Fantasy Baseball Podcast 2025 - Caught Stealing Ep. 15: Trading Paul Skenes
Published: May 21, 2025
One of the hot topics around baseball right now is whether or not the Pittsburgh Pirates should just trade Paul Skenes now, rather than wait until they lose him in free agency. It’s not exactly a fantasy baseball topic, but you will hear Howard Bender identify certain fantasy information with the ensuing discussion surrounding bottom-feeding teams like the Pirates, Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox.
In this episode of the Caught Stealing podcast, Bender flies solo but is also joined by Fantasy Alarm’s Joe Gallina to discuss MLB bullpens for those chasing saves as well as seeking out middle-relief help for leagues that score both saves and holds. Gallina handles the Bullpen Report as well as the Closer Grid on Fantasy Alarm.com. Bender also closes out the show with updates on some o the hot MLB rookie names moving in and out of big-league rosters.
Enjoy!
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Player News
Ketel Marte is not in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Angels.
Marte will sit out Sunday’s first-half finale to get some extra rest ahead of next week’s All-Star Game. The 31-year-old veteran second baseman has been battling through a lingering groin issue over the last week. It doesn’t sound like he’s in any danger of missing the Midsummer Classic.
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday on SportsTalk 790 that Yordan Alvarez (hand) will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
The hope is that Alvarez will finally be cleared to resume hitting assuming that he’s pain-free. The 28-year-old fantasy stalwart has been out since early May recovering from a small fracture in his right hand. There should be a clearer return timetable at some point next week once he’s re-evaluated. He’ll likely require an extended rehab assignment to get back up to speed after such a long layoff.
Shane Bieber (elbow) will make a minor league rehab start on Tuesday in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
It’ll be Bieber’s first game action since suffering a setback last month in his recovery from last year’s Tommy John surgery. The positive news here is that he isn’t dealing with any sort of structural damage, but he’s going to be racing the clock in order to make it back to Cleveland before the late stages of the regular season.
Luis Gil (lat) recorded six strikeouts and allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings on Sunday in a minor league rehab start for Double-A Somerset.
It certainly qualifies as an electric rehab outing as Gil threw 36 of 50 pitches for strikes and topped out at 97 mph in this one. The 27-year-old reigning AL Rookie of the Year has been out since spring training recovering from a lat strain. New York is going to be cautious with his ramp-up from a workload standpoint, so fantasy managers should anticipate a couple additional rehab outings before he’s ready to make his season debut.
Guardians OF prospect Chase DeLauter is dealing with right wrist soreness.
DeLauter can’t seem to catch a break. The 23-year-old top prospect, who has battled foot injuries the past few years, is set to undergo further evaluation after experiencing symptoms earlier this week while playing for Triple-A Columbus. He’s one of the most talented hitting prospects left in the minors and has a chance to make a serious impact for Cleveland, if he’s able to stay healthy enough to make it to the majors. There should be an update on his status at some point during next week’s All-Star break.
Kyle Schwarber is leading off on Sunday against the Padres.
Schwarber finds himself atop Philadelphia’s lineup for the first time since early April as they close out the first half in San Diego. It’s a notable development for the 32-year-old slugger, who is up to 30 round-tripper’s this season through 95 games. Speedy shortstop Trea Turner has been moved to the second spot in the order.