Last year, Manuel Margot hit 16 homers and stole 21 bags, while hitting .263.  *you checking Manuel Margot player page, you furrowing your brow*  A 23-year-old with 16 homers and 21 steals while not killing you in average and being drafted after 200 overall?  Huh?  *you tentatively raising your hand*  You, “Um, Grey.”  Not right now, I’m making a point.  Is he being artificially deflated by the association with the Padres? Knowing the Padres, he’ll be traded to the Cubs for Andrew Cashner.  *you holding your elbow as your arm gets tired from being raised*  “Grey, can I just say one thing?”  What, you?  Smugly, “He only hit 13 homers and stole 17 bases.”  That’s right, in only 126 games, I was prorating his numbers over the course of the season, so eat a D, Smug You.   This was also his rookie year.  What, no player has ever gotten better after their rookie year?  Maybe not Cody Bellinger or Aaron Judge or Ben Grieve, but most do get better after their rookie year.  So, what can we expect from Manuel Margot for 2018 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?

While Manuel Margot was in the Red Sox minor league system (hey, these Rizzo comparisons keep happening; maybe he will get traded to the Cubs), he stole 39 bases one year.  Yes, that was A-Ball, where catchers don’t throw to 2nd, they run the ball out to 2nd base on steal attempts.  Last year, Margot was also caught seven times in 24 attempts.  Not the greatest stealing percentage, but have you seen him?  No?  Okay, here’s your chance:

Doode’s not slow.  (By the way, gotta love Yoenis’ route to the ball, jump on the 405 to the 110 next time.)  That leads me to think he just needs to figure out how to steal.  Why am I making such a big deal out of watching this M. Mar go?  Have you seen what’s currently going on with steals in the league?  SAGNOF, sure, but to SAGNOF for steals correctly, you need to find cheap steals.  Well, that’s where Margot comes in, which reminds me of Margot At The Wedding, which was the worst movie of the last ten years.  The Padres have no reason to put the brakes on Margot, and who else do they have to bat at the top of the order?  Margot could be a super cheap 15/30/.275 guy at the top of a ‘major league’ lineup.  Also, in 66 2nd half games, he hit eight of his homers.  Also, Part 2:  The Revenge Of Also, in the 2nd half, his Ks went down, his walks went up, his stealing percentage went up (7 steals, only caught once) and his line drive percentage went up.  Hey, you with the hair that isn’t quite as full as mine, I WANT MANUEL MARGOT NOW!  That’s right, brought the caps for all you nearsighted schmohawks.  For 2018, I’ll give Manuel Margot the projections of 86/17/42/.266/27 in 561 ABs with a chance for more.

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Kluber Lang
Kluber Lang
5 years ago

So your saying trading Margot for Mazara in my keeper league was a bad trade?

LenFuego
LenFuego
5 years ago

Best part of the post was the single-quotes around ‘major league’ when referring to the Padres as a “‘major league’ lineup” – I love when punctuation is funny.

Tom Brady
Tom Brady
5 years ago

Great work as always! Glad to hear you’re high on Margot as he is one of my keepers for next season.

What are your thoughts on Ozzie Albies? Do you see him becoming an above average 2b in roto format?

J-FOH
J-FOH
5 years ago

Sup

Scott Kimmel
Scott Kimmel
5 years ago

Grey,

What are your thoughts on SF prospect Heliot Ramos?

Scott Kimmel
Scott Kimmel
Reply to  Scott Kimmel
5 years ago

Also would you trade Luis Urias (minor league prospect for SD) for Hunter Greene (CIN)?

Scott Kimmel
Scott Kimmel
Reply to  Grey
5 years ago

would you draft him? I also like this other prospect from SD as well Adrian Morejon. So when it;s my turn to pick I have three prospects to choose from: Morejon, Kendell (LAD), ramos, and Chris Shaw.

1)Which 2 should I draft when it’s my turn.
2) Make the deal for green for Urias?

CoreyII
CoreyII
5 years ago

I have Margot for a cheap $4 keeper in an NL Only league, but he’s competing against other cheap $4 options of Alex Wood, Arodys Vizcaino, Austin Hedges, and Austin Barnes. I can keep 2-3 of them depending on how many pricier guys I cut. Who do you like best?

CoreyII
CoreyII
Reply to  Grey
5 years ago

@Grey:

Ha! Guess I set you up for that one! Second or third pick after Wood?

Jake
Jake
5 years ago

Whatup Grey! Looking at the next two years – would you rather have Max or Stras? Standard roto … thanks!

Nightpandas
Nightpandas
5 years ago

Hey Grey would you move Desmond for Shaw in a 15 team obp 11 keeper league that counts strikeouts….I have Hoskins, Dahl, Margot, Happ for Of and no real 3b keeper

Abe Froman
Abe Froman
5 years ago

Grey, I asked the other day about my 10 team, Roto Dynasty, 6×6 (OBP + QS). Keep up to 17 forever. Turns out Urias counts as a minor leaguer, so I get one more keeper.

Here’s where things stand. Keeping:
1. Goldschmidt
2. Trea Turner
3. Rendon
4. Springer
5. Dee Gordon
6. Carrasco
7. Darvish
8. Khris Davis
9. Story
10. Polanco
11. Desmond
12. Paxton
13. McCullers
15. Doolittle
16. Haniger

Minor Leaguers:
1. Urias
2. Senzel
3. Willie Calhoun

And I get one more of the following:
DeJong, JBJ, Salazar, Duffy, Corbin, Snell, Morton, Shark

Thoughts? Also worth mentioning that for any given week, we only start one person at each infield position, 3 OFs and a util. No MI/CI. And for pitching, we start 4 SPs, 2 RPs, and 1 SP/RP

A2K
A2K
Reply to  Abe Froman
5 years ago

@Abe Froman:

But, whose the 14th keeper??!?!?!

Jose
Jose
Reply to  Abe Froman
5 years ago

@Abe Froman:

Which Urias is that?
Luis is a minor leaguer, but Julio is not.

Chicitysox23
Chicitysox23
5 years ago

Would love that year from Margot. With my leagues rules, I have Margot and Benintendi as free keepers on my minor league roster still.

Jake
Jake
5 years ago

Thanks Grey – great stuff as always!

OBP re-draft … Betts or Rizzo?

Tweak
Tweak
5 years ago

Love me some Margot. If anything, you might be under on the AVG a bit. The Friars’ offense really isn’t that bad going into next year, and there’s a chance that things click much like with the Brewers this past season. If he hits on top of the order, he could tickle 100 Runs. Renfroe can bring the K rate down and hit .250. Healthy playing time from Dickerson and Jankowski can be sneakily valuable. Hodgepadres making it through 5-6IP with a decent bullpen might be able to work. Mitchell and Galvis were good additions.

I had to overpay a touch to snag him in a dynasty league late last year (traded Zimmer and Salazar for Margot and Triston McKenzie), but ended up with a surplus of upside OF bats: Mazara, Rosario, Puig, Haniger, Castellanos, Winker, Margot, Fisher, Robles, Acuna. I’m keeping all but Winker and Fisher; can probably sell them off for passable MLB pitching.

Tweak
Tweak
Reply to  Grey
5 years ago

@Grey: No worries, I felt like I was describing an old buddy cop show when I wrote “Dickerson and Jankowski.”

“Go on, get out there you two! The DA will have my ass for this one. Just go! AND BY THE BOOK THIS TIME!!”

Tweak
Tweak
Reply to  Grey
5 years ago

@Grey:
Jankowski: “Shit, boss. I thought that was your bathroom.”
Chief: “Jankowskiiiiiii…”

I’d better stop or I’m going all day.

Crime dog
Crime dog
5 years ago

I’d love him in the 200’s. ESPN has him at 130 though. I think that might be too pricy

Crime dog
Crime dog
Reply to  Grey
5 years ago

@Grey: yes. Excited to see where you have him

Randy
Randy
5 years ago

Is Benintendi under-valued? It seems he has a similar skillset to Betts, but is drafted 20 plus slots later.

Nelson
Nelson
5 years ago

Inciarte or Margot?

Ryan
Ryan
5 years ago

Great stuff as always. Need your opinion, very deep league 5×5 I have to choose one out of Souza jr, Aaron hicks, Beckham and lamet. Thanks for you help