2018 MLB Offseason: Winter Meetings Recap

FA NATION! For this week’s article, especially with Winter Meetings in full swing, I wanted to review some of the biggest trades in the past couple days for us fantasy owners. Whether the player is 35 years old or 24 years young, us fantasy owners are trying to evaluate what these transactions mean as we begin our draft prep for the upcoming season. Continue reading for some of the most notable transactions and hottest rumors.

The Tigers trade Ian Kinsler to the Angels for Wilkel Hernandez and Troy Montgomery

Despite seeing a significant drop-off in his slash line in 2017, Kinsler is an excellent addition for an Angels squad that is ready to win now and stop wasting the prime years of Mike Trout, the most complete player on the face of the Earth. Kinsler should hit leadoff for the Angels, and provide more production than leadoff hitters for the Angels last season.

Kinsler’s drop off last season was significant, no doubt, but we can attribute that to bad luck and the fact that he continues to age. However, all of his peripherals are nearly the same, or not too far off, and with some progression to his mean, his numbers will even themselves out. He’s going to be a prime source of runs for us fantasy owners, steal 10-15 bags, end the year with a home run total in the mid-to-upper teens and make value at his average draft position. Of course, hitting in front of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani certainly helps. While it doesn’t matter in fantasy, it is worth noting that his defense is going to help this team up the middle, helping pitchers like Ohtani, Garrett Richards and perhaps Yu Darvish……

The return for Kinsler wasn’t great, but the Tigers thought they would get something before Kinsler likely walked for a contender in free agency after the 2018 campaign. Hernandez and Montgomery won’t be making an impact on any of our fantasy teams for most, if not all of 2018.

The Marlins trade Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals for Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Magneuris Sierra and Daniel Castano

Ozuna’s home run total, RBI, batting average, OBP, slugging percentage, wOBA and WAR have increased every year since 2015. His 2017 season was excellent, resulting in 37 home runs and 124 RBI. Only six players totaled more bases than Ozuna and just five guys collected more hits. He had a great season and while St. Louis isn’t exactly a huge upgrade in terms of a home stadium, it’s still better than playing in the spacious confines of his former club. While he may regress a bit in terms of batting average and home runs, a repeat performance could be sustained given that his line drive and fly ball rates are on par for his career average. If he can maintain a hard-hit percentage well-over 33-percent of the time, he’s got an excellent opportunity to post another lucrative campaign.

Unlike other moves you could argue didn’t exactly benefit the Marlins, they did get a decent haul for Ozuna. Alcantara is a lanky right-hander that can pack a punch with his fastball, but command and walks could keep in the minors for longer than the Miami faithful will like for a player involved in this Ozuna deal. In a very brief sample size last season with the Cardinals, Alcantara allowed six runs (four earned) in 8.1 innings while posting a 10:6 K/BB ratio. Miami will attempt to bring him along as a starter, but if the command doesn’t straighten itself out, he could turn into a reliever down the road.

The other more notable player in this deal, Sierra, has a ton of speed and can be a major threat in future years in terms of stolen bases. However, will he be able to get on base? In 22 games with the Cardinals last season, he hit .317 in 22 games, but that was aided by a .413 BABIP. In fact, he’s never been a guy that takes a bunch of walks, so his on-base percentage may never stray too far from his batting average. What’s most concerning is the fact that he made hard contact just 6.5 percent of the time during his big league stint last year. Miami should anticipate a ton of speed and solid defense from Sierra, with a “singles” approach at the plate.

The Cardinals trade Stephen Piscotty to the Athletics for Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock

With the acquisition of Ozuna (see above), the Cardinals moved Piscotty to Oakland, rather than him being the odd man out of the team’s outfield. After swatting 22 home runs and 85 RBI with a .273 average in 153 games in 2016, Piscotty regressed in 2017, to the tune of just nine home runs, 39 RBI and a .235 average in 107 games in the 2017 campaign. What went wrong? His batting average on batted balls in play (BABIP) dipped by 33 points and he was making soft contact slightly more than his excellent 2016 campaign. Additionally, his ground ball to fly ball ratio jumped to 1.48 and he was hitting more ground balls, and less line drives and fly balls. He also dealt with some injuries, which never allowed him to get back on track.

A fresh start could be just what Piscotty needs and we can find glimmers of hope in that his walk rate jumped to 13 percent, and if he can maintain that walk rate, he’ll be able to maintain a high on-base percentage, which will be key for leagues sporting that category compared to batting average.

Munoz and Schrock aren’t just guys for the Cardinals, but they fill needed voids in the team’s farm system. After sending four guys to the Marlins for Marcell Ozuna, getting Munoz and Schrock adds some promise at the middle infield positions for the team. Of course, Munoz and Schrock aren’t ready for the bigs as of December 14, but there are no longer significant gaps in this part of the team’s farm system.

Notable Trades/Signings to Monitor

Tigers SP Michael Fulmer to the Yankees or another team seeking a starter?

Who wins the Manny Machado sweepstakes? It’s been reported that numerous teams are interested.

Yu Darvish SHOULD sign with the Angels, Mariners or Twins, but will he?

Can you imagine an enhanced Boston lineup with J.D. Martinez and Eric Hosmer squaring off against Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers? The American League East could be so exciting in 2018.