We are getting to that point in the fantasy baseball season where you are deciding on what the 2024 season looks like for you. Are you looking forward to the playoffs? Are you in the playoff hunt and need to make some roster adjustments? Can you make the playoffs if everything goes your way? Or does the 2025 season look promising? If you’re in a dynasty, keeper or redraft league, we have six players to consider acquiring or moving.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice (Week 11)
Buy Low
This might not be an exciting move on the surface, but Jarred Kelenic could see more playing time because of the Ronald Acuna Jr. injury. Although he only has 16 at-bats against lefties, 11 have come since the Acuna injury. Kelenic is also hitting .250 against lefties. Yes, a short sample size, but it could be worse. Currently, Kelenic is on a six-game hitting streak and although he has zero stolen bases on the season, the ability is there. He had 13 swipes last year, so double digits are not a guarantee this year, but he could go on a run (pun intended). The not-so-long-ago ‘can’t-miss prospect’ still could make a nice addition to a depleted fantasy outfield.
George Springer is currently hitting .211 with four home runs. He is not putting up the fantasy numbers owners had in mind when they drafted him. The Blue Jays have struggled this year offensively. Springer has been a contributor to those overall numbers. He has struggled against lefties this year, hitting just .156 on the season. He hasn’t always struggled against lefties, though, hitting .242 versus them last season. Like Kelenic, if Springer can start to turn things around, he could avoid the dreaded ‘starting split’. His chase rate and strikeout rate are low, and he has over 150 at-bats leading off. He also has seven stolen bases, so that’s a plus. If outfield is a need, Springer would be a nice add but act quickly. If he heats up his value will increase even more because of his name value.
Garrett Crochet was a popular late-round draft pick this preseason. After his first four impressive starts, he did have about three straight underwhelming starts. Perhaps he was dropped in your league, but I highly doubt he is still on the waiver wire. If he is, stop reading this, and add him. In his last six starts, he has pitched six innings or more in five of them. Those five have all been quality starts. He has a 3.49 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP on the season. He also has 93 strikeouts in just under 70 innings. He won’t cost you anything, but the biggest current knock on Crochet is that he plays for the White Sox. Rumors are starting that he could be moved to a contender. If starting pitching is a need, add Crochet now before his value hits another tier.
Sell High
Bryce Miller is currently 5-5 on the year. He has a 3.18 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He has won his last two starts after going winless since April 17th. He has done a good job this year limiting damage, but he doesn’t have the feel of a start-and-forget-about-it pitcher. I would say he is better than a ‘matchup’ pitcher. If you’re in a good place with your starting rotation, look to move Miller. He is mostly a fastball pitcher, throwing the pitch 45% of the time. Of his five pitches, he doesn’t throw any others more than 20%. His hard-hit rate and ground ball rate are not good, which is why his expected ERA is much higher at 4.07. Rougher times could be ahead for Miller, so look at moving him now before his value diminishes.
Moving Jake Irvin won’t net you a lot in return but finding a team in your league in need of starting pitching is your best bet. He was a popular waiver wire add, so he might not have cost you anything. In his second season, he has a 3.39 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Four of his last five starts have been quality starts. Pitching for the Nationals comes with restrictions, though, he is averaging fewer than three runs of run support in his 12 starts this season. He has a good ground ball rate of 45% and BB% of 4.4%. He doesn’t get many whiffs and his strikeout rate is below league average. His expected ERA is 4.12, so like Miller, rougher times could be ahead. These factors plus pitching for the Nationals make it hard to see Irvin as a reliable fantasy pitcher.
Only move Bryce Harper in dynasty and/or keeper leagues. Of course, this depends on your roster setup. You might not be in a position to move a power bat. If that’s the case, stand pat. Just to be clear, I’m not rushing to move Harper, but he does have big-name value. This is just a thought, as Harper could bring you good value. He is hitting .270 with 14 home runs and has some speed with three stolen bases. Over the last three seasons, he has been in the double digits for steals. On his Statcast page, there isn’t anything that raises big concerns. His strikeout and chase percentage could use some work but you’re still getting good overall numbers from a power hitter. The concern for Harper is that he hasn’t played in over 100 games in back-to-back seasons since 2018 and 2019. He is only 31 and I wouldn’t label him as injury-prone, but the thought is there in the back of my mind. I would rather move Harper a year early than a year late. Entertain some offers and see what you can get for him.
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