It appears 41 home runs can only buy you so much job security these days.
Over the weekend, last year’s NL home run champion, Chris Carter, was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees in order to make room for Tyler Austin. Never known for his batting average, Carter was hitting just .204 while striking out 37.0% of the time and struggled to showcase enough power to make up for it. He slugged just eight homers in 57 games with a .180 ISO and paltry .289 wOBA. He was a fringe fantasy asset even in the deepest of leagues, and that’s unlikely to change no matter where he ends up on his next major league stop.
Austin gets a deserved promotion after putting together a .926 OPS with four long balls in Triple-A. However, he also struck out 28.6% of the time and is unlikely to hit for average, perhaps making him a fitting replacement for Carter. Still, with Greg Bird out for the foreseeable future, Austin has shown enough pop in the minors to potentially have some value in deep formats. He hit 22 dingers in the majors and minors in 2016.
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The Yankees also put Aaron Hicks and Starlin Castro on the DL this week, opening up playing time for the returning Jacoby Ellsbury and a promotion for Tyler Wade. Ellsbury may not be the offensive force he used to be, but he’s hitting a respectable .278/.342/.410 with four homers and eight stolen bases this season. He led off on Tuesday and should have mixed league relevance as long as he’s in the lineup most nights, particularly if he continues to hit high in the order.
Wade should start against righties while Castro is out, and from a fantasy perspective could offer some intriguing speed. He was slashing .313/.390/.444 with 24 stolen bases in Triple-A and swiped 27 bags last year in Double-A. He has little in the way of power, but the speed makes him intriguing in deep leagues.
Lastly, Miguel Andujar is reportedly getting promoted. He only recently moved up to Triple-A (seven games) but had an .836 OPS with seven home runs in Double-A. Seeing as he’s essentially jumping two levels, it’s tough to gauge how the 22-year-old will do, but he’s worth keeping an eye on if he gets regular playing time.
Randal Grichuk Returns
With Dexter Fowler hitting the DL, Grichuk got called up over the weekend, and wasted no time reminding everyone of his upside, homering in two of three games since his return. A man of the Chris Carter mold, the power has never been the issue, as strikeout problems are what got him banished to the minors at the end of May. He showed little improvement in that regard across four weeks in Triple-A, striking out 29.9% of the time over that span, nearly identical to the 29.1% rate he has in the majors this year. Even so, he should get regular playing time while Fowler is out, and the home run potential makes him mixed league relevant as long as he can keep that batting average above crippling levels. In 2016, he hit .240 with 24 round-trippers in 478 plate appearances. However, keep in mind that once Fowler returns, the Cardinals could have a log jam in the outfield, potentially taking away Grichuk’s newfound playing time.
Franklin Barreto Joins Oakland Youth Movement
The Athletics promoted promising 21-year-old prospect Franklin Barreto, who wasted no time in making an impression by hitting a home run in his major league debut. He has exciting future fantasy potential, although, in spite of that first home run, it’s fair to wonder how successful he’ll be right away. In Triple-A, he had a solid if unspectacular .754 OPS with eight bombs and four swiped bags, but a 29.8% strikeout rate is a bit concerning. The stolen base total isn’t much, but he stole 30 in Double-A last season, giving you a taste of his potential. Still, given his young age, it might be best to keep expectations in check, making him more of a deep league target. Also, despite the influx of prospects to the big league club, it’s unclear if Barreto will be sent back down when Marcus Semien returns.
Jonathan Villar is Back, But…
Villar is healthy and back with the Milwaukee Brewers, but didn’t start on Tuesday, indicating he could at least initially split time with Eric Sogard, who has played well in his absence. It’s the latest hurdle in what has been a disappointing season for Villar. Following a breakout 2016, he’s hitting a woeful .212/.282/.341 with six home runs and 14 stolen bases. Perhaps most troubling is a bloated 30.5% strikeout rate, up from a more palatable 25.6% last year. With a career .644 OPS, Sogard will almost certainly regress from his .980 OPS at some point and cede second base duties to Villar, but for now it looks like all owners can do is wait and hope their high draft pick can find a way to salvage some value down the line.
Freddie Freeman Shooting for Early July Return
Freeman owners can rejoice, as Freeman is aiming to return on July 9th, which is around three weeks earlier than initially expected. He is slated to return as the Atlanta Braves’ starting third baseman in order to allow Matt Adams to stay in the lineup at first base. From a fantasy perspective, it will add some versatility to have Freeman eligible at another position, but some may question the decision to move their best hitter to a position he’s never played at the major league level. That said, if he’s healthy and able, owners will happily take their slugger hitting anywhere if he can resume his hot play from earlier this season. Prior to his injury, Freeman had 14 homers and a robust .341/.461/.748 line.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
