Who's ready for Jorge Soler to carry their Fantasy teams!? If you recall, Soler hit 25 home runs with a 1.076 OPS back in the second half of 2019. I'm sure the juiced ball helped but when he gets rolling, he's got some big power upside. You can read more about him below.
With the MLB Trade Deadline approaching this Friday, your Fantasy league's deadline is likely the same, if not close. I believe one hitter you should be looking to buy is George Springer. Things haven't clicked for Springer yet with the Blue Jays but there are signs that he's close to breaking out. Over his past seven games, Springer is batting .357 with three home runs. He's also led off three games in a row with Marcus Semien dropping to third in the order. The team is also returning to Toronto starting this Friday. There seems to be a perfect storm brewing for Springer and now is the time to pounce.
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Yankees make an offer for Story
Rockies SS Trevor Story is expected to be one of the hottest names on the hot stove prior to the deadline and it appears the Yankees are very serious about adding him to the roster for a postseason push. The MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported on Monday that the Yankees have made a trade offer for Story. He also offers that there is "no evidence of any traction there at this point."
Interestingly enough, the Rockies don't seem all that motivated to move Story despite all of the evidence that suggests it would be in their best interest. Story is set to become a free agent this offseason and a combination of player interviews and constant losing in Colorado paint a picture -- he's highly unlikely to re-sign with the Rockies. They might as well get something in return for Story and ultimately it seems likely he will be traded in the coming days, whether that be to the Yankees or another team who makes a better offer. There are reportedly six to eight teams in the mix for Story, including the Brewers.
If Story were to leave Coors Field for the Bronx, or for American Family Field, he would be joining hitters parks. Of course, no park plays to hitters like Coors, or anywhere close, but both the Yankees and Brewers would offer Story a better lineup to hit in. He would likely see an increase in both RBI and run opportunities. You could probably expect his batting average to dip a bit if traded to either team.
A's close to solidifying their bullpen
Cubs RP Andrew Chafin has been dominant in 2021 and very well might be closing right now if not for the fact that he shares a bullpen with arguably the most dominant reliever in baseball in Craig Kimbrell. We knew the Cubs were likely to be sellers prior to the MLB trade deadline, but almost everyone anticipated it would be Kimbrell on the move. That could still happen, but for now, Chafin is on the move first and he joins the Athletics as first reported by Ken Rosenthal.
Chafin will bring with him a 2.06 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 37/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 39 1/3 innings. He has been one of the better relievers in the game and could make things interesting for the A's in the bullpen. In Scott White's latest bullpen report from last week, he suggested the left-handed pitcher could split closer duties if the Cubs traded Kimbrell. If he joins the A's, there's a chance he could be in line for some saves there, too. We don't expect him to replace Lou Trivino entirely, but Chafin could be used in some matchup-specific situations. Trivino has been lock down this season converting 16-of-18 saves with a 2.08 ERA, but he combined to total just four saves in his three seasons prior to 2021. At the very least, Chafin is likely to have value in holds leagues.
The A's sent back Greg Deichmann to the Cubs. Deichmann was batting .300 with four homers and seven steals to go along with an .881 OPS at Triple-A.
The biggest Fantasy takeaway from all this might be the impact it has on the Cubs bullpen. If Kimbrel is eventually also traded, it seems more likely Ryan Tepera would be their next closer for the remainder of the 2021 season. Tepera is worth stashing and holding and you should grab him now.
More news and notes
- An evaluation Monday revealed Angels OF Mike Trout hasn't suffered any setbacks, he just continues to heal slowly. Joe Maddon revealed that Trout has been feeling something in his calf while running.
- Reds OF Nick Castellanos is apparently feeling much better and could resume baseball activities Tuesday.
- White Sox OF Eloy Jimenez returned and was batting cleanup Monday. He finished 0-4 with a strikeout. Jake Burger was optioned back to the minors.
- The Mets believe SS Francisco Lindor's oblique injury should require a 4-6 week recovery. That would make mid-late August a realistic return date.
- Blue Jays SP Alek Manoah could return from the IL to start Saturday against the Royals.
- Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte began a rehab assignment at the Arizona Complex League Monday.
- Angels 3B Anthony Rendon is still on the mend from his hamstring injury and won't be ready to begin a rehab assignment this week.
- White Sox SP Chris Sale still needs two more rehab starts before joining the Red Sox.
- Mets SP Carlos Carrasco has a "very real" chance to start Saturday or Sunday against the Reds.
- A final decision hasn't been made but Mets acting GM Zack Scott hinted at Noah Syndergaard being used as a reliever in the final month of the season.
- Braves SP Huascar Ynoa will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday
- Braves SP Ian Anderson will throw off a mound later this week
- Cleveland SP Aaron Civale was transferred to the 60-day IL, which means he cannot return until late August.
- Mariners OF Kyle Lewis has begun hitting in the batting cage. He suffered a torn meniscus towards the end of May.
- The Yankees acquired pitcher Clay Holmes in exchange for infielders Hoy Park and Diego Castillo. Park is currently leading Triple-A East with a 1.042 OPS, batting .327 with 10 homers and 8 steals. The Pirates just traded away Adam Frazier, so we could see Park with them soon.
Soler continues impressive power surge
Royals DH Jorge Soler hasn't had a season to remember, but his recent power surge might make you want to consider scooping up from your waiver wire right now if you can use some help in the power categories. Soler ripped a pair of solo home runs on Monday and it was the second straight night he sent two balls long. Soler has now jacked five homers in his last six games and seven over his last 11 games. That's the good news. The bad news is that the top of the Royals lineup has been so putrid that he has only collected 11 RBI on those seven home runs!
Get prospect Jose Miranda on your radar now
The Brewers have reportedly looked into both Trevor Story and Josh Donaldson via trade. As we discussed above, the Brewers are one of up to eight teams in the mix for Story and the Rockies are even considering hanging onto their star shortstop if the right deal doesn't come into play. What does that mean for Fantasy purposes? Well if that means Donald is more likely to be traded to the Brewers, Jose Miranda is a prospect in the Twins organization that needs to be on your radar. He's batting .342 with 21 homers in the minors right now and is likely to get the call up if Donaldson is moved.
