The first month of baseball is nearly in the books, which means how a player has performed in the season so far begins to carry some weight. Some fantasy players will be quick to jump on a player on fire, and quick to trade one who is struggling. Be sure to keep an eye on these guys or gals in your league, and be sure to pounce.
Buying high and selling low are two things you want to avoid, even if you are in dire need. Be sure to check the waiver wire as well.
Each week, XN Sports will have a Buys and Sells column, describing a few players to go after, or to get rid of. We all know to buy low and sell high, but are there players that are worth buying high or selling low? Each week we’ll get into that, and explain why to buy or sell.
This week’s edition of Buys and Sells:
Buy High
Ervin Santana, Atlanta Braves
Santana is another guy we detailed as a sleeper to add before the season here. Buying high is never a great thing to do in a market-based competition, but in Santana’s case it is a good idea. So far this season, Santana has 21 innings pitched, has only allowed 17 base runners and struck out 24 hitters. In addition he has only allowed two earned runs for an ERA of 0.81. Now, why would you trade for him with his stock so high? In his career pitching in NL East ballparks, Santana has allowed nine earned runs. Just nine runs in 45 innings for a staggering ERA of 1.80. Considering he will get around 15 starts against the NL East, and around 18 at home, Santana is primed for a great season. Get him if you can.
Buy Low
Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
Buying low has helped fantasy players for years. Whether it has been an overreacting trade, or a terrible judgement of a player’s slump, buying low is one of the keys to success as a fantasy player. Last year it was Jason Kipnis, who struggled mightily before dominating the second half of the season as a top five fantasy second baseman. Could this year’s Kipnis be his teammate in Carlos Santana? So far this season, Santana is hitting .130 with just one home run and three runs batted in. He is not getting the job done, but he will get better. Last season Santana hit .268 with 20 home runs and 74 runs batted in as a catcher. His current production will ascend, drastically. Get him from a league mate who will overreact to his slow start.
Sell High
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Yes, it will sting to read this for those who have shares in Blackmon, but his value will never be higher. Currently he is hitting .410 with five home runs, six stolen bases, 16 runs batted in and and an National League-leading 19 runs scored. Why trade him? Someone who is struggling at the moment, maybe with injuries will pay big for a player like Blackmon. If you can trade him for a star, as some people have been trying to do, he is well worth the deal. Blackmon is a 27-year old who only had 450 major league at-bats before this season, and his BABIP is an outrageous .391, meaning over 39 percent of the balls he has put in play have resulted in hits. That number is his career high, and with a overly high BABIP, it signifies a drop in average is just on the horizon. Sell high.
Sell Low
David Freese, Arizona Diamondbacks
Selling low is one of the most unfortunate things a fantasy baseball player can do, because it means that you are getting much less than what you would have liked. But sometimes a player just does not have value anymore, regardless of outside factors. If you can get anything for these guys, it is too late. This week’s sell low option is David Freese. A lot of people had Freese rated highly this season, and in an Angels lineup, it was hard to avoid liking him in the late rounds. But, so far this season Freese is hitting .145 with just one home run. That is not cutting it, and considering he is likely clogging up room on your roster, trade him for anything you can. Maybe there is a Cardinals fan who has a soft spot for him, maybe someone has high expectations for him still. Find that owner and trade Freese away before it is too late.
