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A familiar face – 3B Manny Machado – in his new uni for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many players traded places leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline. Rick gives us the fantasy impact of the key deals.

Holy that was a busy MLB trade deadline!

There were too many names traded to even try to cover them all. With every player going to a contender, a vacancy is created for a new player on a non-contending team and sometimes a player is blocked on the contending team with their new addition.

I do not intend to bother with trades like Zach Duke for Chase De Jong and Ryan Costello because the deal is too insignificant compared to the many bigger deals that went down. As the dust is settling, let’s see how the fantasy baseball landscape has changed as a result of the MLB trade deadline.

MLB Trade Deadline Deals

Manny Machado to the Dodgers

The biggest trade of all went down two weeks ago when Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Manny Machado. This guy will help any team’s offense, but his overall production could take a little bit of a dip going from the Baltimore Orioles bandbox to the pitcher’s haven at Chavez Ravine. But this guy is a stud and he will still put up good numbers anywhere.

Roberto Osuna to the Astros

Houston and Toronto traded closers with a bit of a tarnish. Houston grabbed Roberto Osuna right before he comes off suspension. The Astros are taking a bit of a public relations hit by adding a guy who was suspended for domestic abuse, but that won’t have any effect on your fantasy team. He is a relief ace and well worth adding if you can get him.

In return, Toronto acquired Ken Giles who was a darling closer before a mental meltdown lead him to a demotion to triple-A. The Blue Jays say he is going to be their closer as soon as he is promoted but unless your fantasy league collects points from minor league players, you are left to wait until Giles is promoted to Toronto to capitalize on that promise.

Asdrubal Cabrera to Phillies

In moving to Philadelphia, Asdrubal Cabrera’s value will remain stable, with maybe a few more runs scored. The most important value for Cabrera is that he is likely to pick up shortstop eligibility with the Phillies.

J.A. Happ and Lance Lynn to the Yankees

The Yanks added two starters to their starting rotation in different deals. Pitchers either thrive or wither when they end up in New York and I would bet on Happ to thrive. Count on wins and K’s as this veteran has pitched in the Big Apple many times as a visitor and should fit in quite nicely.

As for Lynn, there is no telling how he will do. He has had an off year and the unforgiving Bleacher Creatures might not take too well to him if he struggles out of the gate.

Zach Britton to New York Yankees, Jeurys Familia to Oakland, Brad Hand to Cleveland, Brad Brach to Atlanta, Keone Kela to Pittsburgh and Joakim Soria to Milwaukee

All six are out of their closer roles and into setup roles with their new teams. Their stats should remain steady except they will be trading their saves for holds.

Francisco Mejia to Padres

Mejia is a top-10 prospect and is the real deal. He’s an excellent contact hitter, developing power and will be an impact player. The San Diego Padres did very well here and have their catcher of the future for a couple of relievers that wouldn’t help a losing team win.

Mike Moustakas to Brewers

This was looking like a very solid move as the Milwaukee Brewers were adding a power bat to their lineup, but the move displaced Travis Shaw off of 3B to 2B, adding to his position flexibility. But then the Brewers made another deal…

Jonathan Schoop to Brewers

If Schoop plays his usual 2B, then a big logjam has blocked the Milwaukee River since the outfield and 1B are stacked up already. But Schoop could play shortstop, which is an offensive upgrade for the Brewers. I’m a big fan of Luis Ortiz, who was the most intriguing player going to Baltimore in the deal.

Chris Archer to Pirates

Archer is in desperate need of new scenery. I think a better team will inspire him to find his true self. The Pittsburgh Pirates had to send Austin Meadows to Tampa in the deal. The Pirates didn’t have room in their outfield for Meadows right now, but he will be a real asset for the Rays over time. A fair deal for both teams that should lead to an acceleration in production for both big names in the deal.

Wilson Ramos to Phillies

Ramos was having a good season for the Rays. Philadelphia couldn’t get consistency from their catchers so they had to spend on a backstop that will hopefully help them win a division crown. Ramos might see a slight uptick in RBI, but the other stats should remain steady.

Tommy Pham to Rays

I don’t get the Rays motivation here. Pham played well above his abilities in 2017 and this season was saw him come back down to earth. With the trade of Ramos, Archer and several other pitchers, the acquisition of a 30-year old who is not as good as his previous season makes me scratch my head. At any rate, don’t look for Pham to channel his 2017 season ever again.

Ian Kinsler to Red Sox

Kinsler is showing his age. Going to Boston won’t do a lot for his stats, since most of his good stuff is all used up. I would expect him to continue to struggle through this season even in a different uniform on a top team.

Cole Hamels to Cubs

Hamels is always a gamer. He’ll give you his best stuff, even if his best days are behind him… which they are. He’s still serviceable, but not spectacular any longer. He ought to give you slightly better ratios playing in the NL and more wins with a better offense, but this is not vintage Cole Hamels.

Eduardo Escobar to Diamondbacks

Escobar was hitting well for Minnesota Twins and gets the chance to do the same in Arizona because Jake Lamb couldn’t. I think the humidor will have minimum effects on Escobar’s value. Expect similar or slightly better numbers for Escobar in the desert.

Brian Dozier to Dodgers

Dozier is having a down year by his standards. There is no telling what the Dodgers just bought, but they are hoping to surround him with talent and re-ignite his power output. Dozier will get the bulk of the starts but will likely have to do a time-share.

Kevin Gausman to Braves

Atlanta Braves grabbed a lottery ticket for a handful of prospects. Gausman has great potential and frustratingly inconsistent results to show for his MLB time. He could become a stud or he might end up making fantasy owners continue pulling out their hair.

As I said off the top – that was a very active MLB trade deadline! None of this discussion mentions opportunities created by the trade for the vacancies. I hope to address this in the near future to see who was moved in each trade and see which player benefitted due to the newly created opening.

Some players don’t get the love they deserve from the fantasy baseball community. Like Rodney Dangerfield, they just don’t get any respect. Our job is to figure out the players where that lack of respect is justified, and more importantly, what players in fact deserve our respect and attention on draft day, even though they are overlooked (or undervalued) by the majority of fantasy players.

People drafting at Mock Draft Central (MDC) are using that website for a variety of purposes, including trying out new draft strategies, so the results certainly aren’t something to take to the bank. However, Average Draft Position of each player does give a fairly accurate view of where players will be drafted in similar leagues.

I project the following players will perform a lot better than is currently being forecast by the users at MDC. Here is my 2011 All Sleeper Team:

Russell Martin, C, NYY – Martin has been in a downward spiral ever since his breakthrough season of 2007. Was that season an anomaly? Playing in the New York Yankees lineup will help us figure that out and you should enjoy the results. Benefitting from great coverage in the batting order, Martin should see some real pitches to hit and opportunities to build his resume. Fantasy players may be downgrading Martin due to concerns of up and coming prospect Jesus Montero taking over, but he is still raw behind the plate so expect it to be Martin as the primary backstop all season. Martin is a contract year, to boot.

Derrek Lee, 1B, BAL – Lee has something to prove after hitting .260 last year with under 20 homers (still hit 19) for the first time in three seasons. He required surgery on his right thumb in November to repair a torn ligament, likely the cause of last season’s decline. He will get that opportunity in a much improved Baltimore lineup and at the cozy Camden Yards, a good situation for Lee to show he’s not washed up. Don’t count on any steals now he is in his mid-30s, but the average and power should return. Lee’s value is currently deflated in fantasy drafts as he’s been sidelined in Spring Training with wrist tendinitis brought on by aggressively rehabbing his surgically repaired thumb. Lee expects to be ready Opening Day.

Aaron Hill, 2B, TOR – Hill had a breakthrough season in 2009 with career numbers across the board on a massive 682 at-bats. Fantasy owners who invested for similar results in 2010 were sadly disappointed, as Hill struggled most of the year due in part to a hamstring injury. His batting average was as smooth as an alligator’s backside (.205) and his home run total also took a bit of a dip, although he still popped 26 homers (down from 36 in ’09). Look for numbers closer to his 2009 campaign this season. If he’s still sitting on the draft board when your turn comes up in the 10th round, take the plunge.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY – How can the biggest name on the biggest stage be considered a sleeper? Maybe undervalued is a better word here, but A-Rod has failed to meet expectations each of the past three seasons. Admittedly, those were high expectations, but fantasy owners are a fickle bunch and are always looking for upside in their picks. At age 35, A-Rod doesn’t have the upside he once did, and some feel injury and missed time are in the cards for him annually at this point. He’s sliding in drafts to the late first round or even into the middle of the second round. He’s still going to provide very good stats, this year at a discounted price.

Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, CLE – This guy will never be confused with A-Rod. He’s a very solid hitter, but provides no power. He will contribute in the other four offensive categories though, and that kind of production from a shortstop being drafted in the middle rounds is a bargain that you don’t want to pass up.

Jose Tabata, OF, PIT – Here is a player that can really help with speed at a relatively low price, and doesn’t hurt your average. His power is a little light, and playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates is a knock to anyone’s projected RBI and Run totals, but you could certainly do worse with a draft pick in the early teen rounds. Tabata is on a few sleeper lists, so watch as he could be climbing draft boards.

Shane Victorino, OF, PHI and Raul Ibanez, OF, PHI – These Philadelphia guys are just not as well respected as the guys they hit behind in the Philly batting order. Victorino and Ibanez won’t hit as many homers or drive in as many runs as a healthy Chase Utley or Ryan Howard, but they will provide much better value. Victorino’s stolen bases make him more desirable between the two. You can acquire him in the latter part of the first ten rounds and Ibanez in the middle rounds of your draft.

Jim Thome, DH, MIN – Even though Thome will be platooning in the designated hitter role, he will still do enough damage to warrant a spot on your team. He’s being drafted very late because of the lack of position for the big lefty, but 20+ homers for a guy being picked at the end of the draft is a great deal.

Jake Peavy, RHP, CWS and Erik Bedard, LHP, SEA – These two pitchers lost most of the last two seasons to arms injuries. They combined for just 48 starts over that time and fantasy players have a lot of doubts about their abilities to come back from these injuries to be anything better than mediocre. Both are showing signs that they are back up to speed and should be a strong play in your league. They should be had at the tail end of the draft, making them a low risk pick.

Jonathan Broxton, RP, LAD – After a very difficult 2010 campaign, Broxton looks to regain control of his pitching arsenal and his closer’s job. He was one of the top three closers being drafted in 2010, but has fallen far from that lofty plateau. He’s a buy low candidate waiting to happen.

All of Lee, Hill, Cabrera, Tabata and Broxton will likely go in a similar round in your draft, so weigh the cost-benefit of each relative to how the rest of your team is shaping up. Also, keep in mind that ADP stands for Average Draft Position, meaning it isn’t a guarantee a player is going to last as long as his ADP. It is an average. Sometimes they’ll go earlier, and sometimes they’ll go later. Whether these players, or your own short list, if there is someone you really want on your fantasy team don’t hesitate to invest a little more – rebuffing the sounds of “r-r-r-e-e-each” from your fellow owners in the draft room – to ensure you get them so they are helping your team, not someone else’s.

Fantasy Impact from MLB Trade Deadline Deals – Machado, Osuna, Archer