Fantasy Baseball’s…Streamers, Trade Rumors and Hot Pickups
~Streamers 6/20–6/26~
Welcome to week 12’s Streamer’s Delight! In this section I will give around 8–10 possible streaming pitcher options that are at or under 50% owned in ESPN leagues. My goal is to provide you with pitchers that I believe will give you a decent shot at a QS/Win or both and in turn, hopefully hit two out of three streamers. Based on the QS/Win criteria, my last week’s record: 7–2 and ytd record: 31–12. *Note: some opposing pitchers and pitching dates are subject to change.
In order by date…
Trevor Bauer CLE (vs TB 6/22, Archer)
-Another outing, another quality start for Bauer on 6/17. That makes a QS in seven out of his last eight starts and also at least seven innings pitched for four consecutive starts…this puts Bauer in must add territory until further notice. He faces the Rays in this matchup, which are known to bash lefties, but not righties…so we’re on the good side of the split on this one. He’s always had spells of wildness, but he’s kept that at bay for the most part and I’m trusting him moving forward as long as he doesn’t play any of the top few teams in the league.
Matt Shoemaker LAA (@HOU 6/22, McCullers)
-Shoemaker didn’t disappoint after appearing on this list last week, slashing an impressive line: 6ip/1er/7k’s. Five out of his last six starts have resulted in a QS and his K rate has been absurd…currently 55 k’s over his last 44 ⅓ innings pitched. Shoemaker is also in must add territory, but know that Shoemaker was a complete mess until he added a splitter to his arsenal about six weeks ago. Who knows how long this awesome streak will last, but I suggest everyone get on board until the wheels fall off…if they do at all.
Daniel Mengden OAK (vs MIL 6/22, Guerra)
-This is more of a hopeful dart throw after Mengden’s only had two major league starts, but I’m rolling the dice. Mengden was very steady his last time out against the heavy hitting Rangers, going 6+ innings and striking out 7 in a losing effort. It’s always risky trusting a rookie, but the Brewers offense isn’t scary and this is a matchup I would look to exploit if you need pitching help.
Danny Duffy KC (@NYM 6/22, Colon)
-After being sent to the bullpen earlier in the season, Duffy has emerged of late as a starter, throwing three QS in his four starts. Duffy has a history of getting high pitch counts early, so most of the time you won’t see him get passed the sixth inning or so, but a date with the strikeout prone Mets is enticing to say the least. Duffy travels to the National League which means he gets to face a pitcher at least a few times in the order…and we know how good most pitchers are as hitters, eek! Duffy has high K upside and his nice ERA and WHIP suggest that this outing should net him a better than average chance at a QS/Win or both.
Jared Eickhoff PHI (@MIN 6/23, ?)
-This streamer is a bit tricky. Seemingly good matchup, and he’s coming off of three out of four outings resulting in a QS. The trouble is that he’s been much better at home vs on the road and to throw another wrench in this start, he’s facing an American League team so there won’t be any pitcher’s hitting. So there are the negatives, but the good news is that the Twins are one of the worst teams in the AL and Eickhoff shut the Blue Jays down a few starts ago via his way to a victory. I think we’re seeing Eickhoff taking a turn for the better this year as he’s thrown a QS in seven out of his last nine starts. This is one streamer that I’m trusting on this outing and also is a good stash in dynasty leagues.
Jameson Taillon PIT (vs LAD 6/24, Bolsinger)
-One of the most highly touted rookies being called up this year, Taillon has fully lived up to the hype during his first two outings, by tossing two QS which included an eight inning gem against the Mets. The only downfall with Taillon is his moderate K rate, but as long as owners get a solid overall return from him, there won’t be any complaining. The Dodgers don’t really pose a major threat offensively, but rookies tend to have their ups and downs while they’re getting adjusted to the majors, so throw him out there if you believe he can continue his success.
Zach Davies MIL (vs WSH 6/25, Gonzalez)
-That’s four straight QS and a 3–0 record during his last four games! Davies has also sported a 0.64 WHIP over those same four starts…to put this into perspective, Clayton Kershaw has a 0.66 WHIP on the year and we know how amazing that guy is. I’m not saying that Davies is Kershaw or that he’ll keep up that ridiculous stat because he won’t, but although he’s got a tough opponent in Washington, I believe he’s pitched well enough to be right around a QS and his mound opponent (Gio Gonzalez) hasn’t been good lately. Run support might be in order, so consider Davies if you’re in a pinch.
James Paxton SEA (vs STL 6/26, Garcia)
-Anyone that throws 100 mph has my attention and that’s exactly what Paxton did. Paxton, once a highly valued prospect, has struggled with injuries the last few seasons and hasn’t been able to find consistency. So far in 2016, he’s thrown three straight QS out of his first four outings and he’s K’d 22 batters in his last 18.1 innings. The problem with Paxton is his limited arsenal…he only has two pitches that he relies on, so he definitely will be predictable from time to time. He faces the Cardinals at home against a struggling Jaime Garcia. The big lefty is someone to keep your eye on throughout each of his starts to see if you want to stash him on your team and not just as a streamer.
“Buy/Sell” Trade Rumor Edition
Almost every season the MLB deadline sees legitimate impact players going from one team to another, sometimes even All-Star caliber players. Adding to the fun (at least for me) is all of the rumors leading up to the deadline, which of course some, if not most, turn out to not be true, but they sure are fun to follow and it is fun to dream as fans which players may be coming to save our teams’ season. So how does this affect us now, in fantasy, almost 6 weeks out from the deadline? A huge part of fantasy success is predicting future performance and acting upon those “feelings” before anyone else and taking advantage of a buying or selling opportunity. Every other week @jedy brings you an awesome buy low/sell high column based on the underlying numbers (peripherals) that players are putting up. This write up is based on nothing less than “rumors” so by no means am I saying take action today, but rather what I am saying is start watching the rumors, twitter feeds and talk around the following players and you may see a buying or selling opportunity coming before anyone else in your league. Some potential trades could send power hitters to pitcher friendly parks, fly ball pitchers to hitter’s parks or change a player’s role all together. So keep your ears open and your trade offers ready here are 5 players who may move prior to the deadline and how those potential moves could affect them going forward.
1. No Run DMC, New York Yankees: It has been rumored that the Yankees may shop one of their big three relievers. The most likely to move is probably Aroldis Chapman since he is on an expiring contract.
Most Likely Destination: A playoff/World Series contender who may have a closer go down to injury between now and then or a team like the Cubs or Rangers who have been rumored to be looking to upgrade their bullpen.
Fantasy Impact: Chapman could see a possible slight uptick in saves as he will be going from an under .500 NYY team to a playoff contender so this could increase his save chances. The bigger impact however would be to Andrew Miller as he would most likely regain the primary closer role that he occupied during Chapman’s suspension, making him an easy top 6–8 closer from that point forward.
2. Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds: Bruce has been a pleasant surprise this season to those who had faith and drafted him. As of June 18th he has a .275 AVG, 15 HR, and 51 RBI hitting in a so-so Reds lineup. Bruce’s home field of Great American Ballpark is a band box that any hitter would love to call home so you need to watch where Bruce is headed.
Most Likely Destination: Toronto Blue Jays or Baltimore Orioles. Both the Jays and Orioles have been rumored to be interested in Bruce for quite some time now. As far back as February a potential deal was reported by Ken Rosenthal to have fallen through due to medical concerns the Reds had with the minor leaguer they were receiving from the Blue Jays. Baltimore has had a bunch of mediocre players in the corner OF spots from Rickard and Kim and the Orioles seem to want anyone who they think can hit homers.
Fantasy Impact: Both of these moves only benefit Bruce in my opinion as both The Rogers Centre in Toronto and Camden Yards support a left handed bat with the kind of pop that Bruce has. Now whether or not Bruce can keep up his current performance, especially his AVG that is 25 points above his career average…well you would have to have @jedy pull out the peripherals on that one.
3. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: Braun has looked really good this year, batting a healthy .315 to go with 11 bombs, 36 RBI and 6 steals thrown in for good measure. Other than a few days for “general soreness” and couple for a stiff neck, Braun has avoided the injury bug that cost him over 140 games over the last 3 seasons and he has consequently gotten himself back into top 10 OF consideration. However, the Brewers are going nowhere in the tough NL Central and Braun could bring in a good haul of prospects to help in the rebuild.
Most Likely Destination: The rumor mill has been quite hot lately with talk of Braun going to the SF Giants. The recent serious injury to Hunter Pence has only made those rumors louder.
Fantasy Impact: Even though Braun would be joining a much better lineup and presumably be keeping his position in a run producing spot in the order, this move would most likely hurt his value overall. AT&T Park is not nearly the hitter’s park that his current park is. In addition, he loses the higher number of road games in places like Cincinnati and Chicago and replaces them with trips to Petco in San Diego. Braun will still produce should he avoid injury but don’t be surprised if you see his power pace slow down a bit.
4. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies: It seems every season CarGo’s name gets thrown around as the trade deadline approaches and this year is no different. Gonzalez is another player with a history of injuries who has managed to avoid them this season and his owners are reaping the benefits to the tune of a .311 AVG, 15 HR and 36 RBI. Will this year finally be the year the Rockies move on from CarGo? Only time will tell, but I would keep watch if I owned him.
Most Likely Destination: A park that is not as hitter friendly as Coors. However, a team name that has been thrown out there is the Red Sox. CarGo would replace a LF that has seen a .241/.321/.377 triple slash with just 4 HR (as of the end of May). Gonzalez is an obvious upgrade and would turn an already scary offense into a downright nightmare for opposing pitchers.
Fantasy Impact: A trade to Boston would put Gonzalez in the middle of what is possibly the most potent lineup in baseball, so that can’t be bad. However should CarGo could be dealt to a less hitter friendly environment, tread cautiously as we have seen some major dips in hitters performance when they leave the friendly confines of Coors…see Dickerson, Corey and his 100 point drop in batting average from last season to this.
5. Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics: While most of the players on this list have enjoyed great seasons thus far, Gray has not. Amidst a tough start that has his ERA above 5.50 and his WHIP at 1.50, Gray has also spent a couple weeks on the DL due to a strained trapezius. He looked a bit better at first when coming off the DL but allowed 5 ER last time out. Oakland has always been a team to move veterans for cheaper younger players and with the team already 11 games under .500 look for them to again be sellers at the deadline and pitching is always a hot commodity.
Most Likely Destination: This one is a little tougher to call as you never know which team will have an injury that has them searching for pitching or the normally quiet club that decides to make a splash like KC did last year acquiring Cueto.
Fantasy Impact: Gray has pitched his whole career in the cavernous confines of Oakland Coliseum and a move to almost any park would be a downgrade from that. Also be aware of the team’s defense that Gray is being dealt to, he finished 2015 as the #21 ranked pitcher in ground ball to fly ball rate and relies on a strong defense behind him to turn those grounders into outs. In my opinion something is off with Gray this year and a trade may be just what you need to convince someone to take him off your hands so that they can “take advantage of his fresh start”.
Note: This should go without saying to all you savvy fantasy players but if you play in AL or NL only leagues be aware of your waiver wire should one of these players suddenly become available in your league. Close to the deadline may be a good time to save that top waiver spot or to spend your FAAB on a top tier guy who would not normally be available in your league.
“Week 12 Hot Pickups”
There’s two things that fantasy baseball players really get amped up for…trades and the hot waiver wire pickup. Nothing better than to grab that outfielder on a three game homer streak or that promising prospect getting called up to the Major Leagues. So much promise and excitement that that random player that no one wanted on the wire could give you an advantage and possibly become an everyday starter on your team. I’m going to list some pitchers and positional players that are worth a grab and might possibly be a mainstay on your fantasy squad for the remainder of the season.
Zach Davies SP Milwaukee Brewers- This one came out of left field. Never a big prospect, Davies has recently been amazing, slashing a 3–0 record in his last four starts with a 0.96 ERA. What’s also great about his run is that he’s also striking out batters…averaging almost one per inning over his last seven starts. Nearly 50% owned, I recommend picking up Davies and riding his hot streak until it ends.
Carlos Estevez RP Colorado Rockies/Shawn Kelley RP Washington Nationals- Both of these relief pitchers are on the ESPN most added list for one reason…each team’s closer hit the DL and they’re taking over the role for the short term. Estevez was named the closer right away whereas Dusty Baker played around for a few days before eventually naming Kelley the reliever to own in Washington. Both are nice adds if you need saves, but Kelley is the better add because he might be in the role for up to a month to six weeks due to Papelbon’s injury (intercostal strain). So grab either of these two quickly…they’ll definitely help your team out in the save dept..
Jameson Taillon SP Pittsburgh Pirates- There was buzz a few weeks ago when Taillon was called up for his first start in the Majors, but then we was sent back down after the start…a very confusing move to say the least. Taillon was one of the best prospects in the league coming into the season and he delivered on his first start and they send him back down?? Well, don’t worry because he got called up a week later and threw an eight inning gem and got a W. Taillon won’t have a killer strikeout rate, but he’s a really good pitcher and although he’ll go through some rough patches, he should be universally owned. The Pirates want to keep his innings restricted so they might be skipping him in the rotation from time to time. Expect a 3.00–3.50 ERA and 1.10–1.20 WHIP for the remainder of the season from Taillon.
Matt Shoemaker SP Los Angeles Angels- Any idea who ranks #1 in strikeouts over the past 30 days? It’s not Kershaw, Arrieta or Strasburg, it’s Shoemaker with 55 k’s over 44 ⅓ innings. Yes, he might have one more start than some because he just had a start on Friday night, but he’d still be in the top five in K’s if the others caught up in starts. Shoemaker has been fabulous over the past 4–6 weeks, dropping his ERA from 8.49 on May 16th to 4.50 after Friday’s start. He’s a must add at the moment in all formats.
CC Sabathia SP New York Yankees- Sabathia has been a different pitcher since his back to back 4 ⅔ inning performances on 4/16 and 4/22. Since then, CC has accumulated seven QS out of eight starts, giving up a total of only seven earned runs during that span…amazing! Especially coming from a pitcher that has been totally lost for the past few years. Sabathia is currently striking out slightly less than one batter per inning, which is great, but the negative is his elevated walk rate…which might cost him a few more earned runs than usual and also cost him some innings.
Michael Saunders OF Toronto Blue Jays- Saunders has always had power and usually some speed, but his inconsistency against lefties has made him nothing but mainly a platoon player over the years. The only two years that he was a starter, he struggled with a .236 and .247 avg…so what’s changed? As of today, he’s hitting righties and lefties, batting over .300 vs each. Like a lot of unproven players, Saunders can be a roller coaster ride, but he seems to have turned a corner and should be able to help fantasy owners in avg, home runs , and RBI at the moment.
Wilson Contreras C Chicago Cubs- A top prospect in the Cubs organization, Contreras got the call on 6/16 to join the big league club. Contreras was thrashing Triple-A, batting over .350 and should be able to contribute in the majors right away. The only downfall is that Contreras is third on the depth chart behind Ross and Montero and won’t get a ton of playing time in the short term, but I can see Contreras possibly playing a few different positions and eventually earning the lion’s share of start behind the plate, so be patient.
Shin-Soo Choo OF Texas Rangers- Once a dual threat as a 20/20 guy, Choo has been plagued by injuries and hasn’t been stealing bases as much as he used to. Choo still has some pop and contributes more in a category league than a points league, but the opportunity is there as he leads off for one of the best teams in the majors (Texas Rangers), so if you’re in need of some outfield help, Choo might be your guy.
Brandon Moss OF/1B St. Louis Cardinals- This pickup is only for the short term. We know that Moss has power and can hit 20+ homers, but his career average of .244 always pulls his value down a bit. Moss has been starting a lot of late due to his hot streak, but he most likely won’t get the bulk of the starts moving forward unless he continues to hit…which is very doubtful. Pick up Moss if you need power and RBI, but don’t expect it to consistently last too long.
Steve Pearce OF/1B/2B Tampa Bay Rays- Pearce started to see regular at-bats once Logan Forsythe went on the DL over a month ago. Pearce though, has never stopped hitting since jumping into the lineup and is slashing .344/9/25 on the season…so Pearce has forced himself into an everyday role even though Forsythe is back. Pearce is capable of contributing most of the year, but his numbers are way above his career stat line (.258 avg/.335 obp). So undoubtedly expect some regression as the season pushes forward, but don’t let that be too discouraging…pick up this multi-position eligible player and use his current streak to your advantage.
FLA 2016 Fantasy Baseball Advice
Mike Cave @caveman
Raymond Dworshak @colts00gt
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