2136 - Fantasy Questions of the AL East

Fantasy Baseball Live – October 29, 2023 @ 3 pmSegment 1 – World Series Discussion1.We are tied 1-1Segment 2 – Fantasy Questions of the AL East1.Baltimore Oriolesa.Put your GM cap on. Give me two moves that you would do to prevent the Orioles from going three and out in next year’s playoffs.i.Do the Orioles make the playoffs in 2024?b.Roster Resource has Jackson Holliday as the starting shortstop. Do you believe this will happen?c.Stat line for Jordan Westburg – AB, HR, SB, and BAd.Kyle Bradish is going as the 37th pitcher off the board (25th starter). Is this something that interest you? Too high? Too low?i.Is he someone you are personally interested in?e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)2.Boston Red Soxa.After some starts and stops, Jarren Duran was pretty good last season—.295/.346/.482 with 8 HRs and 24 SBs in only 362 plate appearances. Statcast shows above-average hard hit rates, elite speed but contact issues (25% K-Rate), and 6.6% BB-Rate. He also had a .381 BABIP.i.With all that, he’s the 45th outfielder off the board. Any interest as your #3 outfielder?b.Tristan Casas will hit ________________ home runs in 2024.c.I believe you mentioned that Brayan Bello is one of your targets this year. If so, what are you liking?d.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)3.New York Yankeesa.Anthony Volpe went 20-20 (21 HR and 24 SB), but he also hit .209 with a .283 OBP while striking out 28% of the time. He also posted a .259 BABIP. At 22, you have to consider him as a player who is still developing, and given how deep shortstop is, he’s only the 18th shortstop off the board.i.Would you take him as your MI? Would you wait and take him as your starting SS? Or, just avoid him? b.Over/Under 400 at-bats for Giancarlos Stanton? He is going as the 86th outfielder off the board. On the surface, this seems like value, but why do I have this “wasted pick” feeling? Your thoughts?c.Put your GM hat on. What three moves would you make for the Yankees to return to the playoffs?d.Michael King will finish as a top _______________ pitcher in fantasy baseball.i.He’s going as the 61st pitcher off the board or the 39th starter. Too rich for you, or are you taking the plunge?e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)4.Tampa Bay Raysa.Wander Franco – Over/Under 1 game played in 2024? If over, how many?b.Isaac Paredes was one of my sleepers last season, but I didn’t expect 31 home runs. In looking at the data, he’s a launch angle guy (22 degrees) but doesn’t hit the ball all that hard (6% hard-hit rate). He has a great strikeout rate (18.2%).i.Are you buying the 31 home runs? If not, how many are you penciling in?ii.He is going as the 23rd 3B off the board, so in early drafts, it doesn’t seem like people believe.c.Josh Lowe was great as a platoon player last season – 20 HR, 32 SB. Is that enough production to ignore the hit on Runs and RBIs you will take, although he had 83 RBIs last season?i.He is going as the 18th outfielder off the board.d.Shane Baz should be back early next season from TJS (surgery was on 9/24/22). Sneaky pick or somebody to ignore? 91st pitcher off the board (60th or so starter)e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)5.Toronto Blue Jaysa.Vlad is in a three-year decline in home runs (48, 32, and last year, 26) but is still only 25 (next season). He makes excellent contact (14.7% strikeout rate), with high-end exit velos and more launch than he ever had last season. i.He’s dropped down to the third round? Is there value there, or are you in the camp that he’s a good player but will not be a great player?b.Davis Schneider – stat line for 2024 – AB, BA, and HR.c.I felt Alejandro Kirk was an overdraft as a Top 5 catcher last season. This year, he’s hated and is going as the 25th catcher. Will you take a gamble with him as your second catcher?d.Alek Manoah – Over/under 20 starts in Toronto in 2024?e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)Close