How’s everyone doing without baseball every day? I’m doing great! I walked into a Jersey Mike’s and told them a story about a Mike I knew from Jersey who owed me money, and told them I wouldn’t be paying for my sub. They can take it out of the money Mike owes me. The police, who were called, were not at all sympathetic about the lunchmeat that was owed to me! I want my cold cuts, I screamed! I then cackled for 45 minutes until the guy with the freshly-sliced roast beef hand-fed me slices in the back of the police cruiser to get my blood sugar back up. One guy who’s got my blood boiling is Gunnar Henderson. Listen, Dylan Cease is Please Cease, Dylan, and Ozzie Albies is starring in the Ozzfest, but instead of closing with Crazy Train it’s a Crazy Pain and it hurts my fantasy team. Gunnar Henderson though? He’s the King of Pain and the Sting from drafting him in the 1st round won’t stop like an abscessed tooth. So maybe this is me just being Mr. Wishful Thinking Moron, but his Launch Angle isn’t terrible; his exit velocity is even up a skosh from last year and the Ks have been getting better each month since April, when he was legitimately off, due to a late start to the season. I might be gluten intolerant but not glutton-for-punishment intolerant, and asking for trouble by saying to buy Gunnar, but I’m feeling a big 2nd half incoming. So, go to our Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer and explore options about acquiring that abscessed tooth–I mean, Gunnar Henderson. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
PSYCHE! This post was released a week early for Patreon members. It will be released all year early for Patreons, so if people are getting a jump on you, it’s because they paid the $10. Anyway, the Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell:
BUY
Ivan Herrera – As might already be clear from this post, unlike past Buy/Sells, this is for trading, because there were hardly any games between last week’s and this week’s. Do I still think you should buy Brenton Doyle? Oh, yeah! Go back to last week’s Buy/Sell and see those names. I would actually trade for Doyle too. Any hoo! Ivan Herrera can be a top three catcher for the 2nd half. Would I really trade for a catcher? No, prolly not, but if you’re throwing in a guy, maybe you can get him thrown in? I don’t know, I’m riffing here!
Nick Kurtz – Since June 15th, he has the same number of homers as Cal Raleigh. Now, imagine you were to trade Cal Raleigh for Ivan Herrera, Kurtz and Seth Lugo? People would be like, “That boy is crazy and crazy dumb. I’m making two separate comments,” but would you definitely be losing that trade? Now think about it again with more Hmms thrown in at the end. Not so crazy now, is it?
Marcus Semien – Did you know that in the last 30 days, Semien has been better than Ketel? Whoa, that’s one helluva cocktail! Semien was bad in April, but you’re not trying to buy a guy for April, from June 1st to now, he’s hit 8 HRs and .300.
Otto Lopez – In the last month, he has 5 HRs, 3 SBs and is hitting .286. The starting 2nd baseman for the AL, Gleyber had 4 HRs, zero steals, hit .312 in the same time. Otto was worth nearly $20 in the last month and Gleyber around $15.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. – About to funk around and trade for Jazz like I’m John Coltrane’s neighbor and he wants to borrow some milk. “You can have some milk, ya dig, if I can have some Jazz!” That’s me while smoking a 17-inch-long joint in a roach clip, and people being like, “You don’t need the clip until it’s much smaller.” Last year, Jazz went 12/22/.269 in the 2nd half in only 208 ABs. When Jazz gets in a groove, he’s as good as anyone in baseball, and that’s the least hip appearance of “when Jazz gets in a groove” in a sentence. I win nothing, except maybe a fantasy league, if God favors the bold! (Least “bold” appearance of “if God favors the bold” too.)
Mookie Betts – He’s the 3rd best shortstop on the Rest of Season Player Rater, between E! and Treat Urner. Do I really believe Betts should be ranked that high? No, which why I didn’t rank him that high in the top 100 for the 2nd half. I do think Betts has been a tad unlucky, and is capable of a decent 2nd half. I also think his current price tag in a trade is less than what is actual value will be. Maybe not Mookie Best, but I’m not yet calling him Mookie Mid.
Corey Seager – In the 2nd half in 2023, he had 21 HRs and hit .301, as he came close to the top fantasy player for the 2nd half of that year. Is it 2023? Let me check the calendar–No! I know that! I’m just saying if you’re looking to trade for guys who could be better in the 2nd half.
Zach McKinstry – He’s borderline aiming for a sleeper next year, but this is about this year and right now he’s the top outfielder (and 2nd best 3rd baseman) on the 30-day Player Rater who is not rostered in 100% of leagues. Is he rostered in your league? Then trade for him. Is he not? Then pick him up. Frank Voila!
Cam Smith – We don’t know what he’s capable of yet. Since May, he’s hitting .300, and he has huge power. Can he put it all together in the 2nd half? No idea, but at some point he will and I bet he’s a lot cheaper to acquire than other guys who can hit .300 with huge power. Let’s think of Vlad Jr. Okay, he can hit .300 and has huge power. Are you really telling me he’s a lock to hit for more power than Cam Smith? Okay, guess what, on the 30-day Player Rater, Cam Smith has produced more value than Cake Batter.
Brayan Bello – He was the top starter available in even 1% of leagues on the 30-day Player Rater. Also, up there and available (somewhere) are Simone Woods Richardson, Dean Kremer and Jacob Lopez, which is more illuminating than what I could say about any starter. In a month of games, you can find guys off waivers with the Streamonator that are more valuable than guys who are rostered everywhere. Is Jacob Lopez really better than Nathan Eovaldi? No, but for the last month he was. Is Charlie Morton good? Not really, but for the last month he’s been better than George Kirby. You know I love Sonny Gray, but for the last month Slade Cecconi’s been better. Instead of chewing gum, chew bacon!
Kyle Finnegan – If he’s not traded, the Nats should be ashamed of themselves. Aren’t they already ashamed of themselves for letting Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Trea Turner leave? Yeah, and Scherzer. Don’t worry, they have Reggie Willits’s son, I’m sure he’ll be great in six years! Okay, but still, Finnegan should be traded, and likely will be getting more saves in his new team, because he is not a guy you trade for to put in the 8th inning, i.e., Finnegan goes to the Phils, Dodgers or somewhere else, then he’s getting saves, and maybe more.
SELL
Tanner Scott – My guess the Dodgers trade for a closer and Tanner Scott is moved back to the 8th inning, where he seems better suited. I debated long and hard for 17 seconds which closer would be traded and gain more value (Finnegan) and which would lose value (Scott), but these are 100% guesses.
Nathan Eovaldi – Can I just say I do NOT want Eovaldi to fall-off and make it so? I’m asking how well does this The Secret work? I am trying to see what I can speak into existence. What do I have to do to make Eovaldi good for one more half? Can I wish it so? If so, then ignore this Sell. If we’re in reality, I don’t think Eovaldi is a 1.50 ERA pitcher. I’m not sure he’s a 3.50ERA pitcher. I like him a lot, but he’s a 3.93 career ERA guy in almost 1700 innings. He now has a 1.53 ERA. C’mon.
Ranger Suarez – See an inch above or five inches if a girl is reading.
Bryce Harper – Just don’t think he’s 100% healthy. He could be, but the Phils are headed for the postseason and they know Harper’s health “being good” would be better than being “not good,” so they will do whatever they can to make the latter true and maybe let him rest more in September, if not have a phantom IL stint. This is all just reading between the lines and not 100% fact-based. This is almost exactly how I feel about Freddie Freeman too. I wouldn’t trade Bryce Harper for a game of Uno at a Vegas casino for real money, but I would go to the Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer and explore options.
Aaron Judge – Let me explain. Judge is the best player in fantasy baseball. He was on the top of my top 100 for the 2nd half. Nothing’s changed. Why am I saying to sell Judge? If you do, you might be able to fix multiple categories on your team. Same goes for Shohei Ohtani or any other top player. Think about it like this, if you traded Judge for Christian Yelich, Stowers and Giolito a month ago, you are easily winning that trade as of right now. If you’re in a redraft league with Judge and cruising towards a 4th place finish, isn’t it better to try to shore up multiple spots on your roster and make a play for 1st place than end off the podium. I’m not saying trade Judge for a Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity that is poorly made and is just a Tooty Tooty Fresh & Tooty, but I would go to the Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer and explore options.
