Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice: Nick Castellanos, Cody Bradford, Triston Casas (2024)

Every passing week provides a clearer picture of what the season could look like for some players. Injuries, playing time and the good and bad stat lines reveal themselves. This week, I have a a few players to buy low.

Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice (Week 3)

Buy Low

Nick Castellanos (OF – PHI)

Every league has some nervous owners who could overreact about certain players. Nick Castellanos owners are waiting for him to help carry their lineup to victory. Perhaps the waiting is getting to be too much for them. The outfield position is weak and Castellanos, even with the early struggles, still has name appeal. Castellanos is currently hitting .114 and has zero home runs. He’s also batting at the bottom of the lineup, which isn’t great, but it’s a good lineup. Injuries or lack of production from other players can easily change that.

His worst batting average in the last three seasons was over .263 — in 2022 when he only hit 13 home runs. He rebounded last year, hitting .272 with 29 home runs. Currently, his walk rate is about twice as high as his average for past seasons in March/April. His strikeout rate is the same, so it just looks like a slow start. I would pounce now before he starts to heat up.

Triston Casas (1B – BOS)

Speaking of slow starts, Triston Casas strikes me (no pun intended) as a great buy-low candidate, especially in dynasty leagues. He’s currently hitting .237 with just one home run. Boston is batting him in the middle of the lineup, so I would expect those numbers to increase as he gets more at-bats. His strikeout rate is in the mid-20s, and that’s about right, but the home runs should come. We should be looking at a .250 hitter with 30 home runs. Everyone is getting excited about Boston’s pitching but don’t forget about the hitters. They are young and exciting with lots of potential. He’s rostered in around 70% of leagues. That ownership will increase.

Cody Bradford (SP, RP – TEX)

I have been a fan of Cody Bradford since he was pitching in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He wasn’t a top prospect for Texas and his job in the starting rotation is questionable because of the addition of Michael Lorenzen. Bradford kept the damage in check in the hitting-friendly PCL league. He also had a nice stretch where he kept his ERA under 2.00. That’s when I first took notice. Bradford has a 2.13 ERA, two wins and 10 Ks in 12.1 innings. The strikeouts are not great but he pitches for Texas and should always be in a position for a win. With all the pitching injuries this season, it might not be a bad idea to acquire a pitcher like Bradford. Yes, he might be replaced in the rotation, but he can give you innings as a long reliever and/or be a spot starter. Both situations can provide you with wins.