This was me seeing if Shane Baz was ready to be stashed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…and so on as I counted the months since his surgery. Do you count September of 2022 because that was when he had the surgery or do you start counting with October? Do you count June of 2024 because that’s when he’s returning? So, it’s been a while since he had Tommy John. The Rays suck, there should be laws set up to stop them from what they’re doing with all their players, especially their pitchers. Who have they attempted to ruin in the last two years? Drew Rasmussen, Taj Bradley, Shane McClanananananananananan, Baz, is there anyone else I’m missing? Fairbanks? Sure, count him too! In spite of the Rays, Shane Baz will return and show exactly why we thought he would be an ace back in 2022. When guys first come back from TJ, they tend to have a lack of command though, so if he’s not at 100% when he returns, it wouldn’t shock me, or if he can’t throw more than 50 IP. My guess is he’ll follow an Opener and be worthwhile in all leagues for two-plus months, and should be back any day now. It’s only been [counting again] …17, 18, 19…do you count both Februarys as two months if one was a Leap Year? How do you count? A little help! Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
PSYCHE! This post was released on Wednesday for Patreon members. It will be released all year early for Patreons, so if people are getting a jump on you, it’s because they paid the $10. Anyway, the Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell:
BUY
Francisco Alvarez – He could be a top three catcher in baseball from his return to the end of the year. Dot dot dot. Then factoring in what him being on the Mets means, so he’s a top seven to ten catcher. Though, that means if Pete Alonso is around a top seven 1st baseman and he’s traded, he becomes a top four 1st baseman. That’s Mets Math, as taught to me in Queens Community College.
Mitch Garver – Mariners’ DH spot is Garver and Haniger, that’s one too many Mitches. A problem that sounds good in theory, but in practice it becomes more of a headache than it’s worth. I’m reminded of Michael J. Fox playing the iconoclast character, Alex P. Keaton, when he had two dates to the prom and he had to keep switching his ties. Eventually, you forget which tie is the right tie, and you get your Mitches confused.
Wilmer Flores – Once a year Wilmer Flores cries himself into being valuable for fantasy. Grab a tissue because Flores is sobbing.
Tyler Soderstrom – Is it no fun to pick up hot A’s hitters? Ooh, you poor baby, wait until you get to the White Sux hitters up next!
Andrew Vaughn – Vaughn’s been hot recently, so this isn’t exactly related to that, but it’s so funny when you look at old prospect grades for some guys. Vaughn is a 60 grade future value prospect? Are you sure about that? He’s a 60 grade power tool? A 70 grade hit tool? Okay, then!
Gavin Sheets – Gonna do us all a favor, and rather than listing all White Sux hitters, because they’ve been hot, I’ll give you just this additional blurb from Vaughn. So, Sheets, Lenyn Sosa, and Paul DeJong have also been hot, i.e., Colonel Mustard in 1917 Russia with a loose bowel!
Nick Gonzales – I usually give you big picture buys as the lede, so NiGo has been neglected. Burleson wishes he could get some shine. You guys are my Pink Pony Girls at the Pink Pony Club and you keep dancing! Sorry, I’m listening to Chappell Roan on like a real Zoomer.
David Hamilton – I can’t believe I bid more on Hamilton than any other player in one of my leagues, then dropped him before he got a chance to be an everyday player. That’s right, with Hamilton, I wasted my shot. And I need SBs in that league. A very stupid move by me, which brings me to another point. I like to think I play in competitive leagues, and you can make mistakes. I’m still in 3rd in that league, and it’s my Main Event league. Okay, bringing this shaggy dog story to an end and say Hamilton has great speed.
J.P. Crawford – It’s appropriate he’s coming around now. Just Peachy is in season.
Adael Amador – Already gave you my Adael Amador fantasy. It was written while announcing an AMA.
Donovan Solano – He hit .410 in May, when he took over for Bogaerts, and I meant to mention him for a few weeks straight, but he’s also very, very boring. Then he homered twice on Wednesday and made it impossible for me to ignore him, even though he was hitting under-.200 in June, previously. Chicks and Grey dig the long ball.
Jeimer Candelario – He could easily reach his previously season’s numbers: 22/8/.251. Oh, you thought his previous season was better? Well, no.
TJ Friedl – I will not rest until Friedl is at 100% rostered. This is my promise to you. [crowd cheers, banner behind me reads, “Convention for the World’s Least Consequential Promises”] Now, before I get off stage, I’m sorry about the promise of free parking. [crowd turns in an instant, boos] It was out of my hands! “Yeah, well, this is out of my hands!” [thrown tomato just misses head]
Heliot Ramos – He’s a leadoff man for one of the league’s–[sees Patrick Bailey is batting 2nd and Matt Chapman is third]–uhh…one of the league’s offenses!
Alec Burleson – He makes some weak contact, but he makes a lot of contact. If he made a little less contact when he chased balls outside the zone, he’d actually be better. Someone tell the Cards to pass this along.
Mike Yastrzemski – If a guy is in this column, he either has a favorable change in playing time or he’s appearing well on the 7-day Player Rater. Carl’s Jr. Jr. is the latter being Carl’s Hr. Hr. lately. With that said (Grey’s turning the ship around!), it’s truly impressive Carl’s Jr. Jr. has been able to stay in the league for six years. His stats are yawnstipating at best, and mostly awful. Is he a nepo baby?
Chris Paddack – This is a Streamonator call, like the call it makes to the bank.
Spencer Arrighetti – This is also a Streamonator call. “Hello, I hope you can understand me, I got my tongue stuck in your ATM.”
John Schreiber – How much longer can the Royals, an actual good team, go to McArthur without lamenting, “Hey, maybe this guy sucks.” Also, I’m getting optimistic that Tanner Scott gets traded to the Royals and stays a closer. Unfortch, last time I was optimistic about something was right before sitting down to see The Phantom Menace.
Jeff Hoffman – Not a lot of turnover this week so I’m giving you a few guys who have been extraordinary for the whole year who should be rostered in 100% of leagues but are not. No one can hassle the Hoff!
Cade Smith – Clase has been Clase A Prime Cut. Top of the Clase. 1st Clase all the way. With that said, Cade Smith has been just as good in middle relief.
Bryan Hudson – As some of you might’ve heard on the last podcast, and if you didn’t, why the eff ain’t you listening? Addicted to true crime? Those are real people getting murdered you sicko! Any hoo! Hudson has emerged as a top 10 reliever in fantasy on the Player Rater. Not just top ten middle reliever, but he’s been better than Josh Hader, Raisel Iglesias, Bednar–Well, a lot of guys!
SELL
Randy Arozarena – Expected stats are severely flawed. xBA is dumb. It makes no sense. Also, The Rice Bowl’s xBA is .208. Next to him in the bottom of xBA is Eddie Rosario, whose xBA is .204. How’sever, Rice’s SLG is .320 and Rosario’s is .362. The Rice Bowl has been incredibly bad. It’s like the rice paddies were flooded and this year’s rice crop is a sign that says: This Year Famine, Try Again Next Year. Rice is droppable in some leagues, so asking you to sell him might be a ‘too little, too late’ scenario, but maybe you can sell based on previous years? I don’t know. Maybe you can sell in a keeper for future years. I wouldn’t trade Arozarena for a bleachers seat next to Zack Hample, but I would look at our Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer and explore options.
