Top Fantasy Players to Stash Ahead of Sept. 1 MLB Roster Expansion
Fantasy baseball players receive exposure to several new contributors once MLB's rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1.
While odd to change the league's roster limitations as teams push for the playoffs, the rule benefits fantasy gamers vying for a championship. Talented youngsters stuck in the minors now get a taste for the big leagues.
Dynasty owners out of the hunt should use September to scout and stockpile future stars. Search the league's waiver wire for available prospects to stash for 2016 and beyond. This way, the stretch run will mean more in upcoming years.
These guys should be long gone in dynasty formats, but redraft managers can get a boost by claiming them for the season's final month. Not every highlighted prospect is new to the majors, and some are recovering big leaguers rather than neophytes.
They won't pay off immediately, but grab them now before the opportunity passes.
Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins
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Jose Berrios is ready for his audition now, and the Minnesota Twins rotation certainly needs a boost. On a staff led by Kyle Gibson's 3.99 ERA, the 21-year-old righty can immediately lead the way.
In 23 starts, Berrios has posted a 3.18 ERA with 143 strikeouts and 36 walks through 141.1 innings. Since allowing nine earned runs over his first two Triple-A starts, he settled down to surrender 10 over his last six outings.
Workload could become an issue, as Twins general manager admitted to the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Mike Berardino. Preserving their prized prospect is the main justifiable reason to not have promoted him weeks ago.
Yet Minnesota's rotation remains a mess while fighting for a playoff spot. If the franchise doesn't want him pitching a full September, why not grab him now to make four or five starts in the majors? Rated Baseball America's No. 19 midseason prospect, he's ready to hold his own at the highest level.
Josh Bell, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have received little production at first base, where they rank No. 25 in weighted on-base average (wOBA). Although not the most exciting fantasy option, Josh Bell has a feasible path to September playing time.
After paying his dues in Double-A with a .307/.376/.427 slash line, the switch-hitting first baseman looks equally comfortable at the next level. Through 17 Triple-A games, he's batting .313/.380/.469 with seven walks and 10 strikeouts.
Six homers split between both squads won't create much buzz. Most fantasy owners would prefer Pedro Alvarez's 19 homers, and perhaps Pittsburgh agrees despite his .318 on-base percentage and poor defense.
Yet Bell already looks polished enough to handle major league pitching, even if only to spell Alvarez over the closing weeks. He's not a high-impact star, but he'd nicely round out a roster in deeper formats.
Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
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During a year festooned with top prospects arriving, Corey Seager has stayed stuck in the minors. Despite hitting .296/.346/.472 with 18 homers and 19 steals between Double-A and Triple-A, he has not convinced the Los Angeles Dodgers to move past Jimmy Rollins at shortstop.
Baseball America's top midseason prospect is the next big name ready to join Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson, Noah Syndergaard, Kyle Schwarber, Francisco Lindor and more in a long line of future stars. It's only a matter of the Dodgers giving him the chance.
It'd be one thing if Rollins was rolling, but the veteran has declined with a .225/.278/.365 slash line and 0.1 WAR. Unfortunately, the arrival of his old double-play partner, Chase Utley, will keep Justin Turner at third, which blocks the position from Seager.
Even if there's no starting spot waiting for him, Los Angeles would be remiss not to call him up once rosters expand, giving him sporadic playing time to whet everyone's appetite. Correa set the bar unrealistically high for incoming infielders, but Seager also sports a star ceiling worthy of must-own status if promoted.
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Marcus Stroman, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
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Originally ruled out for the season after tearing his ACL in March, Marcus Stroman is not ready to rule out a return.
According to Sportsnet's Jeff Blair, the 24-year-old pitcher will throw a simulated game on Monday with tentative plans to make a Triple-A appearance during the first week of September. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays before the regular season expires.
"I’ve seen videos of his bullpen sessions, and he looks great," Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Blair.
Don't get too excited for Stroman's 2015 outlook. Optimistically speaking, he'll return in mid-September and get eased back into action. Even in the thick of a division race, Toronto will handle the righty as carefully as possible.
But let's take a refresher course on one of the offseason's most popular breakout candidates. Last season, he notched a 3.65 ERA, 53.8 ground-ball percentage and 2.84 fielding independent pitching (FIP) as a rookie.
Also important to note with pitchers dropping like flies, Stroman didn't suffer an arm injury. There's less worry of him never looking the same than someone making his way back from Tommy John surgery. At least monitor his recovery progress over the next few weeks.
Javier Baez, 2B/SS, Chicago Cubs
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Once an integral part of the Chicago Cubs' loaded farm system, Javier Baez fell behind his peers with an underwhelming rookie stint. Upon hitting .169 with a dismal 41.5 strikeout percentage last season, he failed to make the roster this year.
Chicago, however, has also grown tired of Starlin Castro's rut. Hitting .239/.273/.306 with a minus-0.9 WAR cost the shortstop his starting gig, allowing Addison Russell to finally play his natural position. Always coming with defensive risks at short, Baez could earn another shot at second base.
The 22-year-old infielder is batting .302/.374/.513 with 11 homers and 14 stolen bases in Triple-A. Anxious for a September call-up, he has generated five consecutive multi-hit games. Perhaps more important for his cause, he has struck out 20 times in 89 August plate appearances, giving him a 22.5 percentage.
Still high, but it signifies progress for someone who ended 30 percent of his Triple-A plate appearances by punchouts last year. Given the middle infielder's splendid power and speed, he simply needs to lower the whiffs enough to not kill gamers' batting average.
Hector Olivera, 3B, Atlanta Braves
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The Atlanta Braves must be fond of Hector Olivera. Despite their retooling status, they shipped 24-year-old pitcher Alex Wood and top prospect Jose Peraza to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team exchange netting them the Cuban infielder. After paying such a hefty price for the 30-year-old, they shouldn't waste much time calling him up.
Sidelined with a hamstring injury at the time of the trade, Olivera made his organizational debut on Sunday at Class-A Rome. Holding three hits since his return, he's not exactly forcing a quick rehab stint before making his MLB debut. Yet Atlanta, already out of the playoff picture, might as well try him out anyway.
For all they gave up, the Braves are expecting a game-changing bat. A career .322/.406/.502 hitter through 11 Cuban National Series seasons, he drew rave reviews from scouts before signing last March.
“I’m on board,” one international scout told Baseball America's Ben Badler. “He’s big, strong and geared to take stuff the other way. It’s a closed-off stance with looseness to the hands but lightning bat speed to get to balls on the inside, and he has an advanced plan. He’s pretty advanced in his control of the strike zone. He’s going to have success.”
This isn't a raw youngster, but a polished veteran delayed by injures. Atlanta has nothing to lose by giving him a crack at third base over Adonis Garcia. Don't be surprised if Olivera gets the call before Sept. 1.
Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.
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