Fantasy Baseball: Can Last Minute MLB Trades Help Your Fantasy Team?
By Mike Marteny
Can the last minute MLB deals have an impact on your fantasy baseball team down the stretch?
This was a wild August for trades. Usually the flurry of deals leading up to the non-waiver deadline of July 31st is about the end of the excitement. However, the Mets were still able to liquidate Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson earlier this month.
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There were four deals in the last two days that could really have an impact on the fantasy landscape, right when the playoffs are beginning.
The deadline for a player to be on their team’s playoff roster is August 31st at midnight eastern. That is why there were a few deals this year. Can your fantasy team reap the rewards?
Of course, a lot of that depends on what kind of league you are in. Only two of the four changed leagues, so those will have a far greater impact in AL or NL only leagues. Let’s check out the deals and what they mean for your team.
The first player on the move at the end was Mike Leake. The Cardinals moved him out west on Wednesday afternoon to little fanfare. Why? Well, a lot of these deals center around players to be named later, so it is harder to give the full analysis of these deals. Here is the Leake deal:
The Mariners have been demolished by injuries and ineffectiveness in their rotation, so Leake was a no-brainer for them. Leake posted a 7-12 record with a 4.21 ERA. Those numbers make him a streaming option in standard leagues, but nothing more.
The move to Seattle will make him an option more often. Safeco Field is a noted pitcher’s park, and can only help that ERA. However, his lack of a strikeout pitch means he wont have a huge impact on your fantasy team. But if you need help in ERA or wins, Leake could be a solid add down the stretch for his last five or six starts.
The Mariners only had to give up Rayder Ascanio. Ascanio hit .217 with nine homers, 44 RBI, and 12 steals across A ball and AAA. His major asset is defense, so even if he does get called up to St. Louis this week, he likely wont have a fantasy impact.
The lesser of the two deals that the Angels made last night was picking up Atlanta native Brandon Phillips from the Braves. Here is the deal:
The Angels have been rolling with a combination of Kaleb Cowart (there goes my cheap DFS punt!) and Cliff Pennington at the keystone lately. The 36 year old Phillips is going to play there the rest of the way.
Phillips hit .291 with 11 homers and 52 RBI for the Braves this year, but was displaced when the team called up Ozzie Albies earlier this month.
This deal does have major fantasy implications since Phillips is back in a starting role. He doesn’t have the upside that he did in his heyday with the Reds, but he can still help your team at a fairly weak second base position. He is also eligible at third base in most leagues, which can really help with roster flexibility. Phillips is worth an add if you are weak at 2B or MI, or even at third base.
Tony Sanchez will likely join the Braves later today. He spent all year at AAA, hitting .272 with four homers and 40 RBI. He spent part of three seasons in the majors with Pittsburgh earlier in his career. He wont help any of us in season long leagues, but he becomes an automatic punt option for DFS if he ends up starting.
The big move by the Angels was the acquisition of slugger Justin Upton from the Tigers. This provides much needed power for the Halos as they chase down a wild card berth. Here is the deal:
Upton will likely bat cleanup behind Albert Pujols for the Angels. Upton hit .279 with 28 homers and 94 RBI for the Tigers this year. He seems certain to break his career high of 31 homers set in two previous seasons.
The move to the Angels gives him a slight park upgrade, but the biggest thing here is protection in the lineup. That is something he has not had in Detroit since the J.D. Martinez deal.
If you need power numbers, or RBI in particular, I would try to trade for Upton if your league’s deadline hasn’t passed yet. His power numbers should enjoy a modest increase down the stretch, and never underestimate what playing for a contender can do for a player.
Grayson Long went 8-8 with a 2.69 ERA in 26 starts across A and AA this year. He likely wont pitch in the majors for the Tigers this month even though it seems like he could. They will likely limit the wear and tear on his arm since the Tigers mailed it in a month ago. However, those of you in keeper and dynasty formats may want to make a move for him. He has a more clear path to the majors in Detroit.
Just before midnight eastern, the Tigers were able to shed the contract of Justin Verlander. Here is what it took to get that one done:
Verlander struggled earlier in the season, but has been his old dominant self since the All Star break. If your league’s deadline hasn’t passed, I would make a play for Verlander if you need help in wins or ERA. Don’t overpay though since he likely has at most six more starts on the season.
The obvious loser here will be either Collin McHugh or Mike Fiers. One of the two, or both, will lose spots in the rotation with Verlander coming over and McCullers coming back. If you were relying on either McHugh or Fiers in deeper leagues, you will need to look elsewhere now. However, at this point of the season, you can likely get by with strategic streaming.
Franklin Perez went 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 12 games (ten starts) for high A Buies Creek. He also saved two games. Perez is at least two years away from the majors.
Daz Cameron hit .274 with 14 homers, 73 RBI, and 32 steals for A Quad Cities this year. Like Perez, Cameron is a ways off, but he could have a big fantasy impact with his speed when get gets up to the majors. If you can’t wait for speed, you could try newly claimed Cameron Maybin, who could pick up some steals for the Astros down the stretch.
Jake Rogers his .274 with 18 homers and 70 RBI over two levels of A ball this year. He could be a catcher with solid power once he gets to the majors.
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The story here is what it took to get him. All three prospects were ranked in the Astros’ top 12.