Nick Franklin - Franklin has scuffled down the stretch before hitting in his last five games, and that might scare some folks off for 2014, but I think that's being a bit pessimistic. Franklin has been very unfortunate with his BABIP this year, as his 23.7% LD rate has only resulted in a .283 BABIP, pushing his average down far lower than you'd expect it to be. The contact rate is an issue, but not a nearly insurmountable one, like Chris Carter's as an example. Franklin has shown good power for a 22 year old and some speed as well, and with the amount of line drives that he hits, in addition to the plate discipline that he has, I expect OBP to become a strength again, as it was in his minor league career. I am actually pleased that Franklin has slumped late in the season, because I think enough of his ceiling that I'm happy to see his value depressed. I expect him to provide starter's production in the middle infield next year, with the potential for stardom over the next 2-3 seasons with some slight improvements in his approach (lack of aggressiveness at times) at the plate.
Chris Sale - Sale was tremendous against the Tigers yesterday, going 7 2/3 shutout innings and allowing just 4 hits and a walk with 7 K's, and for the second time this month the bullpen allowed a huge number late to cost him the victory (something that will probably cost me the title in my AL-only league, since I'm 2 points and 2 wins behind the leader). Sure, someday Sale will probably get hurt, but it'll be more likely to be because he's a starting pitcher than because of some defect in his delivery. Pitchers get hurt, and there really are only a handful that would be considered much safer than the field, so I refuse to shy away from a guy that is clearly one of the best in the game because of some mechanical concerns. People said the same thing about Tim Lincecum from minute one, and although he has had two significantly less effective years after 4 2/3 excellent seasons, he has remained healthy thus far. How long does a guy have to continue to pitch well before the "potential injury" tag goes away? I don't know the answer, but clear #1 starters are pretty rare, and until Sale goes down that's what he is.
Moises Sierra - Sierra's 2013 went a lot like his 2012, with flashes of potential during most of a full season at AAA and then an August call-up. This year, however, Sierra is on fire for the Jays, hitting 364/407/673 with 12 doubles this month. He's made some improvements in contact rate that are showing up in the lower K rate, the BB rate has picked up, and he's hitting a lot more line drives (hence, in part, the higher AVG). He's also had a lot better luck with BABIP, and all those things combined make him an intriguing OF prospect for next year (and for next week since he's playing every day and has some power and speed). The Blue Jay offensive situation is still pretty crowded next season, so Sierra will likely go into March with very little value, but the soon-to-be 25 year old could worm his way into the conversation next spring and could be a real sleeper in many formats.
Kole Calhoun - Calhoun has managed a 348/373/507 line in September after a more tepid beginning to his big-league career, and he's definitely a name that I would keep in mind if the Angels deal any of their OFs (read: Peter Bourjos) this offseason. Calhoun doesn't get much press, but he's hit for average and power while showing some speed at each stop of his minor league journey, and while his performance has been a bit sporadic at the top level, a 287/349/467 line for your first 50 games is nothing to scoff at. As it stands now there may not be enough ABs to go around, but I wouldn't be surprised if Calhoun works his way into the mix by March, and if he does I would look at him for leagues of moderate depth or greater as a lower-end starting OF.
Ivan Nova - Nova bounced back from several subpar outings with a 6-hit shutout of the Giants on Saturday. Whether Nova was tipping his pitches the past few starts or not, he was certainly in command for most of the day today, and with the steps forward that he's taken this year I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him as a mid-rotation starter in all formats for 2014. Nova has maintained much of the K rate bump from last season and added even more velocity, but he's also recovered the high GB rates from his first few seasons in NY by utilizing his 2-seamer more. His control gets him in trouble from time to time, but with an xFIP ERA that has improved by around 0.20 in each of the past three years, I'm inclined to believe in him.
