As we head into the final third of the 2021 MLB season with the trade deadline passed, the ripple effects and changeover have sent shockwaves throughout some organizations. Many teams looked like a shell of themselves and turned our fantasy teams upside-down as well.
With that, tonight, we have eight FAAB runs left to go to manage our fantasy rosters for the remainder of the season. Let’s get to it!
Catcher
Yan Gomes (51% TGFBI, 12% Yahoo) – The Athletics made some key acquisitions to help chase Houston Astros. One of which was backstop Yan Gomes, who was slashing .271/.323/454 with the Nationals. He has carried on by hitting a pair of dingers in his first 17 at-bats.
As he gets better acclimated to the starting rotation, I would expect his playing time also increases. Consider Gomes as a spot to upgrade at a lackluster position, but don’t break the bank by any means.
First Base
Connor Joe (7%, 1%) – 1B/OF – First base is a fairly rostered position, so finding value at this juncture will be challenging. However, grabbing quite a few headlines is Connor Joe. There is some sneaky power in his profile with a 9.5% barrel rate and .411 xwOBAcon. Additionally, his .295 batting average is backed up by a .290 xBA, meaning he’s earning every bit of the stats.
Although, grabbing Joe might be slightly premature since the Rockies are on the road next week. If you can scoop him up for a small amount, the following week (Aug 16-22) is six consecutive home games in Coors Field.
Second Base
Tommy La Stella (27%, 5%) – 1B/2B – La Stella is fresh off a lengthy stint on the IL that has taken him away from action since May. However, the Giants show quite a bit of confidence by slotting him into the two-hole immediately following his activation.
Moving forward, La Stella is an excellent source of batting average and potentially runs on one of the more efficient offenses. The Giants may slow-roast him a little but consider him a sneaky option at a position that lacks depth. Also, being eligible at middle infielder and corner infielder never hurt either.
Third Base
Carter Kieboom (15%, 10%) – 3B/SS – Kieboom spent the beginning of 2021 in the Minor Leagues to improve his game. The young prospect suffered from poor quality of contact and a bit too much swing-and-miss in the profile.
However, since returning, his production has picked up nicely. He is showing a 115 wRC+ and .348 wOBA while only striking out 20% of the time. Toss a few bucks on him, maybe $1-$5 if you’re looking for a potential boom player.
Shortstop
Andrés Giménez (51%, 18%) – 2B/3B/SS – Giménez is rostered on a ton of teams for a player that hasn’t had a major league at-bat since May 16th. That should give you an indication of how valuable his skill set can be.
In 2020, he showcased plenty of base-stealing ability by swiping eight bags in only 49 games. However, he struggled immensely to make contact, and his OPS fell below .600 through his first 29 games in 2021. Additionally, stolen bases are a place that many managers like to chase down. If he’s on the wire, consider making a bid for him and hoping he makes enough contact to stick in the majors.
Outfield
Edward Olivares (63%, 10%) – OF – We’ve been teased all season by the Royals with Olivares. He smashes in the minors, and they promote him. He is up for a couple of days and then down to the Minors. It’s pretty frustrating and probably left a sour taste in many manager’s mouths. Although, I am here tell you he’s here for stay. His power+speed combo aided in his four HRs and two SB in a limited time. However, with Jorge Soler out of the picture, limited time might be a thing of the past.
Yadiel Hernandez (17%, 7%) – OF – Yadiel is finding all sorts of playing time with the departure of Kyle Schwarber. When you look at his service time, you see less than half a season of plate appearances. However, Yadiel is not a 23-year-old prospect but rather a 33-year-old Cuban free agent, so he is a bit more polished than one would imagine. Furthermore, he could be a decent source of batting average while providing a little pop and the occasional SB.
Pitcher
Cal Quantrill (56%, 34%) – Quantrill is rostered on far too few TGFBI teams, and his roster% is going to shoot up after tonight’s run. After another solid performance where we saw the Cleveland SP go seven strong IP while stacking ten Ks, the other managers have surely noticed. In his last 36 IP, Quantrill touts a 1.50 ERA with 0.97 WHIP and five quality starts. It will take a decent amount of dollars to secure an arm dealing like this; I’d expect someone to drop a decent chunk of change.
Alec Mills (34%, 4%) – With most teams getting a day off on Monday, there is a lack of two-start options. However, Mills will likely start against Milwaukee on Monday (8/9) and then again on Saturday (8/14) in Miami. Mills is not known for raking up the strikeouts but somewhat limiting hard contact and going deep into games. If he can keep the Brewers at bay, the Marlins are a depleted squad. I wouldn’t be unloading FAAB on Mills, but this is a good spot if your team needs Ws.
Jonathan Loaisiga (17%, 34%) – New York’s high-leverage bullpen arm is doing everything needed to be one of the more valuable RPs. Loaisiga recorded a save in his first opportunity since Aroldis Chapman was moved to the IL. You won’t get his saving games for the remainder of the season, but until Chapman returns, you’ve got a terrific arm on a team that made plenty of trades to pile up saves quickly. Even when Chapman returns, Loaisiga has collected eight wins on the season and could stay as a bench arm for ratio help.
Alex Colomé (56%, 32%) – Taylor Rogers suffered an injury to his middle finger, which opened the door to a short-term solution. Enter Alex Colomé. Sure, he gives up a bit too much hard contact and only striking out 19.8% of batters faced but inducing ground balls at a 52% clip. The saves may not be the cleanest, but he should get an entire run at them for the remainder of the season. I would suggest spending a fair amount, as he could quickly secure another five to ten very valuable saves.
Sadly, this will be my last week helping out on the FAAB Insights column as Kevin Hasting returns from vacation. But, as Kevin would say, good luck tonight and enjoy the games!
Photo from David Dennis/Icon Sportswire | Design by Quincey Dong (@threerundong on Twitter)