Mastersball

Each week, your friends at Mastersball will post the results of the weekly Tout Wars FAAB run, featuring the winning bid as well as the runner-up bids. There are three LABR leagues, a 12-team AL only, 13-team NL only and 15-team Mixed League. You can see the complete standings for each league by clicking on the appropriate heading, located just under each player photo. 

Tout Wars uses a modified Vickrey system to award bids. For a complete description of the Vickrey system, click HERE for the Tout Wars constitution.

Included with each league report will be commentary from a Mastersball staff member participating in that league. We invite you to ask questions and post comments at the bottom of the report.

All contingency bids for awarded players are included. Sometimes, this is a bid tied to a player that the owner received, so at times the bid amount is larger than the winning bid. We are including it to provide as much information and context as possible with each report.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Rob Leibowitz Commentary

Alex Cobb took the most action this week including bids sizeable enough that some believe that righty may stick in the rotation for more than just Jeff Niemann's month to month and a half or so DL-stay. Cobb had a nice 9-start audition last year with the Rays showing some bat missing and control skills. Cobb is no ace,  but has a deep enough repertoire where in another organization he might already be a mainstay of the rotation. I think he has enough stuff, though no one true great pitch to make him more than a 4th or 5th starter. I made an $8 bid on him with the idea that he was a short term stay option and a possible Danny Duffy replacement.

Yan Gomes attracted several bids too. The former catcher has never really put up big numbers prior to this season at Las Vegas. A very aggressive hitter, Gomes has never demonstrated more than mid-teens top per season homerun potential. I guess the attracting here was a possible improvement over most $1 catchers, which I can agree with, but I am not a believe he will last long with the Jays and that other players in their organization are better options.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Brian Walton's Commentary

With the MRI on Lance Berkman's injured right knee not scheduled until Monday, the duration of prospect Matt Adams' hold on the Cardinals' first base job remains a question mark. I think the left-handed power hitter may remain for good and bid accordingly. My $53 offer aligned with the former Slippery Rock catcher's uniform number, which oddly tied me with Derek Carty. Neither of us won, however, as Nate Ravitz' $68 was reduced to $57 (Vickrey) by Mike Gianella's $56 offer.

The release of O-Dog, Orlando Hudson, by the Padres (who has since landed with the White Sox) and the knee injury to Jason Bartlett opened up the middle infield in San Diego. While new/old shortstop Everth Cabrera was already taken in our league, second baseman Alexi Amarista drew spirited bidding from the NL Touts this week. Lenny Melnick's $29 was reduced to $17, one dollar higher than Gianella again.

If Adam Kennedy is a cat with nine lives, he has to be close to exhausting them all. Seeing playing time once again in Los Angeles after Mark Ellis went down on a play at second base this weekend meant the veteran infielder drew two $12 bids. Todd Zola edged Scott Pianowski on the standings tiebreaker.

MIXED LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Zach Steinhorn's Commentary

Cardinals’ top prospect Matt Adams was the big prize in this week’s Mixed Tout FAAB bidding, and Nick Minnix’s $23 bid was just enough to get the first baseman, as he edged out Fred Zinkie by a single dollar. Whether or not Lance Berkman’s knee injury is a season-ending ACL tear will be known soon, but even if Berkman returns this year, chances are he’ll be out for awhile, and Adams will have plenty of time to make an impact. The 23-year-old, the 2011 Texas League Player of the Year, was batting .340 with nine homers and 27 RBIs in 37 games for Triple-A Memphis this season, so there’s little doubt he deserves this opportunity. In a 15-team mixed league, you won’t find hitters of Adams’ caliber on the waiver wire.

Speedy Ben Revere was the second highest priced player, going to Seth Trachtman for $10, and Todd Frazier, who went to Ray Flowers for $7, came in third. While Revere is a stolen base difference maker, there’s no guarantee that he will receive everyday at-bats for the Twins, but 10 bucks is a solid investment nonetheless. Frazier has put up strong numbers since being recalled from the Minors back in April, and with Scott Rolen possibly out for the season, he was no doubt a worthy pickup.

With more than half of my season FAAB budget gone, I entered in only one bid this week, $6 for Matt Adams. I knew it wouldn’t be enough to land him, but hey, what’s the harm in trying?