The more I live life, the more I begin to see and understand the dualistic nature of the universe. If there was no gravity, the Drop of Doom at Six Flags would just be a hair folicle on the Earth’s surface. Any kind of market would be unable to function without two divergent thoughts, resulting in a buyer and a seller. A buyer cannot buy without anyone willing to sell. Nothing goes straight up. Conversely, nothing goes straight down. There are ebbs and flows to most things in life. Which seamlessly brings me to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His season up to date has been a tale of two halves within a half of a season. He was amazing for the first two months but has been the exact opposite the last two months. Can this Lourdes be our savior come money time?
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What is up party people? The Trade Deadline has passed and I guess that means we have kicked off the stretch run of the season. Seriously, where did the time go? August is upon us and that means we’re only a month away from September call-ups to tease us with their potential only to be let down next year when the start in they have a great spring only to start in the minors. Yeah, I’m probably getting ahead of myself but here we are. Some big names were moved (Justin Verlander back to the Astros and Max Scherzer to the Rangers) Obviously, you already know the kind of numbers they can put up with Ks and innings. Their respective moves shouldn’t change that but both could be in line for a boost in the wins department. Wins are always a tough stat to chase but we can hope that moving to a better team will at least set them up for more dubs.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The draft has come and gone and as many suspected, LSU’s Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews went off the board with the first two overall selections. For many, those two prospects instantly became the most sought-after in dynasty leagues and first-year player drafts alike. Alas! How could thee thinketh otherwise? After all, generational prospects, as they’ve been labeled, are likely to cause such a reaction. And perhaps it’s for good reason. Sure, Skenes is a great choice at No. 1 in a first-year player draft. But I get up on my rooftop at this time every summer (it takes me roughly that long to tear down the holiday lights), and remind our readers that draft position should not dictate FYPD board position. There are many, many places to find and steal value along the way. Maybe there’s a bat that went outside the first 18 picks that you should consider in your top five players overall. Or a mid-second-round diamond in the rough that fell 20 spots past where he probably should have. It’s all about being creative and better informed than those around you. In this week’s column, we’ll break down five FYPD sleeper sticks from the 2023 college draft class, followed by another five to keep your eye on.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Mike Couillard and Jeremy Brewer have launched a pod, Cards & Categories, to discuss baseball from card collecting and fantasy angles! In our fourth episode, we open with discussion on the trade deadline results. Then we talk about how to store prospect rookie cards and ride the market waves, especially in relation to the prospects traded this […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Joe Ryan (4 IP, 7 ER, ERA at 4.43) got cooked faster than an instant pot, if an instant pot actually cooked things in an instant. I’d be lyin’ on Ryan (poet and aware of it) if I said I trusted him right now, even if I am a believer long-term for 2024 fantasy and beyond. Everyone seems to have caught up to his four-seamer and now it’s Dong City, population every hitter facing him. He’s a two-pitch pitcher, and hitters figured out the ‘good’ one, which is not good. There’s two months left, and, in shallower leagues, it’s time to move on. Getting him for homers (everyone, like I said), Jordan Walker (2-for-3) hit his 10th homer. Jordan Walker is my father, please respect our family time together. Tyler O’Neill (1-for-4) hit his 4th homer, and 2nd homer in two games. Tyler O’Neill has 35-homer power. Might take a miracle for him to even get to 15 this year, but there would be stranger things than him going off for two months. Like Dustin. He’s Stranger Things. Also, getting into the act, Lars Nootbaar (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) hit his 11th homer, and 4th homer in the last week. Snack baars open, baby! Finally, Alec Burleson (1-for-3, 3 RBIs) went ding-dong for his 7th homer. In previous seasons, the Cards would’ve traded Burleson for a middle reliever and watched Burleson become an All-Star on another team, but now he will remain in St. Louis as a 4th outfielder. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?The New York Mets are the weirdest team in recent memory for me. It’s tough to disagree with much of what they’ve done in a general kind of way, and it’s good for the game whenever one of these billionaires decides to invest in their team, but my brain still struggles to enfold the idea of paying someone else 36 million dollars to take a player you just signed last year then 54 million dollars to take a player you signed this year. I realize they acquired Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford in the process of jettisoning Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, which complicates the issue a little, but my question would have been which prospects can I have for free. I’d almost certainly prefer the free options to paying 36 mill for young Acuña, assuming I could allocate that 36 million however I pleased. Same goes for Verlander. My next question would be when will the money-flow stall. There’s just no way I can believe this guy is willing to spend half a billion dollars annually simply because we’ve never seen that.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Here it is, August, and if you’re at all like me, you’re kinda counting down the days till you can send the kids off to their sitters at school. Or, alternately, if you’re also like me and are one of the sitters, er, teachers, you’re counting down with a fair amount of dread. It’s a […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful! The good news is we lucked out this week with the trade deadline falling on a Tuesday! The bad news is … there wasn’t much to be excited about as far as blockbuster deals were concerned. But, fear not! We’ve got any and all deals that might have some sort of […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Nothing says the trade deadline has come and gone like the barrage of baseball writers tweeting, “Pencils down.” You’ll see a bunch of in-depth coverage here on Razzball surrounding all of the deadline trades so be sure to check that out. The Astros celebrated the reunion with Justin Verlander with a no-hitter from Framber Valdez, […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?“What a day for a game! We have Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander squaring off today to decide who goes to the World Series for the American League, and–hold on, clear the room! Mr. Met, no! Don’t do it!–*tv channel goes to static*” Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but the Mets did well at the deadline. It’s not how they would’ve imagined it in the preseason, but unloading two fossils for prospects, and they can just buy again this offseason. Of course, they’ll likely take the prospects they just got and trade them for, like, George Springer, but it’s a strategy. Now, due to their luxury tax implications, it’s imperative they lose as many games as possible, which brings me to: You too can be a Mets starter! Just head down to Metco and line up! Auditions start at 2 PM on Thursday. So, Justin Verlander returns to the Astros…*yawns* If the biggest move during the Trade Deadline is Justin Verlander returning to Houston, then what a snooze. Let’s go Yankees, do a move no one likes! Let’s go Dodgers, grab another player no one wants! C’mon, Rays, grab another forgotten starter and make him an ace! A guy Verlander’s age doesn’t change suddenly. He can be great for ratios, and give IP, but his Ks have gone bye-bye and he’s not locating as well. He goes to a tougher park, but an easier division, though the Astros face a bunch of AL East teams in August. I’ll say it’s lateral, and you should know what you’re getting. Well…You could be getting a one-day contract to pitch for the Mets! Just head down to the stadium!
As it turned out, all of that Verlander business was a preamble for a historical event that was about to happen that night. Was it Lance Lynn’s first crotch grab on his new team, the Dodgers? Well, that did happen, but no-no. Framber Valdez threw a no-hitter with one walk and 7 Ks, lowering his ERA to 3.07. So, The Framchise threw the Astros’ first lefty no-hitter on a day they brought back a guy with three of them. It’s pretty inspiring. Maybe you’re next for the Mets! Seriously, they need arms, head down to Metco this Thursday. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?How’s it going Razzfaithful? The outfield board is updated again and here’s a rundown of current trades and expected trades in the coming days: Randal Grichuk – Traded to Angels. Essentially replaces Taylor Ward who is now out for the season after getting Manoah’d. And he was just getting hot again too, ugh. Grichuk, fortunately, […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?What’s poppin, Razzpimples? Bullpen update time! Don’t forget, the Razzball Bullpen Chart is manned by yours truly and updated like every single second (not really, but I stay on top of thangs for the most part). And directly below, you’ll see a current look at the Top 15 RP (in both 5×5 standard leagues and 6×6 saves/holds […]
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