Thairo Estrada 2024 Outlook: Don’t Overpay For Underwhelming Talent
Thairo Estrada finished 2023 with a .271 batting average, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, 63 runs, and 23 stolen bases. His season was interrupted by injuries that limited him to 120 games, including a hand fracture that took him out of action for a month after getting hit by a pitch on July 3. Estrada's batting average was buoyed by a .331 BABIP and his average exit velocity of 85.9 MPH ranked him in the fourth percentile of qualified major leaguers. His walk rate decreased from 6.1% in 2022 to 4.2%, putting him in the third percentile of that category. He is projected to hit second in the Giants' lineup in 2024 but he will not last long there if he cannot get on base. Another 20-steal season is in reach, and he has eligibility at three positions (2B, SS, and OF) but that is where Estrada's fantasy appeal ends. Taking a chance on Estrada at his 144.3 ADP is unnecessary when there are plenty of other second basemen that fit his profile available further down the board.
San Francisco Giants infielder
Thairo Estrada Doing Baseball Activities
Thairo Estrada (wrist) is doing fielding drills and light swinging of the bat, according to manager Bud Black. Estrada remains on the 60-day injured list (retroactive to March 24) after fracturing his right wrist in spring training, and there is no specific timetable for his return. At the very least, Estrada will remain on the shelf until late May, and it might not be until June when we see him make his 2025 debut. The 29-year-old Venezuelan infielder will eventually need to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Rockies' big-league roster. When healthy, he's expected to be Colorado's primary second baseman despite hitting .217/.247/.343 with nine homers and 47 RBI in 96 games for the Giants in 2024 before being cut. Estrada had 28 homers, 44 steals and 111 RBI in 2022-23 in San Fran and has enough contact skills to be a waiver-wire sleeper in deeper fantasy leagues when he's back.
Source: MLB.com
Colorado Rockies infielder Source: MLB.com
Thairo Estrada To Miss 4-8 Weeks With Broken Wrist
Thairo Estrada (wrist) will miss four to eight weeks with a broken right wrist that he suffered when he was hit by Texas Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker in Cactus League action on Thursday night. Estrada will get another X-ray in around four weeks. With the 29-year-old now out for the foreseeable future, the Rockies plan to use Kyle Farmer at the keystone to open the season. This is obviously a big blow for Estrada's fantasy value in NL-only leagues to begin the 2025 campaign. Farmer, 34, will see a notable boost in deep-mixed and NL-only formats with additional playing time, but don't expect a ton. He's a .250/.310/.391 career hitter in eight MLB seasons and batted just .214 (46-for-215) with five homers, 25 RBI and 49 strikeouts in 242 plate appearances with the Twins in 2024.
Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said that second baseman Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harding
Thairo Estrada Removed From Saturday's Contest
Thairo Estrada (head) was removed early from Saturday's spring training contest. Estrada's head was hit by an opponent's inadvertent foot during a tag play. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team may opt to keep him sidelined for a few games out of precaution. Estrada is slated to be Colorado's everyday second baseman. Earlier in the offseason, he inked a one-year deal with the Rockies worth $3.25 million. Last season, the 29-year-old had one of his worst offensive outputs as he posted an underwhelming .217/.247/.343 line with 15 doubles and nine home runs across 96 games. He swiped two bags and held a solid 19.9 percent strikeout rate. In 2023, Estrada posted a .271/.315/.416 line. He is worth a look as a late-round middle infielder as he looks to bounce back in Colorado.
Source: Thomas Harding
Colorado Rockies second baseman Source: Thomas Harding
Thairo Estrada Signs One-Year Deal With Colorado
Thairo Estrada to a one-year contract. Estrada has spent each of his past four seasons playing with the San Francisco Giants. Last season, the 28-year-old held a disappointing .217/.247/.343 slash line, which was a stark drop compared to the solid .271/.315/.416 line he posted in the 2023 campaign. In addition, during the 2023 season, he hit 14 home runs and swiped 23 bags while he hit just nine home runs and had two stolen bases last summer. Under the hood, Estrada generated a weak 31.7% hard-hit rate and 4.8% barrel rate. Despite his drop in production last season, Estrada could be an intriguing late-round flier in deeper formats, as he will be playing in a positive fantasy environment in Coors Field and could be set up well for a nice bounce-back campaign as a regular.
Source: Mark Feinsand
According to Mark Feinsand of the MLB Network, the Colorado Rockies have signed free-agent infielder Source: Mark Feinsand
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