RADIO
Earlier in the week here in the RotoBaller Stock Watch, we took a look at some fantasy prospects on the rise, who have a legitimate shot to break camp with a starting gig in-hand.
A pair of prospects who we didn’t mention in that space, who went out and dominated on Wednesday night were Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox and Anthony DeSclafani of the Cincinnati Reds. Keep both of them on your radar and roster them if you can.
Now without any further delay, let’s take a peek at some veterans who have seen their fantasy stock rise with sterling efforts in spring training. Believe it or not, we are less than two weeks away from Opening Day. Can you feel the excitement yet?
Five Up – Veterans On The Rise
Masahiro Tanaka - SP - New York Yankees
I’ve talked all offseason about the inherent risk with Tanaka’s elbow, which was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL last summer, but he has continued to go out and pitch effectively this spring. More importantly, he’s been pain-free as well. Before this Spring showing it seemed like a virtual lock that Tanaka would have to undergo season-ending surgery at some point this year. While that risk is still there, he is a lock to be the Yankees Opening Day starter and is beginning to look like one of the better draft day bargains in fantasy this year.
In his latest spring training outing at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday, Tanaka was impressive yet again, striking out seven over 4.2 innings of work. He surrendered a leadoff double to one of the more underrated outfielders in the game, Juan Lagares, who came around to score after a wild pitch and an error, but that was the only damage the Mets could inflict all afternoon aside from a John Mayberry Jr. solo shot.
The velocity is down. It was brought up apprehensively on the YES Network broadcast in the first inning yesterday with the disclaimer that Tanaka is “taking it easy” and has yet to really ramp it up. Tanaka has hit 91 mph a few times, but his fastball is only touching the upper 80’s at the moment. Yankees manager Joe Girardi explained during an in-game interview that Tanaka has been throwing more sinkers this spring than anything else. The off-speed stuff is nastier than ever from Tanaka.
He will make one more start before Opening Day, and while the statistical returns may be slightly less impressive than they were early on last season, the fact that Tanaka is healthy is a relief for both the Yankees and his fantasy owners.
Alex Guerrero - OF - Los Angeles Dodgers
One of the ways the Dodgers have flexed their financial muscle in recent years has been on the international free agent market, with a number of high-priced acquisitions. Their latest splurge for 30-year old infielder Hector Olivera is further evidence that the team is looking to add some insurance behind veteran Juan Uribe at third base. Guerrero has become almost an after thought at this point. We all know about the glut of outfielders the Dodgers have, but none have hit like Guerrero, who is batting .344 (11-for-32) with a pair of home runs this spring.
Guerrero’s issues were never with the bat, it was his defense that kept him out of the big leagues. In Triple-A last year, he hit .329/.364/.613 with 15 home runs in 243 at bats. Assuming the Dodgers can find creative ways to get his bat into the lineup, he should be a nice asset for fantasy owners in daily formats to utilize. I’m bullish on the bat and if the playing time is there, Guerrero could surprise some fantasy owners.
Zach McAllister - SP/RP - Cleveland Indians
He hasn’t generated the buzz that some of his teammates have this spring, but maybe it’s better if he flies under the radar for now. McAllister has struck out 15 over 14 innings and is out of options, meaning he will be on the Indians roster Opening Day. The question is whether or not he is in the rotation. It’s not a bad problem to have, but the Indians simply have too many potential starters right now. Even if McAllister starts the year in long relief, the numbers are all that you care about and with the way he has pitched so far, he’s going to get a shot in the rotation at some point.
McAllister doesn’t issue many free passes, and has maintained a strikeout per nine rate of 7.7 in back-to-back seasons. The problem last year was a .332 BABIP, which was well above his career mark of .313 and his highest since 2011. If you have the roster space, McAllister is a nice addition to the back end of a fantasy rotation in super deep leagues.
Anthony Gose - OF - Detroit Tigers
If you’re looking for cheap speed with some upside, you’ve found the right guy. Gose is slated to bat second, behind Ian Kinsler, in a loaded Tigers lineup against right-handed pitching, and split time in centerfield with veteran Rajai Davis. Gose isn’t going to hit for a high average, based on the sub-70 contact rates he has posted the past two seasons, but he does possess excellent speed, and could score plenty of runs if he finds a way to get on base with any sort of frequency this season. He’s a name to keep on your radar, especially in deeper leagues.
Brett Cecil - RP - Toronto Blue Jays
We finally have some clarity in Toronto now that Cecil has officially been named the Blue Jays closer to start the season. There was always the possibility that top prospect Aaron Sanchez would be inserted into the role, but the injury to Marcus Stroman made it a virtual guarantee that Sanchez would remain in the rotation and Cecil would keep the gig.
The southpaw posted a career-low 2.37 ERA with five saves over 53 innings of work last season. His strikeout rate has increased in three straight years and he looks primed to be one of the more reliable closers in baseball this upcoming season. He’s currently going for a lot less than some of the other dependable stoppers, making him one of the better value closers in all fantasy leagues.
