FAAB Factor - AL: More Injuries Creating Opportunities

This is our weekly look at the free agents in the American League. We have two goals for this article:

- Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
- Try to estimate how much of your free agent budget you should bid on them.

One size doesn't fit all, and we could never hope to encompass all league structures, so we have to have a set of base assumptions. Those assumptions are:

- League size of 12 players (either AL or Mixed, we'll specify)
- 5x5 categories
- Each team has a $100 FAAB budget

Starting Pitchers:

Alfredo Aceves, Red Sox - With John Lackey on the DL (biceps), Aceves has been asked to step into the Red Sox rotation for the time being. In his first start since 2011, he allowed two earned runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 5.0 innings against the Orioles. Last season as a pure reliever he posted a 5.36 ERA (4.36 xFIP), while in 2011 as a swingman he posted a 2.61 ERA (4.77 xFIP). From his xFIP in 2011 and 2012, it's pretty clear that Aceves is not someone owners should be counting on regularly. Lackey shouldn't miss too many more starts, so even if Aceves does pitch effectively, his time in the rotation will be short-lived. This week Aceves will take on the Indians on the road. Mixed: $0; AL: $2.

Erik Bedard, Astros - In two appearances this season Bedard has pitched 7.1 innings with two hits and no runs allowed, but only a save (he came on in long relief in the season opener) and a no-decision to show for it. The Astros are trying to limit his innings, but it is costing fantasy owners wins, which are already tough to come by from the team's starters. That said, it's tough to complain about a 0.00 ERA, no matter how you look at it. Once he gets his legs underneath him, it's likely the team will let him go further into games (he only threw 66 pitches in his last start). Until he gets hurt, which is likely given his track record, or shelled in multiple outings (he held a 5.01 ERA last season over 125.2 IP), owners in deeper mixed leagues should give him a look. This coming week he faces the A's on the road. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Kevin Correia, Twins - Through seven innings on Monday, Correia was cruising with no earned runs allowed to the Royals, but in the eighth inning he got roughed up and allowed two runs to score. A third run was charged to him after he left and gave way to the bullpen, thus muddying up his stat line, in what was a very effective start, for the most part. Through two starts he now has a 3.14 ERA (4.62 xFIP) with 14.1 innings pitched, but only three strikeouts and two walks. His low strikeout totals aren't new, as he's struck out 15.2 percent of the batters he's faced in his career, nor are the walks, as he's walked only 8.2 percent of the batters he's faced. Still, unless he's able to start missing bats at a higher rate via a new pitch, delivery, or increased velocity, it's highly unlikely he keeps this up. What's more likely is he pitches to his career 4.52 ERA (4.44 xFIP), which while potentially helpful in spot starts, is very risky considering the downside. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Wade Davis, Royals - Davis bounced back from a poor first start with five innings of shutout ball against the Twins this week. He struck out six batters with three walks as he pushed his season ERA down to 4.00 (4.56 xFIP). The last time that Davis was a starter, as he his now with the Royals, was back in 2011 as he pitched 184 innings with the Rays and produced a 4.45 ERA (4.82 xFIP). Part of the reason the Rays used him in a relief role in 2012 is that Davis is a two pitch pitcher as he relies predominately on his fastball and curveball. This season however, it seems that he has developed a third pitch, a cutter. (Full disclosure, there's some disagreement among the pitch tracking sites as to if this cutter is new or something he's had before - i.e. a slider. Baseball Info Solutions says this is a new pitch, while PITCHf/x via Brooks Baseball says it is not. Either way, there is something going on with a cut type fastball that Davis is using.)  If this pitch is indeed new and develops into something that Davis can command, then we may be looking at a new pitcher, one that can miss more bats and is thus more effective at putting away batters. I'll be sure to pass along any new data I find on Davis' cutter, but in the meantime, view Davis' second start as a possible seed of growth in his development as a starter. Mixed: $3; AL: $10.

Justin Grimm, Rangers - Grimm made his season debut and third start ever in the majors this week as he pitched four innings and allowed two earned runs to the Mariners on the road. Until Matt Harrison (back) is off the DL, Grimm is likely to stay with the Rangers and stick in their rotation. Last season between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock he had a 2.81 ERA with 103 strikeouts and 30 walks over 134.2 innings. He's only 24 years old, but isn't thought of as an elite prospect with a possible ceiling of that a No. 3 or 4 starter. Still, he has good control of his pitches with fastball that can touch 95-96, plus curveball and change-up. This week he'll get the Cubs on the road in what will be a tempting spot start for some mixed leaguers. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Lucas Harrell, Astros - Thru three turns in the rotation; Harrell has had two really good starts (one earned run to the Rangers and Angels) and one disastrous start (eight earned runs to the A's). He showed last season with a 3.76 ERA (3.89 xFIP) that if he can induce ground balls, he can overcome his lack of command and ability to miss bats. It's when batters are lifting balls that he runs into problems as he did in his one blowup start this season, when he gave up three homers. This coming week he faces off against the Indians at home, where he should be owned in most AL only leagues. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Liam Hendriks, Twins - Before being sent back to the minors Saturday, Hendriks threw five innings and allowed just one earned run against the Royals with four strikeouts and no walks this week. The lone run came on a Billy Butler home run, which ended up being the difference in the game as the Twins were shutout. For Hendriks it's a stark improvement from his first start, when he got shellacked by the Orioles for four runs over 4.2 innings with just one strikeout. One of the positives in his two starts is that he has only issued only one walk to the 44 batters he has faced. Hendriks showed elite control in the minors and up through his short time in the majors, so this is not all that surprising. If he's going to be of any use to fantasy owners in the future though, he's going to have to miss more bats. Last season in the majors he had a 5.59 ERA (4.75 xFIP) over 85.1 innings, so more time in the minors will likely serve him well. He should be the first name called upon, should the team need another starter, so keep him in mind down the road. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Phil Humber, Astros - Thru two starts Humber has pitched 11.2 innings and allowed four earned runs with four strikeouts and three walks. It's tough to overlook his 6.44 ERA (4.84 xFIP) from last season, when he pitched 102 innings for the White Sox, but the former Perfect Gamer is off to a nice start. He won't pile up the strikeouts and his control is shaky, so it's tough to see him getting by with his stuff for long, but we've seen him do it before, like in 2010 when he pitched 163 innings with a 3.75 ERA (3.86 xFIP) for the White Sox. In that season he threw his curveball much more than he ever had before and since then he's moved away from it, going to a slider much more. This season however, he has gone back to that curveball and has thrown it 32.8 percent of the time per PITCHf/x, which is encouraging. The sample size we're working with for this season is much too small to read into, but it's worth noting and watching for in his future starts. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Zach McAllister, Indians - In his second start of the season, McAllister held the White Sox to just one earned run over 6.1 innings with six strikeouts and no walks for his first win. Thru two starts now he has a 2.19 ERA (3.66 xFIP) with nine strikeouts and no walks over 12.1 innings. Last season he had a 4.24 ERA (4.11 xFIP) over 125.1 innings as he showed good command of his pitches, but a propensity to serve up home runs. His control is going to be key moving forward because while he will walk a batter eventually, his ability to limit those free passes as he did in the minors is going to keep him in the majors. This coming week he faces the Red Sox at home. If he's still unowned in your AL only league, he's worth speculating on. Mixed: $2; AL: $7.

Ervin Santana, Royals - Big Erv was an afterthought by most on draft day, as he posted a disastrous 5.16 ERA (4.48 xFIP) last season over 178 innings for the Halos. This season though, he's off to a quick start with five earned runs allowed over 14 innings with 15 strikeouts and just two walks. Those last two numbers are what have some believing that the old Big Erv may be back. He gave up three home runs in his last start on the road against the White Sox, so there's already some reason for concern, but still the command he's shown thus far is encouraging. One of the possible reasons for his initial success is that he's thrown his slider 44.6 percent of the time, which is much more than he ever has before. Over the last 10 seasons, no starter who pitched 150 innings or more in a season has thrown a slider more than 43.6 percent of the time, so it'd be quite surprising if he's be able to keep this up. In his first start his fastball velocity was 93.1 mph, while his slider was 83.6 mph, but that dropped down to 90.1 mph and 81.2 mph in his second start. If he can show that velocity from his first start more often, there might be hope for him yet. Mixed: $4; AL: Owned.

Joe Saunders, Mariners - Thru three starts Saunders has a 2.08 ERA (4.32 xFIP) with 10 strikeouts and seven walks over 17.1 innings. He is very poor at missing bats and doesn't have the elite control to make up for it, so it's tough to think that his nice start will last much longer. This week he faces Texas on the road, where he'll try to keep them at bay, much like he did this week when he held them to one run (unearned) over seven innings. Take a chance on him in mixed leagues if you like to gamble. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Nick Tepesch, Rangers - Tepesch made his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Rays as he threw 7.1 innings with five strikeouts, three walks, and one earned run. PITCHf/x shows that he worked mostly with a sinker, while mixing in a slider, fastball, and cutter. His fastball and sinker averaged 91.4 mph, while his slider averaged 85.4 mph. He's thought of as a back of the rotation arm and his minor league numbers back that up as he registered a 4.28 ERA at Double-A Frisco last season over 90.1 innings. He won't rack up strikeouts, so be cognizant of this when thinking about starting him in mixed leagues against better offenses. When Colby Lewis (Tommy John surgery) is back, which should be in May, Tepesch will likely sent back to the minors, so don't expect him to be around for long. Still, his first start is encouraging enough to take a chance on him moving forward. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Relief Pitchers:

Andrew Bailey, Red Sox - Joel Hanrahan blew his first save of the season this week in ugly fashion against the Orioles as he allowed five earned runs on two homers, a single, two walks, and a wild pitch. If that wasn't bad enough, he walked the only two batters he faced on Saturday in a 1-1 game, before being pulled. Later it was revealed that he has been dealing with a sore right hamstring and to be considered day-to-day. While this has been going on, Bailey has quietly been going about his business with 4.1 innings pitched, no earned runs allowed, seven strikeouts, and two walks. Considering how he has been pitching and the 81 career saves next to his name, it's safe to assume that he will be handling the closing duties, until Hanrahan is over his hamstring issues. After that, it's up to Hanrahan to show he is still the man for the job. Manager John Farrell has stated that Hanrahan is still his closer, despite his blowup against the Orioles, but that's just lip service. If Bailey shows he can handle the job and Hanrahan needs a stint on the DL (which hasn't been ruled out yet), well then this could be Bailey's job for much longer. Mixed: $3; AL: $8.

Aaron Crow & Kelvin Herrera, Royals - There has been some confusion as to who the closer for the Royals is, after Aaron Crow earned a save on Monday, Greg Holland earned a save on Tuesday, and Kelvin Herrera earned a save on Wednesday. It's enough to make your head spin if you're trying to handicap this race and chase saves in the process. What is clear is that Crow was used in Monday's game because Holland and Herrera were unavailable, so he's unlikely to be the man moving forward. Between Holland and Herrera though, it's tough to say as manager Ned Yost has yet to announce a decision to move away from Holland, yet he's clearly comfortable using Herrera. The thing to remember in all of this is that the reason we're here is because Holland blew a two run lead in the ninth inning by giving up a three-run double to Kevin Frandsen, after he walked the bases loaded in the team's fifth game of the season. The best way to approach this is to grab Herrera in any leagues where he's available and do likewise with Holland if he was dropped because this is not a settled situation yet. Crow Mixed: No; AL: $1. Herrera Mixed: $6; AL: $18.

Sergio Santos, Blue Jays - Santos has looked great this season as he attempts to bounce back from the shoulder surgery that ended his 2012 season. So far he has pitched 4.1 innings with one earned run allowed, six strikeouts, and just one walk. The team's closer Casey Janssen has looked equally as impressive has he has pitched four innings with one earned run allowed, six strikeouts, and no walks. Santos is a threat to steal away the occasional save from Janssen and potentially the closer role itself, should Janssen falter or get injured. For now Santos needs to be owned in all AL only leagues and mixed leagues, where owners are speculating for saves. Mixed: $3; AL: $13.

Wesley Wright, Astros - Jose Veras blew his first save opportunity of the season on Saturday night as he gave up a two-out, two-run double to Albert Pujols in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game might have ended on the previous batter, Mike Trout, if shortstop Marwin Gonzalez had been able to field the ball cleanly and make the throw. Still, it's on Veras for walking the tying run aboard. Considering the Astros aren't likely to rack up many wins this season, much less saves, this is not a hot closer situation to follow. Moreover, there is no clear setup man waiting in the wings to step in for Veras, should he be removed from the closer role. The best guess as to who that would be as of today is Wesley Wright, who finished last season with a 3.27 ERA (3.30 xFIP) over 52.1 innings for the team. So far this season he has allowed two earned runs over 4.1 innings with just one walk and one strikeout. Until we see Veras blow-up in grand fashion or hear manager Bo Porter say otherwise, it's likely safe to assume Veras will hold onto the closer role moving forward. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Catchers:

Yan Gomes, Indians - With starting backstop Carlos Santana dealing with a thumb injury and backup Lou Marson on the DL with a neck strain, Gomes was called up this week to give the Tribe some more depth at the position and start, until Santana is ready. The last time we saw Gomes, he was with the Blue Jays organization and playing all over the place (C, 1B, 3B, OF, DH). Before that he was mashing at Triple-A Las Vegas in the PCL, where good hitters look like great hitters and great hitters look like gods. Santana's injury isn't thought to be serious enough to send him to the DL, so don't expect Gomes to log many more at-bats in the coming days and weeks. However, if Santana does hit the DL, expect Gomes to launch the occasional homer, as he did Saturday, while he shows poor plate discipline. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Kelly Shoppach, Mariners - Jesus Montero has gotten off to an excruciatingly slow start this season going 6-for-34 with only one extra base hit, five strikeouts, and no walks. Thus it's not all that surprising that Shoppach has started three of the last four games as Montero is given some time to clear his head. On the season Shoppach is 7-for-18 with two doubles, a homer, five strikeouts, and three walks. And while he is nowhere near the offensive talent that Montero is, Shoppach is the one hitting and Montero is not, so he deserves a look in all AL only leagues. In the grand scheme of things, this whole situation just goes to show that when the organization deems prospect Mike Zunino ready this season (and that could be soon), he'll have a spot waiting for him in the majors. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Corner Infielders:

Jason Giambi, Indians - Giambi was activated from the DL on Friday, after dealing with a lower back strain that cost him the start of the season. In his age 42 season, there's almost nothing he offers fantasy owners any more. Last season he hit .225/.372/.303 with one homer over 113 at-bats for the Rockies. This season he's expected to serve as a backup DH and occasional pinch-hitter. It's doubtful he has value in any league this season. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Conor Gillaspie, White Sox - Gordon Beckham's hand injury has forced the team to move Jeff Keppinger to second base and Gillaspie into the starting lineup for the foreseeable future or at least until Beckham is ready to return, which should be in about six weeks. Last season in the Giants organization, he hit .281/.345/.441 with 14 homers at Triple-A Fresno. That's in the PCL, where the ball jumps off the bat, and in his second tour of duty there as well, so those numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt. Still, he's got a good chunk of playing time ahead of him, if he can avoid flaming out and so far so good, as he is 9-for-19 with two doubles and a triple on the season. Mixed: $3; AL: $10.

Brendan Harris & Luis Jimenez, Angels - Alberto Callaspo left Thursday's game early with tightness in his right calf, prompting the team to sub in Harris for him and ultimately call up Jimenez to start in his place. Harris is a career .260/.318/.382 hitter with little power and almost no speed to speak of, while Jimenez is a much more interesting power/speed threat, who made his MLB debut this weekend. At Triple-A Salt Lake last season, Jimenez hit 16 homers with 17 steals over 517 PA, while batting .309/.334/.495. It's unknown how much time Callaspo will need, before he can rejoin the lineup, but there hasn't been talk that he will go on the DL, thus leaving Jimenez a small window to show what he can do. Harris Mixed: No; AL: $1. Jimenez Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Middle Infielders:

Marwin Gonzalez, Astros - Gonzalez began the season splitting at-bats with Ronny Cedeno at shortstop, but has since taken over the role full time as he has shown a great glove defensively and some pop offensively. Throughout his minor league career Gonzalez showed almost no power, but that didn't stop him from hitting two homers this week. He didn't show much speed in the minors either, so don't expect much more than a handful of stolen bases moving forward. Still, the job seems to be his until further notice, so he deserves some attention in AL only and deeper mixed leagues. Last season he hit .234/.280/.327 with two homers and three stolen bases over 219 PA. Mixed: $4; AL: Owned.

Tyler Greene, White Sox - Greene was brought up prior to Sunday's games to help give the White Sox some additional depth, in the wake of the injuries to Gordon Beckham and Angel Sanchez. Greene is a career .224/.292/.356 hitter over 689 PA with modest power and speed for an up the middle infielder. He likely won't see that much playing time, outside of the occasional start to spell Jeff Keppinger, who will be manning second and sometimes third base. Mixed: $No; AL: $2.

Maicer Izturis & Muneori Kawasaki, Blue Jays - The unfortunate ankle injury Jose Reyes suffered on Friday is likely to keep him out for quite a while (possibly three months) and has the Blue Jays scrambling for a replacement. For the moment hat replacement looks to be Kawasaki, who was brought up from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday. The last time we saw Kawasaki, he hit .192/.257/.202 with two stolen bases over 115 PA for the Mariners last season. It's likely safe to say, he is not going to be the Blue Jays answer at shortstop for long if he continues to hit like he did last season. Izturis has been bouncing between third and second base this season, but will likely be given a look at shortstop eventually, considering he has previous experience playing the position and not hitting below the Mendoza Line, like Kawasaki. It would seem logical for the team to wait until Brett Lawrie is back from his oblique injury, before making a decision to go outside the organization in search of a shortstop, which should be soon. Till then speculate on Kawasaki if you must and expect for Izturis to start seeing regular at-bats. Izturis - Mixed: $2; AL: $7. Kawasaki - Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Jeff Keppinger, White Sox - With Gordon Beckham gone through the end of May, Keppinger has become the Pale Hose new starting second baseman. A good contact hitter, Keppinger has gotten off to a slow start this season, going 8-for-43 with only one extra base hit. Now that he should start to see regular at-bats, he could be of some real use to AL owners as he can hit for average and hit the occasional home run. Last season for the Rays he hit .325/.367/.439 with nine homers over 418 PA. Those in deeper mixed leagues should consider Keppinger, if they're looking for someone with multi-position eligibility (1B, 2B, 3B) that can help their batting average. Mixed: $2; AL: $8.

Andy Parrino & Eric Sogard, A's - Scott Sizemore tore his ACL this week and is going to miss the remainder of the season, thus leaving what playing time he was getting to the new full-time starter, Eric Sogard. Sogard is a career .195/.249/.295 hitter over 226 PA and does not have much power or speed to speak of. So far this season he has one extra base hit and two stolen bases. Parrino is a switch-hitter that could be used at times to spell Sogard and face tougher LHPs. To date Parrino has spent the vast majority of his baseball career in the Padres minor league system showing he has a decent glove, but no power or speed. It's possible the A's could bring up Jemile Weeks or Grant Green, but we're not there yet. Until then consider Sogard's bump in playing time helpful in AL only leagues and Parrino someone to give a look if you're in a pinch. Parrino - Mixed: No; AL: $2. Sogard - Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Andrew Romine, Angels - Erick Aybar hit the DL this weekend with a heel injury, thus opening the door for Romine to see extended playing time in his absence. Romine offers almost no power, but does have speed to burn. The last five seasons in the minors he has stolen at least 20 bases and in 2008 he stole 62 bases at Low-A Cedar Rapids. He shouldn't be a drain to your batting average, but then again he might not get enough playing time for that to show. The aforementioned Brendan Harris will likely spell him at times, but has no skills offensively that Romine doesn't already have. Once Aybar is ready to rejoin the team, Romine will go back to his infield utility role that likely has some value in AL only leagues. Mixed: No; AL: $3.

Outfielders:

Oswaldo Arcia, Twins - With Wilkin Ramirez headed for paternity leave, there have been rumblings that Arcia is going to be called up from Triple-A Rochester to take his roster spot. Arcia, one of the Twins top prospects, was hitting .414/.500/.793 with three homers and a stolen base this season over 34 PA and well on his way to a hot start, before this possible call-up. Last season he hit .328/.398/.557 with 10 homers and three stolen bases at Double-A New Britain. Arcia is young at just 22 years old, but there wouldn't be any sense in calling him up if he weren't going to see playing time and considering how poorly Aaron Hicks has been hitting (2-for-43), it wouldn't be a shock to see him log at-bats at Hicks's expense. Arcia is a right fielder, so it's more likely to see him step in for Chris Parmelee, but you never know. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Jason Bay & Endy Chavez, Mariners - Michael Saunders hit the DL this week with a sprained shoulder, thus forcing the team to bring up Endy Chavez from Triple-A Tacoma to serve as outfield depth. So far he has started the last two games in centerfield for the M's because Franklin Gutierrez has been dealing with a groin issue. Once Gutierrez is healthy enough to start again, Chavez will go back to the bench. In the interim, Chavez offers owners little power with modest speed and a hollow batting average. Last season for the Orioles he hit .203/.236/.278 with two homers and three stolen bases over 169 PA. Bay is likely to see most of playing time left behind by Saunders in right field. Bay as likely know by now, is a shell of his former self as he can't hit for average and the power/speed combo meal he once offered has been downgraded to junior or infant size. Still, he's going to see at-bats, so he's worth a look in all AL only leagues where he's not yet owned. Bay Mixed: $1; AL: $4. Chavez Mixed: No; AL: $3.

J.D. Martinez, Astros - Martinez was pulled from Monday's game after making a mental mistake in the batter's box (he likely swung at the first pitch), but since then has gone on a bit of a run as he has hit two doubles and a homer in his next four games. He's likely never going to be a disciplined hitter, but he does offer some power, which he showed in the first half of last season when he hit 11 homers over 318 PA, before slamming back down to Earth in the second half. He needs to be owned in all AL only leagues and deeper mixed leagues, as he seems to be locked into a regular role on the Astros. Mixed: $3; AL: Owned.

Darin Mastroianni, Twins - With Aaron Hicks off to a 2-for-43 start, there has been chatter that he might be sent back to the minors if he doesn't start to pick it up soon. If this were to occur, Mastroianni would be the potential beneficiary of his playing time and a serious threat to pile up the stolen bases. Last season Mastroianni stole 21 bases with three homers over just 186 PA with a .252/.328/.350 batting line. If he were to see extensive playing time, he could easily double that stolen base figure. For now Hicks is still the starter and Mastroianni has only seen five plate appearances, so there's no need to rush to the waiver wire, but the longer Hicks struggles the higher Mastroianni's potential value rises. Mixed: $2; AL: $8.

Daniel Nava, Red Sox - Despite all the fanfare, Jackie Bradley has started the season 3-for-25 with one extra base hit, eight strikeouts and six walks. And while the walks are encouraging, he's just not hitting. It's almost a given at this point that when David Ortiz is ready to come off the DL from his heel injury, Bradley will be sent down and Jonny Gomes will move over to left field. Throughout all of this however, Nava has gotten off to a quick start going 9-for-23 with a double, three homers, two strikeouts, and four walks. Last season he got exposed over time as he batted .243/.352/.390 over 317 PA, but that shouldn't be the case this season as the Red Sox have a healthier lineup than that of 2012, when he was forced into the starting lineup. Nava doesn't hit for much power and doesn't offer much speed either, but he'll see increased playing time if Bradley continues down the path he is on. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Seth Smith, Michael Taylor, & Chris Young, A's - Yoenis Cespedes hit the DL this weekend, after he injured his left hand when he slide/rolled into second base on Friday night. To make matters worse, Coco Crisp strained his groin in the same game and has missed the last two games. Crisp's injury isn't thought to be serious enough to send him to the DL, but it was enough combined with Cespedes' to call up Michael Taylor from Triple-A Sacramento. At Sacramento, Taylor had been tearing the cover off the ball hitting .410/.452/.769 with three homers over 42 PA. It's unlikely that Taylor seems much playing time as the Cespedes and Crisp injuries open the door for Seth Smith and Chris Young more than anything. Both Smith and Young are worth a look in deeper mixed leagues, considering the playing time they'll see in the immediate future. Of the two, Young offers the higher upside as he can hit for power and steal bases, though he could hurt your batting average, as he is poor at making contact. Smith should see time against RHP, which he has hit to the tune of .285/.363/.506 in his career. Smith Mixed: $2; AL: $7. Taylor Mixed: No; AL: $2. Young Mixed: $4; AL: Owned.

Note: If you have anyone else you'd like me to discuss, just drop a line in the comments section.

You can follow me on Twitter @andtinez.