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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Scene Change: Four Pitchers on New Teams

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (Taijuan Walker) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
What Appears In This Article? hide

The only thing constant is change. Change itself can be positive or negative, but in the case of a starting pitcher, especially one switching leagues, we need to delve deeper to understand what to expect.

New ballclub, new stadium, new expectations - all can affect a pitcher's value from one season to the next. Let's examine four pitchers who will be switching teams in 2017.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

Four Pitchers on New Teams

Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox

The biggest move that came out of the winter meetings involved the Red Sox snagging another left-handed ace. Sale had spent his entire seven-year career with the pale-hosed Sox, finishing in the top six in Cy Young voting for five consecutive years. While that's pretty damn impressive, a change of scenery might actually be a good thing. The south siders were bad enough before they went into full-blown fire sale mode this offseason. Now, Sale joins a championship contender that gave Rick Porcello enough run support (7.6/game) to earn him a Cy Young award and provided 6.6 runs per game to David Price as well.

Although wins are too hard to reliably predict, there is a really good chance Sale maintains his 17-win level from last season, with a 20-win season on the radar. In terms of ballparks, he is leaving a rather pitcher-friendly environment. That doesn't mean we should anticipate big increases in his ratios though. Fenway does allow its share of extra-base hits to right-handed hitters, courtesy of the Green Monster, and ranked fourth in Park Factor for 2016. Much of that damage came from Boston's offense, so don't overreact to that figure. Sale has only made three starts at Fenway in his career, posting a 3.63 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Those numbers aren't too far ahead of the 3.34 ERA and 1.03 WHIP from last season. Sale is currently the fifth SP being drafted, according to NFBC data. Expectations are as high as ever for Sale and rightfully so.

 

Jason Hammel, Kansas City Royals

Hammel joins his sixth organization, going from the 2016 World Champs to the 2015 World Champs. Hammel was extremely solid last year, posting a 3.83 ERA  en route to winning 15 games. The reality is that he took a small step back from the previous season, especially in the control department. His 4.30 K/BB in 2015 dropped to 2.72. His 2.9 BB/9 mirrored his career average, so don't expect that number to improve by moving back to the American League.

While Hammel has far more experience pitching in the AL, a move to the junior circuit is never good for a pitcher's value. Worse news is that Kauffman Stadium ranked fifth in Ballpark Factor last year - a far cry from the confines of 25th-ranked Wrigley. Hammel's career 5.40 ERA at Kauffman is also one of the worst among all ballparks. He may have taken a later path to developing as a starter, but it appears Hammel's fantasy relevancy may be confined to AL-only leagues for the coming season.

 

Jaime Garcia, Atlanta Braves

After eight seasons with the Cardinals, Garcia joins the sudden infusion of veterans in Atlanta's starting rotation. He is the type of pitcher who does a lot with a little. Garcia has never surpassed eight K/9 and needs to limit baserunners to be successful. The main issue with him lately has been health. Garcia started 30 games last season, but was limited to 36 Major League starts between 2013-2015.

He isn't switching leagues, but he appears to be heading to a noticeably worse team. The Braves are seemingly all in on making a playoff run as they enter their new ballpark, but they have yet to prove that the blend of young prospects and aging veterans will work. If they still resemble the same team they were in the first half of 2016, the youth movement could take over permanently, making Garcia a possible trade chip. Initially, expect much of the same from Garcia that he's displayed in his career - an ERA just under 4.00 with less appealing control ratios and a ceiling of 13 wins.

 

Taijuan Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks

Going to Arizona hasn't been the best career move for starting pitchers lately. The D-backs hope that Walker isn't another Shelby Miller, but that remains to be seen. He is going from a pitcher-friendly park in Seattle to the second-best hitter's park in the league. In fact, Chase Field has an even higher HR factor than Coors Field, but is still second to Yankee Stadium in that respect. The long ball has becoming a bigger problem for Walker, as his HR/9 jumped to 1.8 last season. The prospect of seeing him serve up 30+ gopher balls shouldn't inspire fantasy owners.

Ironically, the trade to bring him over also weakened his offensive support. Jean Segura was one of the few bright spots for the Diamondbacks, but he will be in Seattle this season. Walker is being drafted just inside the top 250 overall right now, so he won't cost you much if you think his talent is worth a late round flier. The change of scenery doesn't figure to do him many favors, however, so tread carefully.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen4 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel5 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart6 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson6 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio7 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis7 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell7 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu7 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens8 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones8 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija8 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez8 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby8 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma8 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic8 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain8 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly8 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen8 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio9 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson9 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle9 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant9 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen9 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso9 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis9 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown10 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum10 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen10 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs10 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR10 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom10 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle10 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev10 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf10 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints10 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison11 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu12 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills12 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy12 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander12 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager12 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge12 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet12 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel12 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys12 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu14 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge14 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran14 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle14 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa15 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux15 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu15 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert15 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani15 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena15 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo15 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill15 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin16 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison16 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott17 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov17 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli17 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond18 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala18 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat18 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski18 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich18 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren18 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson19 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott19 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley19 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs19 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek24 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher24 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers4 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys4 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup4 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett4 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout6 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole6 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman6 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick6 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns6 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF