Panic stations

 

Joe Panik of the SanFran Giants

Fans in Los Angeles were treated to an unexpected pitcher’s duel on Friday night as Alex Wood and Johnny Cueto traded zeroes in a dazzling display of pitching prowess.

Johnny Cueto didn’t enter the 2018 season with much support from the fantasy community at large. The 32-year-old right-hander posted a 4.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 147 ⅓ innings during a miserable 2017 campaign, leaving many to wonder whether or not he was finished. His average draft position in NFBC drafts sat around pick 153, putting him outside the top 10 rounds in 15-team formats. For one day at least, he showed that there’s something left in the tank.

Cueto retired the first 18 hitters that he faced on Friday, losing his bid for a perfect game when Chris Taylor singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. Taylor wasn’t on base for long either, as he was promptly erased on a double play ball off the bat of Corey Seager. That’s it, that’s the extent of the Dodgers’ offense against Cueto through seven brilliant frames on Friday.

Unfortunately for the Giants, Alex Wood was equally as good on the other side of the diamond. The Dodgers’ southpaw lost his bid for a perfect game on an error by Logan Forsythe in the fourth inning, the first of three errors that Forsythe would make in the ballgame. He carried his no-hit bid to the following inning where Brandon Crawford’s single would crush that dream. All told, Wood would allow just that one single over eight fantastic innings, striking out five along the way.

As nice as dueling one-hitters are though, someone has to score eventually to declare a winner in the ballgame. Remember, these are the same two clubs that played to a 1-0 decision on Opening Day where unlikely power hitter Joe Panik took Clayton Kershaw deep to provide the only offense in the game. Panik power was ready for an encore on Friday.

The diminutive second baseman stunned the Dodgers yet again, taking All-Star closer Kenley Jansen deep to open the top half of the ninth inning. That would be more than enough support as Hunter Strickland came on to retire the Dodgers in order in the home half of the inning, handing the Dodgers their second consecutive 1-0 defeat.

The Price is Right

David Price was a shell of his former self during the 2017 season, as elbow troubles limited him to just 74 ⅔ innings on the year and caused him to finish the campaign out of the Red Sox’ bullpen. There had been growing optimism throughout the spring that Price has regained his dominant form and would be a major contributor to the Red Sox’ rotation in 2018. If Friday’s debut was any indication, those reports are correct.

Price, taking on his former club at Tropicana Field in Tampa, breezed through seven shutout innings on Friday, needing just 76 pitches to record 21 outs. He scattered four hits, struck out five and didn’t issue a free pass.

It was Price’s first big league start since July 22 of last season, so that could be a factor into why he was yanked after throwing just 76 pitches rather than going back out to start the eighth inning. It looks as though they’ll try to limit his workload where possible, at least early in the season, to ensure that he stays healthy.

The veteran left-hander pounded the strike zone in this one, generating a good deal of weak contact. He looked a lot like the pitcher of old that starred for the Rays from 2008-2014. The Red Sox, and fantasy owners who invested in a potential rebound season from Price, have to be ecstatic with the return through one start.

Mad Mad Max

Two-time defending National League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer believes that he hasn’t yet reached his peak and that he could be even better than ever in 2018. While the bar is certainly set high, the right-hander already looked to be in mid-season form for his Opening Day assignment against the Reds on Friday afternoon.

Scherzer limited the Reds to just five hits and a walk over six scoreless innings on Friday, starting the season off with his first victory. He racked up 10 strikeouts in the contest, which matched a Nationals ‘franchise record for an Opening Day start. At one point Scherzer set down seven hitters in a row on strikes.

It’s scary to think just how good the 33-year-old hurler can be if we haven’t seen his peak yet. Fantasy owners who invested a first round selection on him this spring have to be pleased with the early returns that he has provided.

American League Quick Hits: Aaron Hicks landed on the 10-day disabled list with an intercostal muscle strain… Josh Donaldson will be limited to DH duties for the next few games as he deals with a “dead arm” phase… The Blue Jays announced that Troy Tulowitzki will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs from both of his ankles… The Mariners were forced to place Mike Zunino on the 10-day disabled list with a strained oblique…Rays’ prospect Garrett Whitely will miss the entire 2018 season after undergoing surgery on his right labrum... Masahio Tanaka struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball in a victory over the Blue Jays… Blake Snell hurled 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless baseball in a no-decision against the Red Sox… Doug Fister allowed just one run over five innings in a victory over the Astros… Mike Trout clubbed his first home run of the season as the Angels beat the Athletics… Craig Kimbrel struck out all three hitters he faced in the ninth inning to slam the door on the Rays and preserve a 1-0 victory… Sean Manaea struck out seven over 7 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in a tough-luck loss against the Angels… Tyler Skaggs fanned five in 6 ⅓ shutout innings against him to earn the victory.

National League Quick Hits: Justin Turner (wrist) is getting closer to swinging a bat and could beat his original 6-8 week recovery timeframe… Steven Souza Jr. (pectoral) is also progressing quicker than anticipated and could rejoin the Diamondbacks before the end of April… Daniel Murphy (knee) is traveling with and taking batting practice with the Nationals and could return sooner than his original mid-April estimation… Braves’ catcher Tyler Flowers was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left oblique… Kurt Suzuki was then forced to leave Friday’s game after being drilled in the hand by a pitch… The Phillies put Pat Neshek on the 10-day DL with a right shoulder strain… The Brewers bolstered their bullpen by signing left-hander Jennings to a one-year contract…Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) was able to throw from a distance of 90 feet without any pain and is said to be ahead of schedule in his recovery… The Giants released outfielder Jarrett Parker…  Gregory Polanco clubbed a three-run homer in the 13th inning to beat the Tigers… Scooter Gennett went 4-for-4 with a double in a loss to the Nationals… Scott Kingery went 2-for-5 in his MLB debut… Carlos Santana homered and drove in three runs as the Phillies topped the Braves in 11 innings…Ryan Braun crushed a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning to beat the Padres… Robbie Ray earned a victory despite allowing seven runs over five frames in a slugfest against the Rockies… Nick Ahmed homered and drove in five to lead the way for the Diamondbacks in that one… Charlie Blackmon, Ian Desmond and Gerardo Parra each left the yard for the Rockies in a losing effort.

Surprise ! Surprise !

As rosters were cut down to 25 players on Opening Day, MLB had its fair share of surprise roster spot winners that we didn’t expect when Spring Training started in mid-February. Here are some who have the potential to help fantasy owners this season, either immediately or later in the season.

-Ryan Flaherty was signed by the Braves just before Opening Day and was the starting third baseman to open the season while Johan Camargo recovers from an oblique strain. The career .639 OPS won’t be helping anyone in mixed leagues, but at-bats are at-bats in NL-only.

-Colby Rasmus and Pedro Alvarez both signed after camp opened and received plate appearances on Opening Day. Rasmus seemingly retired in the middle of last season when he left the Rays, but the O’s decided early on that Austin Hays wasn’t ready and brought in Rasmus, who hit .268-1-4 with an .801 OPS this spring. Alvarez and Baltimore just can’t seem to shake one another. The DH spent almost all of 2017 at Triple-A, with just a .737 OPS, but he made the 25-man roster this year despite a .585 OPS during Spring Training. We know Alvarez has power (154 career home runs in 3,194 plate appearances), but he’s likely to be sent down when Mark Trumbo returns in a week or two.

-Injuries to Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan, as well as the Reds insistence on using Amir Garrett in the pen, has allowed Cody Reed to start the year as the fifth starter. His MLB showings over the last two years haven’t been pretty, but the lefty was one of the centerpieces of the Johnny Cueto trade in 2015 and remains a quality prospect. He has a solid 8.4 K/9 at Triple-A for his career (not to mention a 3.36 ERA) and showed improved control this spring after walking 61 batters in 106.1 innings at Triple-A last season. It’s too soon to take the plunge until Reed shows better control in regular season action, but don’t be shocked if he does emerge as a viable pitcher this season.

-Tyler Naquin is back, and he started in left field for Cleveland on Opening Day while Michael Brantley recovers from ankle surgery. It’s been an odd two years for the former first-round pick, who had a breakout year in 2016 hitting .296-14-43 in 365 plate appearances, but spent most of last year in the majors while playing through injuries. A strong line drive hitter, Naquin has been a consistent batting average contributor in the upper minors and into the majors (.289 batting average for his minor league career), and could be useful if you’re in a pinch until Brantley returns.

-There were rumors Ryan McMahon would be relegated back to the minors after Carlos Gonzalez was re-signed this spring, but he managed to make the Opening Day roster. McMahon didn’t start vs. lefty Patrick Corbin, but the left-handed hitter is expected to see consistent at-bats at first base against right-handers after hitting .319-2-9 this spring. A natural third baseman, McMahon hit a sweltering .355-20-88 with 11 steals in 519 plate appearances between Double- and Triple-A last season after a sub-par 2016 season. Still available in some shallow mixed leagues, McMahon has the ability to be an asset in most leagues, especially if you can be choosy about when to use him.

-Daniel Norris made the Tigers rotation because of Mike Fiers’ back injury, which is a sad sentence for an organization that’s supposedly rebuilding. His struggles in 2017 are well-documented, but the former top prospect is just one year removed from posting a 3.38 ERA with more than one strikeout per inning. He was terrible for the Tigers last season as his strikeout rate plummeted (7.6 K/9), but Norris looked okay this spring, finishing with a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings. While he’s probably too risky to use just yet, there should be ample opportunity this season for a pitcher who has shown plenty of past upside with a career 4.35 ERA in 237.2 innings.

-A weight has been lifted off Matt Kemp’s shoulders – and torso – and thighs. He reportedly lost 40 pounds this offseason, and made an extremely deep Dodgers roster despite many reports that the team would release him after taking him on in a salary dump. Kemp not only made the 25-man roster but started on Opening Day in left field after hitting .263-5-9 this spring. LA apparently decided that Kemp’s defense was good enough this spring after grading near the bottom of all outfielders over the last four seasons, and it’s also worth noting that the former 30/30 man failed to steal a base and hit into a league-high 25 double plays in only 115 games in 2017. There is limited margin for error with Joc Pederson on the bench and the talented Andrew Toles and Alex Verdugo at Triple-A, but Kemp could still be worth a flier if he was left on your mixed league wire, just one year removed from hitting 35 home runs and 108 RBI.

-Top prospect Lewis Brinson not only played his way onto the Marlins Opening Day roster but batted leadoff to open the season. There are certainly more impressive feats than making this roster, but it was a question mark entering the spring. Brinson did it after hitting .328-2-9 this spring. There will be growing pains for the top prospect acquired in the Christian Yelich trade, as we saw when he was caught stealing four times and fanned 17 times in 23 games in the exhibition season. However, he has loads of fantasy talent as a former 20/20 man in the minors, and has apparently convinced Don Mattingly that he’s ready.

-Tyler Austin had little chance of making the Yankees roster until Greg Bird went down with yet another injury. He started at first base and batted ninth on Opening Day after hitting four home runs this spring. Maybe he’s not Bird, but Austin has shown power in the minors, hitting .274-27-108 and an .828 OPS in 723 career plate appearances at Triple-A. Obviously, he will be useful in AL-only leagues during Bird’s absence, but there could also be sneaky value in deep mixed leagues with a long 10-game homestand at the end of April.

-There’s not much to say about Scott Kingery that hasn’t already been said. He sat on Opening Day, but Phils manager Gabe Kapler is expected to use him as a utilityman with plenty of starts all over the field. After hitting .304-26-65 with 29 steals in 132 games between Double- and Triple-A last season, Kingery tore up major league pitching this spring (.411-5-8 with four steals) and should be owned in all leagues.

-Pablo Sandoval was rejuvenated this spring and was surprisingly able to win a roster spot after hitting .302-4-17 in 60 plate appearances. Of course, he has almost no path for at-bats with Evan Longoria at third base and Brandon Belt healthy again at first, but stranger things have happened.

-Dan Vogelbach was one of the big stories of spring training after hitting .407-7-15 with 13/11 BB/K in 68 plate appearances. He convinced the Mariners to carry him on the roster despite Ryon Healy returning healthy from a hand injury. Unfortunately, Vogelbach has no defensive versatility, with doubts for many years that he could even stick at first base. Still, the offensive breakout shouldn’t be a shock if you’ve paid attention to his minor league stats, as Vogelbach is a career .291/.403/.480 hitter at Triple-A in more than 1,100 plate appearances. If something happens to Healy, Kyle Seager, or Nelson Cruz, all fantasy owners should be ready to pounce on Vogelbach.

-Jordan Hicks has made the jump from starter at High-A last season to major league bullpen after an excellent spring for the Cardinals. The transition to relief started late last season and into the Arizona Fall League this offseason, and Hicks looked terrific in his MLB debut yesterday, throwing almost all fastballs and averaging better than 100 mph. Could he be this year’s Chad Green?

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, March 30, and are subject to change.


American League



Mike Clevinger: @LAA, KC
Charlie Morton: BAL, SD

Decent Plays

Jaime Garcia: CHW, @TEX
Jakob Junis: @DET, @CLE
Jordan Montgomery: TB, BAL
Andrew Triggs: TEX, @LAA
Cole Hamels: @OAK, TOR
Jacob Faria: @NYY, @BOS
Matt Boyd: KC, @CHW

At Your Own Risk

Dylan Bundy: @HOU, @NYY
Daniel Gossett: TEX, @LAA
Miguel Gonzalez: @TOR, DET
Chris Tillman: @HOU, @NYY


National League


Jameson Taillon: MIN, CIN

Decent Plays

Taijuan Walker: LAD, @STL
Tyler Chatwood: @CIN, @MIL
Miles Mikolas: @MIL, ARI
Tanner Roark: @ATL, NYM
Hyun Jin-Ryu: @ARI, @SF
Kyle Freeland: @SD, ATL
Zach Davies: STL, CHC
Brandon Woodruff: STL, CHC
Chad Bettis: @SD, ATL
Ben Lively: @NYM, MIA

At Your Own Risk

Clayton Richard: COL, @HOU
Matt Harvey: PHI, @WAS
Sean Newcomb: WAS, @COL
Bryan Mitchell: COL, @HOU

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Monday, April 2: Brian Johnson @ MIA
Almost any pitcher is worth a look this year vs. the Marlins offense, but Johnson actually has an interesting track record that includes a 4.33 ERA in five starts last season, 1.72 ERA in five Spring Training starts, and a career 3.18 ERA and 2.23 K/BB ratio in 50 career starts at Triple-A.

Thursday, April 5: Kyle Gibson vs. SEA
I believe in Gibson this year, I think. After a brief minor league stint around the trade deadline last year, Gibson concluded his 2017 season by going 6-2 with a 3.55 ERA and 59/15 K/BB in 63.1 innings. He carried that performance over to spring this year, with an identical ERA (3.55) and 9/1 K/BB in 12.2 innings. Gibson could be worth a shot against a Seattle offense that was in the middle of the pack vs. RHP last season.

Friday, April 6: Tyler Skaggs vs. OAK
Oakland partially addressed last year’s woes vs. lefties with the addition of Stephen Piscotty, but the team had a lot of ground to cover after posting a .704 OPS last season, sixth worst in baseball. Of course, Skaggs didn’t pitch great against the A’s in three starts last year.


National League

Tuesday, April 3: Kyle Freeland @ SD
The Padres lineup looks better with the additions of Eric Hosmer and Chase Headley, but that didn’t really address their issues vs. lefties, in which they had the worst OPS in the NL. Freeland showed increased velocity this spring, and could be viable outside of Coors Field.

Thursday, April 5: Tyler Anderson @ SD
Most of the same reasoning to stream Freeland at San Diego applies here with Anderson, another lefty.

Thursday, April 5: Vince Velasquez vs. MIA
The Miami rule applies here again. If Opening Day is any indication, new Phillies manager Gabe Kapler is going to have a quick hook this season, but Velasquez is healthy again and coming off a very good spring (2.51 ERA, 15/4 K/BB in 14.1 innings).

Total Games

American League

5: BOS, MIN, SEA, TB
6: CHW, CLE, DET, HOU, KC, LAA, NYY, TOR
7: BAL, OAK, TEX

National League

5: MIA, SF
6: ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, LAD, NYM, PHI, PIT, STL, WAS
7: COL, MIL, SD

The Infirmary

Here’s some injuries to prominent players from the first week, and other players to watch for in the coming week. You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page.

Greg Bird: Could return in June (ankle)
Paul Blackburn: Could return in late April (forearm)
Johan Camargo: Could return in mid-April (oblique)
Michael Conforto: Could return April 5 (shoulder)
Nathan Eovaldi: Out 6-8 weeks (elbow)
Tyler Flowers: Left Thursday’s game (oblique)
Yuli Gurriel: Placed on restricted list but could return next week (hand and suspension)
Andrew Heaney: Placed on DL (elbow)
Aaron Hicks: Placed on DL (intercostal muscle)
Raisel Iglesas: Placed on paternity leave list
Dinelson Lamet: Could return in May (elbow)
Mark Melancon: Will miss at least two weeks (forearm)
Adalberto Mondesi: Placed on DL (shoulder)
Pat Neshek: Was unavailable on Thursday (lat)
Salvador Perez: Out 4-6 weeks (knee)
J.T. Realmuto: Placed on DL (back)
Jeff Samardzija: Placed on DL (pectoral)
Mark Trumbo: Could return in mid-April (quad)
Mike Zunino: Scratched from Thursday’s game (oblique)

Well that's enough for now, my coffee is calling me. And so is my wife.

the Florida project starts

No Giancarlo Stanton. No Dee Gordon. No Marcell Ozuna. No Christian Yelich. What do the Marlins even have left besides that ridiculous statue in center field? They even lost their biggest fan, the artist formerly known as Marlins Man.  So begins the new Florida Project.

Things are so dire in Miami right now that it’s actually become news. The Marlins have not been kind to their fan base over the years, orchestrating elaborate teardowns after each of their two championships in 1997 and 2003. But this betrayal might be their worst yet. Less than six years after putting the finishing touches on a $600 million stadium, most of which was publicly funded, owner Jeffrey Loria sold the team to a group led by Derek Jeter, who has done nothing but shed payroll since taking the reigns as CEO. Rebuilding by trading stars for prospects is one thing but unloading assets to cover the debt of a team you couldn’t afford in the first place (he’s Derek Jeter, not Warren Buffett)? Well that’s quite another. No wonder Dan Le Batard ripped the commissioner to shreds after the Stanton trade.

In a stadium mostly inhabited by Cubs fans on spring break, the Marlins predictably dropped their season opener Thursday afternoon at Marlins Park, falling 8-4 to the defending NL Central champs. Our own RotoPat described the Marlins as the “worst team of the decade” and on paper, that looks like it could be the case. Jose Urena, a Dominican Republic native who didn’t become a big league regular until last season, would probably be a fourth or fifth starter on most teams. But on the depleted Marlins, he’s No. 1.

Urena actually didn’t pitch much worse than his Cubs counterpart Jon Lester, who is firmly in the decline phase of his career, but it was still a deeply mediocre performance. For a moment, it looked like Urena might not even survive the first inning. The right-hander served up a solo home run to Ian Happ on the game’s first pitch, then proceeded to hit three of the next seven batters he faced. Just so we’re clear that’s not “hits allowed.” Urena plunked three batters in a span of one inning. Even for a team perpetually in self-destruct mode, that’s brutal.

One of those hit batsmen was Anthony Rizzo, which, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly a shocker. Rizzo was drilled a league-high 24 times last season. That’s the price you pay for crowding the plate as Rizzo often does, but in the end, the Cubs first baseman would have the last laugh. The 28-year-old exacted his revenge by smoking a 393-foot homer to right field in his next at-bat. That staked Chicago to a 4-1 lead in the second inning.

Rizzo has mashed a few homers in his day—the blast off Urena was No. 167 of his career—but Thursday’s round-tripper meant more than most. The 28-year-old is an alum of nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a tragic school shooting occurred last month. Seen wearing an #MSOStrong shirt after the game, Rizzo called his emotional home run an “out of body experience.”

The Cubs also got a lift from Kyle Schwarber, who teed off on Tayren Guerrero by slugging a solo shot in the seventh inning. The long ball has long been Schwarber’s trademark and it’s good to see that his offseason weight loss hasn’t affected that part of his game. Of course, when Schwarbs debuted his new frame this offseason, the hope was that it would help his defense, which has never been the 25-year-old’s strength. Unfortunately, Schwarber looked lost as ever in left field, wanting no part of Derek Dietrich’s warning track triple in the third before committing a costly error later in the same frame. Schwarber isn’t the smoothest customer in the outfield and probably never will be. But fortunately for fantasy owners, Schwarber’s mighty power stroke will be enough to keep him in the lineup most days.

Urena was vastly unimpressive (6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB) in his season debut but at least he made it through four innings. That’s more than Lester could say. Making his seventh career Opening Day start, Lester crumpled like a house of cards in what should have been his easiest assignment of the year, allowing seven hits, four runs (three earned) and three walks in just 3 1/3 innings. We could chalk it up to rust but the truth is, Lester has been a below-average pitcher for the better part of a year now. The left-hander has stumbled to a 4.62 ERA since last year’s All-Star break while looking like a shell of the pitcher who finished second to Max Scherzer in the 2016 NL Cy Young race. Even after losing Jake Arrieta in free agency, the Cubs still have strong depth with Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood filling out the rest of the starting rotation. But if Joe Maddon was banking on Lester to be the alpha of that group, he may want to come up with a Plan B.

All things considered, Miami’s offense fared better than expected in the opener. Starlin Castro and Brian Anderson both reached base three times while Dietrich chipped in with a pair of hits. But if Urena, Caleb Smith, Odrisamer Despaigne and Dillon Peters are all the Marlins can scrape together for a starting rotation, it’s going to be a long year in Jeter Town.

Are You New Here?

We know how steep the learning curve is for rookie players, but what about rookie managers? Gabe Kapler made his debut as Phillies manager on Thursday and it was … interesting. Right out of the gate Kapler made a bold call by benching All-Star outfielder Odubel Herrera. When asked if he was upset about not playing, Herrera responded, “Of course I am.” It’s true that Herrera hasn’t had much success against Braves starter Julio Teheran (.185 AVG in 27 at-bats), but is it really worth it to alienate one of your best players, especially one as temperamental as Herrera, on Day 1 of the new regime?

Turns out, that wasn’t even the oddest move Kapler made on Thursday. Aaron Nola was cruising right along against Atlanta, so naturally Kapler removed him after 68 pitches. Nola exited the game with a 5-0 lead but the Phillies wound up losing on a walk-off homer by Nick Markakis in the ninth. Kapler has tried to shake things up in Philadelphia with his laidback approach—he let players sleep in during spring training and plans to use matchups in the ninth inning rather than a set closer. But pulling the plug on your ace after just 68 pitches? That one’s a head-scratcher.

Kapler isn’t the only rookie manager going through growing pains. Alex Cora’s first day as Red Sox skipper was quite the learning experience. Just as Kapler did in Philadelphia, Cora decided to cut his ace some slack by limiting Chris Sale to six innings against Tampa Bay. Sale’s workload (92 pitches) was heavier than Nola’s but still much lighter than the 107.1 pitches he averaged last season.

When Joe Kelly couldn’t throw a strike in the eighth inning, Cora opted for Carson Smith, who has appeared in just 12 games since the start of 2016. Smith promptly allowed a bases-clearing triple to Denard Span, leading many to wonder why Cora left his best reliever, Craig Kimbrel, in the bullpen with the game on the line. Alex Cora, welcome to Boston. Turning to your closer before the ninth inning is never ideal and Kimbrel didn’t get his usual reps this spring while tending to his daughter, who recently underwent heart surgery. But with Kelly falling apart, who would you rather steer the ship: an injury-prone mystery man in Smith or Kimbrel, who struck out 49.6 percent of the batters he faced last season? That’s not much of a debate. Cora also made a puzzling choice not to challenge a play in the eighth inning when Mookie Betts was picked off first base. It was a close play and there may not have been enough evidence to overturn it, but it was strange that Cora didn’t even consider using his challenge. Like I said, Alex Cora, welcome to Boston.

Alex Cora will be roasted by the Boston sports writers.

The Red Sox dropped their opener but Eduardo Nunez still made his mark by legging out an inside-the-park homer in the second inning. The last Boston player to do that on Opening Day was Carl Yastrzemski in 1968.

AL Quick Hits: Matt Davidson had himself a day in Thursday’s opener. The White Sox DH slugged three homers in a win over Kansas City. He’s the first player to homer three times on Opening Day since Dmitri Young (he also did it against the Royals) in 2005 … Chris Davis as a lead off hitter? Believe it. In his first career game as a lead off hitter, the first baseman went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and a walk as Baltimore escaped with a 3-2 win over Minnesota … Troy Tulowitzki has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with bone spurs in his right heel. Aledmys Diaz drew the start at shortstop on Thursday, finishing 0-for-3 in a 6-1 loss to the Yankees … Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Josh Donaldson is dealing with a dead arm. That might explain why Donaldson made some awkward throws from third base in Thursday’s opener … Pinstripes sure look good on Giancarlo Stanton. The reigning NL MVP went 3-for-5 with a pair of long balls in his Yankees debut … Zach Duke accomplished a rare feat by striking out four batters in a single inning Thursday against Baltimore. Unfortunately, he also let up two runs while throwing a pair of wild pitches … Last year’s World Series MVP George Springer homered in his first at-bat Thursday as Houston rolled to a 4-1 win over Texas. He’s the first player in MLB history to hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day in back-to-back seasons … Most teams play the shift against lefty slugger Joey Gallo, but the Astros took it a step further on Thursday by using four outfielders against him in the first inning. It worked as third baseman Alex Bregman retired Gallo on a fly ball to left field … Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani singled in his first big league at-bat on Thursday, though he went hitless with a strikeout in his other four plate appearances. Teammate Mike Trout went 0-for-6 as Los Angeles fell to Oakland in extra innings … Albert Pujols went deep for the Angels in Thursday’s defeat. Pujols is now 30 hits away from 3,000 for his career … Ian Kinsler sat out Thursday’s opener with a groin injury but manager Mike Scioscia expects him back in the lineup on Friday. Zack Cozart filled in for Kinsler at second base against the Athletics … Mike Zunino was scratched from Thursday’s game due to stiffness in his right side. He suffered the injury during Wednesday’s batting practice but shouldn’t miss much time … Rangers manager Jeff Banister announced that Keone Kela will serve as the team’s primary closer, at least to begin the year. The right-hander impressed with a 2.57 ERA over eight Cactus League appearances this spring.

NL Quick Hits: Giants All-Star Mark Melancon will begin the year on the 10-day disabled list as he works back from inflammation in his right flexor tendon. Hunter Strickland will handle the closer role in his absence … It took a bit longer than expected, but Greg Holland has finally found a home. He’ll serve as the Cardinals’ closer after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract on Thursday. The right-hander tied for the NL lead with 41 saves last season … Coming off a dismal season with the Dodgers in 2017, Adrian Gonzalez flourished in his Mets debut Thursday against St. Louis. He went 2-for-3 in the victory with a single, a double and two walks … Mets GM Sandy Alderson believes Michael Conforto could be activated from the DL when first eligible on April 5. Conforto has made a faster than expected recovery from shoulder surgery … Braves catcher Tyler Flowers exited Thursday’s game with left oblique discomfort. Kurt Suzuki will fill in behind the plate if Flowers lands on the disabled list, which seems likely.

Opening Day

After a slow and contentious winter, the 2018 MLB season is finally upon us. Thank goodness. 14 games are on the schedule for Opening Day on Thursday, with the Nationals-Reds postponed and pushed back to Friday. The Cubs and the Marlins will get things started at 12:40 p.m. ET at Marlins Park.

If you are looking for the marquee pitching matchup of the day, check out Carlos Martinez and Noah Syndergaard at 1:10 p.m. ET, weather permitting. As things often go with Opening Day, there are plenty of other aces in action Thursday, including the likes Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, and Justin Verlander.

While real games are finally upon us, there were some notable developments around the league on Wednesday as teams made their final roster decisions.

Salvy Sidelined

Salvador Perez has been the most durable catcher in the majors over the past five seasons, but he’s going to get a late start on his 2018 campaign after suffering a Grade 2 MLC tear in his left knee.

According to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, Perez injured the knee while carrying luggage in his house, of all things. He missed a step and felt a pop in his knee. Perez is slated to miss the first 4-6 weeks of the season due to the freak injury, which likely leaves him out of the mix until early May.

Perez, who turns 28 in May, has logged at least 129 games over the past five seasons. He established new career-highs with 27 homers and 80 RBI in 2017 while batting .268/.297/.495 over 129 games. He’s typically been the fourth or fifth catcher off the board in mixed fantasy leagues, but those who drafted him will now have to piece things together until he’s back to 100 percent. The catcher position was already thin, so it doesn't help that both Perez and J.T. Realmuto (back) will begin the year on the DL.

Drew Butera is expected to see most of the playing time behind the plate while Perez is sidelined, but we’re talking about a major step down from a fantasy perspective. The 34-year-old is a .203/.258/.299 hitter over 436 games in the majors.

Lineup Notes

Multiple teams posted their Opening Day lineups on Wednesday, with some potential interesting fantasy fallout to consider. We’ll start with the Yankees, who plan to use Brett Gardner out of the lead off spot against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ. In turn, Aaron Judge will hit second while Aaron Hicks is slated to bat fifth.

Gardner hasn’t done much against left-handed pitching over the past two seasons, but he has had some success against Happ in the past. It’s unclear whether this factored into the decision to put him into the leadoff spot despite facing a lefty. It can be dangerous to put too much stock into BvP numbers, but we’ll know more the next time the Yankees face a southpaw. Either way, Hicks finds himself in a great spot in this lineup with Gardner, Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez in front of him. Not bad for someone who was available in the later rounds of most fantasy drafts.

While things look good for Hicks, the hype train for Twins outfielder Byron Buxton lost some fuel after it was announced Wednesday that he would be batting eighth on Opening Day against the Orioles. Buxton is no stranger to hitting the bottom of the order, as he made 22 starts out of the No. 8 spot last season and 47 starts out of the No. 9 spot. The Twins have a deep lineup, but one would think that Buxton will get an opportunity to move up in the order if he picks up from where he left off last season.

Buxton batted .300/.347/.546 with 11 homers and 13 steals over 57 games during the second half last year.

Closing Time

Rangers manager Jeff Banister hasn’t officially named a closer yet, but team beat writer Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has a pretty good guess. During a Q & A piece on Wednesday, Grant pegged Keone Kela as the favorite for the job and believes that he can “seize it from the start and hold it.”

Alex Claudio served as the primary closer down the stretch last year, but he’s a ground ball machine and could be used earlier in games with runners on base. He’s also capable of pitching multiple innings. Jake Diekman has also been mentioned as a possibility, though he’s left-handed and could be better-utilized in matchup situations.

Kela has been hyped as a potential closer for quite some time now, but he’s dealt with elbow and shoulder issues over the past two years. When healthy, the 24-year-old posted a 2.79 ERA and 51/17 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings last season. He throws in the mid-90s with his fastball and gets a ton of whiffs on his curveball. Tim Lincecum could eventually have a say in things if all goes well with his comeback attempt, but Kela has the sort of stuff managers usually look for in a closer.



National League Quick Hits: Matt Ehalt of the Bergen Record reports that the Mets have discussed free agent closer Greg Holland … Brandon Nimmo is slated to bat lead-off and play center fielder for Thursday’s opener against the Cardinals … The Mets are also going with Kevin Plawecki over Travis d’Arnaud against right-hander Carlos Martinez … The Nationals signed reliever Carlos Torres to a minor league contract … The Cardinals officially placed Luke Gregerson (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list while adding hard-throwing youngster Jordan Hicks to the late-innings mix … C. Trent Rosecrans believes that Amir Garrett will begin the season in the Reds’ rotation … Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Brewers are signing left-hander Dan Jennings to a one-year contract ...

American League Quick Hits: Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that extension talks are “deader than a door-nail” between the Twins and second baseman Brian Dozier … The Athletics selected Boog Powell over Dustin Fowler for their starting center field job, with Fowler going back down to the minors , but he'll return, by July at the latest… Nathan Eovaldi will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow … Trey Mancini (hamstring) and Tim Beckham (groin) expect to be in the Orioles' starting lineup for Opening Day ... Ichiro Suzuki (calf) will be in the Mariners’ lineup for Opening Day … Tim Lincecum (finger) said Wednesday that his goal is to be ready to join the Rangers by the beginning of May … The Rays released veteran reliever Daniel Hudson …

A Giant headache

Something’s definitely up with Mark Melancon.

The veteran closer was scratched from a scheduled appearance in an exhibition game Tuesday night against the A’s because -- as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area put it -- he is still “feeling something” in his surgically-repaired right arm.

Melancon underwent a procedure last September to release pressure on the pronator muscle in his forearm after posting a disappointing 4.50 ERA in just 32 appearances for the Giants in 2017. He acknowledged there was lingering discomfort after his 2018 Cactus League debut on March 7, and it apparently hasn’t gone away over the last three weeks. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that it’s too early to tell whether Melancon will open the season on the disabled list, but that decision will have to be made by Thursday morning and it sure doesn’t look good for the 32-year-old right-hander.

Sam Dyson did most of the filling in at closer last year when Melancon got hurt and he could be the top option to fill in again, though Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland have strong cases too -- maybe stronger. Watson earned 30 saves during his time in Pittsburgh and Strickland boasts a career 2.64 ERA with one of the highest strikeout rates on the staff. Perhaps the Giants will simply play the matchups until somebody emerges as trustworthy. There should be a little more clarity about this situation Wednesday -- definitely by Thursday afternoon.

Melancon signed a four-year, $62 million free agent deal with San Francisco in December 2016. That contract contains an opt-out for after this season, which we’re going to bet he won’t use.

McMahon Makes Rockies’ Roster

When the Rockies re-signed veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to a one-year, $8 million contract on March 12, it looked like top first base prospect Ryan McMahon might be the odd man out for Colorado’s Opening Day roster -- the thinking being that Ian Desmond would command the majority of playing time at first base out of the gate, with McMahon heading back to Triple-A. But the kid could not be denied.

McMahon slashed .328/.375/.537 over 72 plate appearances this spring in the Cactus League and was informed Tuesday by Rockies manager Bud Black that he will accompany the team to Arizona’s Chase Field for Thursday night’s season-opener against the Diamondbacks.

McMahon, a left-handed hitter, is expected to begin the year making regular starts at first base against right-handed opponents, with either Desmond or Gerardo Parra playing left field. Arizona is throwing southpaw Patrick Corbin on Thursday, so it’s unclear if McMahon will get the Opening Day nod. But he could push his way into the lineup against southpaws as the season rolls along, if he’s doing big things off of righties. Desmond finished 10-for-47 (.213) this spring and is at risk of becoming a platoon player in the second year of a five-year, $70 million deal. This will also cut into Gerardo Parra’s playing time and it further blocks David Dahl. But back to the beneficiary ...

McMahon put up a .355 batting average, .986 OPS, 20 home runs, 80 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 74 runs scored in 119 games last season between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. The 23-year-old is worth stashing in all fantasy formats and worth starting in many.

Boxberger Named D’Backs Closer

Archie Bradley looked poised to take over as the Diamondbacks’ closer this year after registering a dominant 1.73 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 69 appearances as a setup man in 2017, but manager Torey Lovullo announced Tuesday that he’s going with Brad Boxberger as his ninth-inning man so that he can keep Bradley in a more flexible multi-inning role.

It is probably the smart baseball decision, but it’s certainly a gut-punch for folks who already spent an early-to-mid round pick on Bradley this spring in leagues that don’t count holds.

Arizona acquired Boxberger in November from Tampa Bay, where he led the American League in saves in 2015 and posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 40/11 K/BB ratio across 29 1/3 innings in 2017. He battled core and oblique injuries in the first half last year and if those issues resurface the Diamondbacks might try newcomer Yoshihisa Hirano at closer before giving consideration to Bradley. They really believe in using him as a bridge to the ninth inning, picking up most of the high-leverage situations that come along between the sixth and eighth.

Quick Hits: Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed Tuesday that Rafael Devers (knee) will be in the lineup for Opening Day on Thursday … Jose Ramirez suffered a laceration on his left middle finger during Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Diamondbacks but is expected to be in the Indians’ lineup on Opening Day … Cardinals breakout candidate Luke Weaver went three scoreless innings in an exhibition start against the Blue Jays, finishing the spring with a 0.55 ERA … Nationals placed second baseman Daniel Murphy on the 10-day disabled list with a right knee injury … Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) is scheduled to resume playing catch on Wednesday … Athletics top pitching prospect A.J. Puk will undergo Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery … Marlins placed catcher J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day disabled list with a bone bruise in his back … Ian Kinsler is questionable for the Angels’ regular-season opener due to groin tightness … Diamondbacks placed outfielder Steven Souza on the 10-day disabled list with a right pectoral strain … Zach Britton (heel) is reportedly on track to join the Orioles in early June … Andrew Heaney (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday in Angels camp … Lance Lynn is slated to make his Twins debut next Monday against the Pirates … Mariners signed veteran outfielder Jayson Werth to a minor league contract … Cardinals pitching prospect Jordan Hicks has made the Opening Day bullpen … Troy Tulowitzki is scheduled to see an ankle specialist on Wednesday … Caleb Smith will start the second game of the season for the Marlins on Friday against the Cubs … Shelby Miller (elbow) incorporated breaking balls in a 35-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday … Dillon Peters will open the 2018 season as the Marlins' No. 4 starter … Marlins placed starters Dan Straily (forearm) and Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list … Indians signed utility infielder Adam Rosales to a minor league contract … Padres released veteran right-hander Chris Young.

Bird Droppings

The Yankees were dealt a bit of a blow on Monday when it was announced that first baseman Greg Bird would require surgery “"remove a small broken spur on the outside aspect of his right ankle."

Bird missed a substantial amount of time during the 2017 season due to an injury on the same right ankle. This time around, he is expected to be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks.

In the short-term, the Yankees plan to get by at first base with some combination of Neil Walker and/or Tyler Austin. They could also explore signing a veteran to compete for at-bats at first base, such as a reunion with Adam Lind who was recently released.

Before getting injured, the 25-year-old had struggled in Grapefruit League play, slashing just .154/.267/.231 with one homer, four RBI and a 16/7 K/BB ratio in 60 plate appearances.

It seems as though even if he hits the most optimistic side of his projected timetable, that Bird will be sidelined until the end of May. In leagues that don’t have DL spots available to stash injured players, fantasy owners may face a difficult decision on whether or not to keep the first baseman.

Ketel Chips

The Diamondbacks joined in on the recent trend of locking up young players with between zero and two years of Major League service time, signing shortstop Ketel Marte to a five-year, $24 million contract extension.

The contract, which was reported by Robert Murray of FanRag Sports, also includes two option years for a total of $22 million, which could run the total contract as high as $46 million.

The 24-year-old wasn’t going to be eligible for arbitration until after the 2018 season as a Super-two player, and wasn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2023 season. The deal is structured similarly to those for Tim Anderson and Paul DeJong, similar shortstops who were signed to similar extensions.

Marte appeared in 73 games for the Diamondbacks in 2017, slashing .260/.345/.395 with five homers, 18 RBI and three stolen bases. A better real-life player than a fantasy player, Marte will be irrelevant in most mixed leagues in 2018.

Devers Avoids Scare

Red Sox’ fans and fantasy owners everywhere were forced to hold their collective breaths for a few minutes on Monday after Rafael Devers slid awkwardly into Cubs’ catcher Victor Caratini at home plate.

Devers was on the ground for several minutes, but was eventually able to walk off under his own power. He was later diagnosed with a right-knee bruise and is listed as day-to-day.

Devers came out after the conclusion of Monday’s ballgame to let everyone know that he’s completely fine and has every intention of being in the starting lineup when the Red Sox kick off their season on Thursday against the Rays.

American League Quick Hits: Jose Bautista has reportedly discussed a one-year deal with the Rays, though nothing appears imminent… Jonny Venters, he of the three Tommy John surgeries, was informed that he would not make the Rays’ Opening Day bullpen despite his strong spring… The Red Sox officially placed Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez on the 10-day disabled list to begin the season… Trey Mancini sat out Monday’s exhibition game after suffering a minor hamstring tweak on Sunday. He’s expected to be fine for Opening Day… Chris Archer (forearm) was able to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Monday and Rays’ manager Kevin Cash said he had no concern about Archer’s availability for Opening Day… The Rangers re-signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract… Francisco Liriano racked up six strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball against the Rays…Angels’ skipper Mike Scioscia tabbed Garrett Richards to start on Opening Day… Indians’ manager Terry Francona informed Rob Refsnyder that there wasn’t a spot for him on the Opening Day roster… Marcus Stroman fanned five over 4 ⅔ innings of one-run ball against the Cardinals...Sonny Gray punched out seven while allowing just one run over five innings against the Braves… Kyle Tucker blasted a grand slam to beat the Brewers. He now has five long balls and 21 RBI in limited spring action… Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register believes that Blake Parker will open the season as the Angels’ closer with Cam Bedrosian functioning in a setup capacity.


National League Quick Hits: Wei-Yin Chen said he felt the best that he has felt in years after throwing a live batting practice session on Sunday. He’s tentatively expected to join the Marlins’ rotation in May… The Mets announced that Tim Tebow will begin the season at Double-A Binghamton… The Braves inked Ryan Flaherty to a one-year, $750,000 contract to function in a utility role… The Padres sent Carter Capps outright to Triple-A El Paso after the right-hander surprisingly passed through waivers unclaimed… The Phillies signed Alexi Amarista to a minor league contract… The Phillies released veteran backstop Cameron Rupp… The Mets claimed outfielder Bryce Brentz off of waivers from the Pirates… The Phillies announced that Tommy Hunter will begin the season on the disabled list due to a mild hamstring strain… Scott Kingery celebrated his new contract extension by going 3-for-4 with a homer as the Phillies beat the Pirates on Monday… Dinelson Lamet told reporters on Monday that his elbow is already feeling much better and he’s optimistic that he could rejoin the Padres’ rotation before the month of May… The Brewers released veteran right-hander Yovani Gallardo...The Giants purchased the contract of Derek Holland, after injuries led to the veteran left-hander securing a spot in the team’s Opening Day rotation… Brent Suter racked up seven strikeouts over five innings of one-run baseball against the Astros.. Zack Greinke fanned four over six innings of one-hit ball in a victory over the Indians.

At Short

Here’s the Short Stop breakdowns  Unfortunately, circumstances kept me from getting through all of the breakdowns this spring.

Underrated

Francisco Lindor (Indians): I’m fond of all of the top shortstops; there are nine going in the first 10 rounds of Yahoo leagues and I have all of them higher than their Yahoo ADPs (though Corey Seager is practically even). So, there’s a lot for me to pick from for underrateds. Still, I’m starting with Lindor, who is 22^nd in Yahoo ADP and ninth in my top 300. Lindor became a big-time power hitter at age 23, finishing with 33 homers and 44 doubles (Cal Ripken Jr., Nomar Garciaparra and Alex Rodriguez are the only other shortstops ever to have 30 homers and 40 doubles in the same year). He didn’t add any strikeouts, either, so there’s no reason he can’t get his average back up from last year’s .273 mark. He’s in an excellent offensive environment, and he’s surrounded by quality hitters. He’s never been hurt. In my book, it doesn’t even take a shortstop boost to make him worthy of a first-round pick; my projection calls for him to be the ninth most productive position player regardless of position.

Alex Bregman (Astros): There’s been some pushback on Bregman’s higher price tag, the concern being that, with no standout category, he’s already being priced at his upside. I’m not buying that. Bregman isn’t at all likely to bust out a 30-homer or 30-steal season, but he can do plenty of everything, assuming that he hits second most of the way for the Astros. A.J. Hinch has thrown something of a monkey-wrench into that scheme by batting Josh Reddick against some righties this spring. Bregman, though, could still get the spot on a full-time basis, even if it’s not his on Opening Day. Bregman showed top-notch contact numbers last year, suggesting that his strikeout rate could continue to decline this year. I have him scoring 100 runs and helping enough everywhere to make him the No. 27 player in my top 300. He’s going 51^st in Yahoo.



Trevor Story (Rockies): While he’s tended to be my second shortstop in drafts, Story is very possibly my favorite pick at any position this year. I was down on him last season after hand surgery because I thought it’d be quite some time before he was 100 percent. That seemed to be the way it worked out, too; he hit .224/.303/.396 in the first half and .254/.314/.520 afterwards. Story has big strikeout issues that aren’t going away, but he’s not in Joey Gallo/Javier Baez territory as a swing-and-miss guy and Coors Field helps paper over some of those troubles. It looks like he’ll get to hit fourth and fifth this year after spending much of last season in the sixth and seventh spots. My projection calls for him to hit 30 homers and approach 100 RBI while also not hurting a team in batting average. He’s 36^th in my top 300, compared to 93^rd in Yahoo ADP.

Overrated

Didi Gregorius (Yankees): I don’t know how Gregorius is doing it, but he has 45 homers the last two years, even though his exit velocity on flies and liners was in the bottom 10 percent of the league last season. Only one person below him on that list reached double-figures in homers last year (Jose Reyes with 15). Gregorius hit 25. It’s gotta be that whole left-handed-hitter-in-Yankee-Stadium thing, right? Nope. Gregorius hit .321 with 13 homers on the road, compared to .251 with 12 homers at home. So, even though I can’t explain why he’s this good, I’m skeptical that he’ll keep it up going forward. He’s not a great contact hitter, his power seems to partly be a mirage and he’s not going to be an asset in steals. He’s also likely to hit lower in the Yankee lineup that he did last year. I place him 70 spots lower than his Yahoo ADP of 115.

Marwin Gonzalez (Astros): Gonzalez was a lifetime .257/.298/.389 hitter before busting out at age 28 and performing as one of the AL’s top 20 players last year. The Astros could have responded to that breakthrough by handing him the left-field job this year, but it seems they plan to keep using him as a utilityman, meaning he can’t afford to slip much and expect to remain in the lineup regularly. I’m actually rather optimistic that he’ll remain productive -- he has the highest OPS projection of any shortstop outside of my top 10 -- but I don’t expect him to be much of an asset in average or steals and I don’t see him getting 600 plate appearances. He’ll likely alternate between being useful and useless in mixed leagues.

Paul DeJong (Cardinals): DeJong hit 38 homers in just his third pro season last year, with 25 of those coming in the 108 games after he was promoted to the majors. It was a truly impressive rookie campaign, one that would have been good for ROY honors in many years. DeJong, though, has some plate discipline issues; he fanned 28 percent of the time as a rookie and five times as often as he walked. I don’t think he can keep his average up while doing that. He’s also in a bad park for right-handed power, and he’s probably going to hit sixth or seventh for the Cardinals. I don’t think he’ll repeat Aledmys Diaz’s sophomore follies, but he’s not someone I’d want in a mixed league. 

Sleepers

Chris Owings (Diamondbacks): Owings was fading even before suffering the broken finger that ended his 2017 with two months remaining, but he hit .290/.323/.484 with 12 homers and 11 steals in the first half of last year. He’s one of the game’s most efficient basestealers, having gone 59-for-68 since debuting in 2013, and he might up the pace there this year if the Diamondbacks see their run scoring take a downturn with the humidor at Chase Field. That humidor could take a real toll on Owings’ production, too, and largely because he’s not actually a very good regular, he’s not promised a starting job initially. Still, the power and speed can make him a top-10 fantasy shortstop when he’s starting and hitting in the top half of the order.

Jose Peraza (Reds): A bust last year, Peraza went from hitting .324 in 241 at-bats as a rookie to .259 in 487 at-bats last season. Especially frustrating was that he went nearly two months without a steal at one point after collecting 15 in his first 63 games. Peraza has little to offer in the power department and he’s probably never going to walk much, so he needs to hit .290 or better to justify a lineup spot. If he does that, he can steal 30 bases and be plenty valuable for fantasy purposes. If he doesn’t, he’s probably going to find himself replaced by Nick Senzel in June or July. For speed-needy teams, he makes sense as a late MI option.

Orlando Arcia (Brewers): Arcia was an awful hitter for two months as a rookie and for two more months at the beginning of last year, but he turned it around in June and hit .290/.340/.427 with 11 homers and 13 RBI over the final two-thirds of the season. I assumed that’d make him a top-15 shortstop going into this year, but he’s currently being drafted 240^th in Yahoo leagues. I’m not expecting a big leap forward, particularly since the Brewers have blocked off the top of their lineup with the Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich acquisitions, but he’s a good enough bet for 15-20 homers and 15-20 steals that I have him 60 spots higher than his Yahoo ADP.

Aledmervis Diarte (Blue Jays): As a fantasy prognosticator, I wish the Jays had just acquired one of Aledmys Diaz and Yangervis Solarte, giving me someone to recommend as a solid fantasy option while Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis are on the DL this year. Really, though, they were smart to get both, even if it means that neither seems like a particularly good bet for 400 at-bats at the moment. I like Solarte better as a player; he’s a more reliable hitter and he’s the better defender. Diaz would seem to have more upside, based solely on his .300/.369/.510 line as a rookie for the Cardinals in 2016, but that looks like something of a fluke now. I’d be happy with either player rounding out an AL-only roster, and I’d expect one of the two to be of use in mixed leagues at times this season.