2148 - Fantasy Questions of the AL Central

Fantasy Baseball Live – November 19, 2023 @ 3 pm ETSegment 1 – News and Notes1.The Braves trade Kyle Wright to the Royals for Jackson Kowar. Wright will miss most of the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery and is a long-term play for the Royals. He will be under team control for 2025 and 26. Jackson Kowar hasn’t developed.a.Your thoughts on the trade?2.The Marlins acquired Vidal Brujan and RHP Calvin Faucher from the Rays for IF Erick Lara and RHP Andrew Lindsey. Brujan is the name here and brings big speed. Will he get enough playing time in Miami to warrant any interest?a.Don’t dismiss Lara. He’s a 17-year-old kid who played well in the DSL, walking nearly as much as he struck out with a little bit of speed and power.b.Lindsey was the Marlins fifth-round pick last July and was the University of Tennessee Friday Night starter. His fastball is up to 98 with a plus slider. He did turn 24 last week and has only pitched in the Complex League. He should be watched very closely. 3.The Braves acquired Aaron Bummer from the White Sox for five players. The five players going back to the White Sox are RHP Mike Soroka, LHP Jared Shuster, MI Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake, and RHP Riley Gowens.a.On the surface, it looks like a lot for Bummer, but he’s controllable for three years, and his stuff is better than you think. He’s a sinkerballer with an xSLG of .386 despite an SLG of 452. His signature pitch is his sweeper, and it’s one of the best in baseball. It’s a good arm.b.In return, the White Sox get a lot of famous guys, but all of them have hair on them. Soroka has never stayed healthy. Jared Shuster was a top-ranked prospect until we got a look at his Statcast data. It’s not great with a below-average fastball and two solid but unspectacular secondary pitches in his cutter and change-up.c.Braden Shewmake might be the most interesting of the bunch. He makes great contact with plus speed (27 SB in Triple-A) with a little bit of power. He can play both second and short and might get a shot at short if Colson Montgomery needs more grooming in the minor leagues.4.The Rockies acquired Cal Quantrill from the Guardians. He was one of your sleepers last year. I’m going out on a limb and thinking…not so much for 2024.5.A bunch of players were non-tendered over the weekend.a.Brandon Woodruff – shoulder issuesb.Nick Senzel – Is he any good?c.Danny Vogelbach – The Mets fans are surely pleased.Segment 2 – Fantasy questions of the AL Central1.Chicago White Soxa.I think it’s safe to say that Oscar Colas did not set the world on fire in 2023. He hit .216 with a .257 OBP. He does hit the ball hard (114 max exit velo) but has never had great leverage in his swing. Of course, he’s also never walked. i.He’s going as the 120th outfielder off the board. Pick 537. Any interest?b.Who will you be suggesting for saves in Chicago this season? i.How many?c.Dylan Cease – Stat line for 2024. IP, wins, Ks, and ERA.i.Which team does he start the 2024 season, and which does he end the season with?d.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)2.Cleveland Guardiansa.The Guardians recently acquired Ramon Laureano. He doesn’t appear to be the high-contact player that like to roster, yet he is the starting right fielder. Over/Under 400 Abs.b.Stat line for Kyle Manzardo. AB, HR, BA, RBI.c.Bo Naylor is going as the 12th catcher off the board. He will finish the season as the _______ catcher in fantasy baseball.d.Triston McKenzie only started four games last season and is going 90th pitcher off the board…call it 60th starter. Did you think there is sneaky value there?e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)3.Detroit Tigersa.True or False. Riley Greene will have a breakout season in 2024.b.Javier Baez is signed for another four years and $98 million. No question…just an observation.c.Kerry Carpenter is going as a number three outfielder (43). Early drafters must think there is more in the tank than 20 home runs. What say you?d.Who would you rather have, Reese Olson at pick 252 or Sawyer Gibson-Long at pick 321?e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)4.Kansas City Royalsa.Vinnie P. should be back in 2024. He is going as the 17th first baseman off the board. Is there value there or is there too much risk?b.Will Eddie Olivares break my heart again? I’m thinking 15-15 with a .260 to .270 average? He did 12-11 last year in 385 Pas.c.Cole Ragans has flown up draft list. He is the 52nd pitcher, but the 37th starting pitcher. Is he worth being your number three starter?d.Over/Under 100 losses for the Royals.e.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Major)5.Minnesota Twinsa.Annual Question – Over/Under 100 games for Byron Buxton. He only did that in 2017 when he played 140 games. b.With all the talk of Carlos Correa’s injury concerns, he’s played the last three seasons basically injury-free (148 games, 136 and 135). The real question might be his eroding production. He only hit 18 home runs last season with a 46% groundball rate. He still hits the ball hard, but his launch angel continues to flatten. Over/Under 20 home runs in 2024?c.I debated including Joe Ryan in my sleeper pitcher list, but he was one of the final cuts. I like the new splitter, the xERA of 3.53, and the much better xSLG than SLG on all his pitches. However, he is the 30th starter off the board (44th pitcher overall), and I thought that was too much. i.What are your thoughts?d.Give me a sleeper in the organization (Minor and/or Majors)Close