RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~320 pick
CURRENT ADP: ~350 overall
ANALYSIS: Dinelson Lamet is a wildcard for the San Diego Padres and fantasy managers. He was one of the best pitchers in the league in 2020 when he dominated batters to the tune of 2.09 ERA with a 2.48 FIP. Lamet produced a 12.13 K/9 and a 2.4 WAR on his way to finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young voting. His stuff is dominant as any pitcher, especially his elite slider, which produced an outstanding 47.2 % whiff rate in 2020, followed by a 42.5% whiff rate last season. However, the biggest question with Lamet is his ability to stay healthy. The elbow troubles forced Lamet to spend four separate stints on the injured list last season.
Concerned about his workload, the Padres decided to move Lamet to the bullpen. He made his first career relief appearance last season and produced mixed results. He posted a 5.09 ERA but held batters to a .231 BA and walked 13 batters across 17.2 innings. We will probably not see Lamet start games soon, but I think he should stay in the bullpen and pitch in high-leverage and close-out games. His injury history suggests that Lamet might be limited to short stints, ideal for a late-inning reliever. The departure of Mark Melancon leaves a huge hole in the back end of the bullpen. No one currently on the Padres roster looks like a front-runner. Staying healthy is obviously the key. The risk is worth the gamble in taking a late dart throw on Dinelson Lamet.
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