If you're in a league that uses FAAB - Free Agent Acquisition Budget - then good for you (if you're in a first come, first serve setup you need to change that for 2016). For those of you new to the game of FAAB spending, here is what you need to know. You have a set amount to spend on players on the waiver-wire - usually it's $100 or $1,000 - and you can spend that any way you want over the course of the season. This setup adds another level of interest/intrigue and it levels the playing field versus those leagues where people hoard waiver priority. In this 2-part series I'll list some players that might be on waivers in your league and give my thoughts on what an appropriate amount of cash would be to spend on each player. First off, we deal with the hitters.

* I wrote about how to handle the Waiver-Wire in the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Draft Guide.


PART I - HITTERS

C.J. Cron, 1B, Angels
Josh Hamilton is not going to be suspended for his off the field transgressions (surprising). That means the only thing keeping Cron on the field on a daily basis is the injury to Hamilton's shoulder that required surgery. We don't have a target date for Hamilton's return, but he's likely to miss April, giving Cron a month to establish himself after a strong spring (.426/.446/.779). Cron's playing time is in a bit of doubt once Hamilton is healthy. 
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20-25 percent

David Freese, Angels
Often overlooked and never sexy, Freese is a productive hitter who might be of value given that his cost will be minimal. He's hit well in spring batting .327 with a .877 OPS and nine RBIs over 18 games, and he's a career .280 big league hitter. A "professional hitter," there's no upside to mine here but if you need some corner infield help early on he might be worth kicking the tires on. 
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20-25 percent

Craig Gentry/Billy Burns, OF, Athletics
Coco Crisp will spend 6-8 weeks on the DL after needing elbow surgery to deal with bone spurs and chips in the joint. Burns is batting .397 this spring but he is only 4-for-8 in steal attempts. He's not much of a hitter, but boy can he run. Gentry is batting just .246 in spring, but he's hit .273 with a .346 OBP and 76 steals over 901 career at-bats. Gentry is the better option... and he'll likely be the lesser expensive piece of the duo.
Amount to spend mixed (Gentry): 15 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 25-30 percent
Amount to spend mixed (Burns): 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20-25 percent

Odubel Herrera, OF, Phillies
Herrera is 6'1", 200 lbs, 23 years old and he swings lefty. He has no big league at-bats though. But guess what? He will be the starting center fielder for the Phillies this season and it's possible he could slot into the #2 spot in the order. In 610 games in the minors he's hit a mere 13 homers but he has stolen 128 bases and hit .294. Interestingly, he's yet to see an at-bat above Double-A. Hard to see how this works out well, but if he plays daily he'll be a decent NL-only play.
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 15-20 percent

Jake Marisnick, OF, Astros
If you've been visiting the site every day in the month of March - let's face it you're a horrible person if you aren't - you'll know I have a soft spot in my heart for Jake (yes, it's true, I do have a heart). See Marisnick's Player Profile for my thoughts.
Amount to spend mixed: 25 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 25-35 percent

Hector Olivera, 2B, Dodgers
Olivera turns 30 in two days. Thirty. He's not young. He also has a couple of issues that should preclude you from spending much to acquire his service. (1) He's still in the Dominican Republic as he's having problems getting a visa. Bill Shaikin writes the following. "Olivera has not played professionally in two of the last three years... it could be months before he is in position to help the team this season." (2) He has an injured UCL and might require surgery at some point. (3) The Dodgers have Howie Kendrick to play second and Jimmy Rollins to play short. They also have Alex Guerrero who has a contract that states he has to be on the big league roster or be granted his release. The Dodgers also have Justin Turner/Juan Uribe to play third base, Guerrero could be tried there too, so before you go expecting Olivera to contribute any time soon...
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 10-15 percent

Jace Peterson, 2B, Braves
Looks like he will have a lot of early season run, pun intended, at second base for the Braves. He's performed admirably this spring batting .328 with an .810 OPS, but there are also warning signs such as 15 strikeouts in 64 at-bats and the fact that Jose Peraza is lurking. 
Amount to spend mixed: 15 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 25-30 percent

Justin Maxwell, OF, Giants
Hunter Pence (broken arm) is likely to miss most of April. Angel Pagan continues to have some issues with his back. That means we'll be seeing a lot of Gregor Blanco and Nori Aoki, at least in April, patroling the outfield for the Giants. Maxwell isn't a mixed league option, don't make that mistake, but he hit .343 with an .897 OPS this spring while driving in 14 runs in 25 games. A nice power speed combo, per 400 at-bats for his career Maxwell has hit 17 homers with 13 steals. Too bad he's also hit .224.

Amount to spend mixed: 3-5 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 10 percent

Ryan Rua, OF, Rangers
The Rangers sifted through Ryan Ludwick and Nate Schierholtz before settling on Rua to be their starter in left field. Rua hit .300 with a .894 OPS this spring to earn the gig, and he hit well in 105 at-bats last season driving in 14 while batting .295. He had a big power season in 2013 (32 homers, 91 RBIs), but for the majority of his minor league career he's merely been a solid hitter (.284/.365/.489). With full time work a 15/10 season is possible, but it shouldn't be counted on (of course).
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20 percent

Yangervis Solarte, UT, Padres
Solarte will play everywhere for the Padres making him a terrific NL-only option. He appeared in 27 games at second base and 111 at third last season (he also appeared in eight games at short and seven in the outfield - so check your league rules). Solarte doesn't own a standout skill, he had only 10 homers and no steals last season while batting .260 in 469 at-bats, so targeting him in a mixed league is likely unwise.
Amount to spend mixed: 10 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20-25 percent


Michael Taylor, OF, Nationals
I wrote about Taylor in this piece. Jeff Mans gave his thoughts in Taylor's Prospect Report.
Amount to spend mixed: 15 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 20-25 percent

Devon Travis, 2B, Blue Jays
Travis is a nice player (Baseball America ranked him as the 84th best rookie in baseball last season). He's go the ability to produce like Ben Zobrist with a bit more batting average. That means he's a threat for double-digit homers and steals as a rookie. He's also hit .323 during his minor league career and with only 134 strikeouts in 257 games he knows how to put the bat on the baseball. 
Amount to spend mixed: 15-20 percent
Amount to spend lg. specific: 25-30 percent