Fantasy Baseball 2019 Offseason Moves Impact

There have been a few big moves made this off-season. How do they impact fantasy baseball as we prepare for the 2019 season?

The MLB off-season is usually quiet for the first couple of weeks as we wait for the Winter Meetings. Just look at last year and how long it took for certain players to sign. This off-season started with a Seattle Mariners trade that has huge fantasy baseball implications and now currently waiting for the next big signing.

Some of these moves won’t have a big impact on fantasy baseball. They are just minor moves for teams to build bench depth or shed some cash. Others will greatly affect those players’ and their teammates’ fantasy values.

Pitchers and catchers report for some teams on Feb. 13, just 77 days away as of this writing. That’s not a lot of time for teams to make their moves and try to compete for the 2019 World Series. However, some of the big names may take a while to sign while they wait for their offer.

Here is the impact regarding the offseason moves made so far.

Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays Make a Trade

On Nov. 8, 2018, the Mariners traded Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia and Michael Plassmeyer to Tampa Bay for Mallex Smith and Jake Fraley.

There were reports that the Mariners were looking at a complete teardown. This is confirmed by the fact they are interested in trading Robinson Cano and the other trade they made this offseason.

Zunino joins a young Tampa Bay team in a hitter-friendly American League East. The catcher pool, especially for fantasy baseball, is very shallow. Zunino finished with a 20 HR/44 RBI/.201 line. With more batters sacrificing average for power, he should finish with a .250 average this season.

As for Smith, he goes back to Seattle. Though, he never played a game with them. He hit .296 with 10 triples and 40 steals in 52 attempts last year. Depending on what the Mariners do the rest of the offseason, he could be a cheap alternative to Billy Hamilton if you want speed.

Fantasy Baseball 2019 Offseason Moves Impact

The Atlanta Braves made it to the postseason for the first time since 2013. While they lost in the NLDS, they have the structure to be competitive for the next few years.

The front office must feel the same way or else they wouldn’t have spent for Brian McCann and Josh Donaldson. The former was signed to a one-year, $2 million contract while the latter was brought in for $23 million for a year.

McCann spent nine seasons with the Braves, making it to seven All-Star games and finished with a .277/176 HR/661 RBI line in that span.

A few years later, he’s back in Atlanta. While Kurt Suzuki went to Washington, the Braves were left with just Tyler Flowers behind the plate. Adding McCann gives the team another one-two combo. His value has been on the decline since joining the Houston Astros in a platoon role. I expect the same to happen here.

Donaldson played in just 52 games last season, 36 with Toronto and 16 with Cleveland. He finished with eight home runs, 23 RBI and a .246 average. He is far removed from his 2015 MVP season. I wouldn’t draft him as my starting third baseman. But as a bench option, he could have a few good games.

The rest of the Braves offense, especially Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman, will see a boost in their production. Having two former All-Stars in the lineup will make the Braves a favorite in the National League East.

Fantasy Baseball 2019 Offseason Moves Impact

Everyone knew the New York Yankees were looking to add starting pitching. Many still think they aren’t done. They started by trading for James Paxton in exchange for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson and Dom Thompson-Williams.

Paxton hasn’t been the healthiest of pitchers, never making more than 28 starts which happened this season. In 160.1 innings, he threw 208 strikeouts (11.7 K/9) and 42 walks (2.4 BB/9). He finished with a 3.76 ERA and 1.098 WHIP.

The ERA may be an issue with the short right field in Yankee Stadium and the power hitters in the rest of the division. If he can stay healthy and make 30-plus starts, he’ll finish as a top-20 pitcher.

Sheffield was a top Yankees prospect but wasn’t looked at as an ace, more like an SP3 pitcher. He’ll have a chance to showcase his talents in Seattle. Sheffield is a sleeper pick in deeper leagues.

Fantasy Baseball 2019 Offseason Moves Impact

The Boston Red Sox bring back World Series MVP Steve Pearce. He’ll be moving around the outfield and fill in at first base when Mitch Moreland needs a rest.

More from FanSided

• Cardinals Rumors: Surprise extension, Dylan Carlson-Yankees link, Rays trade idea
• USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
• NFL rumors: 49ers trending toward contract drama with defensive star
• Steelers avoid any camp drama with latest roster move
• MLB Rumors: Potential Braves reunion, Lance Lynn no-trade clause and Orioles deadline intentions

The Pittsburgh Pirates sign Lonnie Chisenhall. They were in need of a fourth outfielder in case Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco or Corey Dickerson get hurt. Chisenhall finished with a .321 average in 29 games.

The Minnesota Twins claimed C.J. Cron off waivers. The Rays designated him for assignment. The Rays will fill first base and DH with Jake Bauers, Ji-Man Choi and Nathaniel Lowe. The Twins, recently losing Joe Mauer to retirement, needed a first baseman. Robbie Grossman is slotted at DH and Miguel Sano is still in the picture.

The Washington Nationals added catcher Kurt Suzuki. They had Matt Wieters for the last two seasons, so they will likely see an upgrade in Suzuki. Pedro Severino, Spencer Kieboom and Raudy Read are the other catchers in the Nats system but Suzuki will be the starting option.

These players will make an impact in AL/NL only or deeper leagues. Depending on your league size and roster construction, they could be valuable late-round picks. Now we wait for the other names to sign their contracts.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latest Fantasy Sports news and analysis across all your favorite sports each and every day!