Those sad Joker movie trailers are conquering the Internet, and I am afraid for us all.
Be well, dear reader.
And please enjoy the chaos.
2B SS Gavin Lux is earning all the headlines, but he’s probably owned in your leagues. If not, he should be.
2B Mauricio Dubon could provide a spark at the keystone in San Francisco. Dubon’s probably not as good as his .302/.345/.477 AAA line, but he’s popped 20 home runs and stolen ten bags across 123 games and should be tracked in all leagues.
1B Nate Lowe is a must-add, plug-and-play wherever he’s available.
OF Kyle Tucker hit 34 homers and stole 30 bases in AAA this year in his age 22 season. He was caught stealing five times. That 86 percent success rate is elite. Thing is, Houston doesn’t steal bases. Other thing is, Houston doesn’t play Tucker. I’ve always been lower on Tucker than consensus, but even so I think he should be rostered in almost every league. If a week goes by without a couple Tucker sightings in the lineup, it’s safe to cut him in redraft. The whisper mill keeps hinting he’s disliked in the clubhouse, but maybe he’s aware of it now and can work his way into A.J. Hinch’s good graces by bringing donuts or something. Nobody hates the guy who brings donuts. Unless he doesn’t bring coffee with them. Maybe that’s what went wrong in the first place. Everybody hates the guy who brings donuts without coffee. He will always be the first one fired during downsizing.
3B Kevin Cron put in an MVP-level performance in AAA and would be a no doubt plug-and-play if we knew he was going to play. We don’t, but he has to be tracked just in case.
A Yankees’ roster-crunch swept 1B Ryan McBroom away to the Royals, where he could be getting an immediate look as the everyday first baseman. React appropriately if you need maybe-power with a corner infield gig.
LHP Devin Smeltzer will be usable if he gets some innings, and with Kyle Gibson battling Ulcerative Colitis, Smeltzer just got dealt a path to playing time.
C Sean Murphy has hit well this year but finds himself in a crowded catchers’ room in Oakland. He’s stream-worthy if you’re in a league that allows you to juggle your backstops.
OF Randy Arozarena cruised through AA and AAA but didn’t get a chance during his brief call-up. At bats will be hard to come by, but he’s a sneaky hit-tool contributor on a team that’s already shown a willingness to bounce Harrison Bader if he bottoms out again.
LHP Lewis Thorpe is stream-worthy on the best team in the weakest division if he continues to be used as a bulk-innings, opener-follower (ugh! we need a name for this! I nominate Vulture. I know, know, football, but it’s either that or cheat code so far. Help me with this?).
RHP Jon Duplantier is something of a lefty from the right side: mechanically askew but deceptive in his low three-quarters release point. Could be a peaks-and-valleys type you’ll want if/when he’s repeating his delivery well enough to enable command.
OF Mason Williams now resides in Baltimore, where anyone with a pulse gets a chance. If you need at bats, track Williams. Add if the monitor beeps.
OF Ian Miller stole a lot of bases this season (35) but faces a tough path to stealing a role on the division leading Twins.
RHP Brusdar Graterol might be the most interesting player promoted this month. His talent is extreme, featuring two double-plus pitches: heater and slider. And the Twins are all-in. Could Brusdar be the closer by October? (Unlikely, sure, but yes, I think he could.)
OF Clint Frazier rejoins the loaded Yankees. Figures to be a part-timer who’s good when playing.
OF Chris Shaw will have to hit his way into a crowded lineup. Just a watch-list guy.
2B Edmundo Sosa could win himself some playing time if he performs well in a defensive replacement role.
LHP Anthony Banda could Vulture a couple chances for cheat-code wins, but we haven’t seen enough to feel great about buying just yet.
LHP Anthony Kay could be similar to Banda in that he’s likely to be used after an opener. I’m a little wary of plug-and-playing him, but if you’re husting for Wins, you could do worse. On the other hand, these Vultures require a little extra maintenance. They don’t appear as Probable or even visible on most, and perhaps all, sources tracking the weekly pitching slate.
RHP Adbert Alzolay would be interesting in an after-opener role, but that feels like wishful thinking.
RHP T.J. Zeuch doesn’t miss many bats and might get punished for it, whatever his role.
LHP Cionel Perez has shown a few flashes but is just a wait-and-see reliever at this point.
C Garrett Stubbs has always gotten on base but seems unlikely to get enough run to make an impact this season.
2B Robel Garcia gave the Cubs a boost earlier this year and could provide similar short-term fireworks if given a chance. Keep a close eye on his playing time and add him at the first sign of a hot streak.
2B Shed Long should get chance on a struggling Seattle team. I’m adding him where I have room and need help on the infield.
