Every Wednesday, Dapinder joins Pitcher List to outline the best position player buys and sells of the week. He’ll outline the hitters to trust in your lineups and who to shop while their price is high. Make sure to stay ahead of the curve and use the market to your advantage.
BUY
Jose Reyes (SS, New York Mets) – Reyes will be called up in a matter of days. Last season he showed he can still hit decently with a .274 average and still has speed (24 SB). Reyes is a wildcard but he still has decent hit tools and lots of potential for stolen bases.
Javier Baez (2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs) – Baez has now started in 7 straight games getting ample opportunity to showcase his skills. His 30% strikeout rate no longer exists; it has gone down to 23%. In 200 at bats, Baez has flashed power and speed with 8 HR and 5 SB. Baez could definitely be a player who can improve your team down the stretch.
Yasmany Tomas (3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Yasmany’s BABIP came down this year to more realistic levels. Whether it was a change in approach or adjusting to the league, Tomas has hit much better. He’s got 13 HR, while batting .259. Tomas’s hard hit percentage is ranked 15th in the league. He’s hitting the ball well and it will likely continue in a good Diamondbacks offence.
Seth Smith (OF, Seattle Mariners) – In deeper leagues, give Seth Smith a look. He’s hitting .274 with 10 HR with 4 of those coming in the last week. The only caveat is Smith bats almost exclusively against right handers.
Erick Aybar (SS, Atlanta Braves) – Erick Aybar is picking up his play as of late. After hovering close to or below the Mendoza line for a couple months, Aybar hit .302 in June and is off to a scorching start in July. He does have some stolen base upside (45 SB from 2012-Present).
Cameron Rupp (C, Philadelphia Phillies) – Rupp has been red hot for a while now. The .356 BABIP is due for a regression but until then, ride Rupp. He has the 20th highest average exit velocity (minimum 100 Batted Ball Events) meaning when he hits the ball, he hits it hard. Rupp has 8 HR, 1 shy of the mark he had last year in 29 more games.
Peter Bourjos (OF, Philadelphia Phillies) – Bourjos has strung together a couple of strong weeks allowing him to bat second in the Phillies lineup. He doesn’t have much power (3 HR) or much speed (4 SB). Bourjos is hitting .480 over the past two weeks. Ride him until he crashes back to Earth. Plus he’s playing at Coors later this week!
Michael Saunders (OF, Toronto Blue Jays) – I have hesitated to include Saunders because he has always been raking this season. It came to my surprise he is only owned in 65% of Yahoo leagues. That’s criminal. He’s hitting .290/.366/.544 with 15 HR, 43 Runs and 38 RBI. The Blue Jays offence is still one of the best in the league; Saunders should be universally owned.
SELL
Jason Kipnis (2B, Cleveland Indians) – How much stock do you put into career first and second half splits? Kipnis owns a career 123 wRC+ in the first half followed by a wRC+ of 92 in the second half. Kipnis’ six stolen base attempts indicate he is not stealing as much either these days thus limiting his value.
Carlos Gonzalez (OF, Colorado Rockies) – It’s not easy recommending to move a player who plays half of their games in Coors Field. There are a couple of layers to this. For one, Gonzalez is at risk to be traded. The Rockies have had some baffling decisions in the past so it is not a guarantee that they will move Gonzalez. Secondly, he has been getting lucky. Gonzalez has a .372 BABIP. Part of the inflated BABIP is due to him going opposite field more often which is a good sign. CarGo also can’t hit left handed pitching (93 wRC+). Gonzalez should definitely be considered to sell at the very least.