May 15, 2014

Deep Impact

Week Six

by Ben Carsley

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I'm not gonna write you an introduction. I'm the Sarah Bareilles of Baseball Prospectus.

Jacob DeGrom
Odds are you're aware that Rafael Montero is now a member of the Mets rotation, and odds are he's already been gobbled up even in deep leagues. But Montero isn't the only new member of New York's starting five—deGrom also got the call this week thanks to an injury to Dillon Gee, and while he certainly lacks Montero's upside, he can also be had at just a fraction of the cost.

In 38 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season, deGrom posted a 2.58 ERA with an 18.0 percent strikeout rate and a 6.2 percent walk rate. He'll be hard-pressed to repeat those numbers in the majors, but deGrom has the arsenal to survive at the back end of a second-division team's rotation for quite some time. I wouldn't spend a ton of FAAB on him, but he's definitely worth a look in favorable matchups, especially when used at home. I don't expect the Mets to be aggressive with Noah Syndergaard's promotion, so I think deGrom sees 10-plus starts this season, barring a disastrous beginning to his MLB career. He's not exciting, but he might be useful.

Johnny Giavotella, 2B, Royals
Recalled from Triple-A on Saturday, Giavotella is getting approximately his 64th chance to prove he belongs in the majors on a regular basis with the Royals as Omar Infante is on the DL for a while thanks to a lingering back injury. While the job will certainly be Infante's again once he does return, Giavotella has an opportunity here nonetheless to become a fantasy-relevant name once more.

A classic "Four-A player" (but don't tell Royals Twitter), Giavotella has historically raked in Triple-A and fallen flat on his face in the majors. That being said, while it feels like Giavotella is a guy who's received a ton of time in Kansas City, he's only seen 444 PA at that level. Granted, that's in part because he's hit only .239/.277/.337, but given his Triple-A numbers I have to believe there's at least a little bit more in his bat. He's not a great long-term investment, but if you need MI help right now, Giavotella has the chance to hit for a non-embarrassing average and contribute modestly in R and RBI. Plus, if Mike Moustakas is demoted soon, there's a non-zero chance he could become a more regular part of the infield mix if Infante can play any third base.

Luis Jimenez, 3B, Angels
I've always had a thing for Luis Jimenez. Don't get me wrong—I've never pegged him as an MLB starter—but he's hit at every stop in the minor leagues, and guys like that tend to carve out careers at the major league level, even if they're undistinguished and short-lived. Now, Jimenez will get a shot to prove that he deserves more than the 110 PA he received with the Angels last season.

Jimenez's Triple-A stats this year are less than inspiring, but the 26-year-old has always had a respectable hit tool and a modest but present power tool, too. He's not going to get on base terribly often thanks to a pretty striking aversion to walks, but Jimenez has some bat-to-ball ability. He's not going to be any sort of long-term option for the Angels, but if he starts regularly while David Freese is out with a fractured finger, he has some deep league worth. The return will be modest here, but so too will be the investment.

Deep League Streamer of the Week: Chris Young, SEA
I can't explain it either, but Young has been quite good so far this year, posting a 2.63 ERA through his first six starts and 37 2/3 IP. Is he going to implode at some point? Yes. Young is striking out 12 percent of the batters he faces, walking 11 percent and generating ground balls at just a 26.7 percent clip. The implosion will be spectacular and you will say "not surprising, it's Chris R. Young." But I do not think that implosion comes in Young's next start in Minnesota on Friday. It's a pitchers' park and the Twins are only a so-so offensive club, so Young has at least a solid shot at nabbing his fourth win of the year.

Twitter Question of the Week:

@cdgoldstein @BenCarsley @TINOPodcast Why can't I get myself to hit the offer button sending my Springer for villain's Profar?

— Eric Neville (@EricNeville) May 14, 2014

I don't know why you can't do this, Eric, but unless you're competing this year and need outfield help, you should. This question doesn't have relevancy for those in redraft leagues, but as we addressed on TINO this week, Springer is a great candidate for you to shop aggressively if you're seeking out Profar. The Astros outfielder has received a ton of hype so far this year, but he's still nowhere near the prospect Profar was coming up through the system, and you can't let prospect fatigue dissuade you from having interest in Profar's services. So pull the trigger, Eric. Do it for America.

Player Namedrop of the Week: Kason Gabbard
Random RP Who Will Earn a Win: Scott Baker, Rangers
Random Backup Who Will Homer: Eric Chavez, Diamondbacks
Xander Bogaerts Adjective: Budding

Ben Carsley is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @bencarsley
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