Fantasy Baseball Mailbag: Kodai Senga, Clayton Kershaw, Mason Miller, Julio Rodriguez

Welcome back to the Fantasy Baseball Weekly Mailbag. The mailbag is an opportunity to ask a FantasyPros analyst anything about the ongoing season to make the best and most informed decisions possible. Questions from fantasy managers this week can be seen below.

If you have questions about your team, feel free to join the FantasyPros Discord.

Fantasy Baseball Mailbag

Should I stash Clayton Kershaw or Kodai Senga?

Why not both?

Clayton Kershaw is going to return on Thursday. Kodai Senga will be back on Friday. Both pitchers should boost your fantasy team. Both are returning from tricky shoulder injuries and lengthy rehab assignments that add some risk.

I am sure that the pair of pitchers will have some struggles as they return to the majors. Remember that they will probably not be as good as they have been in the past as they shake off rust.

I think it is a good idea to claim both pitchers. If you had to pick, go with Senga, His injury seems less serious and he has far less mileage on his arm.

*Robbie Ray is another pitching stash who returns this week*

Trade away Julio Rodriguez for Alec Burleson and Tobias Myers? I might not make the playoffs.

No way.

Although Alec Burleson is having a good year, remember that he slashed just .244/.300/.390 with eight homers last year. Burleson is slashing .293/.323/.497 in 2024, and his expected stats indicate that he is playing at a sustainable level. I like Burleson. I think his improvement from 2023 is legit. No matter what, he comes far short of Julio Rodriguez.

Tobias Myers is also having a great year, but he is an unproven rookie with a career ERA of 4.24 in the minors.

I understand panicking from a losing record, but trading away Julio Rodriguez – even if he is injured – is not the best way to improve your situation. Acquire more proven talent if you want to get rid of him.

Burleson and Myers were most likely waiver claims this year. Rodriguez was most likely a top-twenty draft pick.

It is important to think about the future instead of last year’s stats. However, Rodriguez is one of baseball’s most exciting young players for a reason. Look for a better offer.

Rodriguez went nuclear last year after the All-Star break. Maybe he will come back from the Injured List with a vengeance.

Francisco Alvarez or David Fry?

Francisco Alvarez is the better catcher. He hits for nice power and has improved his contact in 172 plate appearances this year to a .279 average.

David Fry plays mostly every day. Alvarez sits every few days. Availability is the only reason I would pick Fry. The Guardian catcher has been bad outside of May, where he went on an absolute terror and batted .383 with seven homers in 21 games.

Pick Alvarez going forward.

General advice for the rest of the season?

The playoffs are coming. Most fantasy baseball leagues have around five weeks before playoff season begins.

This means it’s a better time than ever to be making moves. Teams on the brink of contention should be pushing to make the playoffs by stalking waivers and doing their research.

In dynasty leagues, losing fantasy managers should realize that 2024 isn’t their year and try to gather some prospects for the next year. Dynasty managers who feel good about their roster should trade away prospects to solidify their contention like contending teams do in real baseball.

Activity slows down at this point in the year. Take advantage of this and find the best waiver claims, ranging from call-ups to emerging talent. Stats in August matter just as much as April.

Good luck.