Mastersball

Each week, your friends at Mastersball will post the results of the weekly LABR FAAB run, featuring the winning bid as well a 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.

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 bid is 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

Perry Van Hook's Commentary

Like many I was impressed with Boston Red reliever Franklin Morales in his spot start for the Red Sox on Sunday night. After Bobby V delivered a likely unprintable message Morales got himself straightened out and ended up with five innings pitched giving up two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out nine Cubs. But there is no guarantee that gets him another start so I was a little surprised to see a $17 bid from the NFBC duo of Greg Ambrosius and Shawn Childs which more than doubled the underbid of $8. However the bet could doesn’t have to be immediately successful to pay dividends so we will see.

Part of their reasoning may be that with Roy Oswalt already owned along with the most likely minor league prospects that they didn’t have enough FAAB dollars to fight for a starter who might get traded over. Just conjecture there but certainly reasonable if you look at the other contending rosters.

My $6 bid for Casper “hopefully the friendly LFer” Wells edged BHQ's Dave Adler by two bucks, and Rotowire’s Jeff Erickson by three dollars so I was able to get Ryan Sweeney’s slot while he rests on the disabled list. I was not as fortunate in trying to replace Mike Carp as both Erickson and I bid $1 on Detroit’s Don Kelly, but he won the tie on the lower in the standings rule. So I DLed Carp and activated Alex Liddi on the off chance he might get called back up during the week – a better chance than either Carp, Sweeney, or Andy Dirks coming off the DL. In case you are wondering, freshly recalled Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish was not available having been bought in the original draft.

I also needed to replace a DLed Drew Smyly, and while I was obviously higher on Erasmo Ramirez of the Mariners than the rest of the league (no one bid on him this week) I didn’t like the one start in Arizona. Like Morales I don’t think that Justin Grimm of the Rangers necessarily gets another start for the Rangers, so again Erickson won the tie-breaker over several teams who all ventured just a dollar for the chance he might start. Jared Burton of the Twins was next on my list and added for a dollar. I really need Smyly to come back next week as the Tigers are thinking and for the Mariners to call up Danny Hultzen to get some help for my pitching staff.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Lawr Michaels' Commentary

There is almost a touch of mid-season irony in this week's LABR transactions.

Of this week's moves, BBHQ's acquisition of Josh Collmenter for $1 was near and dear. I had, after all, bagged the Arizona right hander during the early March auction for $6. I had liked Collmenter since I saw him in the Fall League a few years ago, and the six bucks seemed reasonable based upon his pretty good 2011 (10-10, 3.38, 1.07 WHIP). But, I dumped him rather unceremoniously a month into the season. Good luck Doug Dennis. You are a brave man. (Doug also bagged the most expensive purchase of the week in Travis Wood, at $6. Wood replaced Brad Lincoln on the BBHQ roster).

Showing that the NL owners are indeed willing to risk their pitching in deference to the horrible spate of injuries this season, Full Moon picked up Ross Ohlendorf (if they had seen him pitch Saturday in Oakland, they may have reconsidered), Steve Moyer (BIS) placed Brian Beachy on the DL for Todd Redmond ($1), Greg Ambrosius picked up Joe Thatcher ($1), and, well, I nabbed Brad Ziegler ($1), though I was only trying to replace the injured Wilton Lopez.

Things are indeed thin all over in the free agent pool. Just ask Ambrosius, who along with his NFBC mate Shawn Childs are replacing Troy Tulowitzki with Luis Valbuena ($4).

Thin, and tough.

The worst part is there is very little end in sight.

MIXED LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Todd Zola's Commentary:

Yawn. I know, I'm supposed to come up with something pithy, compelling, enlightening, informative and entertaining, but come on, look this list -- YAWN!! It looks like a typical AL or NL only list in terms of talent.

Brandon Moss the highlight of the week, really? REALLY? So much for Brandon Allen, Daric Barton and Kila Ka'aihue, it's Moss time. 

Mike Podherzer may have come away with the sleeper (pun intended) of the week with Kris Medlen, who is being stretched out to start for the Braves. With Brandon Beachy being replaced by Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta could use a little shot in the arm from Medlen.

In case you are wondering where my bids are this week, I did not forget (again), I just fell asleep looking through the names.