Before launching into specific names, this week’s tip is for those who play in leagues in the roto or one-on-one categories. This article frequently refers to the concept of combining trading strategy and waiver transfer, as wise managers will work these tools together rather than treating them as separate entities. Which brings us to a plan for trading hitters. With home runs and batting averages declining in baseball, finding someone who can hit for power and average has proven to be much more difficult than finding a speedster.
José Caballero has a reasonable .261 average, is second in MLB with 19 steals and is exempt from nearly half of the Yahoo! leagues. Jacob Young is one of six players with at least 16 steals and remains available in 77% of leagues, and Brenton Doyle has combined for 14 steals with decent numbers in other categories while still being exempt in 32% of leagues.
From a power standpoint, Shea Langeliers is the only player with more than 10 home runs and availability in more than 20% of leagues. Of course, to draft the A’s catcher you’ll need to put up with his .210 average. There’s a similar story with Daulton Varsho (10 HR, .211 BA), Eddie Rosario (7 HR, .173 BA) and Edouard Julien (7 HR, .213 BA).
The conclusion from these comparisons is that managers would be wise to change their hitting profile for home runs and batting average across the trade market. They are more likely to fill a gap created in the robbery category than in another category. Most of the picks in this week’s article guide managers in that direction, although we recognize this cannot be one-size-fits-all advice.
Who sells high
Luis Rengifo (2B/3B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Angels)
There are several reasons why I would like to sell high on Rengifo. The most obvious is that he is playing too much right now. His .374 BABIP is 87 points above his career mark, and across the board, his expected statistics are significantly worse than his real-life marks. Additionally, managers can use their four-position eligibility to increase their value to a potential business partner. Finally, most of Rengifo’s future value will be in the robbery category, which is the most abundant commodity in bank transfer.
Who to buy low
Christopher Morel (2B/3B/OF, Chicago Cubs)
Morel can fill the stat sheet quickly, as was evidenced when he produced 26 HR+SB on 379 at-bats in 2022 and 32 HR+SB on 388 at-bats last year. He already has 14 HR+SB this season, but his fantasy value has been reduced by a .197 average. Further analysis reveals a lot of hope for improvement, as he has dealt with a .207 BABIP and has a .263 xBA. Once he raises his average into the .240 range, Morel will be a valuable contributor with strong power skills and sneaky speed contributions.
George Springer (OF, Toronto Blue Jays)
Springer falls into the “he can’t be that bad” category. The outfielder has been terrible this season (.595 OPS) and completely unplayable in May (1 HR, .194 BA). Fantasy managers took notice, reducing Springer’s roster rate to 74% after he was rostered in virtually every league at the start of the season. Those who have room on the bench could consider a massive low buyout offer for someone who had 20-20 players last season, but this is a deal that can only be done by coaches who have the room to acquire Springer without putting him on their roster. lineup until it starts to heat up.
Who to buy at the top
William Contreras (C, Milwaukee Brewers)
Coaches can feel free to replace Contreras’ name with that of Salvador Perez, Adley Rutschman, JT Realmuto or Will Smith. The point here is that taking one of the best catchers in baseball could be worth it in the long run. Most analysts agreed during draft season that the receiver position was deep, but we have now seen that is not the case. Bad seasons from players like Bo Naylor, Mitch Garver and Keibert Ruiz robbed the position of a middle tier that should have provided useful numbers. Wise managers must be willing to go star by star, trading a valuable player at a different position for a top catcher and then working the waiver wire to fill the vacant spot. Additionally, with this week’s overall theme, managers should look for hitters who contribute in power and batting average, which is the case with all of the best catchers.
Who sells low
Anthony Santander (OF, Baltimore Orioles)
Santander doesn’t fit into this week’s theme, as its fantasy contributions come in the form of powerful numbers. But I still like the idea of selling the hitter cheaply, as his skills have not yet been evaluated. Santander is hitting fly balls at a higher rate than ever before (56.4%), but his average exit velocity has seen significant regression (87.2 mph) and his year-over-year barrel rate has also dropped drastically (7.1 %). Camden Yards is not kind to right-handed hitters like Santander, which means he will reverse his recent trends or face a major dry spell this summer.
