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 they 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.
Nico Hoerner is back to being his usual useful self. His dip in performance felt like it was a whole lot worse and went on for ages. Now that he’s gotten it out of his system you can have full confidence in plugging him into your lineup. (Not that you doubted him in the first place)
CJ Abrams has found a way to keep the party rolling and I am here for it. He’s still not a power guy but I wasn’t expecting that to magically happen. What he can do is keep shooting up the points leaderboard.
Lars Nootbaar is more than just a fun name. More like he’s a force of nature. Hyperbole, you betcha. Do I love him? Yes again. Keep getting nooty.
Ha-Seong Kim is your man if you’re looking for infield depth and honestly, he’s been way better than a depth piece so far. He’s been great setting the table for the Dads and we all know how productive that lineup can be when it’s clicking.
Mike Tauchman is most likely the first guy who you can actually add to your team from the wire. Great news, he’s batting over .350 with 3 bombs over the past two weeks. Bad news, he’s most likely going to ride the pine against lefties. So yeah, that’s not the best situation but at this point in the season, it can be difficult to find impact bats. Batting leadoff has been good for his fantasy numbers and you have to like it. Naturally, his value sees a boost in daily leagues, otherwise you gotta peep the schedule and take a swing.
Luis Rengifo sure has come on strong lately. Suddenly he’s a power hitter? Ok, that looks like it’s just a surge but recency bias says he looks real nice. If his batting average falls more in line with his recent numbers he will be a steal. Even if he doesn’t hit over .300 for the rest of the season I think he’ll be better than the .230 he’s given us so far. I, for one, would certainly like to find out what he can do on my roster, especially with his multi-position eligibility. You could do far worse than to bring him on a utility guy.
Jeimer Candelario seems like he’s been drifting around the edge of fantasy relevance for years now, but could never quite get it together. Well, he was cooking in the Capital and now he takes his talents to the Windy City. I would hope the Cubs didn’t trade for him to ride the bench so he should see regular playing time. Exactly where his spot in the order will be is as yet undetermined. But honestly, as long as he’s in the lineup you really can’t complain about a guy you got for free. If you already have him, you owe it to yourself to keep him and if he’s still available and you need help at the hot corner, it’s a no brainer to add him.
Michael Massey went from preseason darling to fantasy afterthought. Well, don’t forget him because it looks like he is finally starting to deliver on that which was promised. Is he great? I’m really not sure but he has been pretty darn good lately. Take the chance, he could be the one that puts you over the top.
As always find me here for all your fantasy needs.
