Rarely, as a fantasy analyst, do feelings bubble to the surface. As Matthew Berry taught us, revealing oneself in articles can be refreshing and connect with the readers. This will not delve into a personal segment, but this tweet by the official twitter handle of Major League Baseball struck a nerve, or as Peter Griffin eloquently said, grinds my gears:
It won’t be long before these studs are raking in the majors. #ReadyToGo
— MLB (@MLB) August 17, 2018
(MLB x @Supercuts) pic.twitter.com/00R4ZoYQxM
Anyone who follows fantasy baseball understands the plight of talented prospects toiling in the minors under the guise of seasoning to mask the terribly outdated team control aspect which proliferates keeping Vlad Guerrero Jr., Eloy Jimenez and others in the minors instead of already contributing to fantasy rosters. Why get young fans to the ballpark to see Guerrero Jr., so parents can share stories of watching his father play along with seeing his son play in a major league park.
Guerrero’s hitting .393/.449/.661 through 80 games across two levels with 62 runs, 18 home runs, 69 RBI and three stolen bases. Josh Donaldson last played on May 28th, his replacement Yangervis Solarte also landed on the disabled list and the Blue Jays have played Russell Martin at third. Eloy Jimenez could be learning to hit major league pitching but remains in the minors with 21 home runs and 68 RBI in 92 games while hitting .329/.376/.589 this year during his time in Double and Triple-A. Need further evidence, here’s a tweet from the Mets beat writer in response to their lineup Friday night:
José Bautista is playing 1B again tonight, but the Mets aren't ready to call up Dominic Smith . They believe Smith is best served playing OF every day at AAA.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 17, 2018
As for Peter Alonso, I doubt he will be up this year. The Mets don't want to add him to the 40-man before they have to.
Yes, some scouts feel Peter Alonso does not play defense well at first base, but he’s hit 30 home runs in 116 games this year, second in the minors to this point. So while the MLB ponders how good its young talent could be in the majors, why would the Blue Jays, White Sox or Mets bring them up when they can wait until next May to get another year of team control? Your move baseball, of course, there’s bigger fish to fry like speeding up the game, much more important than improving the product. Rant over.
Night Moves
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A bevy of roster moves to digest on a Friday evening. Joey Votto ’s knee forced him to finally go on the disabled list. He vows to return by next Sunday and miss the minimum time. Be back soon Joey and let’s hope a hot September’s in the offing.
Reports suggest Trevor Bauer could be out four-to-six weeks with the fracture near his ankle. Bauer refutes this seeking out blood transfusions and “colloidal silver” to heal his body faster. Will Google colloidal silver later, but suffice it to say, Bauer hopes to beat the timetable set forth by his team. Science!
Rafael Devers heads back to the disabled list with due to his hamstring. This frees up the playing time log jam with Ian Kinsler activation. Look for Brock Holt and Eduardo Núñez to split time at third with Devers out again.
Two young pitchers landed on the disabled list as well, Dereck Rodriguez and Mike Montgomery . San Francisco needed to find a way to limit their rooke’s innings, so his injury could be timely, except they need a fifth starter. Tyler Chatwood will take the mound for the Cubs in place of Montgomery on Saturday, free passes on the horizon.
Although X-rays on Brandon Nimmo were negative for a break, he remains out of the lineup on Friday. Adrián Béltre will also sit out again tonight nursing his leg injury. No word yet on a return to the disabled list, stay tuned. Jean Segura was placed on the paternity list, Seattle called up Gordon Beckham to take his spot on the roster. Also, the Blue Jays called up Billy McKinney to fill a roster spot for Luke Maile . McKinney homered in three straight games between Monday and Wednesday earlier this week.
Working their way back, here’s updates on a few players to track going forward:
Stephen Strasburg hopes to pitch on Tuesday for Washington.
Hunter Strickland will be activated on Saturday and eased back into high leverage pitching in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings. Will Smith remains the closer going forward.
Gary Sánchez took batting practice, did defensive drills and ran the bases. Awaiting word on his most recent MRI before he heads out on a rehab assignment.
Michael Wacha ’s been cleared to throw and will move ahead in his rehab.
Welcome back George Springer . Houston activated him this afternoon and José Altuve made the trip to Oakland as well doing sprints earlier today.
What To Watch For
Baseball’s a funny game, Max Scherzer has allowed more than three earned runs in two starts this year, both against the Marlins, who he faces tonight.
Hot hitting Logan Forsythe will leadoff for the Twins. Since joining the team, Forsythe’s slashing .449/.500/.531 with eight runs and eight RBI in 14 games. Those who stashed Trevor May for saves can move on, he’s not in the mix to close out games due to his inability to work in back-to-back games returning from injury.
With Jean Segura out, Dee Gordon could play shortstop this weekend. One-game eligibility leagues should take note. As should the Mariners pitching staff.
As for closers, Koda Glover ’s in, Jose Leclerc ’s surging and who knows what will happen with the Dodgers or White Sox bullpens.
Enjoy your weekend and thanks for sticking with this after introductory diatribe. Be sure to check back all weekend for the latest updates on Fantasy Alarm to stay ahead of your competition.
Statistical Credits:
MLB.com
MiLB.com
Fangraphs.com
Baseball-Reference.com
Player News
Braves optioned RHP Davis Daniel to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Daniel pitched a scoreless inning in his lone day in the majors. His demotion makes room for waiver claim Ian Anderson on the active roster.
Braves designated RHP Zach Thompson for assignment.
Thompson, a member of Triple-A Gwinnett’s roster, pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in two appearances for the Braves earlier this month. He’s getting taken off the 40-man to make room for Eddie Rosario.
Braves signed OF Eddie Rosario to a one-year contract.
He’s replacing Jarred Kelenic in the roster. There’s not really anything to lose here, even though Rosario struggled during his time with the Braves last season. The 33-year-old just hit .339/.406/.542 in 14 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City before the Dodgers gave him a brief callup and then outrighted him. Odds are that he’ll start against most righties for now, though he could find himself out of a job once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns.
Braves optioned OF Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Red Sox SS prospect Marcelo Mayer went 3-for-7 with a walk, six RBI, four runs scored, and a home run during a doubleheader for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.
The Red Sox’s second-ranked prospect is now hitting .280/.324/.548 with seven home runs, 34 RBI, 17 runs scored, and one steal in 23 games at Triple-A. He also had a great spring training and seems MLB-ready, but Trevor Story has been great for the Red Sox to start the season, and Kristian Campbell is the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner right now at second base, so there is no room in the middle infield for Mayer as it stands.
Jordan Lawlar went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, two runs, and a steal for Triple-A Reno on Sunday.
It’s getting a bit silly at this point. Lawlar is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and is slashing .356/.451/.644 in 26 games with five home runs, 26 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 12 steals. He has started playing third base in Triple-A as well, which could create a full-time spot for him in Arizona with Eugenio Suarez moving to DH. Lawlar should be up relatively soon and deserves to be stashed in all league types.