This week’s query is:
What playing time situations have your attention, either for someone to play or reserve?
As usual, the Touts came through with a bevy of intriguing names and scenarios to follow. Speaking of a follow, if you’re on Twitter, please give Tout Wars a follow, and note those contributing to each installment are included with the tweet promoting the post, not to mention their Twitter handle is listed with their comment.
Brian Walton (CreativeSports2, @B_Walton): St. Louis Cardinals outfield. Tyler O’Neill is in a rough spot – told to take it easy at times to avoid injury but he chose a bad spot to cruise. He appears to be in his manager’s doghouse, opening the door for Dylan Carlson to escape his own exile. With Lars Nootbaar out, Alec Burleson has slipped into the playing rotation, but that could reverse as soon as Noot is healthy. Carlson and O’Neill are the only real CFs, so one of them is going to start. I don’t need to mention Jordan Walker, because he is going to play. Right now, the stocks of Carlson and Burleson are up with O’Neill and Nootbaar down.
Nick Pollack (Pitcher List, @PitcherList): San Francisco Giants rotation. It looks as if Anthony DeSclafani could be getting more innings than we expected in a six-man rotation, making him an intriguing streaming target.
Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ, @dougdennis41): Always interested in guys like Luke Raley, Gabriel Arias, Ezequiel Duran, Kyle Lewis, etc and whether they can play their way into more PAs.
Matt Williams (The Game Day, @MattWi77iams): Given the age and injury history of David Robertson, I am interested to see how the Mets bullpen rotation shakes out as the season moves on. Robertson, Ottavino, Raley, and Smith should all see some save chances.
Rudy Gamble (Razzball, @RudyGamble): Most hitter/SP playing time questions I had going into the season have been resolved (e.g., E. Ruiz, Donovan, etc.). Manaea being the 6th SP was surprising but he is starting Easter weekend so my concerns are allayed for now. My attention is mainly on unresolved closer situations in Arizona and Oakland as well as possibly in flux ones like Washington and Detroit.
Greg Jewett (The Athletic, @gjewett9): One can anticipate how the Rays make their lineups based on platoon advantages, but they’ve leaned into the strong springs by Luke Raley and Josh Lowe, which boosts their appeal going forward, especially in weeks with right-handed heavy opponent pitcher match-ups. Since chasing saves remains a weekly occurrence, how the Diamondbacks, A’s, Tigers, Angels, Mariners, Twins, Marlins, Phillies and Nationals high-leverage ladders evolve throughout April may identify some sleeper save targets. Also, a hearty congrats to Liam Hendriks ringing the bell after his bout with cancer and hoping stashing him in the first FAAB run in Tout yields saves in June.
Dr. Roto (DrRoto.com, @DrRoto): The always fun to watch merry-go-round platoon that the Rays employ. Also watching the Phillies 1B situation with Hall out for a few months.
Sara Sanchez (bleedcubbieblue.com, @BCB_Sara): I assume this was supposed to be a position player question, but my mind immediately went to bullpens for some reason. This Cubs bullpen situation is wild. Fulmer for two-inning saves, Alzolay coming in with a K/9 over 15 for multiple innings, just lots of things that could be compelling and not nearly enough information to know how it will settle. The Mets bullpen is giving me similar vibes with the Robertson/Ottavino situation. Also, as a person who invested in Pressley in a few different leagues this Astros situation has me concerned — he’s thrown 3 innings the K/9 is way down and he does not have a save yet…I’m already stressing about saves in multiple leagues.
Scott Chu (Pitcher List, @ifthechufits): The Tigers outfield (and specifically, the leadoff role) is interesting to me as Matt Vierling could be a 15/15 player in a full season. I’m also keeping an eye on the top of the St. Louis. Edman batting 9th against all righties would hurt his value, but Brendan Donovan has the skills to stay up there. Alec Burleson hitting second puts him much more firmly on my radar in 12-teamers because hitting in front of Goldschmidt and Arenado is a good way to score runs.
Mike Alexander (Razzball, @Roto_Wan): I’m watching the Toronto second base rotation. Whit Merrifield seems destined for a super-sub role spelling outfielders and mixing in there. I want to know if Santiago Espinal has a strong grip on second, though. I see PT opening up with the injury propensity in that lineup so Espinal may be an everyday player any moment.
Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball, @LarrySchechter): I heard Craig Mish say that Joey Wendle should be playing mostly full-time, and he’s eligible at 2B-SS-3B, so I took him as my back-up infielder for a couple of mixed league teams. The first time they faced a LHP he was benched…so I was watching this…but now he’s on the IL. Still, someone to watch when he’s healthy.
Peter Kreutzer (Rotoman.substack.com, @kroyte): I’m the wise guy in a mixed league who went after Dauton Varsho (I’m not unhappy about that) and was happy to add the excellent hitter Alejandro Kirk as my catchers, with sneaky catchers Shea Langeliers and Blake Sabol as backups. But Toronto isn’t playing Kirk at DH when he’s not catching, which knocks him down a solid peg. Maybe two. I thought Varsho and Kirk were set em and forget em, but the last few days I’ve played the wrong guy and left the best hitter on the bench. I’m looking for some clarity here. I suspect many others are, too.
Glenn Colton (SiriusXM, @GlennColton1): In the AL, I am watching Matt Vierlilng. If he gets full time at bats with his speed and hard hit rate (47% last year), there could be serious value. In the NL, I continue to be puzzled by the Dylan Carlson situation. Brian Walton probably knows better, but how do they give up on a guy who is only 24 and has already logged over 1200 PA in MLB?
Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola): Oh where art thou, Kyle Stowers? Are you really sitting so Ramon Urias and Adam Frazier can be in the lineup? And now Baltimore opens the week facing three lefties in four games? Oy vey. I’m with Doug on Luke Raley as the Strat-O-Matic Rays love their platoons and Raley is one a few lefty swingers. I’m also in lockstep with the handsome Scott Chu and the smart Glenn Colton with Matt Vierling. Where do I collect my “L” for James Outman and Ji-Hwan Bae?
Shelly Verougstraete (NBC Sports EDGE Baseball, @ShellyV_643): If you would have asked before the season began which Atlanta catcher would have more starts, my answer would not have been Travis d’Arnaud. Sean Murphy lead all catchers last year in plate appearances and I thought the move to the East Coast would help boost his runs and RBI production, but he has to get on the field for that to happen. I am still holding Murphy in shallower 10 and 12-team leagues but this situation is very concerning.
Jennifer Piacenti (Sports Illustrated, @jenpiacenti): I’m watching who gets the time in CF for Houston. If it’s Chas McCormick, he could be worth adding as he has both power and speed. He hit leadoff on Saturday, and that could lead to some runs scored, too- if he gets enough playing time. Corey Julks and Jake Meyers are also somehow still in the mix, but should probably remain on the waiver wire.
Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt): A little curious about what kind of run Ryan Noda might get at 1B for OAK. Like Todd, I’m also wondering about Stowers’ future.
Ariel Cohen (CBS Sports, @ATCNY): Closer situations around the league, of course. Especially the Twins, Phillies and Mariners.
Ray Murphy (BaseballHQ, @RayHQ): Kansas City OF for me. Not that they’re a bunch of breakout candidates exactly, but with a new manager I’m watching to see how the playing time is spread out. Kyle Isbel’s paternity leave messed with things for a few days, and Drew Waters will get into the mix at some point down the road. But right now it seems like Isbel, Edward Olivares and MJ Melendez might be regulars vs. RHP. That would be a little bit less fractured of a PT situation than we were projecting entering the season.
Anthony Aniano (Rotoballer, @AAnianoFantasy): Milwaukee’s 2B and Brice Turang. I’d love to see him cement his role everyday with his power/speed ability. Second is Francisco Alvarez of the Mets. They brought him up so now play him.
Dylan White (Baseball America, @the__arrival): Very curious how the Oriole infield shakes out this year with Gunnar, Urias, Mateo shining, Adam Frazier…with Norby and Westburg and Ortiz waiting on the farm. The Cardinal outfield situation has also been interesting all season – with the whole Jordan Walker thing (and Yepez and Burleson) – but now with the O’Neill/Marmol feud and Nootbaar coming back from injury soon, there are a lot of potential moving parts.
Michael A. Stein (Fantasy Judgment, @FantasyJudgment): I thought the Mets catching situation would provide some clarity for Francisco Alvarez now that Omar Narvaez will be out for 2 months. I have Alvarez rostered in a few leagues and was anxious to plug him in my lineup only to see him benched for two straight games. The Mets’ offense is anemic so it seemed logical Alvarez would split time catching or be the DH in order to infuse some juice into the lineup and give hime some much-needed experience. But the Mets never seem to handle situations like this the right way, so I am worried Alvarez will only see a limited number of at bats for the foreseeable future.
Vlad Sedler (FTN Fantasy, @rotogut): Intrigued by the Giants and if J.D. Davis can earn more PT against righties. Also, curious if Matt Mervis will ever get a chance to mix in with the Cubs this season, being logjammed by Patrick Wisdom, Eric Hosmer and Edwin Rios.