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Dan Stephens looks at big fantasy baseball stories from Week 16 of the 2024 MLB season. What made the MLB headlines last week and what can you expect going forward?
Hello again, RotoBallers. Another Monday means another look at the biggest news in baseball from the week. Dedicating time and attention to one’s team(s) can take away from the league at large. Waivers are run and lineups are… well, lineups are on the back burner thanks to the All-Star break, so now is a great time to catch up on stories you may have missed while focused on your own players.
Wander Franco was in the headlines last week as formal charges were brought against him for his relationship with a minor. The National League announced its starting pitcher and rosters were finalized for the All-Star Game that will be played on July 16 at Globe Life Field. And the next class of future stars was selected in this year’s MLB Draft, held in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the league’s All-Star week celebrations.
Fantasy baseball revolves around an expansive league with a six-month-long season. It can be easy for news to get lost in the shuffle, especially if it doesn’t directly relate to players we roster or actively follow. To stay on top of the latest action, bookmark our fantasy baseball news feed, download our mobile app, and check back for the next installment of the Stories of the Week every Monday.
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Wander Franco
On July 9, authorities in the Dominican Republic formally charged Wander Franco with sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor as well as human trafficking. Franco has been under investigation by both the Dominican government and MLB since last August after rumors of an inappropriate relationship circulated on social media. MLB placed Franco on its restricted list a day after the initial allegations came to light. The following week, he was placed on administrative leave.
After the prosecutors in the Dominican Republic filed the charges, MLB moved Franco back to the restricted list. The move is not meant to be disciplinary, as the league’s investigation into Franco is still underway, but it does allow the Rays to stop payment on his contract.
The preliminary hearing to learn about the accusation filed against the Dominican Major League Baseball player, #WanderFranco, accused of sexual exploitation and commercialization of a minor, will be held on August 14th at 9:00 AM at the courthouse in Puerto Plata #Rays #Tampa. pic.twitter.com/3QlKOJ5JDt
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) July 10, 2024
Fantasy impact: Whoever was holding Franco all this time can and should drop him. Anyone still wringing their hands wondering what to do just got their mind made for them by the Dominican Republic Public Prosecutors Office. Next up for Franco are preliminary hearings and then the trial itself. If convicted, he will spend up to 20 years in prison.
All-Star Roster Updates
This year’s All-Star Game will be the 94th, but it will be only the fifth time that one of the game’s starting pitchers is a rookie. Paul Skenes was named the National League’s starter by Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo on Friday. The 6-foot-6 righty is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 89 strikeouts through the first 11 starts of his career. The American League heads into the break having yet to name its starter for the Midsummer Classic.
Your NL #AllStarGame starting pitcher: Paul Skenes ⭐
As announced on the @DPShow, the @Pirates rookie gets the nod in his first All-Star Game! pic.twitter.com/M9QFgH5s1O
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2024
Reserves and replacements were also announced throughout the week. Filling out the rosters gives the Phillies a league-high eight representatives. Injuries and schedule conflicts have taken a bite out of the original field, opening the door for others to be showcased. In all, 37 players will be making their All-Star debuts on Tuesday night.
Fantasy impact: The only impact felt is the temporary pause of the demands that come with managing a fantasy baseball team. Now is a good time to audit your league standings and see where you need to catch up and who you will have to fend off. The All-Star break is also the signal that the trade deadline (real and fantasy) is mere weeks away. Get negotiations started now for the players you want so you aren’t stagnating in September and wondering what might have been.
2024 MLB Draft
The 2024 MLB Draft kicked off on Sunday night. In addition to the first two rounds, the event included Competitive Balance Rounds A and B, compensatory picks, and Prospect Promotion Incentive picks. With the first overall pick in the draft, the Cleveland Guardians chose second baseman Travis Bazzana out of Oregon State. In 2024, Bazzana hit .407 with an absurd 1.479 OPS for the Beavers and he slugged 28 home runs in 60 games.
The moment Travis Bazzana found out he was the No. 1 overall pick in the #MLBDraft 🥹 pic.twitter.com/XwTesPoLE9
— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2024
Wake Forest’s Chase Burns went second overall and was soon followed by Nick Kurtz (fourth) and Seaver King (10th). The teammates became the first trio drafted out of the same school in the top 10 since 2004. Georgia standout Charlie Condon was selected third by the Rockies, pitcher Hagen Smith from Arkansas went fifth to the White Sox, and Florida’s two-way star Jac Caglianone, drafted sixth, is bound for the Royals system.
The 20-round draft will continue on July 15 and 16 and will stream on the MLB website.
Fantasy impact: I imagine dynasty managers are already familiar with the group. Veterans of redraft like myself will see very little impact in the immediate future, though it is a good time to get acquainted with the players we might be drafting to our fantasy teams in the not-too-distant future. It is unusual for teams to rush their draft picks to the majors, but be ready for teams fading from contention to give their new guys a cup of coffee later in the season.
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