Why Is Power Down In The American League?

The Blue Jays added CF Vernon Wells to the disabled lsit with a broken wrist.  he is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.  This moves RF Alex Rios to CF and installs recently signed free agent Brad Wilkerson in RF and recently traded-for OF Kevin Mench in major ABs.

Either player is a significant additon in AL-Only leagues where rosters spots for hitters are at a premium given the ubiquity of 12-man pitching staffs.  The question in AL-Only leagues is how real the .392 league SLG is.

If it is real, then a player with some pop like Wilkerson or Mench carries more value than nearly every AL-Only veteran fantasy player realizes.  Just getting a couple handfuls of HRs from a part-time player is no longer the easy task it used to be. 

With the necessity of a back-up catcher (no pop) and at least one infielder who can play both middle infield positions (no pop), there isn't too much room left on an AL team's bench for storing all-HR/nothing else hitters that can play DH or pinch hit regularly.  All four bench spots have to be filled with players who can play defense.

The drop in AL power is real if the 12-man staff becomes a mainstay of baseball roster construction.