Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Hitters to acquire — and understanding when to move on
With the calendar having flipped over to June, many fantasy baseball managers of middling teams are starting to run out of patience. This makes the third month of the season a perfect time to buy low on players who have worn out their welcome.
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This week's article is focused on hitters, and there are more players listed in the Buy Low section than any other. After all, while there are a variety of ways to attack the trade market, acquiring slumping players at a discount is a tried-and-true strategy.
Buy Low
Fernando Tatís Jr., OF, San Diego Padres
Tatís has cooled off dramatically after a hot start to the season, and since the beginning of May he has hit .186 with a .624 OPS. His strikeout rate has risen to a small degree, but the biggest cause for his recent struggles has been a .198 BABIP that is not related to a decline in his quality of contact. There are not many opportunities to acquire a first-round talent at any level of discount, but there will be a small window with Tatís in some leagues, as impatient managers will listen to offers on a slumping player. It's worth a shot.
Jasson Domínguez, OF, New York Yankees
Domínguez has thus far held serve as a premium prospect in his rookie season, but he hasn't made a major fantasy impact while batting .247 with a .765 OPS. Still, there are signs that the youngster is on the verge of a midseason breakout. Domínguez was much better in May than in April, lowering his strikeout rate by 7.7% and improving his walk rate by 4.9%. He also improved his quality of contact by raising his fly ball rate and hard-contact rate. A reasonable offer for Domínguez could lead to having a dynamic young hitter in the summer.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Acquiring Trout is undoubtedly a risky move. After all, the 33-year-old has already spent time on the IL this season and annually misses a massive chunk of the season. But Trout is back in action right now, and he is still among the best power hitters in baseball, as he ranks sixth in baseball in xSLG and has gone deep 10 times in 124 at-bats. Trout's injury history and lowly .226 average can be used in trade talks, while glancing over the fact that he has been dragged down by a .231 BABIP and owns a solid .277 xBA. The veteran may wind up missing more time, but he's a risk worth taking for those who have already fallen behind the pack in their league.
Buy High
Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres
I wasn't sure which category to put Machado in, as he is more of a 'buy medium' right now. The veteran is among the steadiest producers in baseball, and he's off to another strong start by hitting .315 with a .868 OPS. Machado's Statcast data backs up his strong starts, as he ranks seventh in baseball in xBA (.320) and owns an xSLG (.552) that is notably higher than his actual mark. The cherry on top is that the third baseman has been more aggressive on the basepaths by swiping seven bags. Managers who are willing to pay up for a rock-solid hitter who is slightly below the superstar tier should have Machado near the top of their priority list.
Sell High
Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants
Managers must love rostering Ramos right now. After all, during May he hit .347 with six home runs. Unfortunately, his success last month came via a .403 BABIP that was achieved despite poor rates of hard contact (31.5%) and fly balls (27.4%). Ramos also benefited in May from a 30% HR/FB rate, and when the pendulum swings back on his batted ball tendencies, he will be someone who provides only minimal production over a replacement-level player in shallow leagues.
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Sell Low
Matt McLain, 2B/SS, Cincinnati Reds
After missing all of the 2024 season due to a shoulder injury, McLain has shown clear signs that he has not fully regained his best skill set. His strikeout rate (31.0%) is one of the worst among qualified hitters, and his quality of contact is no better than average. Sure, his .233 BABIP hasn't helped his cause, but this is someone who hit .121 in April and .194 in May. In short, his batting average woes are dragging down teams in roto leagues, and they need to move on.
McLain is still among baseball's fastest players, and the best plan at this point is to try to trade him away on the basis of his name value and steals potential.
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