RADIO
Week seven is upon us. Studs are slumping and flukes are flying high. This week, let's focus on a specific area of the field where there are some particularly bizarre trends. Across the league, teams are receiving unexpected play from the shortstop position. For better or worse, you can capitalize on this strange, streaky behavior and make your team stronger for the long haul.
Sell High Candidates for Week 7
Freddy Galvis (SS, PHI)
Behold the unexpected prominence of Freddy Galvis. Of all MLB batters with 120 AB this season, Galvis is fifth in the league with a .341 BA. For a man with a career BA of .218, this is (needless to say) quite surprising. Galvis doesn't offer many counting stats, but that can be forgiven at the shortstop position. Most owners will be dying for any improvement at shortstop at this point of the year. Also, the season is far enough underway to convince leaguemates that Galvis's production is for real. In reality, it's incredibly unlikely that he will continue this rate of success. Deal Galvis while he's still relevant.
Brandon Crawford (SS, SF)
Giants shortstop/Pearl Jam frontman Brandon Crawford has been consistently productive this year after a few years of general mediocrity to begin his career. In 2015, Crawford is slashing .285/.380/.512 with 6 HR, 2 SB and 25 RBI. That's pretty incredible for a guy who went undrafted in most formats this year and was probably sitting atop the waiver wire (or still is) until the past week or so. But there's nothing in Crawford's past that would suggest this level of power is sustainable. He's on pace to nearly triple his HR count from any previous season and his 2015 BA is 43 points higher than his career average. Expect Crawford to soon revert back to his normal, grungy self and trade him before his value starts to dip.
Brad Miller (SS, SEA)
There's a lot to like about Miller right now. For starters, he's been one of the league's hottest hitters over the past week, providing 4 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, and a .389 BA in five games. Not to mention, his season OPS is .828. Miller is a very easy sell right now. He's on a hot streak, he's still young and bats atop a loaded Seattle lineup ahead of Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano. The best part is that you can probably pick him up off the waiver wire right now. If you're lucky enough to already have him on your roster, sell him to someone in desperate need who is looking for an immediate fix. Those owners are usually the easiest to dupe.
Buy Low Candidates for Week 7
Hanley Ramirez (SS/OF, BOS)
The Boston Red Sox have the good fortune of employing two high caliber shortstops. Well, that good fortune has come up dry as of late, as both shortstops are enduring a particularly mediocre May. Ramirez, a perennial MVP candidate, was among the top hitters in the league to start the season, racing off to 10 HR. In May, Ramirez is batting .213 with 0 HR, 0 SB and 0 RBI. There are a few ways to spin this slump. As a buyer, you could convince Ramirez-owners that the veteran is in the declining phase of his career and that his advanced age won't allow for elite production over the course of an entire season. Of course, that's probably not what's happening in the real world. But buying low is all about peddling fantasies and false futures, right? See if you can get Hanley for a steal. He'll turn it around eventually.
Jose Reyes (SS, TOR)
Take the same argument you would use to swipe up Ramirez, apply it to Reyes and see which owner in your league is more gullible. Reyes, who should be coming off the 15-Day DL in the coming days, will look to turn around an unproductive 2015. In his 60 AB before hitting the DL, Reyes was batting .250 with 0 HR, 3 SB and 7 RBI. We all know that the four-time All-Star is capable of much more. But many owners will be weary to hang on to an aging star in his 12th season with a nagging rib injury. Try to con someone out of Reyes before he gets off the DL while his value is still low. When he gets back, expect him to continue to light things up as he has for his entire career, especially while batting ahead of the studs in Toronto's jam-packed offense.
Troy Tulowitzki (SS, COL)
Enduring another pitiful year in Colorado's dreadful offense, Troy Tulowitzki is turning in a uninspired performance in 2015 thus far. The five-time All-Star is desperate for a trade at this point and is playing like he's given up. In 2015, he is batting .283 (15 points below his .298 career BA) with 2 HR and 0 SB. For one of the top shortstops in the league and a projected first round pick earlier this year, this middling level of play is unacceptable. So unacceptable that many owners will be willing to deal him for much lower than his value before he begins his perennial DL stint. Listen - Tulo is a gamble. Any day now, he could land himself on the long-term DL or he could be traded to a playoff contender and see his value skyrocket. If you're feeling optimistic, I would recommend trying to acquire Tulowitzki now before he becomes unattainable.
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