Daily Dime: Charlie Blackmon and a collection of Saturday bargains
OK, let’s roll those Lance Lynn profits into Saturday’s slate of games. Per the usual protocol, we’re looking for the days smartest buys and filthiest bargains. As always, we advise you to check the weather reports before committing to players. Let’s invest…
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Charlie Blackmon, OF, at SD (Ross), $20: No, Blackmon isn’t available in the price range that we usually explore here in the Daily Dime. But it’s worth mentioning the fact that Padres starter Tyson Ross has allowed the highest stolen base total in MLB to this point in the season (25), and Blackmon happens to have swiped 24 bags (third in the N.L.). Charlie is also ludicrously hot at the plate right now, with eight multi-hit games in his last nine (17-for-41). He’s basically treating the majors like 12-inch beer league softball. Play him and profit.
And while we’re looking at pricier brand-name players…
Clayton Kershaw, P, at Was (Fister), $48: I suppose I can understand why Kershaw isn’t the highest-priced starter on the board, facing the first-place Nats on the road. But let’s simply note that he’s striking out a career-high 11.7 batters per nine innings, with an inhuman swinging-strike percentage of 15.6. His stuff is perfectly fine, you guys.
Kolten Wong, 2B, vs. NYM (Colon), $11: Wong went 2-for-4 with a steal on Friday in a narrow win over Thor & friends, leaving him on pace for a 16/20 power/speed season. It probably won’t surprise you to hear that he’s been terrific against RHPs this season (8 HR, .823 OPS) and very good in his limited opportunities against Colon (4-for-9, 0 Ks).
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, at Was (Fister), $13: A curiously low price for an excellent left-handed slugger (19 HR, .285/.359/.531) facing a not-so-dominant right-handed starter. Gonzalez homered in his last game before the break and his first game back — and Friday’s bomb was a no-doubter.
Manny Banuelos, P, vs. CHC (Lester), $25: So far so good for the 24-year-old left-hander. He’s now pitched 12.0 big league innings, allowing just seven hits and one earned run, striking out nine. Banuelos was very good at Triple-A earlier this season, tossing 82.2 innings over 15 starts, posting a 2.29 ERA with 69 Ks and just two homers allowed. The Cubs are not exactly a run-scoring juggernaut lately, in case you hadn’t noticed.
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Colby Rasmus, OF, vs. Tex (Lewis), $8: I am in no way attempting to convince you that Rasmus is some sort of underrated fantasy asset. If you want nothing to do with him, I get it. Not an ideal selection under most circumstances. But he has a nice history against Lewis (5-for-12, triple, HR), a right-handed starter with a declining K-rate and underwhelming velocity (88.1 mph). If you roll out Rasmus at a near-minimum price, so many other luxury buys are available to you.
Matt Holliday, OF, vs. NYM (Colon), $11: Holliday has returned to the lineup for the Cards and he’s temporarily available at a deep discount, relative to his true talent level. He’s 6-for-13 lifetime against Bartolo, so it’s not like this is a bad spot.
Melky Cabrera, OF, vs. KC (Guthrie), $15: It seems safe to assume you aren’t afraid to start batters facing Guthrie, a veteran righty with brutal ratios (5.36 ERA, 1.49 WHIP). Cabrera has had a forgettable season to this point, but July has been tolerable (.304/.346/.522). He also has a nice history against Guthrie, for what it’s worth (.341/.341/.585, 6 XBHs).
Evan Longoria, 3B, at Tor (Dickey), $15: Longoria has a .904 lifetime OPS against Dickey in 42 plate appearances with two homers, four doubles and five walks. Dickey isn’t having having his finest year, either (3-10, 5.13 FIP). Longo should earn his $15 here.
Francisco Cervelli, C, at Mil (Nelson), $13: We’re beyond the halfway point and Cervelli is still hitting .290, reaching base at a .362 clip. At such a modest price, I’m happy to roster him. He’s gone 2-for-4 against Nelson (not even close to a meaningful sample); no reason to veer away from the matchup.
