It’s the middle of April, and baseball season is now in full swing! We’re only several days into the young season, and while we wouldn’t recommend being aggressive in the trade market so early, we also know that there are some leaguemates who may overreact to slumps or hot starts. You may be able to get someone to overpay for C.J. Cron, or you can kick the tires on Marcus Semien and see if he can be had for a discount. There’s no harm in trying, right? If you want to begin exploring your options, our featured pundits have got you covered. Here’s who they are already looking to acquire or send away at this early juncture.
Q1. Which one player are you trying to buy low and why?
It’s the middle of April, and baseball season is now in full swing! We’re only several days into the young season, and while we wouldn’t recommend being aggressive in the trade market so early, we also know that there are some leaguemates who may overreact to slumps or hot starts. You may be able to get someone to overpay for C.J. Cron, or you can kick the tires on Marcus Semien and see if he can be had for a discount. There’s no harm in trying, right? If you want to begin exploring your options, our featured pundits have got you covered. Here’s who they are already looking to acquire or send away at this early juncture.
Q1. Which one player are you trying to buy low and why?
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – DET)
“Those hoping for a bounce-back year from Eduardo Rodriguez might be thinking, “Here we go again” after he gave up three runs in four innings to start 2022. Don’t panic about one poor start — the same goes for most pitchers since nobody had a normal spring training — against a White Sox offense that crushes southpaws. Besides, you might have been able to get a good deal on Rodriguez anyway since last year’s 4.74 ERA towered over his 3.47 xERA and 3.32 FIP. See if a mid-tier player like Adam Wainwright, Amed Rosario, or Eduardo Escobar is enough to land him.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF – MIN)
“Alex Kirilloff is off to a 1-for-15 (.067 AVG, .134 OPS) start with seven strikeouts through the season’s first four games. In his first three games, he batted sixth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. On Monday, he was dropped all the way to ninth in the order. He has already been cut in one of my shallower leagues, and I know fantasy managers are starting to sweat the slow start. But this is an incredibly small sample size, and moving on from a young player like Kirilloff after a delayed-then-expedited spring training this early is a mistake. I’m sticking with my preseason projections for the young slugger and am looking to acquire him everywhere. ”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
Trevor Story (SS – BOS)
“Trevor Story is a great buy low, as the Red Sox offense did not explode in Yankee Stadium over the opening weekend, especially Story, who only hit .125 with no stats to go along with it. The season is young and the fact that Trevor Story is going to qualify at 2B along with SS makes him one of the most valuable players in fantasy baseball. The HRs and the SBs will be there despite not being at Coors Field for half the season. The AL East ballparks are very hitter-friendly and Story is a great buy-low candidate. If you can exchange Corey Seager for Story, take the long-term upgrade.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL)
“I would start with any stud pitcher who had a rough opening outing such as Brandon Woodruff or Julio Urias. Managers with either starter may be a bit panicked after they struggled against subpar opponents in their respective first outings. I think more are willing to give Urias a pass since his game took place in Coors Field. So if I had to pick one to target, it would be Woodruff. I believe it is more likely that the Woodruff manager in your league could be convinced to sell at a discount. The shortened season will make starting pitching an even bigger priority than normal. We have already seen teams implement painfully low pitch counts in certain situations. That means that high-end starters should be in higher demand. Despite Woodruff’s opener, I would still put him in that category. As far as compensation, I would give up anyone outside of my first couple of draft picks, especially if that player has gotten off to a hot start. For example, if someone wants to trade me Woodruff for Carlos Rodon, I would make that trade. I’m high on Rodon, but I would bet that Woodruff has a more productive fantasy season. Rodon’s first outing as a Giant was impressive, but I am not willing to anoint him the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner quite yet. ”
– Mick Ciallela (Fantrax)
Q2. Which one player are you trying to sell high and why?
Byron Buxton (OF – MIN)
“Byron Buxton is a great sell high. Yes, Buxton is a guy who can hit HRs and get SBs, which makes him very valuable, a big reason he was gone before the fourth round in a majority of fantasy baseball drafts. However, with his scalding-hot start, hitting 3 HRs in the opening series, now is the time to sell high if you can get a 1st/2nd round OF option such as Mike Trout or Mookie Betts. While Buxton should have a good season, it is a much safer route to take a proven Hall of Fame prospect instead of a player like Buxton, who fails to make it through a full season a majority of the time, and Betts or Trout will almost definitely put up better numbers than Buxton. You may have to add a piece in the trade, but it is worth it.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
“The helium on Byron Buxton was expanding out of control before he opened the season with three home runs in as many games. The 28-year-old could leap to MVP heights if he stays healthy, but those risks haven’t vanished after a few days. This is the same player who has only once exceeded 300 MLB plate appearances in a season, so see if someone is so caught up in the hype that they’ll trade a superstar for him anyway. Just be sure the asking price is fittingly high with a stud such as Ozzie Albies, Manny Machado, Yordan Alvarez, or Brandon Woodruff.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
Giancarlo Stanton (OF/DH – NYY)
“Giancarlo Stanton tore the cover off the ball and lit up the Statcast sirens in the opening series against the Red Sox. He was batting .385 with two home runs and four RBI coming into Monday before going 0-for-4 against Alek Manoah and the Blue Jays. We have, of course, seen this before from Stanton. In addition to dealing with a number of injuries over the years, he has also proven to be extremely streaky. You likely drafted him at a slight discount because this is baked into his price. But we know he has this ceiling when he’s locked in. We also know the valley to this peak is just around the corner. It’ll sting to trade away the power potential, but a fantasy manager off to a slow start may be willing to overpay for Stanton right now. ”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
Steven Kwan (OF – CLE)
“I know this is blasphemy among fantasy circles (especially on Twitter), but I would sell Steven Kwan. He is good. His contact skills and metrics are elite, and a throwback to some of the great slap hitters of yesteryear. He will hit for a high average and could score a fair amount of runs if he continues to hit atop the Guardians lineup. However, Kwan offers painfully little upside in the power department. That could play depending on your lineup construction, but his skill set may not be ideal for all fantasy rosters. And though he is fast, Kwan has yet to hone his base-stealing skills. Kwan stole just six bases last year in 77 games. I think he will produce similar numbers to Michael Brantley — valuable, but not quite to the level some may expect given Kwan’s white-hot start. If you can get a versatile piece like Jake Cronenworth or DJ LeMahieu for Kwan, I would make that deal. ”
– Mick Ciallela (Fantrax)
Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Make sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice all season and check out our Leading Off Podcast every single weekday for quick-hitting takeaways and advice.
