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The first two weeks of the new season are in the book and already we have seen some thrilling highs. Week 2 was ushered in by the first no-hitter of the season. Wednesday night saw the stars of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides shine in a 26-run explosion, begging the question of how much longer can the Orioles wait until they call up their prized prospects.
As the week drew on the news cycle turned sour. The latest details of the Athletics’ relocation saga were announced. The maligned franchise will be departing Oakland in 2025 after all, but before they shuffle off to Las Vegas, their new home for the next three years will be a minor league stadium in West Sacramento.
In this series on RotoBaller, I take a look at the news from the week that was and offer some thoughts on how it might affect fantasy baseball going forward. You can also keep tabs on the latest happenings in Major League Baseball as it happens at our fantasy baseball news feed. Without further ado, let's get into the news from Week 2 of the MLB season.
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Ronel Blanco No-No
On April 1, Ronel Blanco made good on the opportunity given him in the wake of injuries that thinned the Astros’ rotation coming into the season. In just his eighth start in the majors, the 30-year-old spun the first no-hitter of 2024 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Blanco threw 105 pitches that night and induced 20 swings and misses.
NO-HITTER!!!
Ronel Blanco throws a no-hitter in his eighth career start! pic.twitter.com/6Yj8yufOps
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 2, 2024
Blanco got the news that he would be part of the rotation only a week prior. On March 26, just hours after the birth of his daughter, the right-hander took the mound one last time before the regular season got underway. Blanco struck out 10 in 4 1/3 innings and when manager Joe Espada came out to relieve him, he delivered the news that the career minor leaguer would be on the Astros’ opening roster as a starter.
Fantasy Impact:
Naturally, Blanco became one of the most added players in fantasy baseball overnight. My initial draft beseeched managers to remember there's no credit given for past accomplishments and Monday's performance was the high-water mark of his season. So of course Blanco followed up by taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning on Sunday night against the Rangers before finally allowing a single to Adonis Garcia. So is Blanco for real? Interested parties should add if they still have a chance.
Per the RotoBaller Pitcher Planner tool, Blanco is lined up for another start against Texas and then one against Atlanta. Finding further success against those outstanding offenses will prove his worth but by then he will not be available on the waiver wire. Those with shares in Blanco also need to keep tabs on Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy, both of whom could come off the injured list in the next few weeks and threaten Blanco's place in Houston's rotation.
Rising Tides
On Wednesday night, the Triple-A Norfolk Tides had a record-setting game, recording the most runs and hits in team history. The Orioles’ affiliate scored 26 runs on 29 hits in their win over the Charlotte Knights.
Outfielder Kyle Stowers hit three home runs and a double in the game, racking up seven RBI. Heston Kjerstad plated 10 runs of his own on five hits. And leadoff man Jackson Holliday went 4-for-6 with two walks, with a team-high five runs scored.
While the production in this game was absurd, it was not far from the course already charted by the phenomenal group of prospects this season. The Tides have had double-digit run totals in six of their first seven wins, scored nine in the other, and even managed to put up seven runs in one of their two losses thus far. Through the first nine games of their season, the Tides have scored 100 runs and have a team OPS of 1.104.
Fantasy Impact:
The early successes of the Orioles’ top prospects have increased pressure on the club to call up their rising stars. Complicating matters is the fact that the parent club already has a deep squad and wouldn't have an immediate opening for anyone brought up. If a promotion was made, the ensuing logjam would mean more platoon options and reduced productivity for all involved.
However, the players at the cusp of being called up have nothing left to prove in the minors. At some point, the O's will have to move some veterans to make space for their budding talent. Hopefully, they can work something out and we will be treated to a youth movement in Baltimore a la Cincinnati’s 2023 pivot to letting the kids play. It would be wise to keep track of their transactions as any promotion would be pounced upon by managers in need of a boost on offense.
Oakland Triple-A’s
On April 4 press gathered at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for the announcement by Athletics’ top brass that the team would be moving to the Triple-A venue next season. After failing to reach an agreement with the city that would extend their lease at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the A’s will be leaving their home of the last 57 years.
The plan is that the Athletics will spend the next three seasons at the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats with an option to stay in 2028. If owner John Fisher is to be believed, the move will allow for a new stadium to be built in Las Vegas before the A’s complete that relocation. By staying within the region the team should retain most of the TV rights fees they were counting on in the coming years.
John Fisher made a rare public appearance to announce the A's temporary move to Sacramento, then left without taking questions.
🎥@NBCSAthletics pic.twitter.com/u0dvtjOrwW
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 4, 2024
Fantasy Impact:
None, for now, so I’m going to use this space to join the chorus of those decrying the move and the ownership group in general. Fisher has been negotiating in bad faith for years. Pulling up stakes for a stopover in Sacramento on the way to Las Vegas underscores the already conspicuous cash grab he is attempting.
I grew up in the Bay Area and while I don’t count myself as an A’s fan I have fond memories of the team and its stadium. My first baseball game was at the Coliseum and Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco were among my first favorite players. It is strange and sad to think of the Coliseum sitting empty alongside I-880, absent its team and their raucous home crowd. When news started coming out on Thursday morning it felt like a punch in the gut. I can't imagine how Athletics fans must feel right now.
The fans in Oakland and the people whose livelihoods depend on the A’s being in Oakland deserve better. Fisher spent years running his team into the ground and neglecting the Coliseum while still participating in revenue sharing. To now ditch Oakland for a 10,000-seat minor league stadium is beyond the pale. Hopefully, MLB wakes up and forces a sale before any of this can come to pass and we never hear from Fisher or team president Dave Kaval ever again.
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