Adam Eaton (OF-CHA). Eaton went 2 for 4 with a 2B and an RBI against the Twins on Friday night, raising his season slash line to .276/.343/.367. I was very high on Eaton coming into the season and, while his overall numbers are fairly solid, I have to say I am somewhat disappointed given the pre-season expectations. Eaton has stolen 6 bases, but he has been caught 5 times and has hit only 1 HR, and he was generally projected to put up better numbers in those two categories. Eaton has scored 35 runs as the White Sox' leadoff hitter, but overall his numbers make it hard to justify rostering him in standard mixed leagues. I do think Eaton's power numbers should improve, once his abnormally low 2.9% HR/FB rate normalizes, but unless he can improve on his SB numbers, he will remain a marginal mixed league option at best.
Lonnie Chisenhall (3B-CLE). Chisenhall went 1 for 3 with a walk against the Tigers on Friday night. Chisenhall entered tonight's action with a .367/.421/.585 slash line. While he will certainly not be able to maintain that BA (it's being supported by a BABIP over .400 that is not sustainable even with a 26.8% LD rate), I still like Chisenhall to provide solid value in all formats going forward. Chisenhall is showing vastly improved plate discipline this year, having increased his BB% by 1.5% and reduced his K% by 3.6%. Additionally, the 26.8% LD rate means that the regression in Chisenhall's BA won't be as drastic as it would otherwise be. Finally, Chisenhall's 12.9% HR/FB rate is right in line with his career numbers, which means that Chisenhall should continue to produce HR at his current rate, which would leave him somewhere around the low 20s by the end of the season. There really is nothing not to like about Chisenhall and if he is somehow unowned in your league, he should be snapped up immediately.
Conor Gillaspie (3B-CHA). Gillaspie went 2 for 5 against the Twins Friday night. Gillaspie entered Friday's action with a .335/.383/.440 slash line, but has yet to hit a HR in 2014. Gillaspie has shown improvements in his plate discipline, shaving his K% by 4% and is making solid contact (as evidenced by his 29.9% LD rate). However, the improvement in his LD rate has come at the expense of his FB rate, which has fallen from 42.2% last year to 33.1% this year. While his current BA is not sustainable (it's being supported by a .386 BABIP, which is high even given Gillaspie's outstanding LD rate), he should hit for more power from here on out, as his HR/FB rate is not likely to remain at 0%. Even if his FB rate stays at its current suppressed level, a normalization in Gillaspie's HR/FB rate should produce at least 8 or 9 HRs going forward (Gillaspie SLG % is a respectable .440) and, if Gillaspie can maintain his current LD rate, he should still produce a decent average. Gillaspie is therefore a sneaky add for those in deeper leagues who are in need of help at the hot corner.
Zach McAllister (SP-CLE). McAllister was optioned to AAA by the Indians on Friday. Because of the number of off days on the Cleveland schedule in the near term, the Indians opted to send McAllister down to keep him stretched out rather than disrupt the other starters' schedules. After showing promise in 2013, McAllister's 2014 has to be classified as a disappointment, as he departs the major league rotation with a 5.89 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. However, those of you in AL only leagues (who I assume are the only ones who would currently be rostering McAllister) should probably hold on to him if you have the roster space. McAllister should return to the bigs as soon as the Indians need a 5th starter again, and his peripherals indicate that he should be an at least adequate back-end starter in AL-only formats. McAllister is suffering from a ridiculously low 58.5% strand rate, and once that normalizes, his ERA should return to somewhere around his current 3.85 FIP. That ERA correction, plus his adequate 8.18 K/9 rate, indicate that McAllister should be able to return decent value upon his return to the majors.
Michael Bourn (OF-CLE). Bourn went 2 for 5 with a run against the Tigers on Friday nigh. Bourn entered the night slashing .263/.306/.358 with 6 SBs in 9 attempts. Bourn is very close to, if he has not already, losing mixed league relevance, as his once-elite speed has faded to the point where he will likely have difficulty matching last year's total of 23. Since Bourn brings nothing else to the table (career .094 ISO) and batting averages of .274, .263 the last two years and .263 again this year, he probably is not even worth 5th OF status in standard mixed leagues. If you are a Bourn owner, I would strongly recommend trying to find someone in your league who believes that there are still 30 SBs in Bourn's 31 year old legs and try to spin him off for something of value.
