What fantasy impact will Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon have on new teams?

What impact does Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon signing with new teams have on fantasy baseball going forward?

The MLB offseason is on fire after what news broke earlier in the week. The first big move was Stephen Strasburg agreeing to go back to Washington on a seven-year deal. Then, the top two free agents agreed to play for new teams in 2020 and beyond. How will Gerrit Cole going to New York and Anthony Rendon signing with Los Angeles affect the fantasy baseball landscape?

Before we get into that, there were a few other moves that, while may not be as eye-opening as those two, they will have an impact on fantasy baseball.

The first was a trade between the Padres and Rays as they swapped outfielders, Hunter Renfroe and Tommy Pham. Moving from the NL West to the AL East may get some getting used to but I think Renfroe will see an increase in his power production. On the flip side, having Pham’s bat in the Padres lineup will help those around him.

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The Phillies have their new shortstop in Didi Gregorius. While it’s just a one-year deal, his left-handed bat in the Philly lineup should yield some good fantasy results. According to RosterResource, Gregorius is slotted to hit fifth with Andrew McCutchen, JT Realmuto, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins in front of him. In the hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, Gregorius is a solid late-draft middle infielder.

Now, onto the big names starting with Cole. He signed a ridiculous nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees. Many thought he was going to the West Coast to either the Dodgers or Angels. Cole has good success against his new division opponents. His 4.91 ERA against the Blue Jays in his two starts is the highest.

However, unlike most pitchers who lose offensive support, Cole may be getting even more run support from the Yankees. They averaged 5.8 runs per game, most in the league. The Astros were third at 5.75 runs per game. The Yankees are also interested in bringing in Martin Maldonado. Cole posted a 1.57 ERA in 10 starts with Maldonado behind the plate.

Though, outside of the extra runs, Cole’s projections may not differ from his 2019 final stats. Yankee Stadium is a very hitter-friendly park. He also won 20 games last year. How much better can it get in 2020? For fantasy, wins are fluky and shouldn’t be chased. Depending on where I’m drafting, I’m likely to still take a hitter in round 1 but would be happy with Cole as my SP1 in round 2.

Going across the country, Rendon will be hitting third in the Angels lineup, between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Rendon had his best season last year, hitting .319 with 34 home runs and 126 RBIs.

Rendon doesn’t have much experience at Angel Stadium, making just seven plate appearances. In those appearances, he has a .333/.429/.833 line with a solo home run. He also hit well in Seattle and Houston, struggled in Oakland and hasn’t played in Texas.

The downside to Rendon going to Los Angeles is the lineup. The Nationals had a more complete lineup. Looking at the Angels’, after Justin Upton hitting fifth, it goes Brian Goodwin, Andrelton Simmons, David Fletcher and Max Stassi. They hit well but not consistently.

Don’t be surprised if some of Rendon’s counting stats regress some in 2020. He’s still a top-five third baseman and will be drafted fairly early.

Both Cole and Rendon are going to have great seasons. Cole is familiar with the American League. Rendon is moving across the country and switching leagues. Though, playing with Trout may have its benefits.