It’s trade deadline week!
I know, it’s crazy how fast this season has gone by! I remember the early weeks of the year, watching random players hitting like crazy and some of our favorite stars opening the season on a slump. Now everything has normalized a bit, and we are now at the point where
It’s also an interesting time of year because the moves made will have major ramifications for the roles of certain players on teams. Some pitchers may enter/exit the rotation, set-up men may become closers, and everyday hitters may move to the platoon role. This is one of the most important weeks in fantasy baseball, so it’s a good time to survey everything that’s going on around the league.
I would also like to thank Brett Ford for allowing me to fill in for this week! Brett will be back next week and for the rest of the season, so if you miss his insights (I certainly do), don’t worry, he will be back!
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues make the best choices in who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
Schedule notes
SEVEN GAMES: NYY, TBR, SEA, TEX, ATL, CIN
Batters
Outfielders
Ramón Laureano ($$$$):
Brett hammered the point home that you should be picking up Ramón Laureano last week, as well as the week before. In short, he’s been one of the best performers on a Baltimore offense that, while disappointing, has shown plenty of life at certain points in the season. Laureano has a 133 wRC+ and has his most homers in a single season since 2019 with the Athletics. He also has his highest batting average since that year. It will be interesting to see if he gets moved at the deadline, as he could be a valuable addition to teams looking for that one piece to take them over the top.
Mickey Moniak ($$):
While the Rockies have been quite the mess this year, Mickey Moniak has been a pleasant surprise. Yes, he got hot plenty in his stint with the Angels, but it’s always fun bringing a guy trying to figure it out like Moniak into a hitter’s environment like Coors Field. Yes, this can mess hitters up on the road but his away splits haven’t been too bad by Rockies standards. He’s the kind of guy who when playing at Coors is going to give you constant production, while he won’t sink you in road games.
Infielders
Matt Shaw (2B, 3B, SS – $$$$):
It feels like every few weeks, we have that young player that it seems like you have to roster. Right now, it’s Matt Shaw. He’s been dynamite coming out of the All-Star break, riding a seven game hitting streak with three homers and a smattering of runs and RBIs. This might seem like a bit of buy while he’s hot mood, but the tools are there for him to take the next step and become a great everyday player for the Cubs. To add to his great offensive profile, Shaw steals a lot of bags, taking advantage of his excellent sprint speed. This is a player who could be a serious difference maker for you down the stretch, especially if he continues to play anywhere near the level he is at the moment.
Colson Montgomery (SS, 3B – $$$):
The Colson Montgomery breakout has begun! The White Sox have been arguably the best team exiting the All-Star break, as they made quick work with the Pirates and have looked great against two above .500 teams. Part of the key to that success has been Montgomery finding his power stroke. He hit his first career home runs at Steinbrenner Field against the Rays before getting his third in a rivalry match where they smoked their crosstown enemies. Montgomery was viewed as a top prospect at one time, and while he lost a bit of that pedigree as he stuck around in the minors for a while, he’s come in hot, looking to be a spark plug for a White Sox team that has looked dead in the water at many points this year.
Warming Bernabel (1B, 3B – $):
Warming Bernabel is a Rockies prospect who has just been called up to join the big league club. He’s not the most exciting prospect ever, but the Rocies are looking for any kind of spark and he could provide it. Bernabel has been very good at putting the ball in play in the Minors, as he has had a low strikeout rate every year, with it dipping down to 12.3% this year with the AAA squad. This means that he likely has a somewhat higher floor than a lot of other young players, so he could be the play in the average category. At the very least, he should see somewhat of a boost when he plays in Coors, though that can also make it difficult to succeed on the road.
Catchers/UT
Adrian Del Castillo (C – $$)
Is it that time of year again when Adrian Del Castillo becomes a relevant fantasy baseball pickup? The Diamondbacks have been hit by some injuries this year, with Pavin Smith still out and starting catcher Gabriel Moreno looking nowhere near ready to return. Del Castillo is an interesting hitter for sure. Last year when we saw him, he did seem to be somewhat of a power bat, with a solid barrel rate and above-average bat speed. This year, he’s looking more like a contact hitter, with low whiff rates and the great ability to square up the baseball. It will be interesting to see if he can bring life to a Diamondbacks lineup that hasn’t looked as strong as it did earlier in the year. If you really need a catcher to stream, this might be a solid option.
Tristan Gray (Util, 1B, 3B – $)
This is an intriguing one, as the Rays just acquired utilityman Tristan Gray from the White Sox, following a series loss to them. Gray was previously a member of the Rays back in 2023, as he had a brief cup of coffee with them that included his first career home run coming against the Orioles. Now, with injuries mounting to their lineup, the Rays are looking to get production from a guy they cast off a couple of offseasons ago. Gray is an interesting player because he has a lot of sheer raw power. You may have forgotten, but he was viewed by some as a real dark horse fantasy baseball breakout candidate when he joined the Marlins. It didn’t work out, but perhaps he might find something rejoining the team he first got a shot in the big leagues with.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Joe Boyle ($$$):
So, who saw Taj Bradley getting sent down coming? The Rays made the surprise move after a blowup start against the lowly White Sox. Bradley just hasn’t been able to get any semblance of feel with his secondaries, which has led to the unfortunate demotion. Boyle came into the game following Bradley and looked solid, as he’s excelled in the long-relief role. The goal always seems to have been to have him join the rotation once tragedy struck, which is unfortunately par for the course with the Rays (and most teams throughout the year). Boyle has always had nasty stuff but has struggled in the control department. Yep, he sounds like a Ray. If the team turns it around and they are able to work their magic with him, he could be a great source of wins and strikeouts, he just has to make the most of this audition.
Bubba Chandler ($$):
The Bubba Chandler saga this year has been interesting, as many ranked him as the top pitching prospect going into the season. Now, many of his contemporaries, such as Jacob Misiorowski, Chase Dollander, Chase Burns, and Cade Horton have gotten their shots, to varying degrees of success. Chandler has struggled a bit in AAA this year, which has perhaps held him back. With Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney possible deadline targets for teams desperate for pitching, perhaps the rotation spot will open up for Chandler to take. Many have held onto him throughout the year, so he may not be available in your leagues, but on the flipped side, some have lost patience and he might just be sitting on the wire, ready to be snatched up.
Relief Pitchers
Seranthony Domínguez ($$$):
Last week, Brett speculated that perhaps Seranthony Domínguez could be a sleeper pick to move into the closer role, with Félix Bautista being circulated as a potential trade piece at the deadline. Well, as fate would have it, Bautista went down with a shoulder injury, which opened the door for Dominguez to squeeze into that role. The Orioles subsequently traded Gregory Soto, which showed that they have even more confidence in Dominguez than you’d think. He’s a great reliever who has shown the ability to shut the door in close games before, as he nabbed 1q saves last year, with 10 coming once he became a member of the O’s.
Dennis Santana ($$$):
Brett spoke about this last week, but this HAS to be the year that David Bednar is moved out of Pittsburgh. Yes, it’s a sad thought that a hometown boy will no longer be closing for his hometown team (no more Renegade by Styx), but yeah, this is long overdue. As for Dennis Santana, he’s an excellent reliever. The key to his success is getting tons of chases, which keeps his walk rate down and his groundball rate up. He throws sliders almost half the time, which makes plenty of sense considering he has a great swinging strike rate on the pitch. The rest of his arsenal isn’t quite as good as the slider, but it still complements the breaker well, which allows his numbers to be so good.
Danny Coulombe($):
This is a major speculative pick, as he is presumably third in line for saves right now for the Twins. The Twins have two elite high-leverage relievers blocking Danny Coulombe right now. If the Twins are serious about selling, there is a world where both Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax get moved. It’s unlikely, but crazier things have happened at the trade deadline and with not the best group of candidates available this year, there could be some teams putting together godfather-type offers to get high-leverage arms. Again, this is a bid that you should probably keep fairly low, as this is a somewhat unlikely scenario, but it could be worth considering.
Bryan Baker ($):
Another speculative pick is Bryan Baker, who could slide into the Rays’ closing role if Pete Fairbanks is traded. Honestly, it feels like we won’t see a Fairbanks move, as the Rays have gotten cold feet moving their closer in the past when he was performing better. But if they do get an offer they can’t refuse, expect their recently acquired reliever to likely shift into the role until they feel confident with Mason Montgomery.
