Fantasy Baseball 2019 Offseason Moves Impact, Part 2
By Bill Pivetz
The MLB offseason is heating up as there were a couple of trades and signings that took place. How do those moves impact fantasy baseball?
Baseball fans and fantasy baseball owners alike are still waiting to find out where Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sign. Until then, there were a few more moves that took place over the last couple of weeks. Some of the moves will have a bigger impact in real baseball than fantasy but there were a couple that changed the landscape of fantasy baseball.
Related Story. Part I - Offseason Moves - Fantasy Impact. light
The last major signing I talked about was Patrick Corbin going to the Washington Nationals on a six-year deal. The next starting pitcher off the market was the savior for the Boston Red Sox on their World Series run. Nathan Eovaldi will go back to Boston on a four-year deal.
In his short time with the Red Sox, 12 games, Eovaldi threw a 3.33 ERA, 1.278 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 3-3 record. He has success against the American League East, especially against the New York Yankees. If the Red Sox want to repeat, adding Eovaldi back into the rotation will help. For fantasy, he’s a good middle option. I have him as a top-60 starting pitcher.
More from FanSided
- 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
- Caesars, BetMGM and PointsBet Promo Codes Give $1,850 Bonus for ANY World Cup or MLB Game!
The big trade was the Arizona Diamondbacks trading first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly, infielder Andy Young and a 2019 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick.
Goldschmidt joining the National League Central will greatly help his fantasy baseball value. He hit just 12 of his 33 home runs at home with a .238 batting average compared to a .339 average on the road.
In his career, Goldschmidt is hitting .420/.500/.807 in Miller Park and .337/.433/.578 in Wrigley Field, two of the Cardinals biggest competitors this season. He has a career .302/.402/.488 line in Busch Stadium. Goldschmidt is a top three first baseman in 2019.
The Diamondbacks fill in Corbin’s rotation spot with Weaver. He had a down year in his first full season in the league. Weaver finished with a 4.95 ERA, 1.496 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 7-11 record. Having Chase Field as his home ballpark may help the ERA but he still has to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, two power-hitting teams.
Kelly will split time between Alex Avila and John Ryan Murphy. A trio of catchers that will do nothing for fantasy owners.
Other moves include Chris Owings and Billy Hamilton going to the Kansas City Royals. Owings will be the super utility player while Hamilton will defense center field. Robinson Chirinos signing with the Houston Astros and will split time with Max Stassi behind the plate.
Tyson Ross signed with the Detroit Tigers. He’s a career 3.95 ERA. Ross is not draftable in standard leagues and barely valuable in AL-only leagues.
Next. Patrick Corbin Fantasy Trade Impact. dark
The rumors are still flying around about a potential J.T. Realmuto trade, possibly going to the New York Mets with the Yankees involved as well. A.J Pollock is still available and could help a few teams. With the Winter Meetings underway, we could see a few more signings and trades take place.