X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Mets Make Major Move - Will Fantasy Teams Benefit?

Chris Zolli reviews the trade of relief pitcher (RP) Edwin Diaz and second baseman (2B) Robinson Cano to the Mets. He will look at the impact on the Mets for 2019 and the future for fantasy baseball leagues.

The second blockbuster for the Seattle Mariners during the 2018 MLB offseason was finalized on Monday, as the Mariners sent Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the New York Mets for Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, and Jarred Kelenic.

By trading Cano and Diaz, the Mariners got financial freedom from Cano's contract and two former first-round picks in Dunn and Kelenic. The Mets, however, receive a boost for their offense in Cano and the best closer from the 2018 season in Diaz

With two former All-Stars headed to Queens, what is the impact of this trade on the Mets lineup and bullpen and what does it mean for fantasy owners in 2019?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

What Impact Will Cano Have For The Amazins' Lineup?

Robinson Cano is 36 years old, and some may say that he is past the prime of his career, but he still had a .303/.374/.471 slash line in 80 games last season. The fact that he only played 80 games in 2018 marred his performance a bit, as he was suspended for PED use. It was still the first season that he had a .300 batting average since 2014. With a. 826 OPS and 107 home runs in his five seasons in Seattle, Cano proved that, while he is not the MVP candidate like he was with the Yankees, he is still a top-10 2B.

Speaking to consistency, Cano has had a batting average of .280 or higher in 13 of his 14 seasons (.271 in 2008 with the Yankees) and has a .450 slugging percentage or higher in each season other than 2008 and 2015. There is something to be said about posting similar slash lines more than a decade apart (.306/.353/.488 in 2007); you know what you are getting with Cano and, remember, he did have 39 home runs and 103 RBI in 2016. While his 39-home run outburst was nice (but might be tainted by his PED suspension), remember that the 2016 season was the only one where he topped 25 home runs in Seattle.

Speaking to park factors, Cano's old ballpark suppressed home runs to lefties, but his new ballpark in Queens was even worse for lefty power in 2017 and 2018. Taking a look at his batted ball data, Cano's hard hit ball rate improved in each season that he was in Seattle, up to a career-best 41.5% hard hit ball rate in 2018. He also had a 11.3% soft hit ball rate last season (the lowest of his career) and his 22.6% line drive rate was better than his career 21.1% mark. Cano was a bit unlucky in terms of power (12.8% HR/FB rate is under his 14.5% career rate), but his 29.4% fly ball rate was his lowest since 2015.

Cano looks like he will bat near the middle of the Mets lineup, in a position to potentially knock in Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil at the top of the lineup. He will no longer have speed demons like Jean Segura and Dee Gordon, but McNeil had some of the best contact rates last season (25th in the second half at 85%) and Nimmo was third in baseball in OBP in the second half (.446). Look for Cano to approach 90 or more RBI, post an OPS in the mid-.800s, and regain his value as a top-seven 2B.

 

Will Diaz Give The Mets A Top Bullpen?

The best closer of the 2018 season, Edwin Diaz will go to Queens to immediately upgrade their bullpen. Even though Diaz was strong last season, he was also coming off of a 2017 season where he had a 4.02 FIP, allowed 1.4 home runs per nine, and walked 4.4 batters per nine. The 34 saves were nice, as were his 12.1 strikeouts per nine, but he did take a step back from his electric 2016 season.

Turning the page to 2018, Diaz did better than his 2016 season, where he struck out 88 batters in 51 2/3 innings while posting a 2.79 ERA, putting up one of the most dominant seasons from a relief pitcher ever. His 57 saves were the eye catcher for sure, but he also had a 1.61 FIP to go along with his 1.96 ERA and struck out 124 batters in 73 1/3 innings. He allowed just 41 hits in 2018 and posted a 0.79 WHIP, slashing his walk rate by more than half to 2.1 per nine.

Diaz is the top closer leading into the 2019 season, as he will be in a place to save games for Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and co. With the addition of Cano, the Mets offense will be even better as well, potentially putting Diaz in a position for 40 or more saves. For those that say that the Mets do not score enough to put Diaz in a place to get saves, remember that the Mariners scored just one more run than the Mets in 2018 over the course of the season (677 vs. 676). The Mets could use more in front of Diaz in the pen, even though Robert Gsellman had a strong 2018 season, but their elite starting pitching could mitigate any middle relief issues. Even if the walks do return, he has walked three batters per nine throughout his professional career, Diaz's strikeout potential will mitigate any walk issues. He remains one of the top closers in baseball.

 

More Year In Review Articles




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Omarion Hampton

to Start Against Chiefs on Friday
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Najee Harris

Off the Final Injury Report, Will Play in Week 1
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP