Fantasy Baseball: Who Can You Pick Up To Replace Mark Trumbo?

Apr 16, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder

against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As Matt Shetler reported here: https://fansided.com/2014/04/23/fantasy-baseball-dbacks-mark-trumbo-indefinitely/ , Mark Trumbo is out indefinitely.  If it is indeed a stress fracture, you Trumbo owners will have to find a replacement for at least the next six weeks, if not longer.  As always, I am here to help!

I will give you tips on who to pick up to cover your 1B or OF positions, depending on where you were playing him.  Since all leagues are different, I will break this into three separate classes.  The first will deal with standard H2H or 5×5 roto league with 10 or 12 teams.  I will offer you replacement players who are available in at 25-60 percent of leagues.

The second part will be for those leagues that play five outfielders or two first basemen, or leagues that have more than 12 teams.  This will feature players available in 60-80 percent of leagues.

The last will be for leagues with 20 or more teams, or leagues that have more than 12 teams and start multiple 1B slots or five or more outfielders.  This will also apply to NL-only leagues, or any league where waivers are shallow.  This will show players that are available in 80-100 percent of leagues

I will try to focus on players that provide you with cheap homers, no matter the hit to batting average, since that is what Trumbo provided anyway.  That said, it may be difficult to replace his seven home runs already at this point of the season.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Replacements for standard leagues:

Ryan Howard, Phillies: Howard is only available in about 20 percent of leagues now.  He is hitting .270 on the year with five home runs.  I wouldn’t expect MVP numbers from Howard anymore, but he could provide production somewhere close to what Trumbo would give you, with a moderately better average.

Corey Hart, Mariners: Hart has four homers, but just seven RBI on the year.  That said, he is hitting .267.  He still may cede some starts to Justin Smoak, but Hart is clearly the number one option.  He won’t give you quite the power Trumbo would, but he won’t hurt your average as badly either.

Chris Collabello, Twins: Yeah, he won’t give you a lot of power.  He only has two home runs on the season, but he is hitting a robust .347 with a whopping 22 RBI.  Nothing wrong with riding a hot hand!

Adam LaRoche, Nationals: His .294 average with three homers and 11 RBI is a solid line.  The numbers are not Trumbo-esque, but he won’t hurt you, and will play a lot in a good lineup.  If you can deal with losing a bit of power, this could be the pick up for you!

Mike Morse, Giants: He has tons of power.  While he only has three on the year so far, the potential is there.  He is a very streaky hitter, so beware.  That said, he is hitting a solid .266 right now, so you might get a little more than you bargained for.

Marcell Ozuna, Marlins: Ozuna is finally over half owned.  He still should be very close to 100 percent right now.  In standard leagues, you can have a guy hitting .312 with three homers and ten RBI absolutely free.  He won’t give you quite the power Trumbo does, but he is a very solid fill-in

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Replacements for moderate leagues:

Mark Teixeira, Yankees: Tex is barely owned in half of leagues right now.  Of course, his no homers and three RBI doesn’t exactly make you want to rush to pick him up, but his career numbers show that Tex is capable of putting up big power stats with a disappointing average…..just like Trumbo!

Nick Swisher, Indians: Yes, I am the one that told you to drop Swisher.  Now you desperate Trumbo owners can go get him.  His two homers and eight RBI will make you long for Trumbo, but the .213 batting average will give you a hint of nostalgia.

Kelly Johnson, Yankees: He gives you 1B/OF eligibility along with second base.  He has three homers and .232 average are nothing great, but there might not be much left in moderately sized leagues.  The bad part about Johnson is that he seems to be in a strict platoon, albeit the better part of one, with Yangervis Solarte, so he may be out of the lineup a lot more than Trumbo was.

Colby Rasmus, Blue Jays: Most owners have tired of his .191 batting average, but his three homers might be about as good as you can do.  The power potential is there, but he could really put a dent in your batting average.

Josh Reddick, Athletics: Hey, beggars can’t be choosers.  The issue is that he only has one home run on the season.  He does have power potential, but only you can decide if he is worth it or not.

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Replacements for deep leagues:

Mark Reynolds, Brewers: He was Mark Trumbo before Trumbo was fashionable.  True to form this year, he has five home runs, but is hitting a paltry .197.

Adam Dunn, White Sox: I tend to think that .250 average may not be sustainable, but the four homers and ten RBI are legit.  The power is still there, and he is available in 88 percent of leagues if you need him.

Lucas Duda, Mets: He has a nice average at .268 with three homers and nine RBI.  That and he now has first base all to himself.  He might be the most reliable player in this group.

Chris Carter, Astros: The .148 average is disgusting, but he has as much power potential as anyone on this list if you can stomach it.

Raul Ibanez, Angels: Three homers and 15 RBI is nice.  The .152 average is not.  Ibanez is a platoon guy, but he might be all that is left in some leagues.

Garrett Jones, Marlins: He might be one of the more surprising guys with three homers and ten RBI, but there is no reason that he won’t keep it up.  And the .232 average isn’t that bad compared to other names on the list.

Good luck!