X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Five MLB Trade Candidates to Monitor

The Landscape

Trades: they're the worst nightmare of AL and NL-Only League owners. But even in standard leagues, a player’s value can drastically change depending on his location. Often, players are traded from a bad team to a good situation. Other times, productive players are put into less important roles – a fantasy killer! Let’s take a look at five possible trade targets and how trades could affect their value.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is the obvious one here; he’s been involved in so many trade rumors that he probably forgot which team gear to wear this spring. Hamels still has four years left plus a team option, so technically the Phillies don’t need to trade him. The likelihood is that the team won't compete enough in the next two years to justify keeping an asset at such a high salary heading into his mid-30s. The Red Sox are a viable landing spot come midseason, but my guess is that there will be a number of interested teams.

If he's dealth, his landing spot is likely the American League. That doesn’t bode well for his peripherals, but Hamels has dominant stuff. Owners shouldn’t be overly concerned about a league switch. In addition, leaving Citizens Bank Park isn’t a big issue as its effects are largely considered neutral. The big change will be the potential for wins. In the last two years, Hamels started 63 games over 424 innings with a 3.06 ERA, yet only has 17 wins to show for it. It’s feasible that he could exceed that amount in one season on a better team. A trade would bode very well for owners in standard leagues, but NL-Only owners beware.

Craig Kimbrel

Has Atlanta Braves President of Baseball Operations, John Hart, thought about trading Craig Kimbrel? “We have never entertained trading [Kimbrel] and have had zero conversations with any clubs about Craig.” Well, those are bold words. But what’s the point of keeping one of the best relievers in baseball on a horrible team, especially when he’s on a relatively friendly contract (he makes $9MM, $11MM, and $13MM over the next three years – a bargain compared to David Robertson's four-year, $46MM deal). We know teams get desperate at the trade deadline and are liable to overpay; Kimbrel could be a great opportunity for the Braves to stock up on prospects.

If a trade occurred, Kimbrel’s value likely remains unchanged, with a potential exception. There’s not a strong correlation between wins and save opportunities, so even if he were to go to a first place team, his value wouldn’t likely change demonstrably. He still managed 47 saves last year after a 79 win season from the Braves. The only way Kimbrel’s value takes a hit is if he gets traded to a team that has a proven closer, but no depth, and they use Kimbrel as a cold-blooded assassin role who comes in any late inning with men on base and just dominates hitters. It's an unlikely scenario. If he’s dealt, he’s also likely heading to the American League.

Jonathan Papelbon

Another closer on this list, Jonathan Papelbon could be traded for the same reasons as his teammate, Cole Hamels. He's much more likely to be dealt than Kimbrel. Papelbon has one year left on his deal, with a $13MM vesting option for 2016 if he finishes 50 games. Given his age and contract, it would be ludicrous if the Phillies didn’t trade him for something.

Although Papelbon would kick and scream, getting moved into an 8th inning role on a contending team is reasonable. The Phillies will be so desperate to trade him that a number of teams will be involved, including some that may already have a closer but lack relief depth. Papelbon may be content to play for a contender again and begrudgingly accept the eighth inning role, which would eviscerate his fantasy value.

Troy Tulowitzki

Troy Tulowitzki is signed to a long term contract, but his name has floated around in the New York markets. With the right offer, the Rockies would absolutely pull the trigger, even though they would never admit it publicly. There seems to be a fatigued relationship between Tulo and the Rockies. He’s tired of losing, and they’re tired of him getting hurt. Don’t be shocked if a team loses a shortstop this year and calls up Colorado.

For his career, Tulo has an incredible .323 average and .962 OPS … in Colorado. On the road, Tulo is a completely different player with a .274 average and still respectable .818 OPS. Surprisingly, if Tulo had an .818 OPS last year, he still would have had the highest OPS for qualified eligible shortstops, narrowly beating Hanley Ramirez. But his average would drop him to sixth, behind Adeiny Hechavarria. All things considered, Tulo’s numbers go from superstar to moderately above pedestrian, from the number one shortstop by a mile (while healthy) to somewhere in tier one. It doesn’t sound like a huge drop, but his value is largely within how much better he is than his peers.

Adrian Beltre

It’s useless to list Adrian Beltre’s age because no matter what, he rakes. (Okay, he’s turning 36.) Beltre has two years left on his existing contract, making $34MM over the next two years. If the Rangers are competitive, there’s no way they move Beltre. After the injuries to Jurickson Profar and Yu Darvish, their season has already taken a turn for the worst – and we’re still weeks away from opening day. The demise of the Rangers season is incredibly premature, but looking towards midseason, they’ll have an interesting choice to make with Beltre. Despite being an ageless wonder, at some point we’ll see more deterioration to his numbers. The Rangers may want to get value while they can.

Beltre’s value following a trade is tough to decipher. If Prince Fielder hits and Shin-Soo Choo gets on base, this lineup doesn’t look too bad. But generally speaking, leaving the Ballpark in Arlington won’t do Beltre any favors as it’s one of the most friendly hitter parks in the league. Considering that some of Beltre’s worst years came in Seattle, it’s concerning to think about where he might land.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yandy Díaz7 mins ago

Yandy Diaz Hit By Pitch, Leaves Game Early
Jasson Domínguez19 mins ago

Jasson Dominguez A Few Weeks Away From Rehab Games
Alex Cobb29 mins ago

Still Feeling Soreness In Shoulder, Will See Doctor
Trey Benson41 mins ago

Cardinals Select Trey Benson With The 66th Pick
Malachi Corley48 mins ago

Jets Trade Up To Select Malachi Corley
Bobby Witt Jr.58 mins ago

Hits Triple, Has Three-RBI Day
Ben Sinnott2 hours ago

Taken At No. 53 On Friday Night
Adonai Mitchell2 hours ago

Colts Snag Adonai Mitchell At No. 52
Jonathon Brooks2 hours ago

Panthers Trade Up To Select Jonathon Brooks
New Orleans Saints2 hours ago

Saints Take Kool-Aid McKinstry At No. 41
Delon Wright3 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Daniel Gafford3 hours ago

Will Play In Game 3
Keon Coleman3 hours ago

Bills Select Keon Coleman At Pick 33
Vaughn Grissom3 hours ago

Could Be Activated On Tuesday
Kawhi Leonard3 hours ago

Available On Friday Evening
Anthony Rendon3 hours ago

Dealing With Partial Hamstring Tear
Terry Rozier3 hours ago

Out Again For Game 3
Giancarlo Stanton3 hours ago

Absent On Friday
Jackson Merrill3 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Manny Machado4 hours ago

Returning On Friday
Josh Lowe4 hours ago

Appears Ready To Return
Deebo Samuel4 hours ago

Bills, Patriots Unlikely To Trade For Deebo Samuel
Nicolas Hague4 hours ago

Not Ready To Return On Saturday
Justus Annunen5 hours ago

Available On Friday
Ricky Tiedemann5 hours ago

Hoping To Throw In 7-10 Days
Luis Robert Jr.5 hours ago

Could Be Back By Mid-May
Rasmus Sandin5 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Walker Buehler5 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start Tuesday
Nick Jensen5 hours ago

Could Be Back In Action Friday
Ivan Miroshnichenko5 hours ago

Makes Stanley Cup Playoffs Debut
Wade Miley5 hours ago

Needs Tommy John Surgery
Sonny Milano5 hours ago

Ready For Action
Khris Middleton5 hours ago

Upgraded To Active For Game 3
NYR5 hours ago

Alex Wennberg Good To Go Friday
Grayson Allen5 hours ago

Remains Questionable For Game 3
Kyle Anderson6 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Game 3
Tennessee Titans6 hours ago

JC Latham To Play Left Tackle For Tennessee
Giannis Antetokounmpo6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Matthew Stafford6 hours ago

Seeking Reworked Contract
Masyn Winn6 hours ago

Getting A Breather
Triston Casas6 hours ago

Has Torn Rib Cartilage
Kodai Senga6 hours ago

To Face Hitters On Monday
J.D. Martinez6 hours ago

Hitting Fifth In Mets Debut
Jesús Luzardo6 hours ago

Marlins Put Jesus Luzardo On Injured List
Deebo Samuel8 hours ago

Bills Have Interest In Trading For Deebo Samuel
Jacoby Brissett8 hours ago

Drake Maye To Compete With Jacoby Brissett
Tommy Pham8 hours ago

Selected From Triple-A
Jonathon Brooks8 hours ago

Cowboys High On Jonathon Brooks
Ezekiel Elliott8 hours ago

Reunion With Cowboys Is Imminent
Deebo Samuel8 hours ago

Patriots Discussed Trading For Deebo Samuel Prior To Draft
Jackson Holliday9 hours ago

Sent Back To Minors
Alex Perez9 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau9 hours ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
Ariane Lipski9 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva10 hours ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama10 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce10 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Donovan Mitchell10 hours ago

Struggles In Game 3
Paolo Banchero11 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Anthony Davis11 hours ago

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Loss
Nikola Jokic11 hours ago

Just One Assist Shy Of Triple-Double In Game 3
Aaron Gordon11 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double
Tyler Myers11 hours ago

On Track To Return Friday
Jesper Fast12 hours ago

Unlikely To Feature In The Playoffs
Matthew Tkachuk12 hours ago

Bags Two Goals In Game 3 Victory
Steven Stamkos12 hours ago

Scores Third Postseason Goal
Ilya Sorokin12 hours ago

Lasts 27 Minutes In Game 3
Frederik Andersen12 hours ago

Stops 29 Pucks In Another Win
Cincinnati Bengals22 hours ago

Bengals Have No Plans To Trade Trey Hendrickson
Justin Herbert22 hours ago

Patriots, Vikings Reached Out Regarding Justin Herbert
Deebo Samuel22 hours ago

Niners "More Likely" To Deal Deebo Samuel Than Brandon Aiyuk
Xavier Legette22 hours ago

Goes To Panthers To Close Out First Round
Ricky Pearsall22 hours ago

Niners Add To Receiver Room With Ricky Pearsall
Baltimore Ravens23 hours ago

Nate Wiggins Heading To Baltimore
Mitchell Robinson23 hours ago

Injured Again On Thursday
Jalen Brunson23 hours ago

Has Another Big Game
Tyrese Maxey23 hours ago

Helps Philly Take Game 3
Joel Embiid23 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Olivier-Maxence Prosper1 day ago

Won't Play In Game 3
Kawhi Leonard1 day ago

Questionable For Game 3
Stephen Curry1 day ago

Named Clutch Player Of The Year
Joel Embiid1 day ago

Good To Go Thursday
Sonny Milano1 day ago

Misses Practice On Thursday
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Joins Rangers For Trip To Washington
Jesper Fast1 day ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Matt Martin1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Anton Lundell1 day ago

Takes Over As Second-Line Center Thursday
Ryan Lomberg1 day ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Alex Vlasic1 day ago

Inks Six-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Kyle Okposo1 day ago

To Suit Up In Game 3
Uros Medic2 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane2 days ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov2 days ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann2 days ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo4 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric5 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton5 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek5 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley5 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Lineup Picks: DraftKings Daily Fantasy Fantasy Advice for Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of the inaugural UFL season, RotoBallers! The Birmingham Stallions remain undefeated, and they'll take on the Houston Roughnecks in the only matchup this week with a spread of more than three points. The 3-1 San Antonio Brahmas will face off with the winless Arlington Renegades in a Texas showdown, the 3-1... Read More


NFL Draft - 2024

2024 NFL Draft Grades For Every First Round Pick

As we exit the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it's fun to offer up "instant reactions" to the impactful decisions teams made with precious first-round draft capital. Many expected this to be a draft that was jam-packed with quarterback and wide receiver selections, and Thursday night didn't disappoint, as QBs went off the... Read More


Keon Coleman- Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

NFL Draft Predictions - Second Round Mock Draft (2024)

Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books! The good news is all the draft action will pick back up tonight at 7 pm ET as Rounds 2-3 of the draft will begin. There are still plenty of good players on the board who could have a big impact on fantasy football... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Draft Results - Malik Nabers Fantasy Football Outlook

After months of waiting, Malik Nabers finally has his NFL team. The LSU prospect was in contention for WR1 in the class and went only two picks after Marvin Harrison Jr. The Giants have desperately needed a playmaking receiver to elevate the offense. Nabers has all the speed in the world and a thick frame... Read More


Adonai Mitchell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Predicting The Next QB, RB, WR, and TE Selected (Round 2)

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft was loaded with surprises. A record-breaking wait on defense, some winners and losers, and an early Michael Penix Jr. appearance headlined the night. There are still plenty of exciting talents at skill positions floating around. Who will be the next QB, RB, WR, and TE selected in... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft Instant Reaction: Round 1 Winners and Losers For Fantasy Football

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is now in the books. It was a night full of surprises, with six quarterbacks going in the first 12 picks. Thursday really shook things up across the league, so it's time to parse through what happened and make some sense of things. Below are some of... Read More


Michael Penix Jr. - CFB DFS Picks, Daily College Fantasy Football, NFL Draft Rookies

2024 NFL Draft - Worst Draft Picks In The First Round

Some teams made some really good picks on Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. Other teams...well, let's just say that some teams made some baffling decisions. These decisions could prove to be smart moves, or they could set these organizations back in a big way. Here are the worst picks from... Read More


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Blind Resumes – Running Back Edition

Fantasy football drafts won't take place for a couple of months, but it's never too early to get into the fantasy mindset after a wild offseason. Many star running backs like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones found new homes while Joe Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans. Those moves will certainly affect where each player will go next season. Luckily, on Underdog Fantasy, we can... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 5 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including Quinten Dormady, Jacob Saylors, Jahcour Pearson, More

Welcome to the Week 5 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 5 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


Kyler Murray - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Why Do The Bears, Cardinals, and Vikings Have Two First-Round Picks?

The NFL Draft is always one of the most exciting days for organizations and fans, but fans of teams with more than one first-round pick are even more excited and overjoyed. In the 2024 NFL Draft, three teams have multiple picks on Day 1. Landing two studs on the first day of the event can... Read More


Brian Thomas Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft: What Time Is The NFL Draft Tonight? How To Watch Thursday's Draft Picks

It’s finally here, RotoBallers! After months of waiting and speculation, the 2024 NFL Draft starts tonight. Along with the Super Bowl and the Kickoff Game that starts the season, Draft Day is one of the most exciting days on the NFL calendar. The anticipation is over and it is time to get things rolling. It... Read More


Darius Slayton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Veterans With The Most Fantasy Football Value To Lose On Draft Night

It's almost here! The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will take place tonight in Detroit, with 32 players set to join their first NFL team after all is said and done. But those players aren't just being drafted into empty roster spots. The NFL is a zero-sum game. For every new player that... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Biggest Fantasy Football Questions

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild edition that will likely have huge fantasy football implications for the season ahead. RotoBaller's David Rispoli digs into the biggest fantasy football questions of the 2024 NFL Draft. What draft decisions could have... Read More