NL FAAB Factor: Early May Update

Normally, this would be my weekly look at National League free agents. But as we all know, we are not in normal times. First and foremost, I hope you and all of your loved ones are safe and well and remain that way.

To provide you some fresh reading material during this mandated hiatus, this article will look at some interesting NL players to draft and/or add off waivers. The LABR and Tout Wars NL-only leagues are our starting point for the column. Players drafted late or reserve picks are the main focus, though I probably will touch on others whose values I think will exceed their costs. My plan is to cover a handful of names each week, hopefully saving several over for the following column, allowing a new population of players to be covered weekly.

To make this somewhat interactive, as always, if there is a player that was not discussed in the article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask in the comments and I will touch on those the following week. We will see how many weeks this lasts, and hopefully by the time we exhaust all the names we want to cover, we will have baseball or an idea when games will resume, enabling a resumption of the normal column.

STARTING PITCHER 

Dustin May, Dodgers: May could open the season in the Dodgers' rotation if the delayed start and abbreviated season necessitates a deeper starting rotation. Los Angeles could use as many as eight starters to navigate the shortened, condensed season, which would result in additional double-headers and an expanded roster. In that scenario, May, who posted a 2.82 ERA and 17:3 K:BB in 22.1 innings as a starter, would move into the major-league rotation. Before spring training was suspended, May was preparing to stretch out as a starter in the minor leagues, so the transition to the majors could be seamless. LABR: $4; Tout Wars: $4

Freddy Peralta, Brewers: Peralta will have a spot on the Brewers' 26-man (or more) roster when play resumes; to be determined is his role. As someone who got him at $2 in the RotoWire Staff League auction, I hope Peralta starts, but that isn't guaranteed. He had a decent spring, surrendering six earned runs in 12 innings but allowing six hits while also striking out 15 batters. In his favor, Peralta closed last season strong and struck out 155 in 85 innings, so even in a bullpen role, he should have value. LABR: $5; Tout Wars: $2

RELIEF PITCHER

Blake Treinen, Dodgers: Treinen fell from grace in a heartbeat last season, going from a top-two closer to the back end of the bullpen due to a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness. Oakland non-tendered Treinen in early December, and he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers less than two weeks later.  If his back and elbow issues are a thing of the past and he follows through with his desire to use his slider more, Treinen should slot into a set up role in front of Kenley Jansen. LABR: $1; Tout Wars: $2

CATCHER

Joey Bart, Giants: Bart is one of those throws at the dartboard that you hope find the target with a high score. Buster Posey and Brandon Belt are under contract through 2021 while Bart has played just 22 games at Double-A. Those data points do make it somewhat unlikely that Bart will make his debut with the Giants this summer, as had been projected if the season started on time. But Posey showed additional cracks in the armor last season while Belt has consistently been unable to stay healthy, so if taking a flier on a second catcher, why not on one that could pay higher than expected dividends? LABR: $0; Tout Wars: $1 

FIRST BASE

Jay Bruce, Phillies: When spring training began, Bruce was slated to start in left field with Andrew McCutchen still on the mend from his torn ACL. The delay to the start of the season will allow Cutch to be ready whenever games resume. Bruce's value took a major tumble due to the pushed-back start to the season. However, he still should see some starts against righties while playing both corner outfield spot and first base, giving him a modicum of worth, especially in NL-only leagues. LABR: $0; Tout Wars: $1 

SECOND BASE 

Isan Diaz, Marlins: Diaz was promoted to the majors in August after posting a .973 OPS in 102 games at Triple-A. He failed to have similar success at the highest level, struggling with strikeouts. Miami added Jonathan Villar this offseason, but he is projected to mainly play center field. If that experiment fails, Villar likely will move back to the second base. In addition, Jon Berti is available if Diaz falters again, but Diaz's minor-league performance and upside at the plate coupled with Miami's likely place in the standing should mean that Diaz has a decent rope before he is pulled. LABR: $5; Tout Wars: $4

THIRD BASE

J.D. Davis, Mets: Davis is another player whose value could be adversely impact by the delayed start to the season. The minimum two-month halt in action has given Yoenis Cespedes additional time to get healthy and possibly play left field, reducing Davis' at-bats. However, Davis still could see close to regular time, as Yo's health is not guaranteed while Robinson Cano needs to show last year's decline was an aberration, or Jeff McNeil could shift from third to second, opening the hot corner for Davis. LABR: $15, Tout Wars: $16

SHORTSTOP

Luis Urias, Brewers: Urias hit 19 home runs in 295 Triple-A at-bats last season, continuing his rise in performance in the minors the last few seasons. He has been unable to even remotely replicate that success in the majors, though he did hit .300 last September, so he may be figuring it out in the majors. Urias gets a fresh start after his trade from San Diego to Milwaukee. He is penciled in as the Brewers' starting shortstop, benefitting from the move from Petco to Miller Park and could be a 20HR/10 SB player down the road. LABR: $5; Tout Wars: $4

OUTFIELD

Ian Desmond, Rockies: Don't expect much from Desmond, but in NL-only leagues, he still has a place on rosters. Desmond, based on his splits last year, figures to get most of his starts in left field against left-handed pitchers when the season gets underway. He hit .297/.350/.626 against lefties last year while hitting .226/.282/.375 against righties, driving his possible usage this season. In addition, the $25 million Desmond has due the next few seasons mean that Rockies have a vested interest in getting some production from him, though they likely would be better by just using Raimel Tapia and Sam Hilliard. LABR: $5; Tout Wars: $1

Gregory Polanco, Pirates: If healthy, Polanco should start close to every day in right field, batting fifth, for the Pirates. We saw in 2016 and 2018 what Polanco can do when he is able to stay on the field. Last season, shoulder injuries adversely impacted Polanco's output, which also happened in 2017, when injuries wreaked havoc with his campaign. The extra time off due to the Covid pandemic should allow Polanco to truly be 100 percent healthy whenever action resumes. LABR: $11; Tout Wars: $10