I Like My Team

Notes from Tout Wars

How’d I Do?

The Tout Wars NL auction was this morning, starting at 9 am. You can see the draft board here by clicking here.

That’s Ian Kahn, Tristan Cockcroft, Brian Feldman, Brian Walton, Dave Adler and Derek Cart in action.

I did not plan to buy any hitters that cost more than $30, but the expensive hitters were a little cheap. I didn’t go another buck on Trea Turner, who went for $37, because I wasn’t planning to buy him, but I had to bid $35 for Manny Machado, $34 was too cheap and one more was a winner.

I planned to buy one of the top six catchers and maybe two. Once you get past Sean Murphy the pickings are pretty meager. I couldn’t pull the trigger on JT Realmuto, who stopped at $25, but my $24 bid landed Will Smith. Not too much later Willliam Contreras was stalling at $15 and my $16 was up and good! Having 50 homers with a good OBP at Catcher is a joy.

Because I wasn’t bidding $30 for anyone, I put a $29 bid in for Michael Harris II and that was that. I like that, but it makes me think I missed $6.

I stopped bidding on Corbin Burnes when he edged past my number, but Sandy Alcantara came to me at $29, a few ticks below where I thought he should be.

At this point I still had money, but I chose carefully and acquired three of my favorites: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Dansby Swanson, and Nico Hoerner, for $17, $27, and $18 respectively. Hayes and Hoerner were below their prices, Swanson right on his.

Also in the first set, Josh Hader went for $24, and Ryan Helsley and Devin Williams went for $23. I was happy to pick up Alexis Diaz for $15 in this context. Of course, other guys who might close went cheaply.

That was it for double-digit guys.

An interesting moment came shortly after the break. A long-time reader who visited the auction pointed out to me a news story that broke this morning saying that Jurickson Profar had signed with the Rockies. That was anticipated by everyone earlier in the week and I’d bumped my price up to $7 then, but when it didn’t happen I knocked him back down to $3. In Tout rules, if you buy an unsigned guy who then signs in the AL he has to be released.

Shortly after the break, Tristan Cockcroft nominated Profar for $1. I figured Tristan had seen the news, and when Ian Kahn bid $2 I raised it to $3, thinking we’d see some more bidding. But that was it. I landed Profar at the level I wanted and could, at that point, afford. About an hour later Ian asked me if I knew Profar had signed. I smiled slyly and nodded. Very satisfying.

The pieces I added are a mixed bag:

Patrick Wisdom was the last first baseman with any playing time and production. He went for $6. His OBP will not be good, but I hope I have enough elsewhere to offset that.

Josh Harrison was my last player, using my last $3. He was the best available second baseman. He always seems to produce but as you see if he doesn’t he’s really a placeholder.

Brandon Marsh ($4) is a minor power-speed guy who has yet to gel. Might he be better? Yup.

Tommy Pham ($3) doesn’t appear to have a road to playing time on the Mets, but he’s a solid fantasy piece at this price and an excellent piece if he finds at-bats.

Brice Turang ($5) is a young speedster who can play short for my team once Nico Hoerner qualifies at 2B in a couple of weeks. That situation in Milwaukee is crowded, but he has enough bat to hold onto the strong side of the platoon at least, and at this price could be a mini-steal or a tiny bust.

The pitchers are a tough bunch.

Carlos Carrasco ($7) is having a good spring.

Edward Cabrera ($6) is a potential breakout candidate.

Josiah Gray ($4) was the last big strikeout guy on the board, which doesn’t mean he will break out this year but that makes him worth a try.

Mackenzie Gore ($4) has that big arm and I’m fearless having Nationals pitchers. Actually, I’m a little scared, but a little excited by the possibilities, too.

I also took pseudo-closers Brandon Hughes ($3), Daniel Hudson ($4), and Gregory Soto ($1). I nominated Soto thinking he would draw a $2 bid, but nope. I’m not unhappy having him but I felt dumb for a minute for taking him and filling up my staff. I had my eyes on Anthony Desclafani and JT Brubaker who came out a short while later and went for more.

But then I remembered the Swingman. So I took a big swing on the better Luis Ortiz, the one in Pittsburgh not in Philadelphia, for $1. He had four starts in the majors last year and while he’ll likely start the season in the minors he’s a breakout candidate this year.

In the reserves, I took Jay Groome, who is having a good spring for San Diego, Matt Barnes, because suddenly I can’t get enough pseudo-closers, Bryce Elder, who I like but who is the opposite of dominating, and Joey Weimer, because my draft spy told me that Craig Counsell has said he really wants him to be up by May and I didn’t like my other choices better.

I would have taken Adrian Morejon, but he’s hurt so I stayed away.

In an interview afterward on SiriusXM Ray Flowers asked me if I had some sort of affinity for Cubs, having rostered Wisdom, Swanson, Hoerner, and Hughes. Nope, just the way it fell. I would have taken Swanson if he was still on the Braves.

The traditional close to these draft recaps is to say you like your team, but a lot of things could go right or go wrong, which is absolutely true. In any case, the most important thing is to have fun, which I did.