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Grading Fantasy Baseball Trades: Starling Marte, Mike Trout, Noah Syndergaard

Grading Fantasy Baseball Trades: Starling Marte, Mike Trout, Noah Syndergaard

It’s that time again – time for our weekly Grading Trades column, and you know what that means. That’s right, we get to take a look at this week’s trades that went down across the fantasy baseball world and decide how much or how little we like them, or provide some feedback on trade offers you might be a bit torn on. As always, thanks to all who submitted their trades to us.

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I’m one of those owners that were banking on Starling Marte to put up big numbers this season for my team. I targeted him as my OF1 and now he’s suspended for 80 games. I’ve received several offers for him, but none of them really seem appealing, but I also don’t believe my team is a playoff team without getting another top bat in my lineup. This is a 14-team, standard 5×5 league. What should I expect in a return for Marte?

This greatly depends on who else you have on your roster. You say that you don’t believe your team is a playoff team without his production in your lineup. Do you also believe your team will be so far out of playoff position in your league by the time he returns that it doesn’t make sense to also stubbornly hold onto him for top value (which you won’t get right now)?

If your team isn’t all that strong, to begin with, or needs a top-tier offensive talent to remain competitive in your league, then sorry – your team probably isn’t as close to being a legit contender as you want to believe.

Think about it like this.

If you were trying to acquire Starling Marte right now, what would you be willing to give up for him to take up a roster spot past the All-Star Break? This offer would also have to fill a hole for that other owner.

In your case, perhaps it’s best to see if someone is willing to give up a solid prospect or young player for him right now. Then again, I’d simply ride it out and wait for him to come back, heat up a bit at the plate and cash in just before your league trade deadline. It doesn’t sound like you’re making the playoffs anyway – be patient and eat the roster spot Marte is occupying. Scour the waiver wire for guys like Logan Morrison, Nick Markakis, and Josh Reddick and just ride out what appears to be a potentially unpleasant season for you. Plus, Reddick and Morrison will likely have some trade value come mid-season as potential 20+ home run hitters.

What’s with all the injuries, Lance? I’ve lost Noah Syndergaard, Zach Britton, Cole Hamels, and Marcus Semien. My league is super competitive and I can’t just mail it in. I want to be competitive and make sure I’m not gifting categories to other teams each week. This is a keep up to five players each season and we can keep them forever. 14-team league, H2H standard 5×5 categories. My biggest trade chip is Mike Trout. Should I cash him in for a full restock?

Sorry about your luck. I’ve dealt with my fair share of injuries, too. Keeper forever league, no way I’m trading Mike Trout. At least not yet. Besides, this early in the season, are there any owners who would have the chips to push all-in for Trout anyway? I highly doubt it.

Plus, Zach Britton will be back in about a month to a month and a half. Hopefully you had the foresight to pick up Brad Brach, or Darren O’Day for that matter. Cole Hamels is a legitimate concern for me, but the other guys — ouch.

But…if you were going to attempt to cash in Trout then here’s my outline for what you should try to get in return.

Start any package with a perennial top 10 bat, such as Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt, Kris Bryant, or Manny Machado. From there, I’d insist on a perennial top 20 starting pitcher. Guys like Jose Quintana and Aaron Sanchez. Finally, I’d try to squeeze out a top 15 prospect (a hitter) like Cody Bellinger or Manuel Margot.

If you’re going to trade a guy who has already made a strong case for Hall of Fame consideration this early in his career, and is basically a lock now (barring injury), then set the bar really high and get a package of three very good players in return for him. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing a 5-for-1 or 6-for-1 package of garbage is a good deal.

To satisfy that fantasy baseball itch that is making trades, we’re grading and providing feedback on them as you submit them. Tweet us at @FantasyProsMLB with the trade details and use #FantasyBaseballTrades and we’ll let you know what we think about the deal.


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Lance Rinker is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Lance, check out his archive or follow him @LanceMRinker.

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