Fansided

Mariners Acquire Colome, Span: Fantasy impact

By Bill Pivetz

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 08: Alex Colome #37 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 8, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 08: Alex Colome #37 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 8, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Mariners made a much-needed move on May 25, acquiring Alex Colome and Denard Span. How does this impact fantasy?

The Seattle Mariners have been bit heavily by the injury bug. With long-term injuries (and a suspension) to two of their top hitters, management made some roster adjustments to accommodate for the missing pieces. As a result, the team needed another outfielder. The Tampa Bay Rays are a selling team, so they were able to trade away Denard Span with closer Alex Colome being added on.

Span has hit well in his previous two seasons but has seen a decline in his numbers this year. In 43 games, he is hitting .238 with four home runs, 28 RBIs, 27 runs scored and a .364 on-base percentage.

As a defender though, the Mariners picked up a pretty good one. Span has a career .992 fielding percentage including his 1.000 percentage for this season. He will likely spend most of the season on the bench as Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia man the outfield.

More from FanSided

The big name in the deal is Colome. After recording 47 saves last season, he saw his numbers regress. In just 21.2 innings, he recorded 11 saves with a 4.15 ERA, 1.477 WHIP, 9.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Colome will now be the set-up man to the Mariners elite closer, Edwin Diaz.

If you own Colome, and 64.4 percent of ESPN leagues have him owned, he is still worth rostering. While he won’t be the go-to option for save opportunities, the Mariners now have a relief pitcher they can rely on if Diaz needs an off-day.

He has a 54.5 percent groundball rate but his low strand rate (65.4 percent) and high BABIP (.354) explain the elevated ERA. He’s settled down this month, posting a 1.86 ERA. Colome is still a valuable source for strikeouts.

If you are looking for a closer on the waiver wire, the Rays have an opening. The name likely to take over the ninth inning is Jose Alvarado. The 23-year-old has a 2.95 ERA, 0.984 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a save in 21.1 innings this season.

He’s already owned in 11.4 percent of ESPN leagues and 22 percent in CBS Sports leagues. Saves are hard to come by and even if he won’t get five a week, Alvarado is still someone worth adding for the extra three saves per week.

Next: Is Dustin Pedroia worth adding?

This move proves that the Mariners are in a win-now mode. The Rays will continue to sell off their high-priced pieces, which should raise the interest for Chris Archer. Span loses value as he becomes a platoon player. Colome can still be helpful and Alvarado is likely a full-time closer. Add him if available.

Home/Fantasy Baseball