Fantasy Baseball Fallout: Bengie Molina Traded To Rangers

Considering the Giants need for offense, this move is certainly an interesting one. According to Rhett Bollinger of mlb.com (click here to view the article), the Giants have sent Bengie Molina and cash to the Rangers in exchange for Chris Ray and a player to be named later.

Clearly, the move was made so the Giants could free up the catcher’s job for Buster Posey full-time. That will move Aubrey Huff (who had shifted to the outfield) to return to first base. However, I don’t see this as being the only domino for the Giants as we approach the trading deadline. It’s no secret that they are in need of offense, so trading one of their bats, no matter how badly he was struggling, doesn’t make much sense.

As far as fantasy value for Giants hitters, the move has little impact.  Posey was already eligible at catcher and playing more then enough to be viable. Yes, it guarantees that he stays in the lineup the rest of the way, but with the Giants looking for offense anywhere they can find it, that already should have been assumed.

As far as Molina goes, don’t be mistaken. He has been awful with the bat this season, hitting .257 with 3 HR, 17 RBI and 17 R in 202 AB, but the Rangers aren’t acquiring him to be a centerpiece of their offense (like he was viewed as for the Giants prior to the year). They don’t need significant production out of their catchers spot, though moving to Texas should do wonders for reinvigorating Molina. He’s likely to bat towards the bottom of the lineup and, in a hitter’s friendly park, could easily turn things around in a hurry.

Molina has had 15 or more home runs every season since 2005 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get there once again. He’s not going to help you in runs scored, but then again, how many catchers really do? If someone in your league gave up on him, I wouldn’t hesitate to grab him if you are thin at the position, even in one-catcher formats.  You will likely see an increase in both HR and RBI, making him more then worthy of use in all formats.

As for Ray, he wasn’t a major cog in the Rangers bullpen, though he should help the Giants to bridge the gap from their starting pitcher to Brian Wilson. The Rangers are deep in pitchers and his departure simply opens up a spot for one of their talented arms in the minor leagues.

What are your thoughts on the move?  Does Molina return to fantasy relevance or should he continue to be ignored?

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