DFS PLAYBOOK PRO – An exciting offering from the Alarm is the DFS Playbook Pro. We have four coaches for football (QB, RB, WR and TE). Yours truly writes the QB piece each week, by the way. We also offer weekly DFS Rankings and Optimal lineups. We also have DFS articles for the NBA and NHL, and even the PGA.
BRAVES & ANGELS DEAL
Braves Receive: IF Erick Aybar, LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Chris Ellis & cash
Angels Receive: Andrelton Simmons & C Jose Briceno
As pointed out by Buster Olney, Simmons is the MLB leader in Defensive Runs Saved since 2012, by a mile. There is no debate that he is one slick fielder, maybe the best in baseball at his position. He’s also under contract through the 2020 season ($53 million in total). Alas, we don’t care about that in fantasy so let’s talk about his bat. For his career the slash line is pathetic at .256/.304/.362. That’s terrible. He’s hit 11 homers the last two years. That mark was 17 in 2013, but the last two years is more who he is than the guy who hit 17 three years ago. The last two seasons his ground ball rate has been 54.3 percent and his HR/F ratio 4.3 percent. Like I said, no power is coming. Simmons has stolen an average of five bases a season the last three years while being caught an average of four times. Nothing there either. He’s just not a starting option even in deep mixed leagues. He’s an AL-only option up the middle.
Briceno has hit .255/.311/.390 over six seasons in the minors. Depending on things play out in Angel Land he could end up having some AL-only value in 2016.
Aybar will take over at shortstop for Simmons, that is unless the Braves turn around and deal him (there are rumors the Braves might do just that). Aybar has long been a guy that you call out in the 25th round of a mixed draft with hesitation, or he’s the first guy you add off waivers when there is an injury to your starter. We know exactly what the soon-to-be 32-year-old is. He is going to hit 5-10 homers, steal 15-20 bases and hit .270ish. The definition of "just a guy." While he is boring, there is no questioning the Braves scored themselves two impressive young arms in the deal.
Newcomb is 22 years old, and he is now the top-rated player in the Braves organization. The lefty has been a professional for one season, and in that year he was second in the minors with 168 strikeouts, third in K/9 (11.1), eighth in BAA against and his 2.38 ERA was 18th. Newcomb often sits in the 94-96 mph range with his heater and he has a hard curveball. If the 6-foot-5, 245-lb lefty can hone his changeup be could end up being a front of the rotation starter. With the way youngsters are pushed through the minors anymore, Newcomb could easily make significant starts in 2016.
Ellis, a 23-year-old righty, also has one season of pro ball under his belt. The 6-foot-4, 220-lb righty has a low 90s heater with a ton of movement. Both his slider and changeup are improving, but he can lose the strike zone at time (his BB/9 rate was 4.03 last season at Single and Double-A). Ellis posted a 3.90 ERA with a 8.45 K/9 mark. He’s an upper-level prospect, but one that needs more refinement.
PIERZYNSKI RETURNS TO BRAVES
A.J. Pierzynski agreed to return to the Braves on a one-year deal reportedly worth $3 million. A career .282 hitter who failed to hit .280 the three previous seasons, AJP rebounded in his 18th
big league season to bat an even .300 in 2015. He hasn’t hit 10 homers in two years, he hasn’t scored 40 runs in two years and he’s failed to record 50 RBIs the last two seasons. Still, he’s not the worst option as a second catcher in mixed leagues if you want to be the last guy/gal to grab a second catcher that is. At least he can be deployed against righties given his .288/.329/.436 slash line against them.
HICKS TO YANKEES
Yankees Receive: OF Aaron Hicks
Twins Receive: C John Ryan Murphy
Hicks is a switch hitting outfielder who has a terrible slash line in his career at .225/.306/.349 over 247 games. He’s hit .272 with an .808 OPS against lefties in his young career meaning he’s struggled substantially against righties (.596 OPS). That’s a concern as he could fall into a platoon situation (the wrong side of one, by the way.) Hicks has 20 homers and 26 steals in his young career. Give him 500 at-bats at his current pace and we would be talking about 12 homers and 16 steals. He gave a lot of hope to folks with a massive July (.346/.424/.577), but for most of the year he was pretty much the guy we’ve seen over the course of his young career. Think Drew Stubbs-like, with a little less speed. Yeah, not exactly the most exciting skillset ever, but one that if consolidated, is worthy of mixed league consideration.
"The Twins got an everyday catcher," Yankees GM Cashman said. "He was a backup for us only because of Brian McCann. But [Murphy is] an everyday catcher." The Yankees have Gary Sanchez who can fill in behind McCann. As for the Twins, they will not combine Murphy with Kurt Suzuki to fill their catching needs in 2016. Murphy appeared in 67 games last season with a decent slash line of .277/.327/.406 with three homers and 14 RBIs. "We think he's going to hit," Twins GM Rob Antony said. "He's got some power and he has a strong arm behind the plate. He has all the skills and traits to potentially be a starting Major League catcher.” Over three years Murphy has hit .267/.311/.374 and those numbers were slightly better in the minors (451 games): .263/.327/.406. Murphy profiles as an AL-only second catcher as of this writing.
RASMUS STAYING IN HOUSTON
Before reading about Colby Rasmus it might be wise to read the following article on Qualifying Offers. Now on to Rasmus.
Colby will become the first player to ever accept the Qualifying offer. What that means is that the 29-year-old outfielder will be rewarded with a one-year deal for $15.8 million (all previous 34 free agents had rejected the offer, sounds like Matt Wieters will also be accepting his offer from the Orioles). Rasmus earned $8 million last season.
Rasmus hit 25 homers last season, a career best, and his third 20-homer season in four years. The power plays in the fantasy game. However, the game really doesn’t. Point by point.
Rasmus has stolen 10 bases in four years.
Rasmus is a .245 career hitter. He’s reached that mark just once in five years.
Rasmus strikes out at an alarming rate (32.5 percent the last two years). His career OBP is .313.
Rasmus has averaged 56 RBIs the last three seasons.
Rasmus has averaged 56 runs scored the last three seasons.
Rasmus can’t hit lefties. For his career here is his slash line: .219/.298/.377
Rasmus is a very limited player.
Ray and Jeff break down the DFS situation in New York City. What does it mean for the industry? What are the motivations of those involved? The guys discuss.
Player News
Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 and knocked in his 33rd run of the season in the Giants’ 3-1 defeat of the Cubs on Wednesday.
The early home barrage is long over, but Flores is still fourth in the league in RBI, even as his .737 OPS puts him 200-500 points behind the three guys above him (Pete Alonso, Teoscar Hernández and Aaron Judge). After 37 games this season, he’s almost halfway to his career high of 71 RBI, which he achieved in 151 games in 2022.
Robbie Ray pitched six innings of one-run ball Wednesday to beat the Cubs and move to 5-0.
He fanned five and walked two. Ray’s strikeout, walk and exit velocity numbers this season are all worse than his career marks, yet here he is 5-0 with a 2.84 ERA. He’s definitely a sell-high candidate, but it is entirely possible his peripherals will improve and that he’ll remain a fine starter going forward. Pitching in San Francisco definitely helps with the home run ball, which is one big thing working in his favor. He’s set to face the Diamondbacks next time out.
Ryan Walker rebounded from Tuesday’s poor showing to pitch a scoreless ninth with a two-run lead Wednesday versus the Cubs.
Walker didn’t blow a save last night, but he might as well have in giving up two runs in the ninth (Erik Miller replaced him and got the blown save for allowing one of Walker’s runners to score). Despite that, the Giants went with their typical arrangement today, and Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Walker turned in scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth innings respectively. Walker’s perfect frame came without a strikeout. His K rate currently stands at 25%, well down from last year’s mark of 32%.
Ben Brown fanned nine but took his third loss after allowing three runs in five innings Wednesday against the Giants.
Brown issued two walks. Those led off the first and fourth innings, and the Giants went to score all three of their runs in those innings. Brown wasn’t hit hard, and the nine strikeouts were great. He just put himself into bad spots with those walks, and now he’ll take a 3-3 record and a 4.95 ERA into his next start, a favorable home matchup against the Marlins. He’ll be a streaming option in that one.
Gustavo Campero (ankle) is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s contest against the Blue Jays.
It’ll be veteran slugger Jorge Soler making a rare appearance in right field on Wednesday night after Campero was lifted from Tuesday’s contest with left ankle irritation. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern at the moment. He’s presumably available off the bench, if needed, in an emergency situation.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that he hopes Teoscar Hernández (groin) is back in two weeks.
It’s a complete 180-degree turnaround from Roberts’ tone earlier this week when he spoke ominously regarding a potential return timetable after Hernández hit the injured list with a Grade 1 adductor strain. It certainly sounds like there’s a realistic possibility the 32-year-old fantasy stalwart is ready to return to the Dodgers’ lineup before the end of May, barring any setbacks in his rehabilitation process.