We are at the point of the fantasy baseball season where trades are very important. With MLB season in full swing, there are fewer players to grab on waivers, especially in deeper leagues. That means trading might be one of the only ways to improve your team.
Not only can trades improve your team for the coming weeks, but sometimes, buying low on certain players can help you win a fantasy championship in September. Also, trading away players who are overperforming could be another smart move by fantasy managers.
So, here are five players to trade for or away heading into Week 13 of the fantasy baseball season (June 17 to June 23).
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Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade For
3B Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
Will it be easy to trade for Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley? Probably not, but there are fantasy managers who might be willing to trade him after a rough year at the plate. Riley is currently hitting .225 with just three home runs, 10 doubles, and 20 RBI across 52 games this season. Those poor numbers are surely unusual for the 27-year-old.
He has been one of Atlanta's best hitters over the past few years, totaling over 30 HRs and 90 RBI in three straight seasons. 2024, though, has been a different story, as Riley is on pace for just seven HRs and 50 RBI. However, he is absolutely someone who fantasy managers should be prioritizing in trades.
Austin Riley is now 220 PAs (200 ABs) into the season, and the #Braves 3B is hitting .225 with 3 HRs, 20 RBIs, .340 slugging, .635 OPS & 81 OPS+
This from a guy who, over the previous 3 seasons, hit .286 w/ .525 slugging, .878 OPS and 134 OPS+ while averaging 36 homers & 99 RBIs
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 12, 2024
For starters, the talent is there for him to eventually turn it around at the plate. There are also signs that point to it happening. His hard-hit rate (48.3%), barrel rate (10.7%), and average exit velocity (91.2 mph) all rank pretty well. While the start of his season has not gone to plan, his bat will heat up as the summer months come. Trade for him now because he's too talented not to figure things out.
SP Zach Eflin, Tampa Bay Rays
Fantasy managers might have expected more out of Tampa Bay Rays starter Zach Eflin to begin the year. He spent time on the injured list with a back issue, and his 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings are on pace to be his lowest since the 2017 campaign. However, it hasn't been all bad for Eflin in 2024.
The right-hander is walking batters at a record-low pace this year, and his expected ERA (3.46) is 60 points lower than what his ERA currently sits at (4.06). That means Eflin has gotten a little bit unlucky on the mound through the first couple of months. The veteran has also issued zero walks in six straight starts and in nine of his past 10 outings, so there are some positives going for him as we enter the middle of June.
Want to clear this up with fans of #MLB who may not realize this because of views on #Rays: Zach Eflin remains one of 10 most productive SP in the league right now. Attached are top 9 in fWAR from 2023 through 2024 to this point. If he's on market, he has very significant value. pic.twitter.com/RIi60EcFg8
— Mat Germain (@Mat_Germain_) June 13, 2024
With those stats in mind, fantasy managers should be confident in trading for Eflin. While he won't strike out a ton of batters, his ability to go deep into games will help him produce solid fantasy numbers. The right-hander has pitched into the sixth inning in nine of his 12 starts this season. Given his proven track record, he is a strong trade target heading into Week 13.
SP Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins
Those who drafted Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober likely selected him for his consistency. Ober finished with a 3.21 ERA in 11 starts in 2022 and a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts last year. However, the right-hander has been anything but consistent to start the 2024 campaign.
Ober currently owns a 5.13 ERA across his first 13 starts. The 28-year-old has also struggled mightily as of late, giving up at least three earned runs in four of his past five outings. In those last five starts, the Twins pitcher has allowed 20 runs and 10 walks with just 20 strikeouts across 23 2/3 innings pitched (7.61 ERA).
Despite his rough stretch, though, he is a great buy-low target heading into Week 13, especially with plenty of easy matchups upcoming. He is lined up to face the Oakland A's (Week 13), Arizona Diamondbacks (Week 14), Detroit Tigers (Week 15), and Chicago White Sox (Week 16) over his next four starts. So, the right-hander could see some success on the mound very soon. That's why now is the best time to buy him in fantasy.
Overvalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade Away
SP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
There are not many negative things to say about Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet. He has been one of the White Sox's few bright spots this season and has really pitched like an ace on the mound.
After throwing seven innings of one-run ball with 13 strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, Crochet lowered his ERA to 3.16 ERA on the year. The left-hander is also tied with Tyler Glasnow for the league lead in strikeouts with 116. It has been great to watch the 24-year-old finally show his potential while pitching like one of the best starters in baseball. He has given up two earned runs or less in nine straight outings.
Garrett Crochet has 116 strikeouts this season, tied for the Major League lead.
His 12.63 K/9 leads all qualified pitchers. pic.twitter.com/BjTZNxjHHS
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2024
However, the reason why I am willing to deal Crochet away in fantasy is due to a potential innings limit later in the year. As great as it has been to watch the southpaw in 2024, an innings limit should be on every fantasy manager's mind. His career high in innings pitched is just 65, which he set back in his sophomore campaign at Clemson in 2019.
Since that sophomore season, Crochet threw 9 1/3 innings in 2020, 54 1/3 innings in 2021, zero innings in 2022 due to Tommy John surgery, and 25 innings last season. The left-hander is already at 82 2/3 innings pitched in the middle of June. Whether the White Sox decide to trade him or not at the deadline, there is no way that the 24-year-old will be able to keep up this workload. With this in mind, fantasy managers should trade him away immediately while his value is this high.
OF Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants
Since making his season debut on May 8, San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Ramos is currently hitting .305 with six HRs, five doubles, and 24 RBI across 32 games this season. The 24-year-old has also earned an everyday role in San Francisco's lineup.
Nevertheless, now might be the best time to trade away Ramos while he is smashing the ball at a high level. It's likely going to be hard for some fantasy managers to part ways with the young outfielder, considering the way he is currently hitting. But as teams get more data on the 24-year-old, his stats will eventually drop. His strikeout rate (29.6%) and whiff rate (32.3%) also rank extremely poor.
As a result, managers should be looking to trade him away while his value is this high. Ramos has produced solid numbers over the past month, and there should be enough interest from others to get a solid player in return.
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