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 four Tout Wars leagues, a 12-team AL only, 12-team NL only, 15-team Mixed Auction League and 15-team Mixed Draft League. The Mixed leagues use on-base-percentage instead of batting average. 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 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

The one speculative bid I saw this week that I would have made had I corner infielder or utility needs was for Nate Freiman of the A's. The former Padre will be the right-handed half of the first base platoon and is a good contact hitter with legitimate 20+ home run per season power. Should Brandon Moss fizzle, Freiman could get a full time shot.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Brian Walton's Commentary

20-year-old Jose Fernandez drew three double-digit bids, with Rotowire's Chris Liss the top bidder at $35. The Vickrey Rule dropped the price to $22 - $1 more than the second-highest offer.

The removal of the Vickrey floor for 2013 led to three other offers in the $11-$12 range dropping down to $0-$1 due to no other serious bidders. They would have been $10 each last season. Pitchers Kevin Slowey and Tyson Ross joined my roster while Brewers outfielder Khristopher Davis was awarded to Liss.

Jordan Schafer was the only player other than Fernandez to actually go for more than $1 this week. The Braves outfielder became a member of Lenny Melnick's squad for $4 ($8 pre-Vickrey).

MIXED LEAGUE AUCTION 

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Zach Steinhorn's Commentary

It didn't take long for the search for saves to begin, as Joaquin Benoit turned out to be the most expensive FAAB acquisition. The Tigers' closer situation remains a mystery but Benoit, who has established himself as one of the game's elite setup man over the past few seasons, could very well emerge from the pack. But, with the unpredictability of situations that at least start out as closer-by-committees, it remains to be seen if Patrick Davitt's seven dollars will prove to be seven dollars well spent.

Jackie Bradley's red-hot spring has earned him the starting left field job in Boston, and it also earned him a whopping $45 bid by Seth Trachtman. Thankfully for Seth though, he will only need to shell out five bucks for Bradley's services. Should Bradley wind up taking home Rookie of the Year honors, Seth would look like a genius. Should he get sent back to the Minors once David Ortiz returns, well, it's only five bucks.

The prospect of Vernon Wells reviving his career in the Bronx was enough of a reason for Nando DiFino to submit an $8 bid for him. Wells has been a mess over the past couple of seasons but he will now get a chance to prove that he isn't washed up. His chance might have an expiration date, however, as a poor start to the season could force him back to part-time duty once Curtis Granderson returns from the DL.

I came out of the draft a little weak in the speed department, so I figured I'd add Rajai Davis to the fold. Even though he's not an everyday player at the moment, an injury to one of the Jays' outfielders would likely lead to regular playing time, which is all Davis needs to dominate in the category. Regardless though, he should still contribute a useful number of steals as a part-timer. Clayton Richard will serve primarily as a matchups guy who I can start with confidence when he's at home.

MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Todd Zola's Commentary

Perry Van Hook is the site representative in the inagural season of Tout Wars Mixed Draft but he is on route to his long time home league so you get me as a pinch hitter this week. As Zach reminded, the Mixed Draft league is also of the OBP variety which has an impact on some of the bids, though perhaps not this early in the season.

Unlike when the auction took place, Jason Motte was still healthy at the time of the draft so Mitchell Boggs was a hot commodity. Jackie Bradley was also a popular target. Even when David Ortiz comes back, Bradley has a chance to stick since he's a lefty and would make a perfect platoon partner for Jonny Gomes not to mention a defensive replacement.

It is interesting that in both mixed leagues, Jose Fernandez was just a contingency bid. This suggests he could be available for you if you like to take some chances. Personally, in a mixed league, I don't blame the Tout Warriors for waiting especially since by rule they need to have a player acquired in FAAB active.

Taking a look at Perry's bids, his selection of Collin Cowgill paid immediate dividends with a grand slam on opening day. Lawr has been high on Cowgill all spring and could prove to be prescient.

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, 12-team NL only and 15-team Mixed Draft League. You can see the complete standings for each league by clicking on the appropriate heading, located just above 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

Most of the teams in the AL were content to spend relatively minor amounts to fix some players who it the DL or were sent down, but Enos Sarris of Fangraphs needed pitching help and spent more than half of his $100 budget for the year to roster Mariner rookie starting pitcher Brandon Maurer for $43 and soon to be Ranger starting pitcher Nick Tepesch for $13. While I think he will happy with both those starters he won't like the fact that the highest of many underbids on Maurer was $12 while no on bid on Tepesch (probably thinking he wouldn't be available yet).

I had to replace a DLed Hiroyuki Nakajima at MI and got my second choice of Pedro Florimon for $2. Ronny Cedeno of the Astros went for $9 to Rotowire's Chris Liss. I also needed to replace Juan Rivera and Casper Wells. I beat the one dollar bids on Ben Francisco with a $4 toss and tried something different than the real rags available in the outfield by claiming Julio Borbon for a dollar hoping the Rangers find a trade partner for him in the next week before they are likely forced to put him on waivers to activate Tepesch. I was much less happy that I had to replace Drew Smyly from my pitching staff but with him not starting I just can't afford to leave that slot vacant and got Dylan Axelrod of the Pale Hose for $2. Fortunately I had also drafted Rick Porcello so Smyly's loss was covered.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Lawr Michaels' Commentary

With all due respect to the 15 players plucked from the Free Agent Pool in NL LABR this week not named Jose Fernandez, for the most part those guys are all fillers.

Fernandez, on the other hand, could be a bone fide whiz kid of an arm who went to ESPN and Nate Ravitz for $17 (topping out Steve Gardner's $13 USA Today bid).

Just 20 years old, Fernandez was the Marlins first round pick in 2011 out of Braulio Alonso High School, in Tampa Florida. The big (6'2", 240 lb) right-hander went 7-0 1.59 at Greensboro last year, then moved to High-A Jupiter and went 7-1, 1.96, striking out a total of 158 over 134 innings, logging a miniscule 0.925 WHIP.

With little to lose, the Fish simply advanced Fernandez to the majors and their rotation and Monsieur Ravitz should indeed be able to cull some whiffs from his new treasure, although he will likely get some 20-year old rookie lumps as Fernandez tries to pitch a team searching for an identity to respectability.

Still, a nice move and gamble for a guy who ranked #19 on the Mastersball Top 250 Prospect List for 2013.

The other clamoring you might have heard was for Alex Gonzalez of the Brewers, the "former" shortstop now being pressed into some first base duties thanks to injuries to Corey Hart, Mat Gamel, and Taylor Green. Gonzalez does have 156 career dingers, so maybe his bat will help the same Steve Gardner who missed out on Fernandez buoy his NL LABR offense.

MIXED LEAGUE

PLAYERS AWARDED

UNAWARDED CONTINGENCY BIDS

Todd Zola's Commentary

With the mixed LABR draft taking place in late February, there were many holes to be filled by my fellow combatants and me. I needed a shortstop to replace Stephen Drew and Tyler Greene so I opted for a first baseman - well, a shortstop playing first base for Milwaukee in Alex Gonzalez. I'll keep an eye on the wire in the next couple of weeks to find someone else or I'll make a deal if Drew's debut is delayed.

I left the draft light on saves so I made a strong play for Mitchell Boggs. The news on Jason Motte is still fuzzy but in a mixed league, I don't worry about over-spending early since the inventory will be plush enough to keep my team viable all season even if it means a few $1 replacements along the way.

While I'm going to say I wish I could take my bid on Jordany Valdespin back, I am less certain he will play enough to be mixed league worthy as the Mets are doing the right thing and taking a good look at Collin Cowgill. Don't be surprised if Valdespin is dropped next week for another shortstop. In general though, in mixed, I don't wait until I need a replacement, if there is someone on the wire I feel could help at some point, I'll get them before I actually need them. I had Jordan Pacheco to spare since the hope he qualifies at catcher is dwindling.

The big pickup this week was Cuban phenom Jose Fernandez as he was announced as Miami's fifth starter. Lawr and I discussed making a play for him in the FSTA league but the instances of Dwight Gooden or Felix Hernandez hitting the ground running are few and far between.