Jurickson Profar - Profar was 0-2 while knocking in the only two Ranger runs yesterday in his first big league game of the year, but more disturbing was the news that Ron Washington wants to split time (in his mind, close to 50/50) between Profar and Leury Garcia while Ian Kinsler is on the DL. Garcia is a speedy slap hitter that strikes out a ton and has zero power with a utility man's profile, while Profar is one of the best two prospects in the minor leagues, so of course they will be sharing time equally. I remain skeptical that Profar will offer value in 2013 at the major league level barring a longer-term injury to any of the relevant players blocking him, so although he clearly must be rostered in formats of any depth, a starting slot is still likely not the best place for him.
Dayan Viciedo - Viciedo was 2-3 with a walk yesterday in the victory over Boston, and he's hitting a very aesthetically pleasing 400/500/600 since returning from the DL. Most importantly, Viciedo has 8 walks against 5 strikeouts in the 11 games since his return, compared to a 0:16 ratio in the 13 games that he played pre-injury. The 23 year old is still maturing as a hitter, and any increase in plate discipline will make him that more dangerous with the level of power that he possesses. I still believe that he is underrated as a hitter.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Salty was 2-3 with a two-run homer last night in a 6-4 loss to Chicago, and he's hitting 270/347/495 this year as he continues to mature as a hitter. An LD rate of over 27% has allowed him to raise his AVG this year despite even more severe contact issues than normal (contact rate under 62%), and the power has remained at a rather consistent level since his arrival in Boston. His BB rate has continued to increase, and he's actually to the point now where he's a bit of a help in OBP from the catching position. All told, he's become a pretty underrated bat at a tough position to find production, and while the huge strikeout totals are likely going to weigh on the AVG as the year progresses, he is still a solid lower-tier #1 catcher for me.
Bartolo Colon - Colon tossed his second consecutive quality start against the Rangers, this time down in Texas, as the A's won 9-2 last night. Colon actually doubled his walk total for the year by allowing two free passes yesterday, and that stinginess with walks is what has enabled him to overcome a continuing drop in K rate to remain somewhat effective. Colon seems to have just enough left in the tank to be a viable 5th starter in most formats, but the K rate worries me enough that I vacillate between treating Colon as a guy that I should only take out for bad matchups, and treating him as a guy that I only want to spot in for good ones. It's a subtle distinction but an important one. Colon is 6/9 in QS this season, and through 33 starts with the A's his ERA is well under 4.00 with a WHIP under 1.20. I think the proper tact is to spot Colon out against tough matchups, allowing him to be a solid 5th starter for you the majority of the time.
David Lough - The ongoing struggles of Jeff Francoeur may result in a platoon situation in RF for the Royals in the near future, as David Lough, mired in AAA nearly all of the past three-plus seasons, is now with the big league club following Jarrod Dyson's sprained ankle. Lough is 27 with only 67 big league ABs, which is definitely a strike against him, but he has a career minor league AVG of .297 and has 10-15 HR power and 10-15 SB speed. If he's going to be protected from LHP, which I'm certain is the case, he could have a bit of use in deeper formats for the next few weeks at a minimum.
