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It's crazy that we are already more than halfway done with the MLB regular season. With the All-Star break now officially over, it's time to help your fantasy team get to the playoffs by buying low or selling high on certain players.
Since the beginning of this week had no games, I will be looking at the best buy-low and sell-high players from the first half of the season. The buy-low candidates on this list are players who have shown some great things this year but have struggled over the past month. The sell-high candidates are players who are currently overvalued in fantasy right now.
So, without further ado, here are the best buy-low and sell-high players heading into Week 18.
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Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade For
OF Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
For those who drafted Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez in the first round of fantasy drafts, it has been a rough four months rostering him. He is batting just .267 with 10 home runs, nine doubles, and 35 RBI through 97 games this season. After hitting 32 HRs and driving in 103 runs in 2023, Rodriguez has failed to build on that strong campaign.
However, for those who don't own the 23-year-old in fantasy, try to trade for him before the weekend is up. Rodriguez has been known as a second-half hitter over his short career, and that should be no different this year. In 2022, the young outfielder hit .303 with 12 HRs, seven doubles, and 23 RBI over the final 41 games. Then, last year, he hit .308 with 19 HRs, 19 doubles, and 54 RBI in 68 games after the All-Star break.
Nobody said it was gonna be easy… Let’s keep going!🙋🏽♂️
— Julio Rodriguez🇩🇴🦁 (@JRODshow44) July 17, 2024
Don't forget, Rodriguez was hitting a mere .249 before the All-Star break last year and then got hot in the second half. That same scenario could play out for the Mariners star this season, as there are signs that point to him picking it up at the plate.
His expected batting average (.280), expected slugging (.458), average exit velocity (91.4 mph), and hard-hit rate (47.7%) all rank in the top half of the league. Rodriguez also ended the first half with some momentum after going 13-for-22 (.591 average) with two HRs, two doubles, and five RBI over the final six games. Given the 23-year-old's track record in the second half, it would be wise to trade for him immediately.
SP Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez was the best pitcher in baseball across the first three months of the season. He had a 10-1 record with a 1.75 ERA and 95 strikeouts in his first 15 starts. Suarez was also holding opposing hitters to a .191 batting average during that stretch.
However, the left-hander didn't end the first half on a strong note. He gave up at least four earned runs in three of his final four starts while giving up a season-high six runs on 10 hits against the Miami Marlins on June 30. Unfortunately, those last four outings dropped Suarez's ERA by 101 points from 1.75 to 2.76.
Ranger Suárez, Painted 90mph Sinker. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/DMODQrQhWf
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 12, 2024
It has been a rough few weeks for the southpaw, but fantasy managers should take advantage of this opportunity and trade for him before his next start. His metrics across the board are encouraging -- even despite this rough stretch -- which is a great sign to see. His expected ERA (3.80), average exit velocity (87.5 mph), strikeout rate (24.5%), and walk rate (5.7%) all rank pretty well.
As a result, see what it would take to acquire Suarez right now. He'll be getting back his catcher in J.T. Realmuto in the coming days, which is bigger than people might think. The left-hander has a 1.81 ERA in 13 starts with Realmuto as his catcher this season. With the extended time off, look for the 28-year-old to get back in a groove on the mound.
Overvalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade Away
SP/RP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
This is not the first time Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet has been on this list. With the All-Star break now over, Crochet is the biggest sell-high piece in fantasy right now.
It's going to be hard for most fantasy managers to trade away the southpaw because he has been so good this season. He currently owns a 3.02 ERA and 150 strikeouts across 20 starts in 2024. Those 150 strikeouts also lead the league, so it surely won't be easy to trade away a pitcher of this caliber.
Nevertheless, there is no way the White Sox, or any team that trades for him, will be allowing him to throw 85 to 90 pitches every start in the second half. From 2020 to 2023, Crochet only threw a combined 88 2/3 innings. Over the past two years, he has thrown just 25 total innings. As a result, seeing the left-hander already up to 107 1/3 innings pitched this season is definitely worrisome.
Garrett Crochet held it down in his All-Star Game debut 🔥
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
18 pitches - 12 strikes (2 swinging)
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) July 17, 2024
No one knows what the White Sox plan to do with Crochet at the deadline. If they keep him, they will limit his innings and could even skip a couple of his starts since they will be playing for basically nothing down the stretch. If he does get traded to a contender, it would be hard to envision him seeing a full workload. That contending team will want to save his arm for the postseason.
So, it's basically a lose-lose situation for the southpaw, making him a sell-high candidate heading into Week 18.
OF Brent Rooker, Oakland A's
Oakland A's outfielder Brent Rooker has been on a tear at the plate this season and was definitely snubbed from being an All-Star. Rooker is currently hitting .291 with 21 HRs, 18 doubles, and 62 RBI across 83 games in 2024. Despite those solid numbers, though, fantasy managers should be looking to sell him.
There aren't many negative things to say about Rooker this year, as his metrics across the board rank extremely high. However, he is overvalued in fantasy heading into Week 18. Over the past 30 days, he has scored the fourth-most fantasy points in standard Yahoo! leagues. It would be just shocking to see the 29-year-old keep up this fantasy pace for the rest of the year.
So, it might be smart to trade him away while his value is this high. Rooker should continue to put up solid numbers at the plate this season. Nonetheless, if you can somehow package him and another player to get a star like Fernando Tatis Jr. or Matt Olson, you should take that 10 out of 10 times. That's why managers should test the trade market on the A's outfielder, especially after his two-homer game on the final day before the All-Star break.
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