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Bradley Zimmer

I was on news blurb duty for Rotoworld during Monday’s trade deadline. And while we went into the day with plenty of juicy rumors about big names, it was a relatively quiet deadline compared to previous years. I have to admit that I was somewhat underwhelmed when 4 p.m. ET rolled around. That is until FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal delivered the scoop that Yu Darvish was traded. And a couple of minutes later, with confirmation that he was on his way to the Dodgers. Thanks for coming through with the good stuff, trade deadline.

Darvish hasn’t had the sort of year that many fantasy owners were hoping for when they invested an early pick this spring. The impending free agent has a career-high 4.01 ERA through 22 starts, including a 5.81 ERA over his last eight starts. He was torched for a career-high 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Marlins last time out, amid chatter about him tipping his pitches. Darvish has struck out 148 batters in 137 innings this season, but he has his lowest strikeout percentage since arriving in the majors.

With all of that out of the way, it would be no surprise if Darvish is one of the top pitchers in the game the rest of the way. Not only will he now be pitching in the easier league (where he’ll get to face the pitcher) with the best team in the majors, but he’ll make half of his starts in a much more favorable environment for pitchers. Keep in mind that Darvish had a 5.38 ERA with 13 homers allowed in 12 starts at home this season compared to a 2.49 ERA with seven homers allowed in 10 starts on the road. As far as a change of scenery goes, it’s hard to think of a better scenario for him to finish the year on a high note.



MIXED LEAGUES

 

Amed Rosario SS, Mets

Let’s get the big add of the week out of the way first. Following weeks of anticipation, the Mets finally called up their top prospect this week to take over starting shortstop duties. It was well-deserved, as the 21-year-old Rosario was batting .328/.367/.466 with seven homers and 19 steals over 94 games this season with Triple-A Las Vegas. From watching his first couple of games in the majors, the thing that stands out to me the most is his speed. It’s easy to just look at stolen base totals, but Rosario legitimately flies around the bases. Faster than I expected, anyway. I’m not sure how the speed will translate to fantasy value early on in the majors, but there’s a path to relevancy here. Outside of shallow leagues, he’s worth a try.

Bradley Zimmer OF, Indians
I wasn’t sure that Zimmer would be a difference-maker in mixed leagues this year, but he’s quietly been very useful, batting .282/.345/.464 with eight homers, 37 RBI, 13 steals, and 30 runs scored over 67 games. He strikes out a fair amount, but it hasn’t been nearly as big of an issue as I feared. And while he’s sporting a .367 BABIP, his excellent speed must be taken into account. Zimmer has spent the majority of the past month near the top of the Indians’ order, which gives him a nice boost in value. He’s scored 15 runs (half of his season total) in his last 23 games.

Michael Taylor OF, Nationals
I like Zimmer slightly more than Taylor, who landed on the disabled list about a month ago with an oblique strain. The 26-year-old was able to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Monday and should be back with the Nationals in the next few days. Taylor isn’t nearly as patient as Zimmer, but he’s having a similar season statistically, with a .278/.320/.510 batting line to go along with 12 homers, 35 RBI, 10 steals, and 40 runs scored over 72 games. Taylor should definitely be stashed away in leagues where he might have been dropped, but he’d be a lot more interesting in fantasy leagues near the top of the Nationals’ order.

Jon Gray SP, Rockies
Just sneaking in below our 50-percent threshold, Gray is a recommended option this weekend against the Phillies. Yes, even at Coors Field. It helps that he’s going up against Nick Pivetta, who has some ability, but has allowed 16 homers in 81 1/3 innings. Between his 5.52 ERA and lengthy absence with a stress fracture in his foot, this has been a disappointing year on the whole for Gray, but he has looked better over his last two starts and still owns a fine 46/15 K/BB ratio over 44 innings. He’s capable of being a useful arm in most formats down the stretch.

Shane Greene SP/RP, Tigers
With Justin Wilson being traded to the Cubs, Greene has been tapped as the new closer in Detroit. The 28-year-old is 2-for-2 in save chances so far and owns a 2.59 ERA and 53/27 K/BB ratio over 48 1/3 innings on the season. Greene is generous with the free-passes, but he misses plenty of bats and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 15 appearances dating back to the end of June. I could definitely see him keeping this job for the remainder of the season, so he should be owned everywhere. I suspect he’s been picked up in most competitive leagues already. It’s worth noting that Joe Jimenez was called up this week. I don’t see him as an immediate threat here, but the Tigers plan to try him out of a set-up role down the stretch as they prepare him for a prominent late-inning role moving forward.

Ozzie Albies SS, Braves
The Braves didn’t deal Brandon Phillips before the trade deadline, which is why it came as a somewhat of a surprise to see Albies promoted this week. Phillips can still be traded in August, but he’ll give third base a whirl for now while Albies takes over second base duties. Now the youngest player in the majors, the 20-year-old Albies was batting .285/.330/.440 with nine homers and 21 steals over 97 games with Triple-A Gwinnett this season. Naturally, I expect some ups and downs as he adjusts against major league pitching. Still, I think his stolen base ability could make him more valuable than Rosario down the stretch. Albies stole 102 bases over 390 games in the minors.

Collin McHugh SP, Astros
After missing most of the year with an elbow injury, McHugh has finally resurfaced in the Astros’ rotation. The 30-year-old looked rusty in his season debut against the Orioles, but he bounced back last time out with six innings of one-run ball against the Astros to go along with seven strikeouts and just one walk. McHugh doesn’t blow batters away, but he’s no stranger to fantasy owners, as he put up a 3.71 ERA over 90 starts between 2014-2016. I look at him as more of a back-end rotation option in mixed leagues, but the best offense in the majors gives his value a nice little boost.

Arodys Vizcaino RP, Braves
After Jim Johnson blew his major-league leading eighth save Saturday against the Phillies, Braves manager Brian Snitker indicated that he was ready to give some other guys a chance in the ninth inning. Fresh off a 1-2-3 ninth inning in a save chance against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Vizcaino is the most obvious play in this situation. It’s worth noting that Johnson pitched in the seventh inning on Wednesday, so it’s safe to say that he has been officially demoted. Aside from some issues with the home run ball, Vizcaino has been really good when healthy this season, putting up a 2.56 ERA and 42/12 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings. He has the highest swinging strike percentage of his career.

Keon Broxton OF, Brewers
I was hopeful Lewis Brinson was going to get a long look in center field in last week’s column, but the Brewers already brought Broxton back after he batted .385 (10-for-26) with a homer and a couple of doubles over seven games with Triple-A Colorado Springs. The plan calls for Broxton to see the majority of the playing time in center field once again, so Brinson could be headed back to the minors for now. Broxton has struck out more than anyone (min. 500 PA) in the majors over the past two seasons, but he has 23 homers and 40 steals over 169 games in that same timespan. If you can stomach the batting average risk, he has value in mixed leagues.

German Marquez SP, Rockies
Yes, two Rockies starters in the same week. Marquez is often overlooked because of Coors Field and I totally get it, but he’s been really solid for a couple of months now. Since being knocked around in two out of his first three starts, the 22-year-old has compiled a 3.44 ERA over his last 14 starts. He has allowed more than three earned runs just twice in that time. Marquez has also been an excellent source of strikeouts of late, fanning 28 batters in 20 2/3 innings over his last three starts. He deserves more respect than he’s getting.

Dominic Smith 1B, Mets
Amed Rosario has understandably received most of the attention from Mets fans this week upon his promotion to the majors, but Smith might not be far off himself. The 22-year-old is coming off a monster July with Triple-A Las Vegas and is batting .340/.395/.537 with 16 homers through 107 games this year. The Mets have already traded Lucas Duda and they’d like to give Smith a long look over the final months as they prepare for 2018. There have always been questions about the power, and playing in the Pacific Coast League doesn’t exactly provide answers, but Smith is a very polished bat. I see him as a corner infielder or utility option in deeper formats right now.

Tyler Glasnow SP, Pirates
I often get asked about which pitchers in the minors could make the biggest impact down the stretch. I think Reynaldo Lopez deserves to be on the radar with the White Sox, as well as Brent Honeywell with the Rays, but Glasnow shouldn’t be overlooked in this discussion. Sure, the 23-year-old has struggled with his control during his previous chances in the majors while posting an ugly 6.49 ERA over 16 starts and three relief appearances, but he has posted a dominant 1.46 ERA in nine starts since his demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis in June. Pitching exclusively from the stretch, Glasnow has fanned 85 batters in 55 2/3 innings, which should be enough to get your attention. He has still walked 24 batters, so there’s risk involved here, but I’m excited to see him get another chance. His time is likely coming soon.

Taylor Rogers RP, Twins
Matt Belisle RP, Twins
Trevor Hildenberger RP, Twins
Ryan Pressly RP, Twins

I’m not going to pretend I know what’s going on here. After trading closer Brandon Kintzler to the Nationals before Monday’s deadline, the Twins don’t have an obvious pickup on the saves front. Rogers would have been the logical play a couple of weeks ago, but he’s allowed 10 runs (nine earned) over his last five appearances. Bad timing. Hildenberger has had some success in a long relief role, but he’s not a hard-thrower and has limited experience. Pressly has recovered from a rough start to the season, but Belisle has been pitching the best out of this group recently, with 11 straight scoreless appearances. That could be enough to give him the edge here.

 Willie Calhoun 2B, Rangers
I was thrilled to see Calhoun as part of the return package for the Rangers, as he always seemed to be a better fit for the American League. While he doesn’t really have a position, we know he can hit. The 22-year-old is batting .294/.354/.568 with 23 home runs over 100 games this season at the Triple-A level. There’s a decent chance he’ll see some time with the big club down the stretch. Depending on how the playing time shakes out, he could even be interesting in mixed leagues.

Teoscar Hernandez OF, Blue Jays

Another winner from Monday’s trade deadline, Hernandez was shipped from the Astros to the Blue Jays as part of the Francisco Liriano trade. It’s a good thing for him, as he was essentially blocked in the Astros’ outfield, but Hernandez is a legitimate prospect. The 24-year-old was batting .279/.369/.485 with 12 homers and 12 steals through 79 games with Triple-A Fresno prior to the trade, so he offers an appealing blend of pop and speed. It’s not clear when he’ll get a shot with the Blue Jays, as they have Steve Pearce and Jose Bautista in the corners and also picked up Nori Aoki in the Liriano deal, but it should be a priority to get a look at him down the stretch.

Jeimer Candelario 3B, Tigers

Speaking of blocked, Candelario had some guy named Kris Bryant in his way at third base with the Cubs, but he’s in a much better situation after being traded to the Tigers in the Justin Wilson deal. Now, the Tigers have Nicholas Castellanos at third base, so it’s still a bit tricky, but he’s never been a good defender in there and this could be a good time to test him in the outfield. If that happens, Candelario will be worth using. Candelario, 23, was batting .266/.361/.507 with 12 homers over 81 games with Triple-A Iowa prior to the trade.

NL ONLY

Ketel Marte SS, Diamondbacks
I probably could have put Marte under my mixed league recommendations, as there’s a case to be made that he’ll deliver more value than either Ozzie Albies or Amed Rosario down the stretch. So keep that in mind if you need a middle infielder type in deeper formats. Marte is away from the Diamondbacks right now after his mother tragically died in a car accident in his native Dominican Republic, but he should be the primary shortstop upon his return now that Chris Owings is out with a fractured right middle finger.

Jesse Winker OF, Reds

Scott Schebler was struggling miserably coming out of the All-Star break and landed on the disabled list this week with a strained left rotator cuff, so now Winker has a clear path to playing time in the Reds’ outfield. The 23-year-old has homered in back-to-back games since his call-up. It’s worth noting that he had just two homers with a .314/.395/.408 batting line in 85 games in Triple-A this year, so I wouldn’t count on him continuing at this pace, but the Reds should probably see what they have with him at this point.

Ryder Jones 3B, Giants
The Giants made a series of moves after Wednesday’s game, designating postseason hero Conor Gillespie for assignment while sending Jae-Gyun Hwang back to Triple-A Sacramento. In turn, Jones is back in the majors and should see plenty of playing time at third base down the stretch. Pablo Sandoval could also be a factor here, but it makes more sense to go with the younger player. Jones went just 1-for-21 during his previous stint with the Giants before going down with a right wrist contusion last month, but he’s had a really good year (.312 with 13 homers and a .969 OPS over 64 games) in Triple-A.