Yankees, Rays and D’Backs Involved in 3 team Trade: Fantasy Fallout

By Brad Kelly | Feb 20, 2018

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 6: Steven Souza Jr. /

The Yankees, Rays, and D’backs have swung a deal that will see Brandon Drury to New York, Steven Souza to Arizona, and two prospects heading to Tampa. What is the fantasy fallout of the deal?

As the start of the MLB season creeps closer and closer, there is still a ton of player movement occurring. Today, the Yankees made a move to get a utility infielder, the Diamondbacks added a power bat, and the Rays continued their bewildering deals as of late. But, what is the fantasy impact of it all?

The biggest fantasy impact will likely come with Arizona dealing for Steven Souza. Souza got his first crack at being a full-time regular with the Rays last season, posting a .239/30 HR/78 RBI/16 SB/.810 OPS line over a career-best 148 games. Souza showed what many owners figured. An exciting skill set checkered with red flags.

He struck out 29% of the time, yet did walk 14% of the time. He was having a promising year, but fell flat on his face to end the season, posting no higher than a .183 AVG over the last two months. Souza did battle minor nicks here and there during the year, but the hip injury he suffered in July may be some of the reason why the second half was so brutal.

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Now in Arizona, and out of the fantasy wasteland that is Tropicana Field, Souza’s fantasy value gets a bump. He may swing at everything, but the 30 HR/20 SB upside is well worth a late-round target this season. When he makes contact, it is solid, so there is still enough upside left to be intrigued.

In order to land Souza, the D’Backs had to part ways with intriguing infielder Brandon Drury. Drury has been a player that owners have monitoring for some time in Arizona, as he swung the bat well throughout the minors, and possessed decent pop for a second baseman. He did not exactly breakout last season, but was serviceable, ending the year with a .267/13 HR/63 RBI/.764 OPS line across 480 at-bats.

For the Yankees, this move makes a ton of sense. Drury is a youthful insurance policy or even possible starter. He is solid with the glove at second or third and is not completely overmatched by righties nor lefties. An early guess is that Drury locks down one either second or third, allowing Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar to start the year in AAA. Drury is not a must draft, but he could quickly play himself into being a high priority waiver wire add.

Between, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, and Drury, the Yankees have tremendous options to hold down second or third base. It will be interesting to see how the battle sorts itself out this spring.

The Rays have had a confusing week. They cut Corey Dickerson, and now have dealt Souza, leaving them with a gaping size power deficit. They did acquire two intriguing prospects in the deal with infielder Nick Solak, coming from the Yankees, and pitcher Anthony Banda coming from the D’Backs.

Solak was ranked as the fifth best second base prospect in the game but was blocked in New York. He has a clear path to playing time now in Tampa, so as long as continues to build on his .297/12 HR/53 RBI/14 SB line across A and AA ball., he could be in the majors here soon.The bat looks to certainly be legit, offering the Rays a solid infield piece to build around.

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Anthony Banda is the biggest wildcard in the deal. He has a plus 95+ mph, and a wipeout curveball, but struggled mightily during his debut and in the minors. The Rays are hoping that they can tweak and get Banda closer to the level of dominance he showing two years ago.

This deal helps soften the power loss that the D’Backs suffered when J.D. Martinez signed with Boston, solidified the Yankees’ infield picture, and successfully cut payroll in Tampa.

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