Check out this fun piece from Brian Walton of Creative Sports, dissecting the latest bids from NL Tout Wars.
Month: August 2018
Tout Daily Wrap: Heaney Meaney Miney Moe
Yeah, I know, the headline makes no sense. Sorry, it’s getting late into the contest and the heat is humidifying my creativity. What does make sense, however, is Tim Heaney winning his second week of Tout Daily, posting a solid 154.7 points, comfortably ahead of Justin Mason’s 143.05 which in turn bested Gene McCaffrey’s third place total by exactly 10 points.
In our Tout Picks piece, Heaney chose Tyler Glasnow with the following quip, “I’m way behind in the chase for a Golden Ticket, so here’s my pivot. He may not go deeper than five innings, but the Orioles rank among the most strikeout-happy clubs, and in two-pitcher lineups like this, Glasnow still could be a value as long as he doubles his price in output.”
Talk about hitting the nail on the head, Glasnow threw four frames, with nine of his 12 outs by way of the punch out. Heaney’s hitters were spurred by homers from Rougned Odor and Jeimer Candelario. Check out Tim’s complete roster below.
While Tim’s big night got him within striking distance of the final three Golden Tickets into the Survivor Tournament Championship, currently the top three spots belong to Justin Mason, Bret Sayre and McCaffrey with several others still in contention.
Rick Wolf has a comfortable but not insurmountable 46.9 point lead over Todd Zola for the overall points lead and a wild card entry into the finals. See where you favorite Tout stands on the Leaderboard.
Be sure to check out all of our weekly content, beginning with the Tout Wars FAAB Report every Sunday, then the Tout Table on Monday, followed by Tout Daily Picks on Tuesday before closing out with Tout Daily Wrap every Wednesday.
Here’s Tim’s week-leading roster:
Tout Daily Picks: Max, Miles and Hill, oh my
It’s crunch time in Tout Daily as this is the third (of four) week of the final period with the top-three finishers earning the final three Golden Tickets into the Survivor Tournament. Here’s who some of the Touts are counting on to help get one step closer to the championship.
Brian Walton (CreativeSports2, @B_Walton)
Miles Mikolas: Starting at Miami, the most consistent Cardinals starter is from nearby Jupiter and gets to show his stuff to those who couldn’t see him in Japan.
Jeff McNeil: Have to continue to ride the hot hand of the rookie, who went 3-for-4 with a homer on Monday and is batting .462 in his first dozen MLB contests.
Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola)
Zack Greinke: Remember when we were all concerned about his drop in velocity in the spring. Good times.
Rougned Odor: Will need to find lower cost plays elsewhere, but really want to work in Odor facing the not so Kingly Felix.
Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis)
Max Scherzer: Max Scherzer ($13,900) – It’s going to cost top dollar to roster Max Scherzer tonight, but he’s well worth it. There is extra motivation tonight as he faces an Atlanta Braves team that is at the top of their league division standings. Over the past 2 games, Scherzer has averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. In 3 starts against the Atlanta Braves this season, Max Scherzer is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA.
Javier Baez: Javier Baez ($5,600) – Glad to see the Cubs play a night game so that I can roster Baez tonight. Over the past 14 days, Baez has been on fire with 8 runs scored, 6 home runs, 14 RBI, and a .370 batting average.
Tim Heaney (Rotowire, @Tim_Heaney)
Tyler Glasnow: I’m way behind in the chase for a Golden Ticket, so here’s my pivot. He may not go deeper than five innings, but the Orioles rank among the most strikeout-happy clubs, and in two-pitcher lineups like this, Glasnow still could be a value as long as he doubles his price in output.
Rougned Odor: This scorching-hot bat + Jester Felix (1.30 HR/9) + the Arlington launch pad … smells like a wise decision
Gene McCaffrey (Wise Guy Baseball, @WiseGuyGene)
Miles Mikolas: The Marlins have a way of confounding expectations, but I figure them to struggle against quality junk. So to speak.
Freddie Freeman: At $4k and with success against Scherzer, less of a gamble than at first glance.
Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports)
Max Schzerer: Go big or go home
Healy & Castelonos : @$3900 are the best I can afford
Jeff Erickson (Rotowire, @Jeff_Erickson)
Rich Hill: Riding a hot pitcher that is still probably going to be low-owned, because the A’s have been running so well.
Nelson Cruz: One of three Mariners I’m using tonight against cuddly Bartolo Colon, who will be laboring under really hot conditions.
Tout Table: Non-traded beneficiaries and casualties
This week’s question :
What player that wasn’t traded the past week or so benefits the most from his team’s moves? Who is hurt the most?
Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt): Lots of left-behind reliever who inherit first dibs on vacated closer spots (Jace Fry, Jose LeClerc, Mychal Givens, Kirby Yates). Hurt: MIL infielders.
Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ, @dougdennis41): It is all about the change in PT, right? I don’t even see how Travis Shaw gets through this getting PAs except at the expense of Moustakas and Aguilar (and Thames). If he is at 2B, Schoop at SS I’ll be surprised. Well and truly buried: Domingo Santana and Andrew Toles. Dozier at 2B kills Chris Taylor’s PT, but also Max Muncy’s PT? That seems more like a platoon and with Justin Turner back, doubly so. Dozier himself gets hurt in that PT mix. I think Nick Kingham is out of a job after last night’s performance. Jorge Alfaro lost at least half his PT, but Wilson Ramos may play less than he did in Tampa, too. On the positive side, PD points out the closers, but I also like what the pen pecking order does for guys like Matt Strahm, Tanner Scott, Alex Claudio. Tyler O’Neill should benefit some; Harrison Bader should benefit a lot more. Jonathan Villar should benefit once off the DL. Dust needs to settle some to get a better idea about weekly deployment.
Gene McCaffrey (Wise Guy Baseball, @WiseGuyGene): Hard question, but I think Bryce Harper will benefit the most. He’s not so far off his past form that a rebound is impossible, but a trade would have thrown a monkey wrench into that clever calculation. Who benefits least? Jacob deGrom’s Win total.
Mike Gianella (Baseball Prospectus, @MikeGianella): Even if he isn’t the closer, Jose Leclerc should get some saves and will pick up some wins by pitching in more high leverage situations. The walks bother me but if he’s available in your league, go get him. Ender Inciarte was already slumping, not running that much and while he still should get most of the at bats, losing him as a a full-time player stings. Jorge Alfaro could be hurt even more than Inciarte if Wilson Ramos beats the timetable and is back later this month.
Ray Flowers (Fantasy Guru Elite, @BaseballGuys): Shane Greene/Kirby Yates/Kyle Barraclough. All three guys had the look of someone who would be dealt, lose the closers gig, and see their fantasy value plummet. They could still be moved in August, but for now, a huge win not being dealt. In terms of the pain – everyone with the Brewers? I don’t understand the Moose/Schoop adds which seem to indicate that one of those two, or Shaw, will often see the bench. The Brewers have a 30/15 guy from last season in the minors (Domingo Santana), and they will have either Shaw (.273-31-101 last year), Moose (.272-38-85 last year) or Schoop (.293-32-105 last year) on the bench a good deal of the time if Orlando Arcia continues to see time at shortstop. They’ve had too many bats all season, and added two it at the deadline. They’ve turned their team into a beer league squad.
Fred Zinkie (Rotoworld, Baseball HQ, @FredZinkieMLB): I agree with Ray that the marginal closers on rebuilding teams are the players who benefited the most by staying put. To me, the big losers among non-traded players are a pair of Dodgers infielders — Chris Taylor and Max Muncy. Right now, Manny Machado is actually listed as a backup on the Dodgers’ depth chart. The team is crazy deep in the infield, meaning that Taylor, Muncy, Brian Dozier and Justin Turner will all have to take days off down the stretch.
Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola): Magneuris Sierra looks to be getting a look in center for the Marlins after dealing Cameron Maybin. WIth steals so bunched in most roto leagues, this could be an under the radar pickup while everyone focuses on the bigger name players. Harrison Bader and Tyler O’Neil both benefit in St. Louis. My original answer for player hurt the most was going to be Mallex Smith, and he still may be if Tommy Pham is only out two weeks. Aside from Smith, and Brandon Phillips who I thought was ticketed for the Ian Kinsler role in Boston, I’ll go with Rajai Davis and the steals he provides in AL only formats.
Scott White (CBS Fantasy Sports, @CBSScottWhite): Newly anointed closers (Jose Leclerc, Ken Giles, maybe Mychal Givens and Jace Fry) are always the biggest winners and displaced closers (Keone Kela, Hector Rondon, Zach Britton, Joakim Soria) the biggest losers, but the biggest winner of all is a pitcher who already had the closer role and now is sure to retain it. I’m talking of course about Kirby Yates, who inherited the job from the Brad Hand but didn’t attract as much attention as I felt like he should in Fantasy because of fears he’d be traded as well. I’m not sure he isn’t the better pitcher than Hand, quite honestly. On the other side, I feel like Travis Shaw’s role is up in the air with Mike Moustakas and Jonathan Schoop joining him in Milwaukee, which is a shame because I think he’s still the best of the three despite some bad luck this year. I actually don’t think Max Muncy will be hurt as much for the Dodgers as Matt Kemp and Chris Taylor will. He’s arguably their best hitter (I know there’s Manny Machado, which is I say “arguably”), and now they can easily hide him at first base (shifting Cody Bellinger to the outfield) with the upgrades to the rest of their infield.
Scott Swanay (FantasyBaseballSherpa, @fantasy_sherpa): I’ll go with Bud Norris as the player who benefited the most from the moves (or lack thereof) made by his team – I have my doubts he would have still been a closer if he’d been moved. And on a related note, my vote for biggest value hit goes to Jordan Hicks, who I would loved to have seen get a chance to close for the Cards.
Glenn Colton (Fantasy Alarm, @glenncolton1): Closers, closers. Kirby Yates benefits from staying the closer (I was sure he would be dealt). The guys hurt by non-deals are the bridesmaids who did not become brides — Justin Anderson, Jordan Hicks and Joe Jimenez come to mind.
Brent Hershey (Baseball HQ, @BrentHQ): Three pitchers that benefit at least in the short-term are PHI starters Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin and Nick Pivetta. The Phillies chose not to add starting pitching via, and head into final 2 months in first place with an inexperienced back end of the rotation. Each has flashed the skills to be a fantasy contrbutor the rest of the way; I personally “trust” Eflin the most. The one caveat for all … their innings will likely be conservatively managed down the stretch. Pivetta hit 165 total IP in 2017, but neither Eflin nor Velasquez has had a season of 140 IP in their minor/majors career. Expect earlier than normal hooks for these three in August/September.
Seth Trachtman (Rotoworld, @sethroto): This could change quickly if they pass through waivers and are traded in August, but the closers who were supposedly on the block and stayed put are the biggest beneficiaries. That list includes Shane Greene, Kyle Barraclough, Fernando Rodney, and Bud Norris. These pitchers have minimal fantasy value without saves. This hurts the closer handcuffs in these situations: Joe Jimenez, Drew Steckenrider, Addison Reed, and Jordan Hicks. Fantasy owners stashing these “backup” closers have effectively been wasting roster spots for the prospect of saves, though it’s not too late for these closers to be traded this month. Oh, the humanity!
Tout Wars FAAB Report: Week of August 6
Welcome to the weekly Tout Wars FAAB report, on its new home right here on the Tout Wars site. Each week, we’ll review the free agent acquisitions from all five leagues, with commentary from a league member, as well as yours truly. We changed the timing of the weekly run to 1 PM ET every Sunday, with the report posted later that afternoon so you’ll have time to digest and apply to your own leagues. In addition, I’ll be joining Lawr Michaels and Justin Mason on the Tout Wars Hour on the FNTSY Network every Sunday at 3:20 PM ET to discuss the results.
You can find the complete list of Tout Warriors here. Everyone starts with 1000 FAAB units, less any penalty incurred by finishing below a designated point in the standings. This is a means of keeping everyone motivated to keep playing all season long. The minimum bid is $0. FAAB units can be traded as well as rebated for players released off the DL.
The report will list all winning bids along with unsuccessful tries and contingencies. This provides the maximum level of information to help gauge interest on the players.
The American and National League only formats are 12-team leagues, as is the new points-based head to head league, The Mixed Auction and Draft each have 15 clubs. All the leagues have four reserves with an unlimited DL, expect the head to head league, which allows six reserves.
The headings above each league are links to publicly accessible sites where you can see standings, roster and a complete review of transactions. The initial auctions and drafts can be found here.
SUCCESSFUL BIDS
| PLAYER | WINNING BID | ||
| JVillar, Bal | Patrick Davitt 1007 | Doug Dennis 754 | Mike Podhorzer 439 |
| Rob Leibowitz 278 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 243 | ||
| Vlad Sedler 129 | Larry Schechter 80 | ||
| Seth Trachtman 50 | |||
| CMaybin, Sea | Doug Dennis 754 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 243 | Larry Schechter 80 |
| Vlad Sedler 23 | |||
| TPham, TB | Rob Leibowitz 145 | Mike Podhorzer 133 | Larry Schechter 80 |
| Seth Trachtman 15 | Vlad Sedler 8 | ||
| TGlasnow, TB | Mike Podhorzer 116 | Jason Collette 76 | Vlad Sedler 24 |
| Lawr Michaels 17 | |||
| LForsythe, Min | Larry Schechter 80 | Mike Podhorzer 76 | Doug Dennis 55 |
| Seth Trachtman 35 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 10 | ||
| TWhite, Hou | Jason Collette 56 | Doug Dennis 55 | |
| JBeeks, TB | Mike Podhorzer 42 | Vlad Sedler 24 | |
| BLowe, TB | Mike Podhorzer 28 | Jason Collette 6 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0 |
| RLaureano, Oak | Seth Trachtman 25 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 6 | |
| AMejia, Min | Seth Trachtman 25 | Jason Collette 5 | |
| BreAnderson, Oak | Vlad Sedler 24 | Larry Schechter 10 | Seth Trachtman 5 |
| Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1 | |||
| KCowart, LAA | Seth Trachtman 18 | Mike Podhorzer 12 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2 |
| JAdduci, Det | Vlad Sedler 6 | ||
| EYoung, LAA | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 6 | ||
| TVieira, CWS | Jason Collette 6 | ||
| JAlvarado, TB | Larry Schechter 5 | ||
| AEscobar, KC | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2 | Mike Podhorzer 12 | |
| DRobinson, Tex | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0 |
UNAWARDED BIDS
| PLAYER | |||
| ROHearn, KC | Larry Schechter 32 | ||
| AJurado, Tex | Seth Trachtman 4 | ||
| RPressly, Hou | Jason Collette 4 | ||
| LAvilan, CWS | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 2 | ||
| AMeadows, TB | Seth Trachtman 1 | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1 | |
| HSantiago, CWS | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 1 | ||
| TRenda, Bos | Rick Wolf/Glenn Colton 0 |
Todd’s Take
What was gearing up to be a boring deadline period in the American League picked up a bit with four hitters and a pitcher adding some meat to the pickings. Though, the injury to Tommy Pham dampened things a bit as he would likely be the top pick in most AL formats, unless you need the speed Jonathan Villar or Cameron Maybin can offer.
Baseball HQ’s Patrick Davitt confirmed his intent was to pick up Pham but swerved to Villar to insure maximum playing time. Davitt expressed concern how much running Villar will do with Baltimore, a club that traditionally is more station to station. Hopefully, they’ll let him utilize his skill set and add some swipes before season’s end.
Maybin could actually be the better option if steals are the priority. Seattle does run, especially at the bottom of the order. Expect Maybin to play every day.
While it’s not a surprise Pham drew the third most FAAB, the low number it took to get him is certainly a head-scratcher. Larry Schechter agrees, expressing similar dismay, “I can’t believe Pham only went for $145. He may be back in as little as two weeks and was batting clean-up for the Rays. He’s a very valuable HR/SB combo.” Even more curious is several Touts have ample money left to have outbid Rob Leibowitz. In fact, Leibowitz still has the third most FAAB so depending on what happens with waiver deals and callups, he may be able to funnel the discount on Pham into more help.
Schechter acquired Logan Forsythe, saying, “Beggars can’t be choosers. With 3rd least FAAB remaining, I’m happy to get Forsythe. (I’m assuming he plays full time).” I agree, Forsythe should play nearly every day. The Twins still have the likes of Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and (don’t laugh) Joe Mauer, so Forsythe should generate reasonable run production.
One last note in the Twins before switching to pitching. I’m very surprised Tyler Austin was only a contingency. Sure, he’s starting in the minors, but he’s a natural platoon partner for both Joe Mauer and Logan Morrison. It shouldn’t be long before Austin is with the big club.
Tyler Glasnow joins the Rays staff, eventually as a starter but he may also be the follower for a few weeks. Credit to Jeff Passan on Twitter, this is a great landing spot for Glasnow. Tampa’s pitching coach is 6-foot-8 Kyle Snyder with expertise in honing the mechanics of tall hurlers. Glasnow, of course, is 6-foot-8.
SUCCESSFUL BIDS
| PLAYER | WINNING BID | ||
| BDozier, LAD | Andy Behrens 444 | Brian Walton 329 | Craig Mish 311 |
| Scott Wilderman 245 | Mike Gianella 244 | ||
| Tristan H. Cockcroft 187 | Grey Albright 97 | ||
| Tristan H. Cockcroft 0 | |||
| CArcher, Pit | Brian Walton 329 | Andy Behrens 444 | Craig Mish 311 |
| Scott Wilderman 245 | Mike Gianella 244 | ||
| Tristan H. Cockcroft 187 | Andy Behrens 133 | ||
| Grey Albright 97 | Phil Hertz 36 | ||
| JSchoop, Mil | Craig Mish 311 | Brian Walton 329 | Scott Wilderman 245 |
| Mike Gianella 244 | Tristan H. Cockcroft 187 | ||
| Grey Albright 97 | Phil Hertz 35 | ||
| Tristan H. Cockcroft 0 | |||
| WRamos, Phi | Scott Wilderman 245 | Tristan H. Cockcroft 125 | Grey Albright 97 |
| Phil Hertz 33 | Tristan H. Cockcroft 0 | ||
| KGausman, Atl | Tristan H. Cockcroft 187 | Andy Behrens 444 | Mike Gianella 111 |
| Grey Albright 97 | Phil Hertz 25 | ||
| Tristan H. Cockcroft 0 | |||
| HBailey, Cin | Phil Hertz 27 | Todd Zola 0 | |
| KKela, Pit | Brian Walton 15 | Grey Albright 11 | Mike Gianella 5 |
| Scott Wilderman 4 | |||
| AGomber, StL | Grey Albright 11 | Todd Zola 0 | |
| SOh, Col | Scott Wilderman 5 | Grey Albright 11 | Brian Walton 6 |
| PTucker, Cin | Craig Mish 2 | Tristan H. Cockcroft 8 | |
| JMurphy, Ari | Craig Mish 0 | ||
| RErlin, SD | Todd Zola 0 | Phil Hertz 27 | Tristan H. Cockcroft 11 |
| SRomano, Cin | Todd Zola 0 |
UNAWARDED BIDS
| PLAYER | |||
| CFerguson, LAD | Phil Hertz 8 | Grey Albright 2 | |
| BWahl, NYM | Grey Albright 6 | ||
| BDixon, Cin | Grey Albright 1 | ||
| MHolliday, Col | Craig Mish 1 | ||
| CShreve, StL | Brian Walton 1 | ||
| BBrach, Atl | Todd Zola 0 | Scott Wilderman 0 | |
| RMoronta, SF | Todd Zola 0 | Scott Wilderman 0 | |
| AWainwright, StL | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| BKintzler, ChC | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| COswalt, NYM | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| DSmyly, ChC | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| JDiekman, Ari | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| RStock, SD | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| SCarle, Atl | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| TWebb, StL | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| WMiley, Mil | Todd Zola 0 | ||
| EKratz, Mil | Craig Mish 0 |
Todd’s Take
With Manny Machado, Eduardo Escobar and Cole Hamels part of previous FAAB runs, this week comes down to needs with Brian Dozier and Chris Archer the primary targets.
Interestingly, Andy Behrens had the hammer yet bid on three players – he listed Dozier first so he won him for $1 more than Brian Walton could bid. In turn, Walton bid $1 more than Craig Mish could bid, with Behrens, Walton and Mish holding the most FAAB heading into the festivities.
Keeping with the theme, Mish bid $1 more than the next in line, Scott Widerman, grabbing Jonathan Schoop. On paper, Dozier should out-produce Schoop, but who knows, there’s a good chance Mish gets similar stats for a lower cost.
While Wilson Ramos isn’t the same caliber hitter as Dozier and Schoop, the upgrade he offers at the catching position could be almost as much of a net upgrade, depending on your roster composition.
SUCCESSFUL BIDS
| PLAYER | WINNING BID | ||
| TONeill, StL | Brent Hershey 253 | Fred Zinkie 131 | Derek VanRiper 77 |
| Tim Heaney 20 | |||
| HBader, StL | Fred Zinkie 131 | Brent Hershey 174 | Ray Flowers 46 |
| Derek VanRiper 44 | Tim Heaney 20 | ||
| Jeff Zimmerman 14 | Al Melchior 8 | ||
| KGiles, Tor | Zach Steinhorn 103 | Ray Flowers 38 | Tim Heaney 1 |
| RGsellman, NYM | Zach Steinhorn 53 | Zach Steinhorn 93 | Tim Heaney 28 |
| BPhillips, KC | Derek VanRiper 44 | Brent Hershey 97 | |
| BPeacock, Hou | Brent Hershey 43 | ||
| AMejia, Min | Ron Shandler 27 | ||
| TGlasnow, TB | Brent Hershey 25 | Tim Heaney 14 | Ray Flowers 13 |
| Jeff Zimmerman 13 | |||
| PErvin, Cin | Fred Zinkie 15 | ||
| WAdames, TB | Tim McLeod 13 | Tim Heaney 13 | |
| EJackson, Oak | Ray Flowers 13 | ||
| BLowe, TB | Al Melchior 8 | ||
| TRichards, Mia | Al Melchior 6 | ||
| DFletcher, LAA | Tim Heaney 4 | Al Melchior 8 | Tim Heaney 1 |
| MPina, Mil | Al Melchior 2 | ||
| CBurnes, Mil | Tim Heaney 2 | ||
| DPalka, CWS | Jeff Zimmerman 1 | Derek VanRiper 11 | |
| GoHernandez, SF | Tim Heaney 1 |
UNAWARDED BIDS
| PLAYER | |||
| RErlin, SD | Ron Shandler 27 | Al Melchior 2 | Tim Heaney 1 |
| TWilliams, Pit | Ron Shandler 27 | ||
| MBarnes, Bos | Brent Hershey 21 | ||
| DRobertson, NYY | Zach Steinhorn 18 | ||
| JJeffress, Mil | Zach Steinhorn 18 | ||
| RBlack, SF | Brent Hershey 17 | ||
| WMiley, Mil | Ray Flowers 13 | ||
| RStanek, TB | Brent Hershey 12 | ||
| ASenzatela, Col | Ray Flowers 11 | ||
| ESantana, Pit | Brent Hershey 11 | ||
| SOh, Col | Al Melchior 2 | ||
| JIglesias, Det | Tim Heaney 1 | ||
| SKingery, Phi | Tim Heaney 1 | ||
| MHauschild, Tor | Al Melchior 0 | ||
| PLopez, Mia | Al Melchior 0 | ||
| RNunez, Bal | Al Melchior 0 |
Todd’s Take
Brent Hershey had his choice of either Tyler O’Neill or Harrison Bader, both in line for full-time run with Dexter Fowler sidelined with a fractured foot. It comes down to needs – Bader’s more all around production versus O’Neill’s power-heavy profile.
Zach Steinhorn is looking to make a late-season charge at saves with the pickup of Ken Giles and Robert Gsellman. Giles is expected to jump right into the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen. Giles story is well documented. Despite having a stellar 2017 campaign, he hit a rut at the wrong time (namely the ALDS) and was removed from the closer gig he rest of the playoffs. Even though he started the season saving games for the defending champs, there was never a feeling management was confident in Giles. Given a fresh start, it wouldn’t be shocking if Giles defeats the narrative and flourishes north of the border.
SUCCESSFUL BIDS
| PLAYER | WINNING BID | ||
| KGiles, Tor | Adam Ronis 173 | Ray Murphy 39 | Scott White 19 |
| JLeclerc, Tex | Adam Ronis 134 | Adam Ronis 133 | Michael Beller 104 |
| Ray Murphy 79 | Perry Van Hook 69 | ||
| Scott White 41 | |||
| PErvin, Cin | Perry Van Hook 23 | Ray Murphy 9 | |
| TKemp, Hou | D.J. Short 20 | ||
| TGlasnow, TB | Scott White 13 | ||
| RBorucki, Tor | D.J. Short 10 | ||
| SDuggar, SF | Ray Murphy 9 | ||
| ONarvaez, CWS | Perry Van Hook 0 | ||
| JGomez, CWS | Michael Beller 0 | ||
| EJackson, Oak | Perry Van Hook 0 |
UNAWARDED BIDS
| PLAYER | |||
| RDavis, Cle | Perry Van Hook 3 |
Todd’s Take
Like the Mixed Draft Auction league, the Draft League witnessed Giles being paired with another closer, this time Adam Ronis also acquiring Jose Leclerc. Leclerc is interesting since he’s still just 24 years old even though it feels like he’s older. “One skill away” is a common theme when looking at starters. Leclerc is a great example where this applies to a closer. If Leclerc can hone his control, he could be a top-ten closer.
SUCCESSFUL BIDS
| PLAYER | WINNING BID | ||
| TRichards, Mia | Clay Link 54 | Andrea LaMont 14 | Dr. Roto 10 |
| AMinter, Atl | Dr. Roto 24 | Andrea LaMont 3 | |
| JVillar, Bal | Stephania Bell 23 | Dr. Roto 22 | |
| SRomano, Cin | Stephania Bell 12 | Justin Mason 3 | |
| HBader, StL | Dr. Roto 8 | ||
| RLopez, CWS | Stephania Bell 7 | Clay Link 0 | |
| JBarria, LAA | Peter Kreutzer 7 | Michael Rathburn 4 | |
| JJunis, KC | Peter Kreutzer 7 | Michael Rathburn 4 | |
| IKinerFalefa, Tex | Stephania Bell 6 | ||
| NTropeano, LAA | Michael Rathburn 6 | Justin Mason 3 | |
| BHardy, Det | Michael Rathburn 4 | Peter Kreutzer 3 | |
| FArcia, LAA | Michael Rathburn 3 | ||
| AMejia, Min | Justin Mason 3 | Peter Kreutzer 7 | |
| RMartin, Tor | Michael Rathburn 1 | ||
| YAlonso, Cle | Justin Mason 1 | ||
| TGlasnow, TB | Clay Link 0 | ||
| ADeSclafani, Cin | Clay Link 0 | ||
| WChen, Mia | Justin Mason 0 | ||
| YGallardo, Tex | Justin Mason 0 |
UNAWARDED BIDS
| PLAYER | |||
| THernandez, Tor | Dr. Roto 8 | Justin Mason 1 | |
| TBeckham, Bal | Dr. Roto 5 | ||
| CAdams, NYY | Clay Link 4 | ||
| RErlin, SD | Peter Kreutzer 2 | ||
| BJohnson, Bos | Michael Rathburn 2 | ||
| TRoss, SD | Peter Kreutzer 1 | ||
| CaJoseph, Bal | Michael Rathburn 0 | ||
| KGiles, Tor | Clay Link 0 | ||
| YChirinos, TB | Clay Link 0 |
Todd’s Take
Like expected, the H2H competitors continue to treat the free agent look like an extra roster spot, churning pitching based on matchups. With one start against the Cardinals on his ledger, Trevor Richards was the most sought after hurler. Stephania Bell fortified her rotations with Sal Romano and Reynaldo Lopez, though neither has a double-dip on the docket. Justin Mason snagged the only two-start guy this week as Wei-Yin Chen lines up for two home efforts. This is relevant since he sports a 2.18 ERA at home as opposed to a 10.27 mark away from The Aquarium. Plus, the second game is with the Mets and their league-worst lineup versus lefties.
Tout Daily Wrap: No Luck Needed for Rotolady
You can break Tuesday’s Tout Daily into those who stacked the Nationals and those kicking themselves for not stacking the Nationals. Count Andrea LaMont among the former as RotoLady came out on top on one of the higher scoring nights of the contest. The Godfather Charlie Wiegert and Wise Guy Gene McCaffrey were close, but not close enough to best Andrea’s impressive 168.15 total. Aside from keying on the nation’s capital, RotoLady clicked in a rejuvenated Zack Godley to anchor her pitching as well as capturing Khris Davis’ big night featuring three hits including a homer. Check out Andrea’s lineup below.
Despite her big night, Andrea remains on the outside looking in for the last three Golden Tickets into the Survivor Championship Finals. Derek Carty took over the op spot in Period 5, followed by Jake Ciely and Michael Beller. Just 5 points separate the top-three with several within shouting distance halfway through the final qualifying period.
Rick Wolf remains the top overall points scorer in the quest for the wild card entry into the championship. Beller leaped into second with Todd Zola lagging in third. See where your favorite Tout stands in the Leaderboard.
Be sure to check out all of our weekly content, beginning with the Tout Wars FAAB report on Sunday, followed by the Tout Table every Monday, our Tout Daily picks on Tuesday, culminating with the Tout Daily Wrap each Wednesday.
Here’s Andrea’s week-winning roster:
