Fantasy Baseball: Player Value Post MLB Trade Deadline

By Muntradamus

 

As Lil Wayne once put.

“I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year.”

Well that is not exactly the case. But what is the case is that a lot of our favorite fantasy players are now on different teams.   Let’s take a look on how the moves impact your Fantasy Options.
There will be a HITTERS Rankings and PITCHERS Rankings coming out this weekend.

 

but first..

 

NEW PLAYERS TO CONSIDER:

DOMINIC BROWN – PHI – OF

Brown is supposed to be the future of the Phillies.  Semi failed the first time around, and this is his two month audition to show that he has 20/20 potential.

Fantasy Value: Good Keeper League Prospect with solid potential.  Key word, “prospect.”  I would rather own Lorenzo Cain by a long shot.

GREG HOLLAND/AARON CROW – KC – RP

If you need some cheap saves, these two will be fighting out tooth and nail for the closer job.  Easy guess is committee, but favorite now is Holland.

Fantasy Value: I would add both in all leagues where save options are scarce.  Holland before Crow.

 

NEW FANTASY VALUE:

 

RYAN DEMPSTER – TEX – SP

Just what the Fantasy doctor ordered.  Dempster finally goes to a team where his 6 INN 3 ER games can finally turn into Wins.  If he gets hot like he was all of June, we could see a HUGE boost up for the Ryan Dempster .05.  The reason I say .05 as compared to 2.0 is he lost his K value.  Depending on Dempster for solid ERA the rest of the season is a stretch.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! More run support will translate into more Wins.

ZACK GREINKE – LAA – SP

Moving to the Angels is a step in the right director for Grienke.  However Greinke is not the pitcher he once was to start the season.  His K numbers are not as dominant as they once were, and pitchers moving from the NL to the AL usually have a tough time.  Greinke already won a CY Young in the AL, so the run support will have to help.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! Moving to a contender that can give him plenty of run support should boost his value.  His opponents could be a little harder, but the rest will make itself worth it.

JONATHAN BROXTON – CIN – RP

Buzz kill on a great season for Broxton.  Broxton will simply go to a setup man role for Chapman.  The only thing Broxton can hope for is an injury to  a starting pitcher and the Reds decide make Chapman a starter.  The chances of that are small, and Broxton moves to the waiver wire in nearly all fantasy leagues.  KC closer situation is up for grabs, my prediction is Greg Holland.  Aaron Crow will get a shot.

FANTASY VALUE: Down! Now a setup man.

 

FRANCISCO LIRIANO – CWS – SP/RP

Moving to the White Sox should give Liriano a fresh resume to build off of.  Francisco get’s the Ks, but he is also very wild.  Pitching for a competitive team like the White Sox should give him a small boost, he is also in the same division so the opponent will not change.  Except for tonight when he faces his old team.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! Still on the border of waiver wire and ownable.  I would wait to see him have a successful start or two before definitely adding him in all leagues.

 

HUNTER PENCE – SF – OF

Moving to the Giants, Pence gets a slight downgrade. The Giants play in a huge ball park where HRs do not come frequently unless you are Barry Bonds.  The Giants lineup is also weaker than the lineup Pence was lucky to have with the Phillies.  He should still produce at a high rate, but I do not see him being the player we expected him to be when drafted.

FANTASY VALUE: Down! Playing at AT&T Park with a weak lineup will result in worse numbers than before.

 

SHANE VICTORINO – LAD – OF

Victorino moves to a team where he should have ELITE potential. The Dodgers lineup is one of the best in baseball right now from head-to-toe.  Victorino has been having a down season, but moving to a team that is sparked with the idea that they can win the World Series should make any player better.  Shane and Hanley should both make each other better as they try to out duel for best new Dodger.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! More everything across the board.

 

GEOVANY SOTO – TEX – C

The Rangers got Soto for defensive purposes. Yes he does have some hitting capabilities somewhere locked up in his system. But most importantly he is the best defensive catcher the Rangers have.   I do not expect Soto to play everyday, that is until his bat comes alive again.  If it does, it will spell the end of the Mitch Moreland days as Mike Napoli will move to 1B full-time.

FANTASY VALUE: Same. Soto was waiver wire material before, at least this time if he gets hot he could be added in some leagues.

 

PAUL MAHOLM – ATL – SP

For the first time in Maholm’s career he will be fighting for a chance to be in the playoffs.  Lately he has been one of the most underrated pitchers in the game as he has not allowed more than 1 ER in any start since June 29th.  Pitching for the Braves he can expect more run support which should translate into more wins.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! More run support should allow Maholm to be a better pitcher in fantasy leagues.

 

MARCO SCUTARO – SF – 2B/SS/3B

Marco is the definition of a utility player. Moving to the spacious ball park in SF from HR territory in Coors field is a huge downgrade. You can expect his numbers to go down across the board and at best hope you are getting a modern day Mark Lorretta.  I would personally look for other options.

FANTASY VALUE: DOWN! Moving out of Coors field is the worst thing that could happen to a mediocre hitter like Scutaro.

 

HANLEY RAMIREZ – LAD – 3B/SS

Hanley just landed in a dream situation where he bats 5th for a team that has a great chance of making the playoffs.  That 5th spot is behind Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier who are sure to get on base more frequently than not.  We should also see a more motivated Hanley who is now on a team with veterans that can motivate him to play at his level.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! Hanley will snap into his 1st round value that his owners know he is capable of.

 

RYAN ROBERTS – TB – 2B/3B

Roberts need a change of scenery after the D-Backs toyed around with his production.  Now he will see everyday ABs and is on a team that will give him the fresh look he was needing all season long.  Expect Roberts to tap into that 20/20 potential we all know he has deep down inside.  If you just lost Alex Rodriguez, time to add him.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! The Rays will figure out ways to make Ryan Roberts successful as he needs to be the spark plug of this offense.

 

WANDY RODRIGUEZ – PIT – SP

Wandy was doing terrible in Houston.  That does not give fantasy owners any reason to believe he will perform for another NL team.  Wandy was terrible against the Padres all season long, and he never shows consistency.  The move to Pittsburgh will not give him a boost in value until he can pitch consistently.

FANTASY VALUE: Same! Very inconsistent pitcher.  I would consider him on the borderline of waiver wire and ownable, it will take a handful of good starts to trust him.

 

ICHIRO SUZUKI – NYY – OF

Going to the Yankees is a dream come true.  Ichiro will not only be surrounded by All-Stars which should bring more out of him, he will be hitting in a lineup where RBI chances could come nearly every game.  No matter where Ichiro bats in this Yankee lineup, he can be very productive.  Brett Gardner stole 40+ bases batting in the back of the Yankee order last season, and we can see a resurgence of some speed to close out the year.  Lefties also thrive in the short right field fence.  Ichiro will play everyday because he is Ichiro, and he is an elite OF option.  Andruw Jones will take Swisher or Ibanez out of the lineup against lefties.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! Playing on a more competitive team, and the opportunity for more RBIs  on the best offense’s in the MLB. Should lead to getting the most results out of Ichiro.

 

OMAR INFANTE – DET – 2B

The Tigers made a great move acquiring Infante.  Desperately they needed a 2B, and he should thrive no matter where he is in that stacked lineup.  The further back, the more RBI opportunities will come.  Infante was producing a career year with the Marlins, and that career year can get better playing for a contender that will score more runs than the Marlins.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! The Tigers will score more runs than the Marlins, which will result in more RBI opportunities.

 

ANIBAL SANCHEZ – DET – SP

It seemed like every start Sanchez would make, he has had at least one bad start against that team.  Now he gets a fresh look at some lineups that have never faced him.  On top of that he will be playing for a team that could give him huge run support any given night.  Sanchez should get a big boost in value as his win total should get a nice jolt.

FANTASY VALUE: UP! More run support and playing for a competitive team should get the best out of Sanchez.