Now that we've gotten through our first full week after the All-Star break, the waiver wire is back to its busy self again. Here's a rundown of this week's FAAB activity:
Player | Owner | Winning Bid ($) | Other Bids ($) |
Tyler Clippard | Clay Link | 9 | 6, 1 |
Antonio Senzatela | Juan Carlos Blanco | 7 | |
Jaime Garcia | Juan Carlos Blanco | 7 | 1 |
Parker Bridwell | Mike Rose | 4 | 5, 2, 1 |
Ryan Madson | Tim Heaney | 4 | 3 |
Alex Claudio | Peter Tongas | 3 | 3, 1 |
Jaycob Brugman | Mike Rose | 3 | |
Garrett Cooper | Joe Bartel | 2 | 1 |
Chris O'Grady | D.J. Trainor | 1 | |
Brett Phillips | James Anderson | 1 | |
Kurt Suzuki | Steve Broihahn | 1 | |
Anthony Swarzak | Peter Tongas | 1 | 2, 1, 1, 1 |
Colin Moran | James Anderson | 1 | |
Shane Greene | James Anderson | 1 |
Starting with the most expensive pickup of the week, Clay Link grabbed Tyler Clippard for $9. The right-hander was just traded from New York to the White Sox, and now that his new team anointed him as their closer upon arrival, his value has skyrocketed. 2017 hasn't been overly kind to Clippard, as his ERA sits at a lofty 4.95 mark, but the strikeout numbers are still there and a change of scenery (and role) may be just what he needs to get back on track.
Although there wasn't much money thrown around for him, five people ultimately bid on Anthony Swarzak, with Peter Tongas escaping the fray with the reliever in his arsenal. Swarzak is behind the aforementioned Clippard in the pecking order for saves on Chicago's south side, but Swarzak's numbers certainly warrant some interest. The 31-year-old has been a pleasant surprise for the Pale Hose by posting a 2.45 ERA and a strong 48:11 K:BB in 44 innings pitched. If Clippard's struggles continue even after the organizational switch, Swarzak may prove to be a stealthy pickup for Tongas.
This week's FAAB action was dominated by pitching, but there were a few deep-league hitters nabbed with lower bids. Jaycob Brugman commanded the top price for hitters this week, going for $3 to Mike Rose. Brugman, a 25-year-old outfielder for the Athletics, is getting every opportunity to seize the center field job for his own this season, and although he's only batting .240 in 33 games with Oakland, his 12.5 percent walk rate helps him get on base one-third of the time. He hasn't shown a lot of pop in the big leagues, either, but this is a solid pickup for the future in a keeper league such as this one given Brugman's history of doubles pop and sneaky speed.
This week's award for most pickups goes to James Anderson. As was the case last time he took home this prestigious honor, two of his pickups were young players as he gears up for a future title run. Brett Phillips and Colin Moran have both been solid hitters in the minors with relatively little success in the big leagues, but they very well could be solid producers at the major-league level. Phillips is probably closer to regular playing time than Moran, but both could be regular contributors in the next year or so. His final pickup was Shane Greene, who is in a similar situation to Anthony Swarzak. Greene has been excellent out of the Tigers' bullpen this season (2.93 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 43 IP), and if incumbent closer Justin Wilson gets dealt (as is expected), Greene seems like the next man up for saves.
To close out this week's edition of the FAAB review, we'll look into Juan Carlos Blanco's moves. After dominating the first half of the season, his team has started to regress a bit, although consistent free agent moves have helped to keep his team afloat in second place. His team has always excelled in the hitting categories, but he's needed to be craftier with his pitching given the relative lack of depth behind ace Clayton Kershaw. This week, he grabbed rookie hurler Antonio Senzatela and veteran southpaw Jaime Garcia. Senzatela recently returned to the minors in an effort to reduce his workload for a brief period of time, but given the plethora of injuries plaguing Colorado's rotation at the moment, Senzatela seems to be up to stay. Garcia, on the other hand, has a long track record of serviceable starts. This season, his ERA is just 4.33 and his strikeout rate leaves much to be desired, but he's expected to be traded to a contending team, which could help the 31-year-old land in the win column more frequently, which would be a huge help for Blanco as he looks to reclaim the top spot in the league.
For your reference, here are the trades that took place over the past week:
Owner | Player(s) Received | Owner | Player(s) Received |
Joe Bartel | Chris Davis | D.J. Trainor | Jose Peraza |
Joe Bartel | Delino DeShields Kyle Seager Lance Lynn Max Pentecost | Peter Tongas | James Shields Ezequiel Carrera Corey Ray Raimel Tapia |
Things are getting really interesting! I'm looking forward to seeing how everything plays out over the final couple months of the season. If you have any questions or comments on this or transactions in your own league, reach out to me on Twitter (@IsaacButtke). Good luck to everyone this week!