Mookie Betts

The Red Sox pulled the trigger on Betts yesterday after struggling to find production in the outfield all year long. He will likely be better for them than your fantasy team, but he should help in batting average and steals. In approximately 2 full seasons worth of minor league plate appearances, he has stolen 88 bases, but only hit 23 homeruns. Potentially relevant to his value:

1. ESPN has him as an outfielder, which is where he will likely play with the Sox. CBS has him at second base, his primary position in the minors, and Yahoo! actually has him as a shortstop. He has the potential to be a huge pickup in Yahoo! leagues.

2. If he starts out hot, there’s a good chance that he’s slotted into the top of the order, which would be great for his counting stats.

Taijuan Walker

Walker is starting Monday for the Mariners. He has a lot going for him: great stuff, good park, and a better receiver than he has worked with throughout the minors in Mike Zunino. I’m not going to bid much, though. His shoulder problems this season combined with a history of not great walk rates has me somewhat concerned.

Jesse Hahn

Decent enough numbers, not that highly thought of. It’s San Diego, though, and Hahn has two home starts this week against Cincinnati and San Francisco. Should be worth streaming, at least.

Closers

Jason Grilli

It’s like the old saying goes: out of the fryer and into the grill. Or something like that. Ernesto Frieri was swapped for Grilli on Friday. I think both are a good bet to see improvement in the ERA/WHIP categories. Grilli is likely to be the closer in LAAoA, though, while Frieri is probably only relevant in holds leagues moving forward.

Santiago Casilla

Bruce Bochy declined to give Sergio Romo a vote of confidence after his blown save yesterday. Casilla is likely next in line, and is worthy of a speculative add. I wouldn’t be dropping Romo just yet.

Jake Petricka

Ronald Belisario has been removed from the role on the South Side, and the situation has become one that I am avoiding. If pressed, I might take a flier on Zach Putnam.

Trade Candidates

I wanted to draw attention to a bunch of players whose value could be significantly impacted by a trade, as trade season is upon us. Keep these in mind when considering trades and waiver wire fliers.

Players who I think are a decent bet to see their values increase: David Price, Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, Daniel Murphy, Ben Zobrist, Will Venable, and Joaquin Benoit.

Potential decreases: Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Ian Kennedy, Bartolo Colon, Mark Trumbo, Alex Rios, Justin Morneau, and Drew Stubbs.

Pass

With a few exceptions, I usually don’t write up players who are hot pickups, but who I am avoiding in shallow leagues for one reason or another. There’s something to be said for mentioning them, though, and I will try to do that henceforth. This week: J.D. Martinez, C.J. Cron, Josh Harrison, Jarred Cosart, and Danny Duffy.