Author: Brian Walton

This is the second of our weekly reports for 2019, summarizing the top free agent bids in each of the five Tout Wars leagues, with links to the detailed bidding action following our 8 p.m. ET deadline each Sunday evening. All prices are on a $1000 base.

(In case you missed the results from our first FAAB period, held on Wednesday, March 27, just scroll down the page. 82 players were rostered across the five leagues.)

After you scan the detail, please join our live chat below, starting at 9 p.m. ET Sunday evening, to discuss these results with Todd Zola of Mastersball and other Touts.

American League

For the second straight period, bidding was relatively heavy in AL, with 18 players taken.

Dumped by the Royals and scooped up the injury-challenged Angels, outfielder Brian Goodwin drew a strong winning bid of $109 from Patrick Davitt of BaseballHQ. Goodwin should see time as long as Justin Upton will be out, which could be a couple of months. In the same race, Jeff Erickson spent $31 on Peter Bourjos, who must have more than nine lives.

If one can believe Ned Yost, former starter Ian Kennedy will share save opportunities for KC with Wily Peralta. One save is on the books, and Howard Bender snapped up Kennedy for $81. At $53, another potential saves source, Seattle’s Cody Gearrin, joined the roster of Colton and the Wolfman.

Review all 3/31 AL bids here.

National League

It is a selfish question, but the reason I want to know if Padres lefty Nick Margevicius is going to stay around is to determine if I am going to have to memorize his name like Grudzielanek, Mientkiewicz and Rzepczynski. Despite never pitching above A-ball, Nick spun five one-run innings at the Giants. His new owner is Derek Carty, who paid $31.

The top dollar player this week in NL is outfielder Rosell Herrera, formerly of Kansas City and now with Miami. Herrera holds the honors of being the only free agent available this week with 10 or more at-bats. (Margevicius was also the only hurler with at least five innings pitched.) The talent pool is that depleted.

None of the 16 other players added fetched more than $19.

Review all 3/31 NL bids here.

Mixed Auction

Wow! A whopping 32 players were purchased in Mixed Auction this week.

Leading the way at the top price across all five leagues this week is the $228 spent on Taylor Rogers of the Twins by Michael Rathburn. Rogers received and converted the save opp on Opening Day, but it is not clear he owns the job over Trevor May or Blake Parker.

Tim Beckham, he of the first-week home run feats for the Mariners, joins Al Melchior’s roster for $76. Al does not get the stats already accrued, however. Ray Flowers plucked Goodwin for an interesting bid of $69 and outfielder Scott Schebler of the Reds landed on Jeff Zimmerman’s roster for $63.

(Note to self: For a good story idea, poll the Touts on how they select their precise bid amounts.)

Review all 3/31 Mixed Auction bids here.

Mixed Draft

Old standard Jake Odorizzi of the Twins was the top player off the board in Mixed Draft with a winning bid of $125 submitted by Seth Trachtman. Odorizzi yielded a solo home run over six innings in his initial start. Tim McCullough was also in search of a starting pitcher and nabbed Marco Estrada of the A’s for $91. The 35-year old fanned just three, but tossed six scoreless innings against the Halos on Friday.

Tom Kessenich of the NFBC apparently favors symmetric bids as he speared a pair of Mariners for a total off $99. Beckham cost $66 and Gearrin was a $33 buy. D.J. Short added Schebler for $50.

Lucas Giolito carried a no-hitter into the seventh against the Royals on Sunday and for $37, Michael Beller wants to see more of those kinds of results from the former White Sox top prospect.

21 players in all were acquired in Mixed Draft this week. Review them all via the following link.

Review all 3/31 Mixed Draft bids here.

Head to Head

18 players were the subject of winning bids in Head to Head.

Top dollar of $150 went to Brad Keller of Kansas City, acquired by A.J. Mass. The Royals’ Opening Day starter dominated the Pale Hose hitters for seven shutout innings. If there is more to come, Keller will be nice buy.

Never a shy guy, Paul Sporer whipped out his checkbook and dropped almost a quarter of his full-season spend, a total of $246, on the trio of Beckham ($119), Toronto starter Marcus Stroman ($89) and Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong ($38).

Ian Kahn spent $176 himself, primarily chasing saves with Arizona’s Greg Holland ($81) along with injured Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress ($77) plus some DH from the Indians named Hanley Ramirez ($18), who took Odorizzi deep on Saturday.

Review all 3/31 Head to Head bids here.

Welcome to the first of our weekly reports for 2019, summarizing the top free agent bids in each of the five Tout Wars leagues, with links to the detailed bidding action. All prices are on a $1000 base.

A provision reportedly forgotten by some of the Touts was the annual pre-Opening Day free agent period. This year, it was pre-US opener, held on Wednesday evening, March 27.

There was one significant rub, however. Only a handful of MLB clubs made their formal injured list proclamations prior to Thursday – and until they did and it was reflected on the league site, such players were considered active.

This required many Touts had to take a calculated risk that if they acquired replacement players via FAAB that they could move their injured players to the IL prior to Thursday’s first pitch. That may have tamped down bidding action.

American League

Not so in the AL, however, as action was heavy, with 22 players acquired. Leading the way was right-hander Aaron Brooks, named Oakland’s fifth starter with Chris Bassitt out. Howard Bender doled out $116 for the privilege of rostering Brooks.

Doug Dennis of BaseballHQ went heavy on offense, paying $101 each for Lucas Duda and Carlos Gonzalez. While parking Mark Trumbo on the injured list, Larry Schechter added new Orioles’ right fielder Dwight Smith Jr. for $65.

All 3/27 AL bids here: http://onroto.com/baseball/webnew/display_bid_reports.pl?toutal+0&session_id=CnE2y

National League

Bidding was lighter in the NL, as 16 players were acquired, but just seven for a non-zero amount. Worried I would be fighting with Florida-based Craig Mish for new Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, I checked first-week bids last year and upped my offer to $105. Sadly for me, Mish remained on the sidelines and most other owners did too, meaning I paid almost $90 more than necessary.

The top acquisition on offense was new Reds shortstop Jose Iglesias, who went for $59 to Steve Gardner of USA TODAY.

All 3/27 NL bids here: http://onroto.com/baseball/webnew/display_bid_reports.pl?toutnl+0&session_id=UAct7

Mixed Auction

18 players were added via the initial bidding period, with $117 spent by Gene McCaffrey to snare new Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson in spirited bidding. For just $2 less, Jeff Zimmerman added presumed Twins closer Blake Parker and doubled down on relievers, paying $54 for Wily Peralta of Kansas City.

A new fifth starter with strikeout potential, the Angels’ Felix Pena, was acquired by Zack Steinhorn for $65. Pena seems to have a spot at least until Andrew Heaney returns. With Greg Bird seeing time at first base for the Yankees currently, Al Melchior won his services for $52.

All 3/27 Mixed Auction bids here: http://onroto.com/baseball/webnew/display_bid_reports.pl?toutmixed+0&session_id=7wREf

Mixed Draft

Again, 18 players found new homes on Wednesday night, with starting pitching the primary target. Frankie Montas of Oakland was the top dollar player acquired in the Mixed Draft league. In fact, the A’s starter drew the highest winning bid across the five leagues, $161 from Tim McCullough. Tims were spending big that evening, with Tim McLeod adding Hudson for $111.

Yet another new starting pitcher, Kyle Wright of the Braves went to Charlie Wiegert for $51 and Marlins pitcher Caleb Smith went to Scott White for $43.

All 3/27 Mixed Draft bids here:

http://onroto.com/baseball/webnew/display_bid_reports.pl?toutdraft+0&session_id=kJ15n

Head to Head

Action was relatively quiet in Head to Head, with just eight players acquired on Wednesday night. Marlins starters were hot commodities across the leagues, as a third one, Pablo Lopez, went to Ian Kahn for $101.

Hunter Strickland of Seattle, who picked up two saves in Japan, dropped his first in the US after being acquired by Ryan Bloomfield for $68. Hang on tightly!

All 3/27 Head to Head bids here:

http://onroto.com/baseball/webnew/display_bid_reports.pl?touth2h+0&session_id=efxW0

What is next

Check back Sunday night, March 31 for the next round of bidding results and our live chat session!