The All-Star Break is upon us and after half a season of baseball, we’re still staring at some studs who have disappointed for the large part of the first half. Now on the surface, things may not be so rosy for some of the players listed below, but we all know surface stats don’t always tell the full story.
What if someone told you at the beginning of the season that you can have Manny Machado for Dallas Keuchel? Would you take that deal? Of course you would! Here’s why you should consider making that offer along with a few others courtesy of our three featured experts below.
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Q1. What hitter are you trying to buy before the All-Star break ends and who would you be willing to give up in return?
Francisco Lindor (SS – CLE)
“Isn’t it funny how batting average drives the public perception of a player so heavily? Francisco Lindor is one homer shy of his career high this season and is on pace to surpass his RBI total from last year too. The fact that his BABIP is 70 and 90 points lower than in the past two seasons is virtually the only difference in his game. That will rise back to the norm and his batting average will quickly come with it so if you can get him for a Logan Morrison, do it and do it quickly.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
Anthony Rizzo (1B – CHC)
“Rizzo’s .265 AVG should help lower Rizzo’s cost in fantasy baseball trades. It’s likely to rise, but even if it doesn’t, he’s still getting on base at the highest clip of his career, and his 19 HR are nothing to sneeze at. Most importantly, though, he’s one defensive switch away from gaining second base eligibility. For the ability to slot Rizzo in at second base, I’d be happy to pay a hefty price. Perhaps a Joey Votto, Daniel Murphy, or Cody Bellinger. Or, if you have pitching depth, make it a two-for-one with a Michael Fulmer-type pitcher and an Eric Hosmer-type 1st baseman.”
– Tim Young (Brewer Rat)
Manny Machado (3B/SS – BAL)
“For a while, everyone figured Manny Machado was going to bounce back so you couldn’t grab him at a discount. Now that we are mid-season and he is still hitting just .215, you can get him for a Dallas Keuchel and I’d pull the trigger on that one immediately. Machado’s batted ball stats suggest that he has indeed taken a bit of a step back, but that he should be hitting .255 with 20 homers instead of the .215 with 16 that we have seen. Expect 90% of what we have seen from him in past years and that is much better than his current trade value.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
“Manny Machado has been considered to be a fairly large disappointment through the first half of the season, thanks to a paltry .215 average through 350 plate appearances. Owners hung up on Manny’s poor luck (.223 BABIP) might overlook the fact that his 16 home runs, 34 runs scored and 41 RBIs to go along with four steals have him on pace for a highly productive fantasy season overall. His peripheral numbers fall fairly in line with what we’ve seen in the past, and I would bet that the hits will start falling in more regularly over the second part of the season. Machado is currently being outperformed by the likes of Elvis Andrus, Ryan Zimmerman, and Miguel Sano and I would happily flip any of that trio for Machado.”
– Wayne Bretsky (BretskyBall)
Jonathan Villar (2B/3B/SS – MIL)
“Villar was a top 30 pick to begin the season, but boy oh boy has he disappointed. He was so bad that they sent him down to the minors, but even with that missed MLB time, he is on pace for 17 homers and 34 stolen bases this season. The batting average will rise, for sure, as much of it has been luck driven and he has been significantly cutting down the K-rate. Is he a top 30 player still? No, but he should still be regarded as a top 100 guy for the rest of the season and you could sell a player of much less value for him.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
Q2. What pitcher are you trying to buy before the All-Star break ends and who would you willing to give up in return?
Aaron Nola (SP – PHI)
“Nola is red hot right now, but he probably hasn’t built up enough cache to raise his price yet, and playing for the worst team in baseball keeps him relatively off of the radar. You may be able to get him for a closer with lagging peripherals like Oh, Herrera, or Colome, or perhaps an overachieving starter like Pomeranz or Ervin Santana.”
– Tim Young (Brewer Rat)
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – BOS)
“The Red Sox continue to win games and one starting pitcher who should grab quite a few of those for himself in the second half is Eduardo Rodriguez. It has somehow slipped past everyone that he has been one of the best 15 pitchers in baseball over the last 365 days with his 3.38 ERA and 9.4 K/9. If you watch him pitch, you’ll know that he is the real deal and could continue to get better as he matures. I’d move a hot-hitting outfielder like Mitch Haniger for him right now.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
Jose Quintana (SP – CWS)
“Quintana’s 4.45 ERA and 1.32 that come with a 4-8 record over his first 17 starts don’t look anything like the top-30 pitcher that was purchased on draft day. However, he’s been much more reliable of late, registering quality starts in three of his past four turns while striking out more than a batter per inning. Quintana’s solid track record makes him a trustable arm in the second half. I’d be willing to send an emerging Jose Berrios to acquire the veteran Quintana in a mid-season deal.”
– Wayne Bretsky (BretskyBall)
Rich Hill (SP – LAD)
You may have noticed that Rich Hill is out there throwing whiffle balls again with his filthy curveball. His ERA is now down to 3.69 after the horrendous start to his season which featured several blisters. You might think that because of his recent four-game stretch with 35 Ks and just 5 ER that you won’t be able to get him for a good value, but take a moment to think about the fact that over the past 300 innings, there have only been three better pitchers and their names are Scherzer, Sale and Kershaw. You can still get him for a quarter of that price. I’d deal Andrew Benintendi or Michael Brantley for him in a heartbeat.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
Dan Straily (SP – MIA)
“This name may catch you by surprise, but Dan Straily has been startlingly good in the past calendar year. Sure, he gives up way too many homers, but in the second half last season, he had a 3.10 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 8.2 K/9. To start this season, the ERA (3.51) is a bit higher, but the WHIP is now under 1.10 and he is striking out more hitters than ever before at 9.0. He is dirt cheap right now and well worth the price. If someone offered me Straily for my Sean Newcomb, I’d take that.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
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