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It happens every year. For numerous reasons, including free agency, impending free agency, teams heading in new directions, or just plain old chemistry issues, players move from team to team. From the Yankees buying Babe Ruth to the Angels signing Josh Hamilton, we’ve seen these moves work out in all sorts of different ways.
Now its time to once again predict how some of these will work out. There were plenty of candidates, but here are four of the most intriguing hitters to switch teams heading into the 2016 MLB season.
New Scene: What Does It Mean?
The six-year veteran outfielder remains in the NL Central, but is gone from the St. Louis Cardinals after signing an eight-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. Heyward hit a career-best .293 last season, driving in 79 runs and swiping 23 bases. A career .311 hitter at Wrigley Field, Heyward now finds himself arguably in the best lineup he’s ever hit on, which will spell good things for his fantasy owners. He figures to be hitting second in Chicago’s lineup, which will provide him with plenty of protection and plenty of chances to produce.
So, to summarize: Heyward will remain in a division that brought him his best hitting season yet, but will now be hitting in a much deeper lineup, playing half of his games at a stadium in which he hits .311 lifetime. Heyward projects to be one of the strongest second outfield options, potentially a sleeper based on where draft rankings currently have him positioned.
Like Heyward, Upton left his previous team after just one year, exiting San Diego for Detroit with a six-year deal. He’s become a very reliable hitter, having played in at least 149 games in each of the last five years. Last season, he went back to stealing bases, swiping 19 for his highest total since 2011. Now, Upton has departed for the American League and the Tigers, who feature a solid lineup with the likes of Ian Kinsler, J.D. and Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera.
Upton will now hit in a stronger lineup, and has the chance to play even more games now that the DH option is in play. Expect him to remain a 20 HR/20 SB threat with more lineup protection. This spells an early draft exit for Upton, with a slight chance of being a first outfield option.
On the verge of turning 31, Murphy, like Jason Heyward, remained in the same division, leaving the Mets to sign with the Washington Nationals. A lifetime .294 hitter at Nationals Park, Murphy has developed into a consistent hitter with a batting average in the .280s, an RBI total in the 60s-70s, and a chance of hitting 10-15 HR. Although playing half of his games at Nationals Park definitely boosts his chances of increasing his batting average, the fact that he’ll be facing the powerful Mets rotation now may hurt him as well. Will these two factors balance out, leaving him to remain hitting at the standards he’s set?
One thing Murphy must do is keep his K% down after finishing with a career-best 7.1% last year. Chances are that won’t happen, but Murphy’s value shouldn’t be too diminished. What may ultimately be the deciding factor for Murphy is lineup position. With a history of hitting in the third spot in the order, he’ll have to grow accustomed to hitting elsewhere, as the spot belongs to Bryce Harper in Washington.
At this point, Murphy could very well be settling into the fifth spot, behind Harper and Ryan Zimmerman. This could result in more RBI opportunities for him. Murphy’s versatility makes him even more attractive, as he possesses the ability to play multiple positions in the infield. He should remain a worthy fantasy option, projected to be drafted in the later rounds.
Frazier, like Upton, will move to the American League for the first time in his career. After five successful years in Cincinnati that saw him selected to two All-Star games, Frazier arrives in Chicago following a career year. The season was a tale of two halves, however, as he struggled down the stretch, hitting .220 in the second half of the season after hitting .284 before the break. Still, he hit 35 HR to go with 89 RBI, both career highs.
U.S. Cellular Field, his new home park, won’t be an issue when it comes to home runs, as it ranks right behind his former home stadium in the top 10 HR park factors of 2015. Perhaps the biggest hint that Frazier’s new destination will result in further success is team ERA. Last year, the top three MLB teams in ERA were the Cubs, Cardinals and Pirates. Of course, all three play in the NL Central, where Frazier’s Reds finished last.
His new division featured just one team in the top 10 of the category, the Cleveland Indians. As we all know, there were changes and transactions, but for the most part, these pitching staffs remain the same, meaning Frazier enters a better hitting situation. Don’t count on Frazier falling off; instead, expect a HR total once again in the 30s with his RBI total again surpassing the 80 mark.
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