Fantasy Baseball Position Preview - Outfielders in New Places to Buy
Published: Mar 17, 2020
Of course we never know what will happen when a player moves to a new team, city, and home ballpark, but here are six outfielders with new homes that are likely on their way up.
Nick Castellanos , CIN: Stock UP
Castellanos had a completely dominant second half after being traded from Detroit to Chicago in 2019. His time with the Cubs saw him bat .302 with 19 homeruns and 46 RBI, and now he will be hitting in an even more power-friendly home ballpark in Cincinnati. Castellanos is a career .277 hitter who uncapped his power last year, so though he may not be able to stay on pace for a monster 40 HR season, his stable skill set should mean he will contribute nicely across many categories.
Marcell Ozuna , ATL: Stock UP
Ozuna had an inconsistent season, but ultimately finished 2019 with a .243 batting average, 29 homeruns, 80 runs, 89 RBI and twelve stolen bases - despite missing twenty-eight games due to injury. His 49.2% hard-hit rate was in the top 4-percent of the league, and his 91.8% exit velocity was in the top 7-percent of the league while batting with St Louis. Now in Atlanta for a one-year deal, Ozuna not only receives a major home park upgrade, he’ll be batting in the middle of a young, hot lineup. Looking for a multiple year deal, Ozuna has a lot to play for. Look for his batting average to improve as he performed well below his expected batting average in 2019, and his power should be prominently on display at home in Truist Park.
Starling Marte , AZ: Stock UP
Even while missing a month last year to a broken wrist, Marte was an elite five category contributor and set career highs in slugging, runs, homeruns and RBI. His batting average improved, as did his contact rate, and his speed remained elite. Marte leaves PNC and a lackluster offense to bat lead-off for an Arizona team that intends to contend in the NL West.
Nomar Mazara , CWS: Stock UP
Injuries limited him to 469 plate appearances last season with Texas, but he did make modest power gains including a career-high barrel rate of 10.7-percent. He has been a consistent 20 homerun hitter throughout his career, and he moves to a talented young team that will be contending. At only age 25, there is still room for lots of growth, and a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.
Avisaíl García , MIL: Stock UP
The 28-year-old outfielder leaves the Rays to smash at Miller Park. In only 125 games in Tampa, Garcia batted .282 with 20 homeruns, 72 RBI and ten stolen bases. Keep your eye on Spring training battles, because Garcia is currently slated to platoon in outfield, but even if he has a similar amount of plate appearances as 2019, Garcia is worth grabbing at his current 18th round ADP. His above average sprint speed could also log you a few extra in the stolen base column.
Trent Grisham, SD: Stock UP
Grisham was called up in August 2019 with the Brewers and failed to impress, but his minor league track record suggests there is a lot to like here. In AA/AAA how he showed a good power/speed combo with 26 homeruns and twelve stolen bases. Now in San Diego, it looks like Grisham has a clear path to starting Centerfielder. Grisham was batting .306 before this Spring Training hiatus, and his sprint speed is in the 93rd percentile of the League. At a current ADP of 300, this one is worth taking a flier.
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.