Fantasy Roundtable: Roundtable: September Callups
This is the weekly Fantasy Roundtable, where the writers of Rotoworld Baseball let the readers of Rotoworld Baseball in on a quick staff discussion. It’s water cooler talk … that we’ve decided to publish. Look for it every Tuesday.
Drew Silva: MLB rosters will expand next Tuesday, September 1, allowing teams to call up players for their first taste of big league life or to serve as functional depth for the stretch run. Every year it seems a few of those September callups actually have a legitimate fantasy impact. Name me some guys you’re looking forward to seeing in the final month of the 2015 regular season …
Ryan Boyer: He’s not your typical September call-up, but it sounds like the Braves could wait until September 1 to promote infielder Hector Olivera. The data on the Cuban defector is limited, as his contract with the Dodgers didn’t become official until June and a hamstring injury has sidelined him for a significant stretch after that. That’s a big reason why I’m very much looking forward to getting a look at him, as we really don’t know what to expect. One thing we do know about the 30-year-old is that the scouting reports on his bat are glowing. He appears to have a chance to hit for average and power right away.
On the pitching side, Jose Berrios is a guy the Twins should give a cup of coffee to next month. Frankly, it’s a little silly that they haven’t already promoted him by this point. He’s just 21 years old, but Berrios has had no trouble in the upper minors, putting up a 3.09 ERA and 153/36 K/BB ratio over 148 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He has good control and looks very polished for someone so young, giving him a chance to succeed in the majors out of the gate.
D.J. Short: Does Steven Matz count? I think he should. The southpaw impressed over his first two starts in the majors prior to going down with a partial tear of his lat muscle in early July, but he’s back in game action now and has already made a pair of minor league rehab starts. He’s slated to make another one on Wednesday with Double-A Binghamton, after which he’s likely to rejoin the Mets as part of a six-man rotation in September. Based on what we saw during his brief sneak preview before the All-Star break, he could have some sneaky value the rest of the way. It’s just a shame that his offensive statistics won’t count in fantasy leagues.
As for someone we haven’t seen yet, Michael Fulmer with the Tigers is worth watching. Acquired from the Mets in the Yoenis Cespedes deal last month, the 22-year-old right-hander has worked his way back into top-prospect circles by posting a 1.95 ERA and 113/28 K/BB ratio over 115 2/3 innings at the Double-A level this season. This includes a 1.59 ERA in four starts since being acquired by Detroit. After the injuries to Anibal Sanchez and Daniel Norris, the Tigers are currently rolling with Randy Wolf and Buck Farmer as replacements. Fulmer could get his shot soon.
Bill Baer: I feel like saying Dodgers infield prospect Corey Seager is too easy. So I’ll go with Rays lefty prospect Blake Snell, assuming they’ll use him out of the rotation. The 22-year-old has posted an aggregate 1.29 ERA with a 148/48 K/BB ratio in 119 innings across three levels of the minors this season. In six starts at Triple-A, he has a 1.53 ERA. He possesses a great mix of pitches including a fastball that can top out in the mid-90’s along with a change-up and a slider. The only problem is the Rays would have to utilize a six-man rotation or create a rotation opening, and it’s really tough to kick anyone out as they’ve all pitched well. Snell may simply come up and pitch a few innings here and there out of the bullpen.
Joey Gallo should be able to smack a few homers in the final month, plus he’ll have eligibility at multiple positions. He hit five home runs in 98 plate appearances in his first go-around with the Rangers.
Matthew Pouliot: I don’t know that it’ll happen, but I’d also really like to see what Blake Snell could do for the Rays. His stuff isn’t off the charts, but his numbers are: a 1.29 ERA and a 148/48 K/BB ratio with just two homers allowed in 119 innings in the minors. The Rays will probably give Matt Moore another chance first, so Snell’s turn might not come until 2016. However, if he’s inserted into the rotation, I think he’d be worth a try in mixed leagues.
David Shovein: One September callup that I’m anxious to get another look at is Rymer Liriano. The 24-year-old outfielder has a dynamic skillset that combines power and speed and makes him a threat to develop into a 20 HR / 20 SB player at the big league level. He has had a nice year at Triple-A El Paso, slashing .282/.378/.432 with 11 homers, 58 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 117 games. With the Padres out of playoff contention, he should be able to find plenty of at-bats in the outfield and is worthy of a look in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues.
Also, while there’s no guarantee that it would happen, how great would it be if the Dodgers brought up 19-year-old Julio Urias to help bolster a bullpen that has really struggled for the past month? He has been outstanding in his first taste of Double-A this season, registering a 3.03 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 71/15 K/BB ratio over 62 1/3 innings. He would undoubtedly be a better option than Jim Johnson or some of the other options the Dodgers have been forced to entrust leads to in the late innings.
Another interesting angle to consider from a fantasy perspective are the pure speed options who will be used almost exclusively as pinch runners over the final month of the season. If deployed properly in leagues that allow for daily lineup changes, they can give you the extra boost needed to gain an extra point or two in the stolen base category. Look at Terrance Gore (Royals) and Eric Young Jr. (Mets) here, and perhaps even Quintin Berry (Cubs).
Drew Silva: I’m thinking it might be time for another dose of Javier Baez. The oblique injury that Jorge Soler suffered on Sunday afternoon has pushed Chris Coghlan back into the Cubs’ outfield and left a small hole at second base. Tommy La Stella filled it on Monday and Starlin Castro will probably get some run there too over the next week, but watch for the Cubs to shoot a little higher when rosters expand. Baez, who’s still only 22 years old, has hit .315/.383/.542 with 13 home runs, 57 RBI, and 16 stolen bases in 63 games this season at Triple-A Iowa, where he’s played shortstop, second base, and third. He was a consensus top-10 prospect a year ago.
Dave brought up speed guys, which made me recall White Sox infielder Micah Johnson. He opened the 2015 season as the starting second baseman in Chicago but got optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in mid-May after batting just .270/.333/.297 over his first 27 games. Johnson has been hitting the ball way, way better on the farm and he has also tallied 26 stolen bases in 66 games. I’ll bet the Pale Hose give the 24-year-old some meaningful playing time as they burn down the lantern oil on a disappointing year.
Disagree? Want to add something? Got a question? You can find each of these @Rotoworld_BB writers on Twitter: @drewsilv, @djshort, @daveshovein, @baer_bill, @ryanpboyer, @matthewpouliot.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.