May 4, 2017

TDGX Transactions

Week 6

by J.J. Jansons

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The Dynasty Guru Experts League is a 20-team (40-man roster) 5x5 rotisserie dynasty league founded by BP managing editor Bret Sayre in 2014. It is intended to satisfy the deep-league needs of all, down to just the right amount of Alexi Amarista. We roster 23 starters (C/1B/2B/3B/SS/MI/CI, along with two additional utility hitters, five outfielders and nine pitchers). We also roster seven bench slots and have 10 spots designated for minor leaguers, although a quick scan of the league finds that most teams utilize a majority of their bench spots for additional prospects. That means that there are an additional 100-120 prospects that are rostered above the 200 spots reserved for them.

These write-ups are intended to pair nicely with Mike Gianella’s Expert FAAB Review, as we will look at the TDGX free-agent acquisitions each week, as well as include thoughts on every major trade that occurs during the season. The yearly budget for free-agent transactions is $100, with $0 bids allowed for major leaguers and prospects.

This installment covers the Week 6 FAAB period, along with any trades that have taken place over the past week.

Trades

None

Week 6 FAAB Transactions

Cory Spangenberg (2B/OF)—Padres (Won for $22) by Bret Sayre—Baseball Prospectus

As soon as I saw Spangenberg was recalled by San Diego on April 25, it wasn’t a matter of who would win Spangenberg’s services, it was just a matter of how much Bret would plunk down. Spangenberg already has added outfield eligibility since his pickup, and he only has to work his way past Jabari Blash and Rule 5 youngin’ Allen Cordoba for regular playing time in left field. Spangenberg’s recall serves as yet another significant blow for the few remaining believers in the #Blashtoff “movement”—which, thankfully, doesn’t include me.

“I had actually taken Spangenberg with my fifth-round pick in the preseason draft, but had to let him go due to roster limitations and, well, him not making the team out of spring training. With Alexi Amarista as my starting MI and a severe lack of speed on my team, I was ready to dive back in again with a reasonably hefty bid. He hasn't quite run as much in the majors as he did in the minors, but Spangenberg has a career .266 TAv and has been playing against right-handers since being recalled. Honestly, if he just sticks in the majors and steals 12-15 bases in not-overly-sporadic playing time, I'll have solved my MI hole.”

Roman Quinn (OF)—Phillies (Won at $21) by Brent Hershey—BaseballHQ

“Given the Phillies rebuild and the chances that many young players are getting, outfielder Quinn is a natural flyer. Even more so in a fantasy sense, since his standout tool—80-grade speed—is at a premium. Quinn didn’t look lost in his 57-AB trial in September of 2016 and has more strength in his swing than his 5-10 frame might suggest. Health will be a key; Quinn’s most AB in a season so far has been 327 in 2014 at High A due to a myriad of injuries. But the SB potential is what makes him a worthy add.”

Quinn was available after being dropped, somewhat surprisingly so, the previous week. Health is obviously the main key with Quinn, as Hershey points out, but he also has to keep his strikeout rate near the 21 percent rate that he posted at Double-A Reading in 2016 (where he also stole 31 bags in just 71 games), as opposed to the 30 percent rate that he has shown in his first taste of the International League this season.

Leury Garcia (OF)—White Sox (Won at $13) by James Anderson—Rotowire

“I don't really like Leury Garcia or Guillermo Heredia, which may sound weird considering I just spent 20 percent of my FAAB on the pair of them. However, I've got four position players on the DL, and Pedro Alvarez and Trayce Thompson didn't appear close to a promotion from Triple-A. I needed to stop taking zeros in my lineup. I think Garcia and Heredia can offer something around a .250 or .260 average, which won't hurt me, and I can get their counting stats while I'm waiting for my guys to get healthy.”

Ty Blach (P)—Giants (Won at $11) by J.J. Jansons—Baseball Prospectus/The Dynasty Guru

As a native Coloradoan, I’ve been following Blach since his high school days at Regis (CO), and while I don’t think he’s going to be a huge fantasy contributor over the time the Giants (and my TDGX squad for that matter) have Madison Bumgarner on the shelf, I do think he can be a decent placeholder while keeping an ERA under 4.00 and not be a WHIP-killer. In his first two turns in the San Francisco rotation, he’s done just that--allowing two runs in 12 innings and holding the Dodgers and Padres to a .167/.222/.190 line collectively.

Ben Gamel (OF)—Mariners (Won at $7) by Greg Wellemeyer—Baseball Prospectus
Guillermo Heredia (OF)—Mariners (Won at $7) by James Anderson—Rotowire

With Mitch Haniger’s oblique strain likely keeping him out of the Mariner lineup until (at least) early June, and Leonys Martin sent packing, both Gamel and Heredia should see plenty of playing time in the Seattle corner outfield spots over the next month. Gamel owns a .347 lifetime OBP in the minors, and certainly doesn’t have any left to prove in Triple-A. He was slated to be the starter in right field before Haniger was acquired this winter, and I feel he’ll emerge ahead of Heredia for playing time when Haniger returns.

Dinelson Lamet (SP)—Padres (Won at $5) by Chris Mitchell—RotoExperts

Jose Osuna (1B/OF)—Pirates (Won at $4) by Jeff Zimmermann—FanGraphs

“Both pickups this week, Jeremy Hazelbaker and Jose Osuna are fill-ins for a depleted lineup. I need warm bodies in my lineup to try to keep up in the counting stats.”

The 24-year old Osuna hasn’t flashed any over-the-fence power at either Triple-A Indianapolis, or in Pittsburgh, while filling in for the steroid-inhaling Starling Marte to this point in the season, but he has five XBH in the first 38 major league plate appearances of his career while posting a .303/.395/.515 line. Adam Frazier’s hamstring injury is looking like it will keep him out a few more days, and how the playing time is split up between he and Osuna will be something that many deep league owners will have their eye on in the upcoming weeks in Marte’s extended absence.

Zach Eflin (SP)—Phillies (Won at $4) by J.P. Breen—Baseball Prospectus
Ezequiel Carrera (OF)—Blue Jays (Won at $3) by Chris Mitchell—RotoExperts
Rafael Bautista (OF)—Nationals (Won at $3) by J.P. Breen—Baseball Prospectus
Chris Taylor (2B/3B)—Dodgers (Won at $2) by Craig Goldstein—Baseball Prospectus/TDG
Jose Martinez (OF)—Cardinals (Won at $1) by Ralph Lifshitz—Razzball
Oswaldo Arcia (OF)—Diamondbacks (Won at $1) by Greg Wellemeyer—Baseball Prospectus
Jeremy Hazelbaker (OF)—Diamondbacks (Won at $1) by Jeff Zimmermann—FanGraphs
Ryan Rua (OF)—Rangers (Won at $1) by Craig Goldstein—Baseball Prospectus/TDG
Keone Kela (RP)—Rangers (Won at $1) by Ralph Lifshitz—Razzball
Yovani Gallardo (SP)—Mariners (Won at $0) by Luke Chatelain—The Dynasty Guru
Brad Peacock (SP/RP)—Astros (Won at $0) by Luke Chatelain—The Dynasty Guru
J.J. Hoover (RP)—Diamondbacks (Won at $0) by Luke Chatelain—The Dynasty Guru

Sam Hilliard (OF)—Rockies (Won at $0) by Tom Trudeau/Craig Glaser—MLB.com

The lefty-swinging Hilliard, a 15th rounder in the 2015 draft out of Wichita State, has certainly enjoyed his time in the Cal League this season, after swatting 17 home runs and stealing 30 bases as a 22-year old at Low-A Asheville in 2016. Hilliard has lowered his strikeout rate from 28.5 percent at Asheville to 23 percent in the early going in Lancaster, while maintaining his near 11 percent walk rate, and has hit two home runs and has gone 8-for-10 in his stolen base attempts this season. Pretty much anytime that a Rockies hitter posts a .337/.412/.506 line at any level in the minors, even if it’s in just 104 plate appearances, it’s going to be noticed in deeper leagues, but I don’t think Hilliard has the raw-power, nor the foot-speed, to be a fantasy asset at the upper levels.

I’m sure the MLB.com boys are just hoping for a few more months of Cal League-inflated numbers before trying to attach Hillard as the third or fourth piece in a deal, which isn’t generally a bad idea with these types of prospects in deep leagues.

Andrew Stevenson (OF)—Nationals (Won at $0) by Tom Trudeau/Craig Glaser—MLB.com
Will Smith (C)—Dodgers (Won at $0) by Tom Trudeau/Craig Glaser—MLB.com

Seranthony Dominguez (SP)—Phillies (Won at $0) by James Anderson—Rotowire

“Seranthony Dominguez is another prospect I picked up, who has a lot of helium right now based on what he's done so far in the Florida State League. I'm all about upside with my pitching prospects, and I think Dominguez has more upside than Marcos Diplan, so I was willing to swap them out. Dominguez has a mid-to-high-90s fastball with late life and a couple of average secondary pitches.”

Wladimir Galindo (3B)—Cubs (Won at $0) by James Anderson—Rotowire

“Wladimir Galindo is a guy I've been wanting to add in this league for a while, but I was holding off because I didn't think I was in danger of someone else scooping him up. However, he is off to such a hot start in the Midwest League that I didn't think I could afford to wait any longer. He has monster raw power right now, mostly to the pull side, but it hasn't really shown up in games yet. There's a chance it might in the second half. The thing I'm most impressed with is his improvements with his strikeout rate, down from 28.6 percent at short-season ball to 22.8 percent against Low-A pitching. He is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and not done growing, so there's a good chance he moves off third base and is a first baseman or DH down the road.”

Tyler Flowers (C)—Braves (Won at $0) by Greg Wellemeyer—Baseball Prospectus

Luis Escobar (SP)—Pirates (Won at $0) by Greg Wellemeyer—Baseball Prospectus
Jose Albertos (SP)—Cubs (Won at $0) by Greg Wellemeyer—Baseball Prospectus
Patrick Leonard (1B)—Rays (Won at $0) by Craig Goldstein—Baseball Prospectus/TDG

J.J. Jansons is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @jansons_jj
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