Allow me to demonstrate my feelings on Aristides Aquino over the last 12 months:
“Meh, he’s got some swing and miss tendencies, but I guess you can pick him up if your league is deep enough.”
“Wow, Tuffy Rhodes ain’t got nothing on this guy.”
“Yes, absolutely pick him up!”
“Oh em gee, Aristides Aquino is the greatest GOAT of all-time. I will now call him The GGOATOAT!”
“I want The GGOATOAT to have my babies.”
“Will I have baby GOATs with The GGOATOAT or Baby GGOATOATs?”
“Hmm…The GGOATOAT is starting to swing and miss a lot again. That could be a little bit of a concern.”
The preceding was the tides of my thoughts in only two months of his playing time. Then, this offseason:
“The GGOATOAT is going to be way overpriced, but I still do like him.”
“Wow, he’s not overpriced at all, I wonder if he’s worth a sleeper post?”
“Wait a second, he still has a starting job, right? I mean, this Shogo Akiyama signing won’t kill that, right? Right?! Answer me, Internal Monologue!”
“They signed The Greek God of Hard Contact?” Extremely worried, “Um, can Nick Castellanos play shortstop?”
“Sorry, Cinderfellas and five Cinderellas, I’m dropping Aristides Aquino way down in my rankings since he will never play in that crowded outfield.”
“DID SOMEONE SAY UNIVERSAL DH?!” So, what can we expect from Aristides Aquino for 2020 fantasy baseball and what makes him a great dart throw?
I don’t want to el oh el all over the place, but the Reds still have Nick Senzel, Josh VanMeter and Phillip Ervin, who(ms) could all universally DH. Your mileage may vary on VanMeter and Ervin, but they’re there (stutterer!) and Senzel would seem to at least get some looks at DH when he’s not platooning with Winker and/or Akiyama, which is why Aristides Aquino is simply a dart throw and not a guy I’m moving back up 200 spots in my rankings. Aquino showed last year what he can do if he gets hot — hitting 19 HRs, .259 in 56 games. Give this guy 82 to 100 games, and he’s going to break Bonds’s single-season home run record. The power is real — he hit 47 homers in 134 games last year between Triple-A and the majors. The Ks could be a concern. Last year’s 26.7% in 56 MLB games doesn’t tell the full story. Once pitchers had licked their index finger and turned the first page of The Book On Aquino to learn his weaknesses, he had a 30.9% strikeout rate in September and hit .196. (I shuddered thinking about someone licking their fingers without a finger condom on, and how are they licking their fingers while wearing a mask? Hmm…?) Concerning too that Aquino was weakest on fastballs, because if baseball returns with pitchers not quite comfortable yet with their offspeed stuff, they might chuck up multiple fastballs. Usually they’d get hosed, but Aquino might be the one all wet there. Hard to say on that, and I can see the other side of it, with pitchers not trusting their fastballs yet, not being up to speed, so offspeed. But, and here’s one for the people writing off Aquino, why are we assuming he can’t readjust to MLB pitching? Isn’t it the usual career track for players to start hot, lose their shizz when pitchers figure them out, then for the hitter to readjust back and do damage? No idea why the prevailing attitude is Aquino can’t readjust back. For Aquino’s current price, which is essentially free, I’m squinting one eye, placing my weak hand behind my back and throwing a dart with my other hand.
Grey!
Great dart throw report!
a. I say ‘only’ great ’cause all y’all disciples grabbed Aquino in all leagues and well-before 300, I might add. I loved him last year and there’ll be guys like him all year I think. The September and .196 BA as you mentioned made me laugh very hard and heartily.
b. First off, RIP to the woman and 5-year old child who drowned in Carl Demonte Crawford’s pool (aka ‘The Perfect Storm’). Second, RIP to Starling Marte’s wife who died of an apparent heart attack!
c. MLB quote of the day for August 3, 1997
‘It’s hard to get guys out when you have nothing to get them out with.’
Timothy ‘Tim’ Stephen Wakefield, the oldest pitcher to pitch a complete game at 42 years old. Also holds the Red Sox record for most innings pitched (3006).
Cheers,
Ante
b. Oh, no! This happened recently (S Marte)?? Terrible. Yep, I googled it. Awful.
Ante!
b. Geez thats super sad on both fronts, don’t take your life for granted people! Don’t pass up moments to live your best life today, be mindeful of the future but don’t ignore today. Don’t wait to apologize to those care about, and don’t hold back the positive either.
c. The Ol’ Knuckleballer! Loved that guy, and I couldn’t care less about the Red Sox.
dat was deep
And much 2 complicated
A. Haha, yup!
B. Carl Crawford is having a heckuva a retirement — just before the quarantine started, he was called in the press as a monster and likened to Suge Knight — have a feeling there’s more to his story of the drownings — super sad on Marte, that is brutal
C. Haha, classic
I had Aquino last season and he lit it up!
Hell yeah!
Hahaha, GGOATOAT
It’s like the big 5 supermodels (and eventually, big 6) of the early to mid 90’s. Nowadays, any girl and their mother seems to be called a supermodel, so there’s a need to get back to the elite of the elite.
I think GGOATOAT achieves that for this purpose as GOAT seems to be thrown around too loosely these days.
got the makings of a great porn movie the “greek god of hard contact” , goats, supermodels , and mom daughter MILF action.
Speaking of porn, one S. Korean team filled their stands with sex dolls
No way………….have the jacuzzi suzzi blow up doll with a hot dog in her mouth….
Haha, you can also rent pussy…cats
saw you tweet that… 1) super odd, obviously; 2) first glance, scarily enough, they did *not* look like dolls…
They’re not dolls, per se, they’re *sex* dolls
lmao, how much for one?
Will let you know if my eBay bid goes through
what was your bid?
*pinkie to mouth* one million dollars
hope you did use the stinky pinky
Haha
Were they wearing masks?
They were:
https://twitter.com/Razzball/status/1262496757348364288?s=20
That’s hilarious!!!
Can’t make that stuff up!!…….you know that was not an “acccident”….I was thinking the had those blow up dolls that you fill with helium at batchelor parties.
those things don’t look too bad and they don;t talk back
Haha
HAHA, yeah, he’s basically Elle MacPherson
hate to say it but with nothing going on i miss gabe moonbeam kaplar…..heard him on the radio today
Asked how the virus will affect him :
“well it is going to throw of our routines……. for instance i start with coffen , a lot of coffee then transition to gum to get rid of the coffee taste,,. i like the sweetness but don’t like the gum so i spit that out …..then i move on to seeds, lots of seed now i will not be able to spit seeds on the ground it is going to be a problem. ”
if this was a normal person i would think he was joking……..
Haha, I thought same thing when I got to the end of that quote…Is he serious
Sad thing i think he may be
Yeah, he’s not in a good place
Unless the giants are expected to fail , He will be first manager fired probably not until 2021 though
Beltran never even made it to the season
Oh yeah that seems like ages ago……forgot all that stuff
Haha, it does feel like a lifetime ago
“DID SOMEONE SAY UNIVERSAL DH?!”
Hahahaha, love it!
I have some best ball shares – as I know you do too – he’s perfect for that format. Surprised you never mentioned the steals!!
I like Akiyama and think Winker will play a decent amount (he might start usurping Votto’s spot at the top of el lineup-o… don’t @ me, playas) if he can ever stay healthy. Cyclopsing Winky Wink on da wire.
I don’t trust the steals to be there with him (not while you draft him), but you’re right, he could throw in some of those too…I like Akiyama — pretty meh on Winker and Senzel
Yeah, Senzel needs to first prove 1) He isn’t made of glass, and 2) the shoulder is OK before I want anything to go w/ him again.
Winker — guy is on the wire! Career 122 wRC+. Nice plate discipline. Cyclops that muddafker. He can be a good bench guy to own if he gets hot — dart throw my man, dart throw! Aren’t we talking about fart throws nowadays?
Plate discipline gets you so far if he’s yawnstipating in every roto cat
He’s shown the ability to hit it hard, career .285 AVG, runs if he’s batting first or second…
I get it… “Prospect growth isn’t linear,” and all that jazz… FART THROW, Grey, FART THROWS!
Don’t be throwing farts thinking they’re darts
I usually try to do both simultaneously
What do I know, but now that Dick Williams said that Senzel is 100%, other than the 1 team in which I drafted him, I’ll be picking him off of the waiver wire the minute everyone drops him, if he doesn’t start every day, the 1st week of the season.
Dude has the highest upside in the entire o.f. There is a reason that the Reds didn’t make him part of a deal for Lindor, 2nd picks in MLB drafts aren’t guaranteed stardom, but even w/ all of his setbacks, he showed his potential in 2019.
Hoping all players in my 10 lgs. where I don’t own him, feel like you do.
I think players like Senzel and Verdugo are the type of players who can help lead fantasy teams to championships.
We’ll revisit this at the end of the sprint to the end of the season.
Senzel, like Verdugo, I think might just be better real-life players than fantasy…Not exactly lighting up power or speed cats
And I like Verdugo better
I like having 20/20 guys on my teams with good b.avg. Senzel has a 5 cat upside. Verdugo can be a nice 4 cat player. Like them both as a 4th/5th o.f. with regular a.b.’s.
Yeah, I get that, me too…But him being a 20/20 guy is a stretch
For me, it’s always about roster construction.
The team in which I own him, I have Yelich, Harper, Mercado, Schwarber , and B. Anderson as my o.f.’s, at this moment, with Machado @3b (have Bichette @s.s.), Akiyama @ util., and Dubon @m.i.
If Senzel plays regularly, I move Anderson to 3b, Machado to s.s., Senzel to o.f., and can rotate Akiyama, Dubon, Hosmer, and Peraza @util., depending on p.t. and schedule. Not banking on him to lead my team, but he could be a nice brick in the wall. With such a short season, I can see Senzel giving me a h.r. or 2, a s.b. or 2 in any given bi-weekly lineup, w/out hurting my b.avg.
A 20/20 “week” or even a 1/2 week, is definitely no stretch.
Where did you draft him in that league?
Senzel @214/ Verdugo @212- both in the 18th round.
Got Anderson in the 21st @243, 3 rounds after Senzel.
Was the 2nd team I drafted, on Jan. 24.
Only 2 closers, but love my hitting. Started Yelich/Harper/Stras/Giolito/Olson/Moustakas/Mercado/Fried/Contreras/Ryu/Scwarber/Weaver/Kelly/Senzel/Walker
Verdugo on team with less need for s.b.s (Mondesi /Amed, Newman), and have Springer, Soler, Bellinger, Anderson, Happ, Akiyama covering o.f./c.i. w/ Cruz as my util. (pick 125). With Happ and Akiyama, Verdugo could fit in the lineup and if Cruz goes down, can fill util. , along with Swanson
Don’t disagree, of course, but Senzel was drafted in all my leagues, and before pick-200 in some… was never really a consideration for me there.
Def interested if he’s on the wire… but I assume he may be out for the year if that were to happen.
I feel like there’s still a chance at a CIN-CLE trade of Lindor with CIN clearing out some of their extra OFs, the reduced/questionable season certainly muddies the water. Makes too much sense for both clubs.
World, if you’re listening, get Aristides PT
Lindor would be litttttttttttt at the top of that lineup
Thanks for translating lit for me yday. We need an Ebonics dictionary over here for all the old white men on the site! lolol
HAHA
yeah in Jan I tried to will this into existence, lol.
Aquino/Winker + Senzel + Galvis + prospect
for
Lindor and RP
CIN gets the future captain/anchor/leader of infield once Votto retires in Lindor who’s not even at his peak yet. And some needed depth to bullpen.
CLE gets OF depth (that can actually play OF) and Senzel can be super UT and play +2B with metrics, Galvis is effective at SS. They fill the gaps and get multiple young players with plenty of time under team control.
Echoing chef’s kiss
Lindor is at his peak, no? I mean, maybe he hasn’t had that *career year* yet … but I think he’s right smack in his prime right now…
I could see CLE doing that because they do love to give their best players away for garbage…
I would never. Yanks should make the same trade! (only because I am a Yanks fan, dur)
Andujar, Frazier, pitching prospect, throw in a useless Florial or whatever and bang, boom, bang! Lindor’s smile in da Bronx…. yum.
looking at his stats, 2018 might have been peak, but he’s only 25 so he is just now entering prime.
Cinci still has some good prospects that could make this a good deal. You put in Lodolo as the prospect or 1 of 2 prospects and if I was CLE and knew I wasn’t keeping him, would certainly consider it. Especially since this season could be as shaky as it is.
Lodolo and Garcia… boom, signed sealed delivered… SS of the future for CLE. everyone wins.
I just think your offer is very one-sided for CIN.
CLE should be able to do much better than that, IMO…
Standard roto redraft league. Looking at two OF to submit trade offers.
Yordan or Eloy? Yordan is OF eligible in my league.
Love both love lineups. Some concern about Yordan’s knees. Also, concern about Eloy’s contact %.
Yordan
If he has OF elgib. in your league, obviously
Is Sano for Springer fair or need to offer more?
I salivate at that Twins lineup and Sano put up 76/34/79/.247 in just 380 at-bats. He’s like Gallo with a better average and 1B/3B eligible.
I’d want Springer, don’t think it’s that close
agree, get a nice pitcher w/ it too!
Yeah, makes me a little horny, like a park filled with sex dolls
haha, you’re starting to sound like me now! lol
Haha
yasss queen
Baby Seal, “What’s this lit you speak of?”
Also Baby Seal: YASSSSS KWEEN
Yo, pay attention
And listen real closely how I break this slang shit down
I’ll teach this wet vagina hole of a nation to be hard
“Speak with criminal slang”
That’s just the way that I talk, yo
“Vocabulary spills, I’m ill”
I take a room full of ballerinas and I teach ’em how to Dougie
I tell a chubby girl she’s fat and tell a ugly girl she ugly
I’m overseas spreadin’ STDs to OPPs
Your apartment is your pad
Your old man is your dad
The studio is the lab and heated is mad
I know you like the way I’m freakin’ it
I talk with slang and I’ma never stop speakin’ it
Losin’ fans and bein’ hated? Pssh, that’s a regular day
Haha, it’s a great album, right?
Yep, loving it! You like my lyrics mash up there?
I love me some Big L, yeah…RIP
I would quote the Big L verse from that song… but, yeah, think some may take offense to that out of context… ha
I figured that’s why you cut out of that and cut out RA’s lyrics for a beat or two
LOL *razzball radio edit*
That was one reason… was also trying to get some EBONICS in there, and figured it wasn’t the worst idea the baby seal has ever had…
Ebonics is never a bad idea
Yordy!!!
HAHA
I was on the Aqiuno train from the very beginning last year and it sure was a fun ride. But they way he reached his final destination has left me completely at a loss. I have no idea what this guy is going to do now. Will he adjust and succeed? Or will he just keep hacking, flail away, and crater into nothingness?
He’s absolutely one of the toughest calls on my roster as far as keeping or dropping. I also have Alex Reyes and Brent Honeywell so there’s an argument for giving them the boot as well. I don’t know what to do! Your dart throw here gives me hope but I lack the confidence in him that I have, say, in Austin Riley.
How can the GGOATOAT feel like the BBOAT (Biggest Bust of All Time) in such a short amount of time? I’m sad.
Haha, I know, he’s taken a wild ride in a short period of time…I think he’s worth a flyer, at least over Alex Reyes and Honeywell, though not over Riley
Yeah, right now the very end of my bench (30-man dynasty roster) is:
Alex Reyes
Brent Honeywell
Rafael Montero
Bryan Abreu
Aristides Aquino
Wil Myers
Sam Hilliard
Austin Riley
The other 22 players are too good to cut.
Just out of curiosity, how would you rank these 8 players, from most cuttable to least cuttable. The list is how I have them ranked in my current order but you may see someone differently. Could you rank them how you would cut from first cut to last cut please?
Montero, Abreu, Honeywell, Myers — but how many teams is this? Is this a deep league?
Reyes seems pretty useless these days, no?
He definitely feels worthless/useless to me after four years of misery. I’m about one bad outing from giving this guy the heave-hoe!
Insert Ben Stiller gif: *do it* … *do it*
I remember picking him up right when the season started in 2018… never looked back.
As you probably know, that’s the issue w/ pitching prospects… likelihood of nightmares goes up dramatically from bats
It’s a 14 team league, 30-man rosters, plus 6-man minor league rosters. It’s fairly deep.
Categories (14) we play are: Runs, HR, RBsI, 2B, 3B, SB and OBP also with W, SV, Ks, HLDs, Walks, ERA and WHIP.
You’re right to have Montero and Abreu higher up the cut list than Reyes or Honeywell. I think my rankings just shows my frustration and lack of patience with Reyes and Honeywell. I’m at the end of my rope with those two.
That is deep….But yeah those two are the 1st gone
Thanks Grey,
You helped restore some conventional wisdom to my thinking.
Appreciate it!
Ha, No problem
I’m not that familiar w/ Montero or Abreu… I just know Reyes seems like a total bust now
Holy categories! Although, saying “14 categories” vs 7×7 sounds completely different… even though it’s not. Good times!
I would give Honeywell a liiiiiitleeeee more rope. Reyes probably should’ve been tossed a while ago…
Trust me, I’m so tired of Reyes. He’s hanging on by a thread. And that thread is stretched to capacity.
Allow me to introduce you to scissors. :-)
Wow been a long time since I’ve seen Bryan Abreu mentioned. Love this young gun’s stuff – believe he could possibly transition to rotation at some point, I’d hold
Agree. I think Abreu has a lot more in his arm than people are giving him credit for. That’s why I’m paralyzed with the Honeywell/Reyes/Abreu situation.
They’re taking up too many spots on my roster, yet I’ve invested so much time in the first two that it seems stupid to cut them now.
It’s almost like I’d be just saying “whatever” and moving on from two guys that have given me nothing but headaches so I can concentrate on other things. After four years, now going on five, it seems like a reasonable consideration.
That’s called loss aversion… you know what to do!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion
Time to move on! Haha!
Haha, BBOAT!
I liked that one too! Haha!!
Ahhhh Aristides….too bad one of those trades mentioned above doesn’t happen. Actually think Winker will get more AB’s.
I believe the Reds signed Shogo to leadoff and play CF, possibly moving Senzel to a super utility, spelling Moose and Suarez or in the OF. However, Aquino is not a bad dude to have on reserve, at 6’4″ 220, thats what they’re supposed to look like right?
AA just needs an opportunity that is limited with his current situation/club. Late dart
Senzel and Winker can’t stay on the field, and Aristides is the type to get smoldering hot, so I don’t mind the late dart — but I also agree with all you said
I’ll be giving Senzel another chance ‘to stay on the field’. I’ll throw up to $100 to find out.
That’s fair, he is young enough
Oh yeah, really digging the AA shortening for Acquino. Going to steal that one from ya!
Just got him in the 23rd round of my five owner/ ten team NL-only but also AL-only (one team per league per owner) Roto league. I like that lottery ticket.
Nice! Same
Having just read the excellent article from Thomas, I’m wondering what your projection for Mountcastle is now that we think Mancini is done for the year. TBH he’s a player I’ve completely forgotten about, but surely he plays basically every day in that Baltimore lineup. R HR RBI SB H/AB.
I moved Mountcastle up in my rankings — would, and have, drafted him in leagues since Mancini went down…I like Mountcastle a lot — check out this from a bygone era: https://razzball.com/ryan-mountcastle-2020-fantasy-outlook/
Great article. You certainly covered everything that anyone would need to know about Mountcastle. Many thanks as always.
No problem
so anybody got any news on whether c.crawford’s pool:
– was just snuck into by people who GOT drowned (and by who, and why)
– snuck into by people who CAN’T swim or were otherwise so inebriated it caused them to drown
– carl crawford is drowning people for fun or other reasons
– carl crawford is stupid enough to have drownings occur at his house done by other people, either paid or just because they are inclined to drown people.
i know as kids sometimes we’d sneak into people’s pools and swim then run away, albeit WE KNEW how to swim, and weren’t going to drown.
another good one q.dunbar and d.baker (NFL CB’s and previously division rivals on WAS and NYG (as per your writers around here you need to say “the new york football giants” as otherwise there’d be some confusion with some of them, since ya know all those other new york giants teams that aren’t NFL teams (apparently)) got out on bail, but many witnesses at some baller party (70,000 in watches stolen and about 20,000 in cash) barbeque claimed were robbed at gunpoint by these 2 and another red masked not found man back on may 13th.
i hadn’t watched brockmire season 3 till now along with 4 (which just got done). go get that it’s good stuff. seasons are only 20 min x 8 each, they go quick if never seen it (but i’m betting you at least saw parts of season 1 before)
and apparently s.marte’s wife was just awaiting surgery for broken ankle when she had a heart attack in the hospital, this sounds like a much more interesting story with whatever is going on at that hospital. is that the same hospital that al bundy went to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhk1qb_f0rM
Yeah, that’s awful news
Crawford read Suge Knight’s book on getting out of music contracts
Great article,
My OF of Luareano, Calhoun,Peralta,Domingod, Riley, and Grisham could sure use the boost that the high upside Aquino dart offers.
I also have at 2B/OF Marte with Aaraez on the bench. I could drop Aareaz for Aquino, or, something from pitching:
Darvish, Gray, ERod, Musgrove,Urquidy, Yarbrough, Pearson
RP: Hand, Givens, Kintzler
Would you drop any for Aquino?
Thanks
Thanks! Meh, I’d prolly hold for now, but Arraez is 1st one off
Thanks,
Thoughts on Houser? He’s available and might upgrade my pitching. Drop anyone fur him?
I love Houser — above a lot of your guys, but definitely over Pearson
Do you like Houser over Bundy?
Def get Houser for Arraez — like that move!
Agree w/ Grey, hold except I’d make that move for Houser, totally worth the shot.
Assume Hunter Harvey isn’t available? I’d want him especially if I had Givens.
Assume Castro isn’t available? Dubon?
I’d let AA sit on the wire until we get a little more clarity. Def a Cyclops, though.
Bellinger for my J.D. and Abreu. Fair or giving up too much?
Too much for this year only.
Do you think a counter for both Bellinger and Meadows is fair for JD and Abreu for a redraft league?
Is that JDM or JD Davis?
Your thoughts on Aquino were exactly the same as my thoughts. Besides the baby goats and all. That’s just weird.