A lot of trade movement as we approach the Wednesday deadline, meaning potentially a lot more is pending. The players swapped clearly include a lot of interesting up-and-comers, but the swaps also open roster spots with the trading of established players.
For example, the Rays trading Nathan Eovaldi opened a spot for either Yonny Chirinos or Jalen Beeks. And Eovaldi responded Sunday with a solid start (seven innings, no runs, four hits, five whiffs), but what of Beeks, for whom Eovaldi was swapped?
A 12th-round selection of the Red Sox in 2014, Beeks has assembled a minor league line of 34-28, 3.63 over 515.2 innings, whiffing 491 batters while posting a WHIP of 1.26. This year the 25-year-old was 5-5, 2.89 at Pawtucket over 87.1 innings, striking out 117 and prompting a brief and unsuccessful stint with BoSox (0-1, 15.83) suggesting the talent is there, but experience is what will tell the story. Well, ideally that means the Southpaw can take his lumps and show his stuff, sliding in to the slot vacated by Eovaldi. Beeks is definitely worth watching, although you might need to wait a bit before the Arkansas alum is worth a roster spot.
As for Chirinos, he has made seven starts for the Rays, logging 36.1 innings with 33 strikeouts and a 4.21 ERA hiding an 0-3 mark. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has a minor league line of 36-19, 2.89 over 507 innings, with 396 punchouts to just 83 walks (1.10 WHIP), meaning there is some ceiling. Chrinos is in the rotation at present, meaning in a deep AL format he could be a tonic to some whiffs, innings, and maybe even a win or two.
The Rangers are struggling to put a live arm on the mound with Bartolo Colon holding the resident ace moniker. Texas swapped off Cole Hamels and did acquire hurler Eddie Butler, a 2012 compensation pick of the Rockies. Butler, now 27, has largely been disappointing in the Show with an 11-20, 5.69 major league line over 232.2 innings with just 135 strikeouts while opposing batters are hitting .306 off him. Butler’s minor league line of 34-28, 3.35 belies his struggles (0-3, 8.10) in the minors this year; however, Butler is 1-1, 3.86 over 18.2 innings and probably goes right into the Rangers rotation. Meaning, again, in a deep format, if pitching is a need, Butler makes a gamble but one who should get the ball to at least show he can sink or swim.
St. Louis promoted — then demoted — one of the more irrepressible names of the year this past week with Daniel Poncedeleon. The Cards hurler, who tossed seven no-hit frames last Monday, was a ninth-round selection in 2014 who went 9-3, 2.14 this year at Memphis over 92 innings with 103 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP. Poncedeleon was sent back down after his start but recalled over the weekend and likely will get a couple of more chances to show what he can do, especially in deference to Carlos Martinez going back to the DL.
One more pitching gamble I at least have hope for is the Twins Adalberto Mejia. Mejia, originally signed by the Giants, is definitely a strikeout guy (570 K over 657 minor league innings) who has a 49-33 line and 1.18 WHIP over that span. Mejia was up and down last year (4-7, 4.50 over 98 innings) but had a bad spring, pushing the 25-year-old to Rochester. But, Mejia has a win and 3.65 ERA over 13.2 innings, though he is prone to control issues (eight walks over those two starts). Still, at this point we are phishing for whiffs and frames and whatever we can suck from the hurlers in the free agent pool.
Looking at some hitters, 27-year-old Nick Martini seems to have grabbed the center field gig on the startlingly good Oakland A’s. A seventh-round selection of the Cards in 2011 out of Kansas State and signed by Billy Beane as a free agent, Martini has a solid minor league line of .267-36-362 over 851 minor league games with 425 runs scored and 64 swipes. He can lead the Oakland attack, however, with 407 walks to 488 strikeouts, good for a .362 OBP. Martini, as an older rookie, might well be one of those guys who is ready for the jump to the show, at least for a first look around the show.
Another older rook, Francisco Arcia is the Angels contribution this week who clobbered a pair of homers and 10 RBI his first pair of games in the majors. With a minor league line of .244-25-220 over 584 games, Arcia is probably on par with the rest of the mediocre backstops toiling for our fantasy squads this season. And, ride the hot hand and grab the stats you can where you can.
Finally, the Yankees swapped with St. Louis, acquiring first sacker Luke Voit. A 23rd-round selection in 2013, Voit — also 27 — the first sacker has been another who was good in the minors (.288-64-305 with 115 doubles) but struggles in the majors with a .240-5-21 mark over 70 games. The question is, what does the team do with Greg Bird ideally holding first base? The answer is nothing, save awaiting Bird to get injured it seems. In the meantime, Voit does not really have any roto value.
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