With the majority of us knee deep in the regular season drama of the NFL, NBA, and NHL, it’s easy to overlook the off-season trades, transactions and new landing spots of MLB players. In an attempt to avoid both the the season-long draft day and daily fantasy lineup construction surprises, we at DFS Karma will be providing a hot stove series of articles to keep you informed of players on the move and the affect it may have on each player’s new team.
The 2019 MLB winter meetings officially began in San Diego yesterday. Prior to these meetings even starting, the hot stove has been simmering with plenty of moves. Here’s a recap to get you up to speed.
Chicago White Sox sign C Yasmani Grandal
Milwaukee was just a one-year stop for the 31-year old switch-hitter as he gets a four-year, $73 million contract. Helped by his 2019 all-star campaign in which he hit 28 home runs with a healthy .845 OPS in 153 games, Grandal goes from one hitter’s park to another. His durability and excellent pitch-framing skills will be a welcomed addition to the White Sox, who will most likely retain James McCann to share the catching/DH duties. Grandal should be the fourth or fifth catcher taken in most season-long drafts.
Milwaukee Brewers trade for C Omar Narvaez
In a corresponding move to combat the loss of Grandal, this deal sent RHP Adam Hill and a 2020 competitive balance pick to Seattle for Narvaez. A downgrade from Grandal defensively, Narvaez could exceed his 2019 production of 22 home runs and .278 BA in 132 games in generous Miller Park. The Brewers haven’t shown confidence that Manny Pina is the everyday catching answer, so they struck rather quickly to swing this deal with Seattle. Consider that Narvaez has top-10 upside when you draft your fantasy team.
Atlanta Braves sign RP Will Smith
Even though the Braves have fully endorsed Mark Melancon as their closer heading into the 2020 season, don’t be surprised if he is supplanted by Smith at some point. Smith racked up 34 saves with an impressive 13.2 K/9 in 2019. It seems that the three-year, $39 million contract with an option for 2023 Atlanta gave Smith is closer money and that his talent will win out. Season-long players will be smart to pick up both these relievers with a wait-and-see approach.
Texas Rangers sign SP Kyle Gibson
Banking on his last two strikeout-per-inning campaigns, the Rangers ponied up $28 million over thee years for Gibson. With savvy off season moves last year for Lance Lynn and Mike Minor, the Rangers will pitch Gibson and his swing-producing slider behind them in their rotation. The jury is still out on how the new Globe Life Field will play, but the Rangers believe the natural grass and lack of an open roof jet-stream will at least produce a neutral field, instead of the hitter’s park we have seen lately. This will favor all their starters, including Gibson.
San Diego trades SS Luis Urias and SP Eric Lauer to Milwaukee for OF Trent Grisham and SP Zach Davies
The hitters in this deal are the focal point due to each’s age and potential after exciting minor league careers. The Padres get Grisham, who hit 30 homers and batted .300 in 370 minor league at-bats last year before his call up. He will compete for an everyday starting job in the Padres crowded outfield. In return, the Brewers could have found their everyday shortstop in Urias, who hit .315 with 19 home runs in 73 Triple-A games last season. His power stroke could really benefit the Brewers who have lost faith in Orlando Arcia’s ability to hit major league pitching consistently. Both pitchers in this deal have a chance to fill mid-rotation roles. Davies should throw after Chris Paddock and Joey Lucchesi for the Padres, and Lauer should slot in after Brandon Woodruff and Adrian Houser in Milwaukee.
Cincinnati Reds sign 2B Mike Moustakas
The Reds showed some tenacity in grabbing SP Trevor Bauer at last season’s trading deadline, and now add an infield slugging piece in Moustakas. He was converted to play second base in Milwaukee, and with Eugenio Suarez firmly entrenched at third base, this four-year, $68 million contract should really bolster the Reds lineup. We can expect 2020 to be similar to last year’s 35 home runs and 87 RBI as Moose stays in the division, and also in another hitter-friendly park.
Miami Marlins trade for 2B Jonathan Villar
Baltimore gets LHP Easton Lucas for Villar, who will get all the playing time he can handle in the Marlin’s infield. There might not be as many balls leaving the yard off his bat like the 24 he hit in Camden Yards last year, but Miami now has a lead-off man with 40 stolen base potential. With his ability to score over 100 runs, the player the Orioles placed on waivers prior to this trade might just end up being the Marlins best player and top fantasy IF option in 2020.
Atlanta Braves sign SP Cole Hamels
As many as five different teams were reportedly interested in Hamels, who ends up signing a one-year, $18 million deal for 2020. With many young pitchers already in the fold for Atlanta, this is a great bridge for their development, and a veteran presence that even at 35-years old, had a sub-3.00 ERA in 17 starts last year. Hamels will most likely be the Braves third starter behind Mike Soroka and Mike Foltynewicz.
Philadelphia Phillies sign SP Zach Wheeler
One report had Wheeler destined to be a White Sox for more money, but he ends up with the Mets’ division rival Phillies. The hefty five-year, $118 million contract means Wheeler and Aaron Nola will be a 1/1A ace combo until at least 2023. Figure around 200 innings, 200 strikeouts, and 12-14 wins in a park similar to the one Wheeler just left in New York. With about 30 pitchers going before him, look for Wheeler to be taken around pick 100 in your season-long draft.
Los Angeles Angels trade for SP Dylan Bundy
Bundy leaves Baltimore for nicer weather, and hopefully better health. His inconsistency, injury history, and the Orioles’ poor track record for pitcher development have clearly hampered Bundy, who was once thought of as a highly-regarded top of the rotation starter. The Angels parted with four right-handed pitching prospects, so they must think Bundy has at least middle-rotation potential. Even with his roller-coaster season in 2019, Bundy did produce 162 strikeouts in as many innings.
Tampa Bay trades OF Tommy Pham and RHP/INF Jake Cronenworth to San Diego for OF Hunter Renfroe and 2B Xavier Edwards
This seems like a classic “change of scenery” exchange to kick-start both outfielders. The Rays get an everyday right fielder in Renfroe, who could top the 33 home runs he hit in 2019. With Pham, the Padres get a top-of-the-order speedster for run-producers Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado to drive in. The fantasy impact is that other than the power numbers, do not count on Renfroe for much else. Pham should seen a decline in homers, but runs and steals will make him a popular season-long and daily contest choice. Note: Xavier Edwards projects to be a good major league contact hitter with excellent speed who we might see make the big club as early as 2021.
Washington Nationals re-sign Stephen Strasburg
This … for now, is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher to the tune of seven years and $245 million. It feels as if the Nationals made their choice in the Strasburg or Rendon signing question, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with locking up a hurler that struck out 251 hitters in 209 innings and won the World Series MVP last season. The Scherzer-Strasburg-Corbin trio offers better return than just about every other club in the major leagues, and the Washington brass were smart not to disrupt that.
Here are some other transactions with fantasy impact: C Travis d’Arnaud signed with Atlanta for 2 years, $16 million. RP Drew Pomeranz gets 4 years $34 million from San Diego. Oakland shipped 2B Jurickson Profar to San Diego for C Austin Allen and a player to be named later. Miami claimed 1B Jesus Aguilar. Suspended SP Michael Pineda re-ups with the Twins for two-years, $20 million.
There have been some interesting takes on potential landing spots for some big names left on the board.
The biggest fish left out there is clearly Houston SP Gerrit Cole. Many have concluded he will be a Yankee in the near future, but do not count out the Angels. The number of organizations that can afford a contract in excess of $300 million is a short list, but the Angels are among them. They just brought in Joe Madden to manage the club. They have arguably the best player in Mike Trout. Cole might just be the one missing piece to push Los Angeles to a deep playoff run.
Even though the Nationals have stated they would like to re-sign 3B Anthony Rendon, the Strasburg contract all but rules that out. Stranger things have happened, but there are other teams that can use Rendon’s exceptional talent and will come calling. The Dodgers, Braves and Cardinals are the most likely teams to land him. Rendon should ink a six or seven-year deal, but one of the losing suitors could consider a three or four-year deal for Josh Donaldson, if he doesn’t sign before Rendon does.
Another name I keep hearing in trade rumors is Francisco Lindor. He will reach free-agency after this upcoming season, and the Indians most likely will not be able to afford him long term. The Dodgers are one team that could put together an attractive package (including 2B Gavin Lux) to persuade Cleveland to do this deal sooner rather than later.
Look for another edition of Hot Stove Happenings next week as we keep an eye on the Winter Meetings.
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