This year MLB is taking a different approach. Rather than having different teams, it’s the Dodgers and everyone else. That group of misfits over there sharing a glove? That’s the non-Dodgers. Over here, the boat with everyone else you might remember from All-Star Games and similar fanfare? That’s the Dodgers. Yeah, the boat that says on its hull, “Will sink in the playoffs.” That’s them. Los Angeles is now going to have unhoused baseball players. Drive under a bridge and see Chris Taylor. So, the Dodgers acquired Manuel Margot and Tyler Glasnow for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca. More on them in a few. Love me some Tyler Glasnow. He looks like Cillian Murphy without the over-ambitious gaffer lighting in Oppenheimer. True story, I found out this winter I have the same dog walker as Christopher Nolan. Unlike my dog, Nolan’s dog has to compete with the guy under his gaffer as their both Best Boys. Little film humor. Any hoo! Glasnow’s someone who I want on my teams if we’re drafting him about three to four rounds later than he’s going. If he fell late, then I’m not opposed to a little tackle and snag, as they say in British drafts, but I’ve been seeing him go way before I’m willing to touch him. He’s never thrown more than 120 IP in a MLB season. He’s been in the majors for eight seasons. I don’t want to wish injury on him, but y’all ostrichin’ing your heads into the sand thinking there won’t be an injury. In Glasnow’s favor, Pablo Lopez had shoulder injuries in three of four years (2018-19, 2021) and now has the 11th most IP since 2022, so maybe Glasnow will be fine, but you’re braver than I by drafting him like he’s some guarantee. Sometimes I’ll see Glasnow get drafted I wonder if that person has completely forgotten this past and future blurb from me, “Glasnow pulled with no runners on in the bottom of the 4th.” For 2024, I’ll give Tyler Glasnow projections 11-7/3.07/1.04/171 in 131 IP. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this offseason for fantasy baseball:
PSYCHE! I’m going to begin rolling out my 2024 fantasy baseball rankings on the Patreon starting today. Don’t wait for the rankings to come out next month. Anyway II, the roundup:
Ryan Pepiot – Traded to the Rays. I don’t wanna be Mr. Everything The Rays Touch Is Good, but Mr. Everything The Rays Touch Is Good does have a long and glorious track record with touching stuff. As mentioned after the opening, I’ve started rolling out my rankings, and I swear I had already written this, “Pepiot first 78 1/3 IP in the majors with a 2.76 ERA would be the kind of stuff that would have some teams slotting him as their potential ace. Not even bad teams — if the Rays had Pepiot, he’s a potential ace. The Dodgers, how’sever, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him have ten games started, then another 20 appearances as a middle reliever.” And that’s me quoting future me! Guys and five girls, this is excellent news for Pepiot. Who’s better for 2024 fantasy when factoring draft price, Pepiot or Glasnow? I kinda think Pepiot. There is a small caveat; Pepiot might not be able to throw more than 120 IP. The good news/bad news part of this, though, is the Rays are the type of team to throw him for 140+ IP for two years until he needs elbow surgery. There should be laws to what the Rays do to their pitchers’ arms, but, until there are: For 2024, I’ll give Ryan Pepiot projections of 8-6/3.64/1.14/148 in 138 IP.
Jonny DeLuca – Traded to the Rays. DeLuca sounds like he’d have a family that heard the Rays play in St. Pete and they’d all cross themselves. [kissing the gold cross around their neck] Amen, Jonny boy! They’re gonna need a miracle too, because DeLuca’s a righty and as soon as Cash sees that, he’s gonna put him on the weak side of some platoon. I hope not, of course, but if the past informs the future, it’s not great news.
Jack Flaherty – Signed with the Tigers. “Flaherty will get you everywhere!” That’s Flaherty talking in third person to the baseball prior to throwing it. When one says Flaherty can’t hit the broadside of the barn, it’s rude and obnoxious, unless that barn is listed on Redfin as cozy, which means small in realtor-speak, then it’s entirely possible Flaherty would miss it. He is a fixer-upper. For 2024, I’ll give Jack Flaherty projections of 7-10/4.41/1.44/156 in 152 IP.
Jung Hoo Lee – Giants signed him, and I need to try to be positive here, because I have been accused of being a Giants hater. A man of my stature, hating on the Big Guys? The guys who give me shade? The men who get stuff down off shelves for me? Blasphemy! Giants accounted for my favorite Andre. So, Jung Hoo Lee only played 86 games last year, because of a broken ankle, which is fine. Hoo Lee’s power? Hoo boy. He might struggle to hit ten homers in the majors. If it came with 20+ steals, then it would be easier to swallow, but he’s never shown anywhere close to that sorta desire to run. The big, shiny tool here is the average. Welcome to the states, Jung Hoo Lee, your 23 And Me profile says you’re 98% Luis Arraez. That he walked more than he struck out in the KBO is impressive. That eye of his shouldn’t just disappear. As if it’s not clear, I’m not excited to draft him in every league, but he’ll have his time and place on fantasy teams that need an average boost. For 2024, gave Jung Hoo Lee Projections of 81/8/49/.307/12 in 531 ABs.
Endy Rodriguez – Will miss the entire 2024 season with a torn UCL. He suffered the injury while swinging a bat. Pirates should wear unis with a cartoon pirate and a thought bubble on top of his head saying, “Argh.” Would like to see them turn to Henry Davis, at least in enough at-bats to get him catcher eligibility, but Pirates like to Delay the inevitable, so to speak.
Rowdy Tellez – Signed with the Pirates. Solid move for them. Is it sad that the Pirates actually are upgraded by Rowdy Tellez? [locks mouth, throws away key, realizing that now I have no way of dictating the rest of this post to the intern, buys sign language books on Amazon] So, it’s not great the ‘rates are upgraded by Tellez, but for fantasy it’s as good as it’s getting for him. Will platoon with Connor Joe, which will sound like a bad political stunt where the President is answering questions of middle schoolers, Tellez/Joe. For 2024, I’ll give Rowdy Tellez projections of 48/20/57/.223 in 377 ABs.
Tyler Mahle – Signed with the Rangers. He had Tommy John surgery on May 22nd, so June, then takes 13-14 months to return, and [does complicated math that includes a dry erase board] he’ll return for five starts in September, as they hope he can be ready for the playoffs.
Seth Lugo – Signed with the Royals. All the big dominoes are falling now! I kid with sarcasm because I care. I actually like Lugo. In 641 career innings, he has a 3.50 ERA and 9.1 K/9 and 2/4 BB/9. I know a lot of that time was spent in middle relief, but A) Last year he did it as a starter. B) It was the idiot Mets using him as a reliever when he should’ve been a starter. C) There’s no C. D) Seriously, the Mets, man. E) There wasn’t a C or really a D, you think there’s an E? F) Jesus, stop listing letters, there’s no more reasons! It was mostly just the Mets anyway. G) Forget it, I give up. Make up a reason. H) Santa Ana winds. I) don’t know. J) Mets! It was always the Mets! For 2024, I’ll give Lugo projections of 8-12/3.62/1.18/156 in 154 IP.
Ronny Mauricio – Torn ACL and will miss nine to 12 months. The sooner the Mets realize they are cursed, the sooner they can get a witch doctor in there to perform a sacrifice and get that nasty juju out of there! They need to find Bill Buckner’s next of kin and give him whatever he wants to lift this curse. I’ve removed Mauricio from my 2nd basemen rankings, that are already on my Patreon.
