It wasn’t on purpose, but as I began researching my selections for this week’s column, a common theme began to emerge: Versatility. It’s a word that probably gets used a little too liberally during baseball broadcasts. Just because a guy can stand in a position doesn’t mean that he’s an asset there, but the important thing to us fantasy owners is that the player in question merely qualifies at the position. It only helps the fantasy appeal, especially as we get into these final few weeks of the season.
I usually push these multi-position eligible guys for the stretch run because you don’t want to be caught off guard when the games matter the most. Maybe a veteran on a losing team gets the day off in favor of a recent call-up or there’s a late scratch for a player with a nagging injury. Having the ability to plug and play with your lineup gives you a leg up for whatever situation might arise. Fortunately there’s a bunch of players who fall under that heading who could even function as a respectable stopgap if you lost Fernando Tatis, Jr. or Jeff McNeil to the injured list this week.
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MIXED LEAGUES
(Players rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Note: Percentages are from the morning of Thursday, August 15th
Josh Rojas 2B/SS, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 23 percent rostered)
The Diamondbacks didn’t wait long to get a look at one of their acquisitions in the Zack Greinke trade with the Astros, as Rojas received his first call-up to the majors this week and has already picked up four hits — including a double and an RBI single — in nine at-bats. The 25-year-old Rojas wasn’t regarded as a top prospect coming into 2019, but he broke out in the minors this year with a .332/.418/.606 batting line with 23 home runs and 33 stolen bases over 105 games between Double- and Triple-A. He has experience all over the infield as well as both corner outfield spots, potentially putting him in line for a super utility role in the majors. The Diamondbacks have given him starts in right and left field so far, so it might not be long before he adds outfield-eligibility to the mix in fantasy leagues. It’s hard to pass up on a power/speed combo, so feel free to take a flier in deeper mixed formats.
Mitch Keller SP, Pirates (Yahoo: 14 percent rostered)
Speaking of the Pirates, Keller showed improvement in his return to majors on Monday against the Angels, allowing two runs — one earned — over five innings for his first major league victory. While he’s bounced back and forth from the minors to the majors a couple of times this year, the expectation is that he’s up for good this time. And that’s how it should be, especially now that the Pirates have faded out of the race. The 23-year-old Keller will surely experience more growing pains, but the arsenal appears geared for major league success, including easy mid-90s gas. Whether you want to use him for his upcoming starts (vs. Cubs on Sunday, vs. Reds next Friday) depends on need, but feel free to chase the upside with the top prospect hurler.
Ian Happ 2B/3B/OF, Cubs (Yahoo: 27 percent rostered)
He’s back. Happ was a hot name in fantasy leagues — including dynasty formats — a couple of years back, but he scuffled with a .761 OPS last year before being optioned to Triple-A to begin this season. The numbers in the minors weren’t overly impressive — .795 OPS with 16 homers over 99 games — but he’s reeled off a .273/.360/.591 batting line with four homers and two doubles through his first 50 plate appearances in his return to the Cubbies. All four homers have come in his last eight games. Happ has mostly played second base while hitting in the bottom part of the order, but he’s also seen time between left field and center field. It’s definitely fair to wonder about the playing time situation, especially with Ben Zobrist trying to work his way back, but give him a try as long as he’s swinging a hot bat.
Eric Sogard 2B/SS/OF, Rays (Yahoo: 31 percent rostered)
Sogard is someone I’ve generally been skeptical about this season, but he keeps proving me wrong. He’s sporting a .351/455/.676 batting line through his first 44 plate appearances with the Rays and has hit safely in 11 out of 13 games. He’s established himself as the Rays’ primary second baseman with Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle both on the injured list. And while there could be a roster crunch eventually, the Rays have shown they are willing to shuffle players around. That figures to be necessary with Yandy Diaz likely to miss the remainder of the season with a hairline fracture in his left foot. The batted ball metrics still aren’t overly impressive with Sogard, but there’s no doubt that he’s geared toward a more homer-friendly approach this season.
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Jon Berti 2B/3B/SS/OF, Marlins (Yahoo: 11 percent rostered)
The most versatile option among this week’s recommendations, Berti has functioned as the Marlins’ primary shortstop and leadoff man of late while hitting .370/.420/.522 with six extra-base hits, six RBI, four steals, and 10 runs scored over 12 games dating back to his call up on July 31. He’s 29 years old, so we’re not talking about a prospect here, but he’s hit really well in the minors over the last couple of years and he possesses excellent speed. He swiped bases in 101 games in the minors last year between the Blue Jays and Indians. Put another way, his sprint speed (via Statcast) is elite, placing him above noted speedsters like Billy Hamilton and Mallex Smith. With the stolen base ability, his regular presence at the top of the Marlins’ lineup and his multi-position eligibility, there’s certainly some deep league appeal here.
Joe Ross SP/RP, Nationals (Yahoo: 18 percent rostered)
Mr. Ross is no stranger to Waiver Wired, appearing a few times through 2015-2016, but we’ve heard little from him since. He struggled in 2017 prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery and has been limited to just 58 2/3 innings in the majors since. The 26-year-old has mostly pitched in a relief role with the Nats this season, but he’s allowed just one run in 18 innings through three starts this month. It isn’t all rainbows and sunshine here, as he’s riding an 11/9 K/BB ratio, but he’s giving hitters a bit of a different look with the addition of a curveball and an uptick in sinkers. With the Pirates on tap for next Monday, he’s well worth a stream at the very least.
Sean Manaea SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 28 percent rostered)
Manaea was mentioned in Waiver Wired two weeks ago, but heck, I’m going to shout a little bit louder for the folks in the back. The southpaw is one step closer to rejoining the Athletics after striking out 10 batters while allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings in a start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. Coming back from shoulder surgery, Manaea hit a bit of a speed bump on his road back to the majors due to some discomfort in his side earlier this month, but it’s safe to say he’s back on track now. The expectation is that he will make one more rehab start before being activated, which potentially places his A’s return late next week. It would be unfair to expect a season savior, especially coming back from shoulder surgery, but it’s reasonable to think he can be a useful fantasy starter the rest of the way.
Derek Law RP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 25 percent rostered)
Toronto closer Ken Giles returned to action on Tuesday night after missing six days with a nagging elbow issue, but it would be smart to scoop up Law just in case. The Jays will surely handle Giles with care and it’s possible he could run into more issues at some point over the final few weeks. Law is probably next in line at this point. While he holds an underwhelming 4.84 ERA on the year, he’s notched three saves this month and hasn’t allowed a run in 12 straight appearances dating back to mid-July.
Mark Melancon RP, Braves (Yahoo: 33 percent rostered)
It seems like nobody wants the Braves’ closer role. High-profile trade deadline acquisition Shane Greene stumbled with his opportunity, leaving Melancon, another deadline pickup, as the in-house favorite. The 34-year-old notched his first save with the Braves on Tuesday before scuffling in a non-save situation on Wednesday which required Jerry Blevins to bail him (and Johan Camargo) out. Maybe this ends up being a hot hand situation. Melancon had been scored upon just once in six appearances with the Braves before Wednesday’s outing, so there’s probably some more leash here. This could really change at any time, so it ultimately depends on category need for fantasy owners.
Carson Kelly C, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 23 percent rostered)
How about a little respect now? Acquired as part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade with the Cardinals last offseason, Kelly has been nothing short of awesome this year. In addition to rating highly for his framing abilities, the 25-year-old boasts 17 homers and a .915 OPS through 83 games this season. Only Minnesota’s Mitch Garver has a higher OPS among catchers with at least 250 plate appearances. After a rough April, Kelly has put up a 1.009 OPS over his last 66 games. He’s lofting the ball and hitting it plenty hard while making contact at a reasonable rate, so it’s hard to doubt what he’s doing right now. He’s a top-12 fantasy catcher and should be considered as such going into 2020 as well.
