RADIO
We are just a couple of weeks into the MLB season, and injuries remain a huge problem for many fantasy baseball managers. Spencer Strider (elbow) will be out for the entire year, while Gerrit Cole (elbow) will be out through at least May. Even players like Christian Yelich (back), Luis Robert Jr. (hip), and Seiya Suzuki (oblique) find themselves on the injured list early in the season.
As a result, it might be hard for fantasy managers to navigate their current roster. That's why now is the perfect time to start making trades. Even if your team isn't dealing with many injuries in the first three weeks of the season, you should still be looking to upgrade your team.
In this article, I will list five players you should be looking to buy low or sell high on heading into Week 4. So, let's dive in and see which players make this list.
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Undervalued Players to Trade for
OF Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was on this buy-low list two weeks ago, and he now makes another appearance because fantasy managers are growing impatient with him. According to the Yahoo database, he is the most traded player this week.
Some of those trades that have gone through for Rodriguez in Yahoo leagues are certainly questionable. One fantasy manager traded away the All-Star outfielder for Matt Chapman and Teoscar Hernandez. Another fantasy manager acquired Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Javier Assad for the Mariners star. Real panic is setting in for those who own the 23-year-old.
Julio Rodríguez may be off to a slow start at the plate, but his glove is alive and well.
The leaping grab in the gap had just a 5% catch probability, per Statcast, after he covered 93 feet in 4.9 seconds ... And the throw to nab Elly De La Cruz was delivered at 89.5 mph. pic.twitter.com/NXZnAoz5cd
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) April 17, 2024
However, be patient with Rodriguez as he works his way through a couple of things at the plate. Yes, he is off to a dreadful start, hitting just .219 with zero home runs, five RBI, and a 34.6% strikeout rate. But the slow start is nothing new for the two-time Silver Slugger winner. In 2023, the outfielder was hitting just .204 with six HRs and 15 RBI in the first 34 games of the year. Then, in his rookie campaign, he had a .188 batting average with just six RBI through 17 games.
In both seasons, though, Rodriguez had a strong second half, especially in 2023. In the final 76 games of last year, he hit .308 at the plate with 19 HRs, 60 RBI, 23 doubles, and 18 stolen bases. The slow start might be rough for fantasy managers right now, so try to acquire him before he pops off. There's a reason why he went in the first round of the fantasy leagues this season, and you can acquire a talent like that at a huge discount.
OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
Unsurprisingly, Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford has hit a slight rookie wall. Sometimes that rookie wall occurs later in the year, but for Langford, it has happened right out of the gate. He has yet to hit a home run and has struggled at times at the plate. It hasn't been terrible results from the outfielder -- who is hitting .254 with nine RBI -- but fantasy managers likely expected more right away.
As a result, if a fantasy manager has not been impressed with Langford in the early going, try to make a move for the 22-year-old. While the power hasn't quite been there yet, he has had a great eye at the plate through his first 18 games. His whiff rate (19.7%), chase rate (21.3%), and strikeout rate (18.4%) all rank pretty well so far.
The sky is the limit for Langford in his first year, and now is the time to trade for him before his homers start to come in bunches. When that eventually happens, it will be impossible to trade for him.
1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
Trading for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is a bit riskier than the first two on this list. Goldschmidt is off to a dreadful start, hitting just .182 with one home run, seven RBI, and 22 strikeouts. He hasn't had an extra-base hit since Opening Day and looks lost at the plate.
However, I'm going to bet on his experience and believe he will figure it out as the season progresses. Goldschmidt hasn't started the season this poorly ever in his career, but his splits in March/April are the worst of any month. He has a career .273 average with 47 HRs, 174 RBI, and 61 doubles during those months. That .273 average and 174 RBI are the second fewest in any month, while his 47 HRs and 61 doubles are the fewest.
We are seeing Paul Goldschmidt show his age...for the first time ever. The 36-yr-old has a -0.4 fWAR, 54 wRC+, .182 BA through 18 games. Early trade candidate.
— Discuss Baseball (@discussbaseball) April 18, 2024
It's not a great sign to see Goldschmidt struggle all spring and now into the regular season. His metrics are also not encouraging, as his expected batting average (.220), expected slugging (.298), and average exit velocity (87.1 mph) all rank in the bottom half of the league. Nonetheless, you can likely acquire the former MVP for really cheap, so he's certainly worth the shot.
Overvalued Players to Trade Away
OF Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is off to a blistering start in 2024. He's hitting .296 with six HRs, 21 RBI, and two doubles across 19 games. The metrics also support Ward's strong start, as his expected batting average (.319), expected slugging (.589), and sweet spot rate (50.8%) all rank in the 90th percentile or better to begin the year.
The potential has always been there for Ward to succeed. Just two years ago, he hit .283 with 23 HRs, 65 RBI, and 22 doubles in a career year. An injury-riddled 2023 campaign, though, hurt his overall numbers last season. Now, the outfielder is seeing the ball better than anyone in the league. He currently has the second-most RBI (21) through three weeks.
Nevertheless, despite all the great numbers in the early going, Ward is a player you should be looking to sell high. For starters, he has only been able to play over 100 games in a season once over his career (2022). Also, it would be a shock to see him keep up this pace at the plate. That's why packaging him with another player to upgrade your team -- possibly to acquire Rodriguez -- could be a league-winning move.
SP Jose Berrios, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios has delivered a quality start in all four of his outings in 2024 so far. Berrios has allowed just three earned runs with 21 strikeouts across 25.2 innings pitched (1.05 ERA). The right-hander could not have begun the year any better on the mound.
The results have been great from Berrios through four outings, but the metrics don't fully support his strong start. His expected ERA (4.43), average exit velocity on balls in play (90.8 mph), hard-hit rate (50%), and strikeout rate (21.2%) all rank in the bottom half of the league through three weeks. If that trend continues, there's a strong chance some rough outings could be on the horizon for the 29-year-old.
2024 AL ERA Leaders
Kutter Crawford (0.42)
Ronel Blanco (0.86)
José Berríos (1.05)
Seth Lugo (1.05)All Leaders: https://t.co/moXSTTYNyO pic.twitter.com/TArJRgVOo5
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) April 18, 2024
Berrios has been one of the most consistent pitchers over most of his career with a 4.01 ERA and 957 strikeouts since 2017. That gives the right-hander a steady floor in fantasy. However, he doesn't have the biggest upside -- despite his strong start to the year. With some luck on his side in the early going, look to trade the Blue Jays pitcher away.
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