FAAB Factor-AL: Stash Holland

Starting Pitchers:

Rubby De La Rosa, Red Sox - De La Rosa made his season debut this week after the team put Clay Buchholz on the DL. He pitched seven innings and struck out eight batters with no walks and no earned runs allowed to the Rays at home. In the minors this season he had a 3.04 ERA (2.75 FIP) with 52 strikeouts and 23 walks over 53.1 IP. Given the way he performed in his debut, the team has no choice but to keep rolling with him. He should miss a fair amount of bats, it's just a matter of keeping the walks to minimum and keeping the ball in the park, which might prove tough in the AL East. This coming week he gets the Tigers on the road. Mixed: $4; AL: $16.

Derek Holland, Rangers - Owners should keep stashing Holland in leagues, as he continues to ramp up his rehab. This week he threw a 70-pitch bullpen session, as he moves closer towards a rehab assignment. Last season he had a 3.42 ERA (3.44 FIP) with 189 strikeouts and 64 walks over 213 IP. He could be a real difference maker for AL only owners in the second half of the season. Mixed: $5; AL: $15.

T.J. House, Indians - House made his second start of the season this week, against the White Sox on the road, where he gave up only one earned run over 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Previous to that he was lit up by the Orioles on the road, which is a tough place to pitch anyhow, but magnified when it's your first start of your career in the majors. Earlier this season he was at Triple-A Columbus, where he posted a 2.40 ERA (2.89 FIP) with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks over 41.1 IP. He's starting right now in place of the injured Zach McAllister (back) who should be back in the coming weeks, so don't invest too heavily into House, as he'll likely only make one or two more starts. This week he gets the Red Sox at home. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Alex Meyer, Twins - Meyer remains a good player to stash in AL only formats, while he continues to dominate at Triple-A Rochester. This week he pitched six innings with one earned run, eight strikeouts, and three walks. The walks are something he needs to improve on, as he's not likely to get away with them at the major league level as he has in the minors. He's a very highly thought of prospect in the Twins system and has a great ability to miss bats. We should see him shortly after the Super 2 dates pass. Mixed: $4; AL: $15.

Joe Saunders, Rangers - Saunders held the Twins scoreless on the road this week, in his second start of the season. He added six strikeouts with two walks and five hits allowed. He's not likely to find many cushy starts like this moving forward and is not a recommended addition for most owners. Last season with the Mariners he had a 5.26 ERA (4.72 FIP) with 107 strikeouts and 61 walks over 183 IP. This week he gets the Orioles and Indians at home. Buyer beware. Mixed: No; AL: $4.

Matt Shoemaker, Angels - Shoemaker was optioned to the minors last Sunday, somewhat surprisingly, after he had performed well in his previous three starts. He was brought back up on Thursday and gave up three earned runs over 5.1 innings with six strikeouts and no walks. He now has a 3.54 ERA (3.35 FIP) with 26 strikeouts and seven walks over 28 innings. He's an intriguing option in all formats, assuming the Angels stop yo-yoing him between the bullpen and rotation and in the minors and the majors. This week he gets the White Sox at home. Mixed: $5; AL: $15.

Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays - Back in the majors and in the rotation, Stroman was dominant on Saturday against the Royals, as he gave up one earned run over six innings with no walks and six strikeouts. If allowed to stay in the rotation, he provides immediate help to owners looking for strikeouts. This season at Triple-A Buffalo he had a 3.03 ERA (2.11 FIP) with 45 strikeouts and nine walks over 35.2 IP. An elite pitching prospect, he should be owned in all formats. This week he gets the Cardinals at home. There will be bumps and bruises along the way, but the strikeouts and potential for wins should make up for it. Mixed: $7; AL: $25.

Taijuan Walker, Mariners - Monday will mark Walker's fourth rehab start in the minors, as he continues to make his way back from a shoulder injury. Another couple starts at Triple-A Tacoma are likely, making Walker more of a guy to stash for now. Last season between Double and Triple-A he had a 2.93 ERA with 160 strikeouts and 57 walks over 141.1 IP. He's an elite pitching prospect that should be on most owners' radars. Mixed: $5; AL: $20.

Relief Pitchers:

Joba Chamberlain, Tigers - Joe Nathan blew yet another save this week and now has an ERA at 5.23 and WHIP of 1.31. There's no immediate concern that he might lose his role as the Tigers closer, but it's enough of a concern that owners should check on the availability of Joba in their leagues. He has a 2.70 ERA (1.61 FIP) with 29 strikeouts and seven walks over 23.1 IP. He's not a bad guy to stash if you have a deep bench or are a overly concerned Nathan owner. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Jacob Petricka, Zach Putnam, & Daniel Webb, White Sox - Ronald Belisario blew another save this week but picked up the win in the process, which does little to hide the fact that he has a 5.10 ERA. At this point manager Robin Ventura has to do something to help stop his bullpen from blowing games. There are no good alternatives to Belisario right now though. Petricka has a 1.47 ERA, but doesn't miss nearly enough bats and has shown poor command with nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (20) this season. Webb has similar issues with just as many walks (21) as strikeouts (22) too. Javy Guerra is back in the majors, but he has given up three earned runs in his first three appearances and can't be trusted yet. Maybe Zach Putnam is the guy they turn to, who had a 1.50 ERA in May. He hasn't been awful this season and keeps the ball on the ground. It's best if owners avoid this situation all together. All - Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Catchers:

Jose Molina, Rays - With Ryan Hanigan (hamstring) landing on the DL, Molina now finds himself starting behind the plate for the Rays. Molina has done close to nothing this season offensively with no home runs or RBI and a .130 batting average. The RBI should come, as well as some runs, but don't expect the power to surface anytime soon; last season he had two home runs over 313 PA. If you're looking for a second catcher in AL only formats, keep looking. Mixed: No; AL: $3.

Corner Infielders:

Kyle Blanks, A's - Blanks hit two home runs this week and scored four runs, which puts his batting line at .276/.364/.483 over 33 PA. He doesn't get enough playing time to be a useful option in mixed leagues, but in AL-only formats he might pass for a corner infielder. He does much better against LHP than RHP, so don't be surprised to see him only in the lineup against southpaws. Brandon Moss has been dealing with a calf injury lately, so Blanks might see a small bump in the coming days. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Garin Cecchini, Red Sox - Cecchini got the call this Sunday from Triple-A Pawtucket to help give the Red Sox some depth, while they wait for Stephen Drew to be ready to join the club, which shouldn't be much longer. At Pawtucket Cecchini hit .278/.354/.335 with one home run over 198 PA. Don't expect his stay in the majors to be long with Drew's return looming. If anything, bid on him in keeper leagues, if you can stash him for later this season or next. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Kelly Johnson, Yankees - Mark Teixeira is again dealing with an injury to his wrist and will miss some time. He hasn't gone on the DL yet, but that certainly remains an option. In the meantime, Johnson is likely to get some run at first base. This season he has hit .217/.286/.409 with four home runs and two stolen bases over 126 PA. A career .252 hitter, the average should come up some. If you're a Teixeira owner, Johnson isn't the worst substitute in an AL only format, as he's at least showing some power and speed. Mixed: $3; AL: $10.

Kendrys Morales, Free Agent - With the MLB first year player draft coming this week, Morales should be close to signing with a team. The Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners all make sense, so it's worth throwing a few dollars his way, in the hopes that he does indeed land in the AL. Last season he hit .277/.336/.449 with 23 home runs over 657 PA. In mixed leagues he's certainly worth stashing, if he's still available. Mixed: $6; AL: $20.

Mike Moustakas, Royals - Danny Valencia's sprained left hand has him on the DL and Moustakas back in the majors, after an eight game stint at Triple-A Omaha. A career .236 hitter, Moose has hit .152 this season with four home runs over 139 PA. At this point in his career he needs a change of scenery or a fundamental shift in his mechanics to get him back on the path he was on, when he first came up as an intriguing prospect. As is, he's a poor option for owners in all leagues. Hope that he helps your counting stats and hold your nose, when you look at his batting average and on base percentage. Mixed: No; AL: $4.

Jonathan Singleton, Astros - As soon as we're past Super 2 dates, expect to see Singleton called up from the minors. We've already seen Oscar Taveras come up, so we likely can't be too far from seeing Singleton. At Triple-A Oklahoma City he has hit .267/.397/.544 with 14 home runs over 239 PA. The power should translate, but the batting average may struggle, as he adjusts. Pick him up in any league where you're looking for a first baseman or power. Mixed: $8; AL: $30.

Middle Infielders:

Pedro Ciriaco, Royals - Ciriaco got a hit in each of the five games he played in this week with two going for doubles, as he fills in at second and third base for the Royals. That is likely over now, as Omar Infante is back off the DL and Mike Moustakas is back from the minors. Considering how lost Moustakas has been in the past, the team might opt to give Ciriaco a little bit more run at the hot corner. On the season he's hit .250/.268/.300 with three stolen bases over 42 PA. He doesn't have any power, so if anything use him as a stopgap to help cover up any middle infield blemishes your roster may have. Mixed: No; AL: $4.

Stephen Drew, Red Sox - Drew should be up sometime this week after playing a few games in the minors to knock off the rust and get game ready. Last season with the team, he hit .253/.333/.443 with 13 home runs and six stolen bases over 501 PA. Considering how much time he has missed, it's natural to think he might start out slow. Still, he should have value in AL only and mixed formats because of his power and runs scored. Mixed: $6; AL: $18.

Marwin Gonzalez, Astros - This season the Astros haven't gotten what they'd hoped offensively out of Jonathan Villar, as he has hit .200 with a .260 on base percentage. As a result, Gonzalez has started to find himself in the lineup more often lately. Gonzalez to his credit has hit .302/.343/.397 over 68 PA this season, which is likely the product of a small sample size more than anything. Still, he's been getting more playing time of late and while he has no real power or speed, he's not an awful pickup for a middle infield spot in AL only formats. Mixed: $3; AL: $10.

Outfielders:

Endy Chavez, Mariners - Chavez was brought up this week from the minors to help give the M's outfield a lift. Somewhat surprisingly, he has hit leadoff for the team. This likely won't last long, as he has a career .307 on base percentage. At 36 years old, he doesn't offer much power or speed anymore, so it's difficult to see how the Mariners expect this to work out. Still, as long as he's getting playing time, he needs to be owned in AL only formats. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Robbie Grossman, Astros - Grossman was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City last Sunday and was announced as the team's new starting left fielder. In his return this week he has gone 5-for-21 with one double and one stolen base, hardly anything to get excited about. At Oklahoma City this season he hit .299/.373/.453 with three home runs and four stolen bases over 153 PA. Only 24 years old, he has a little bit of speed and power, but not enough to make him someone worth owning in mixed leagues. Mixed: $2; AL: $8.

Alex Presley, Astros - Presley has seen some added playing time lately and capitalized on it, going 8-for-19 this week. On the season he's still trying to find his way with a .243 batting average. If he keeps on hitting, he should continue to find playing time, as Chris Carter has seen his at-bats cut down lately from the DH spot. A LHB, the team has only given him 16 PA this season against LHP, showing they really just want him to focus on hitting RHP. He's an option for those looking for a fifth outfielder in AL only formats, but really nothing more than that right now. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Jerry Sands, Rays - Wil Myers' wrist injury is serious enough that he was put on the DL this Sunday and Sands was brought up from the minors to take his spot. He's batting cleanup from the DH spot today, so apparently manager Joe Maddon is wasting no time putting Sands to work. At Triple-A Durham he hit .268/.352/.474 with nine home runs and one stolen base over 219 PA this season. He was previously with the Pirates and the Dodgers before that, where he showed good power in the minors, but it never really translated to the majors, though he never really got much playing time to prove himself. Add him in leagues where you're looking for power. Mixed: $4; AL: $12.

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