Fantasy Baseball: Impact Of The Craig Kimbrel Trade

The 2015 baseball season was just started when the Braves sent Craig Kimbrel packing. Some may see this as a white flag by the Braves before the season even starts, but a closer look reveals that this could actually be a really good deal for the Braves.

First and foremost, this was a salary dump for a team going nowhere. San Diego was so deperate for bullpen help that they were willing to pay all of Upton’s albatross of a contract. It also turns the Padres into contenders in the NL West, but we don’t care much about that. You can read about the analytics anywhere. What you want to know here is the really important stuff. Like what it does to your fantasy teams!

Kimbrel’s value should get a bit of a boost here. He goes from a team that might win 60 games to a team that should win 90. That should mean at least a dozen more save opportunities for Kimbrel. You had to pay a premium to get him and his elite number of strikeouts. Now you get the certainty that he will be playing for a contender. You may want to send a couple of offers to see if you can get Kimbrel if you don’t own him, but you may not want to pay the asking price. It has likely gone up a little since the draft.

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The Braves already designated Carlos Quentin for assignment, which means that the little bit of fantasy value that he might have had is now gone. That said, if you have a bench slot, you might want to hang on to him to see where he ends up. Quentin is still just 32 years old and has some power left in that bat. If he lands with an AL team, which he should, then he could still have some fantasy value. We will keep you updated here when we know where he ends up.

Cameron Maybin is going to push Eric Young Jr. to the bench. Young has great speed, but has had trouble getting on base. Maybin just turned 28, so he is in what should be the prime of his career. That said, he has only tallied 302 at bats since 2012, and needs to prove he can handle an everyday role again. He has good speed, and has shown flashes of power. He can help those of you in leagues of 14 or more teams, and could be primed for that breakout that everyone thought was coming with the Marlins when they acquired him in the Miguel Cabrera deal.

Matt Wisler was the most major league ready pitcher in the Padres system. There is a chance that he could take a rotation spot from either Eric Stults or Trevor Cahill in the very near future. If he does, he might be worth a look in deep leagues.

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The Upton formerly known as B.J. was nothing short of miserable in his two years with the Braves. The Padres hope that him being reunited with younger brother Justin after a few months apart will provide the spark that people thought it would with the Braves. Melvin will most likely come off the bench until an injury strikes, but he still has the speed to terrorize opposing teams as a pinch runner. His value wasn’t much to begin with, but if you were holding him in a deep league you can probably drop him now. He won’t see enough action to help you out.

Jason Grilli will take over as the closer of the Braves with Kimbrel gone. Grilli saved 44 of 50 games as the Pirates closer in 2013 and the first half of 2014. He doesn’t have to be great for the Braves. His ascension to closer is likely temporary, but he is worth a look in all fantasy formats if you are weak on saves.

Juan Jaime seems to be the closer-in-waiting for the Braves in the minors. The 26 year old Jaime actually started his career in the Expos’ minor league system. He missed most of two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, but his velocity never dropped upon his return. If he is called up at any point this year, those of you in deep leagues should add him because he will likely be the closer before the end of the year.

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