Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk, Hunter Renfroe, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore were all placed on waivers by the Angels. Everyone makes fun of the Rockies, and they deserve it, but the Angels are the Rockies with better on-field talent. The Angels are a joke organization. They were going for it literally three weeks ago! They get nothing for any of these players, by the by. It’s not like they get draft picks or something. They just traded away prospects three weeks ago for these guys and they are just being released. All they get back is money. So, Arte Moreno can build a smaller hot tub inside his larger hot tub. On a real baseball note, the playoffs just became fascinating, since the waiver order is the reverse winning percentage, so maybe that late push by the Mariners to pass the Rangers wasn’t the best move. What does this mean for fantasy? Honestly, I doubt much. It’ll depend which teams pick up each guy, but you have to assume Grichuk and Renfroe are platoon players on better teams, and Giolito is a mess wherever he pitches. Unless he goes to the Rays, then he becomes a late-stage Cy Young candidate. As Matt Truss said, if the Angels pulled that nonsense in a fantasy league, Tommy Pham would smack the crap of out of them. Angels’ City Connect unis should just be white flags. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Tyler Anderson – 5 IP, 6 ER, ERA at 5.58. For reals, why not release him too?
Luis Rengifo – 3-for-4, and his 13th and 14th homers. You can’t release that, Arte Moreno!
Bryce Harper – 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 14th homer, and, like, 12th homer in the past three weeks. You can’t stop me from thinking Harper’s power outburst in August and how it connects to what Ohtani will do next year if he has Tommy John surgery.
Kyle Schwarber – 1-for-4 and his 37th homer. He has 36 singles. He’s hit leadoff all year.
Alec Bohm – 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 15th homer. Elias Sports Bureau said this is the first time Alec Bohm and Kieboom homered on the same day and I didn’t make a ‘boom goes the dynamite’ joke.
Trea Turner – 2-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 18th homer, and 3rd homer in two games. The Phils are getting hot at the perfect time, and I think I know why. It’s hot in August, and Castellanos makes everyone unbutton a shirt button in this weather, and that is their rally cap, The Rally Button.
Bo Bichette – Hit the IL. The IL’ing right after weekly lineups lock is the groin kick that opens every week’s America’s Funniest Home Video.
Davis Schneider – 2-for-5, 2 RBIs and his 6th homer. As much as I hate Boba being hurt, that is great for Schneider, and he’s been smoking that schmativa.
Jose Berrios – 6 IP, 5 ER, ERA at 3.70. Aw, you poor schnook!
Keibert Ruiz – 1-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 16th homer. Doing totally respectable, and you didn’t need any sorta high pick for him, but he’s no Alejandro Kirk!
Carter Kieboom – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 3rd homer, and that’s in only six games played. He will be in this week’s Buy column, barring injury, which I will release later today on Patreon.
Dean Kremer – 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners (zero walks), 5 Ks, ERA at 4.20. Ironic to his ERA, hitters can’t smoke him!
Mike Clevinger – Hit waivers, and I could see him being attractive to contending teams. Wild that the White Sox kept Clevinger after he abused his baby, but let him loose after he pitched a gem. Guess they didn’t have room in Jerry Reinsdorf’s fat folds to stash him.
Fat Upper Pistol Area pic.twitter.com/r6E1g90nqp
— Razzball (@Razzball) August 29, 2023
Michael Brantley – 0-for-4 as he was activated from the IL. This will show whether Busty Daker has figured out anything in his 45 years of managing and keeps playing the good outfielders they have or tries to sandwich Brantley into the lineup. My guess is all the great things Yainer Diaz has done will be moved to the bench. Hope I’m wrong.
Yordan Alvarez – 3-for-5, and his 23rd homer, and 2nd homer in two games. Please hit a home run in every game from now until October 1st.
Alex Bregman – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 22nd homer. C’mon, Captain Woo Cubano, you have to stay in front of Bregman!
Jarren Duran – Will undergo season-ending toe surgery. *makes note to write Duran 2024 sleeper*
Adam Duvall – 2-for-4 and his 18th homer, and 190th homer this week. Meh, whatever.
Bo Naylor – 2-for-4 and his 7th homer, and 2nd homer in as many games. Hot schmotato alert!
Gavin Williams – Left yesterday’s game with “I literally can’t throw anymore innings how are any of these rookie pitchers doing it?” Oh, no, it’s his knee.
Royce Lewis – 1-for-4 and his 9th homer, and 3rd homer in three games, but it wasn’t a grand slam, so whatever. I’m kidding! I love him!
Michael A. Taylor – 2-for-4 and his 20th homer, and 4th homer in the last week. As hot as Lewis is, Taylor’s just as schmotato-scorch-fire.
Aroldis Chapman – 1 IP, 1 ER, ERA at 2.50, and his 4th save, as he still made it close and looked on the verge of a Leclerc sighting. I don’t buy Aroldis yet, but that’s likely where this shituation is at. Say: Aroldis 60, Leclerc 30, Smith 10, as the split right now.
Mitch Garver – 1-for-2, 2 runs and his 13th homer, hitting .279. Easily better than Alejandro Kirk. (Is it obvious I drafted Kirk?)
Jose Quintana – 6 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 3.26. Had a decent matchup at home, and Streamonator likes his next one away, and I could see it.
Seth Lugo – 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 3.67. On the 30-day Pitcher Rater, Lugo’s been better than Corbin Burnes. Cust kayin’.
Willson Contreras – 2-for-4, 3 runs, 3 RBIs and his 14th and 15th homer. Just randomly picked him up the other day in my RCL, and meant to drop him, but didn’t. Points for negligence!
Merrill Kelly – 5 IP, 7 ER, ERA at 3.31. Guess he’s not healthy. Thanks for letting me know!
Corbin Carroll – 2-for-4 and his 23rd homer as he bats 7th. It’s going to be so hard for me not to look at his stats pre and post-shoulder injury.
Mookie Betts – 2-for-3, 2 runs and his 36th homer, for a new career high. Mookie’s Best!
Alex Cobb – 9 IP, 1 ER, 1 hit, 1 walk, 8 Ks, ERA at 3.57, as he threw 131 pitches, and was one out from a no hitter. Ow, damn it! My shoulder started hurting as I typed that. Let me try again. Alex Cobb was allowed to throw one hundred and thirt–Ugh, I can’t pick up my arm. I’m nw tping wit mi noss howw dos itlook i canrt loook up.
Shea Langeliers – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 16th homer. He was a schmotato last week, and this week I’m saying, “Same, I guess.” Profound!
Jazz Chisholm Jr. – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 13th homer. I’ve soured so much on Jazz, after this year, there’s just no way I have him next year in any league when he will become the first 50/50 player.
Jorge Soler – Left with side discomfort. Not good. If I’m Soler, I take the great stats I put up in the first five months, and shut down for the big contract payday this offseason. Hopefully he is healthy and has less selfish motivations than me.
Sandy Alcantara – 5 2/3 IP, 4 ER, ERA at 4.23. This doesn’t make any sense but it seems like the better Jazz does, the worst the Marlins do. Like an anti-Castellanos shirt unbuttoning.
Randy Arozarena – 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 21st homer. Also, in this game, Isaac Paredes (2-for-5, 2 runs, 4 RBIs) hit his 27th homer and Josh Lowe (3-for-5, 2 runs) hit his 18th homer. Even Vidal Brujan (1-for-3, 1 run) got a hit, and now he plays after they called up Basabe. *a chef’s kiss echoing through Lincoln’s head tunnel at Mt. Rushmore* Poor taste for the placement of a tunnel, if you ask me.
Cole Ragans – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 9 Ks, ERA at 3.27. Standing below a stage, “Here we are at the 2043 Hall of Fame induction for Cole Ragans. MLB and BBWAA made an exception to the five-year grace period for him being inducted, because Ragans won 700 games on the Royals, who had a .375 winning percentage, while Ragans had 900 no decisions.”
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 11th homer, which sounds paltry, but he’s been fantastic for the last month. Cele’Brate him!
Justin Steele – 6 IP, 0 ER, 7 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 2.69 vs. Corbin Burnes – 7 IP, 1 ER, 10 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 3.55. This matchup was billed as, “A fantastic opportunity for Grey to point out there was 200 spots between these two pitchers in the preseason draft ranks, and the pitcher drafted later is much better.”
Marcell Ozuna – 2-for-4-2 RBIs and his 30th homer, and his 2nd homer in three games. The Braves should get nine MVP awards and hand them out to their whole lineup.
Charlie Morton – 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 3.29. Now that we’ve made it through the tough 1st start of the week in Coors, I’m sure there won’t be any let down with his next start. Right? *laughs like a madman* Right?!
Tarik Skubal – 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 9 Ks, ERA at 3.93. Streamonator loves his next start, and that’s all you need to know. *leans into microphone* Would.
Anthony Volpe – 1-for-4 and his 19th homer. Not to be a total Yikes stan, but if Volpe goes 20/20 his rookie season, how is that disappointing?
Kyle Higashioka – 1-for-4 and his 10th homer. Not a great year, but, compared to Alejandro Kirk, Higashioka looks like Mike Piazza when he was hitting .360.
Gleyber Torres – 2-for-2 and his 22nd homer, and 2nd homer in two games. I’m convinced Gleyber could hit 25, 30 or 35 homers and everyone would be like, “Meh, he’s just okay.”
Harrison Bader – 0-for-4. Also placed on waivers. Never thought I’d live to see the Yankees becoming a small market team. If Bader is gone, they better bring up Jasson Dominguez, and that means you could do worse stashing him.
Josh Donaldson – Released by the Yankees. Too bad, one of the better things this year was watching Yankees fans after Aaron Boone inconceivably kept playing Josh Donaldson. Speaking of which, Aaron Boone could go to Aruba, while a scarecrow in his uniform sits in the dugout, and Boone won’t be fired. Boone has the job security of a senator. Call him Aaron Boofeinstein.
