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2015 Trade Deadline: Does Dustin Ackley Lose All Fantasy Value With Yankees?

By Mike Marteny

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The New York Yankees made their first deal of the 2015 MLB trade deadline on Thursday, acquiring Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners. The details of the trade look like this:

On the surface, this looks bad for those of us that own, and depend on, Ackley in deep leagues. Dig a little deeper with me though, and you will see that this trade could actually be a good thing for both Ackley and the Yankees.

The Yankees brought in Stephen Drew last year to try and shore up the second base position. Defensively, he has done a fine job, but he still can’t hit his weight. Drew is batting just .192, but he does have 13 homers and 28 RBI.

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    • Ackley is hitting marginally better at .215 with six homers and 19 RBI, but now that he could finally have a full-time job, you could see him take off for the Yankees. That is what they are hoping for anyway. If Ackley can take the job, he will likely be the stop-gap until Robert Refsnyder is ready to hit major league pitching.

    The Mariners were set at second base, Ackley’s natural position, so they shifted him to the outfield this season to get him in the lineup. This experiment has seen mixed results. Now that Ackley is back at his natural position, it could help him get more comfortable at the plate as well. Of course, moving from Safeco Field to Yankee Stadium is bound to help him out as well.

    One thing that stands out is that Ackley is a career .296 hitter at Yankee Stadium in 17 games. He also has two homers and nine RBI to go with that average. I would go see if Ackley is available in any leagues with 12 or more teams. This is the kind of pick up that can help you immensely in your quest for a fantasy title, especially once he gains back eligibility at second base. If you have an open bench slot, stash him!

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    Ackley became expendable for the Mariners with the acquisition of Mark Trumbo. The Mariners aren’t in sell mode, they are just trying to get value for someone who wasn’t really helping them out right now. They may have done just that.

    Ramon Flores made his major league debut back in May, hitting .219 in 32 at bats over 12 games. He won’t see any time in Seattle this season unless an injury strikes. He is hitting .286 with seven homers and 34 RBI at AAA, so he could make the team next Spring. He won’t be able to help your fantasy team out this year though.

    Ramirez is 0-2 with a 7.62 ERA in 11 major league appearances, all out of the bullpen. He is 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA and 10 saves at AAA this season, and could become a key piece in the Seattle bullpen yet this year. Carson Smith still has a long leash as the Seattle closer, but Ramirez could help you out some in leagues that count holds if he cracks the major league roster. Keep an eye on the situation.

    Next: Will Ben Zobrist Bounce Back In Kansas City?

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