.
And we remember why he could be had for $1 and $7.
I liked Andrew Moore this week. I caught his debut last week and thought he looked more polished than most prospects.
The Mariners even did his followers a favor by sending him down to the Minor Leagues.
On the surface, this means that the pitcher may not be needed again. But Moore will be called up again soon. Seattle has the dreaded Mon and Thurs days off this week and didn't need a fifth starter.
Being the highest bidder in my league, I always compare my bid with other 'winners' of Moore in other leagues.
But when I saw the bids, it became not about the cost of Moore, but who else was winning bids on him.
Shawn Childs, Lindy Hinkelman, and Mike Edelman to name a few.
This makes me think I am in good company...or that if I'm wrong on Moore, so are some pretty good other owners.
Julio Urias was bought for a dollar.
Well, at least the price was right!
Matt Olson, another A's prospect was bought for $1 and $265.
I'm guessing the high-bidding owner saw his real good game last week and bid accordingly.
Olson's numbers in the Minors are like that of Jeremy Burnitz.
He has good power, but probably won't hit for average.
Leadoff men, coveted during the drafting season, went cheap this week.
Denard Span went for one dollar. Adam Frazier, $10.
It's funny how we think that leadoff men are a little more 'special' during drafting season.
BUT, if they don't steal bases or hit more than a few homers, they become like any other hitter.
Especially when leading off for teams that cannot produce.
Span and Frazier are sabr darlings with nice enough OBP's, but fantasy-wise, not so much.
Noah Syndergaard was grabbed by three owners.
While we hear that Madison Bumgarner is making strides from his version of 'hitting for the cycle', Syndergaard has almost disappeared from news.
The only news being that he will be shut down longer than the last shut down forecast.
The Mets have lost almost every player to injury this year. Unless the Mets show some kind of reform in how they treat and diagnose injury, fantasy players may give all Mets players a ding for being in that organization during the coming draft season.
That could be a first.