Welcome to the 2020 Fantasy Baseball: Stock Up/Stock Down Week 6 article!
We're officially six weeks into the MLB season! With most fantasy playoffs less than two weeks away, there's no time to wait on slumping players to turn it around! Don't be afraid to drop your slumping star players if it means a shot at the playoffs. If you're looking for extra help on who to add off the waiver wire, check out at Dennis Sosic's Week 6 Waiver Wire article!
In this article, I want to highlight a few key players whose stocks are rising and falling following the MLB trade deadline. Instead of focusing on hot and cold streaks, I’ll tell you who stands to benefit the most from their change of scenery and vice versa.
Let's dive in!
2020 Fantasy Baseball Week 6 Stock Up/Stock Down
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Stock Up
Mitch Moreland, 1B, San Diego Padres
The Boston Red Sox traded Moreland to the Padres for prospects Jeisson Rosario and Hudson Potts.
Moreland has had a stellar season hitting eight home runs and 21 RBI despite sitting against most lefties. He joins an explosive offense in San Diego where he'll switch off between first base and designated hitter.
Manager Jayce Tingler has stated that Moreland will play most days against both righties and lefties, which means he should be a consistent fantasy producer for your team. Pick him up for the stretch run!
Brian Goodwin, OF, Cincinnati Reds
The Los Angeles Angels traded Goodwin to the Cincinnati Reds for prospect Packy Naughton and future considerations.
Goodwin has had a decent season hitting four home runs and 17 RBI. With Nick Senzel on the 10-day IL and Shogo Akiyama struggling to adapt to major-league pitching, Goodwin's low-end five-tool ability could find its way in the lineup on most days for the Reds down the stretch.
The move from Angel Stadium to the Great American Ballpark should also boost Goodwin's value. He is worth a look in deep mixed leagues as a consistent low-end fantasy option. He's available in 93% of Yahoo Leagues.
Mike Clevinger, SP, San Diego Padres
In a blockbuster deal, the Cleveland Indians traded Clevinger to the San Diego Padres Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges, along with prospects Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo, and Owen Miller. The Padres will also receive Greg Allen and a player to be named later.
The #Padres have acquired Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and a PTBNL from the Indians. Details: https://t.co/qbAcebGXIK pic.twitter.com/S6GiaDPPi3
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 31, 2020
Clevinger carries a 1-1 record with a 3.18 ERA and 1.37 WHIP to the Padres, which is a far cry from the 2.71 ERA and 1.06 WHIP he posted in 2019. His strikeouts are also down from 12.1 to 8.3 per nine innings.
Expect Clevinger to pitch deeper into games for the Padres as they look to mask their bullpen issues. More innings means more strikeouts and more chances for wins. This is a brilliant move for Clevinger's fantasy value!
Stock Down
Starling Marte, OF, Miami Marlins
The Arizona Diamondbacks traded Marte to the Miami Marlins for Caleb Smith, Humberto Mejia, and Julio Frias.
Marte excelled in his first season in Arizona hitting .311/.384/.443 while two home runs and 14 RBI with five swipes. There are two reasons Marte's stock is down following this trade. First, he's moving from hitter-friendly Chase Field to pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Second, the Marlins lineup is a downgrade compared to the Diamondbacks lineup.
Marte gives the Marlins a power boost, but he won't have much help once he gets on base. While he could steal more bases in Miami, expect fewer runs and RBI from the nine-year veteran.
Wilson Ramos, C, New York Mets
Ramos is the only player in this article that didn't get traded, but it's who's coming in that could complicate his fantasy value. The Texas Rangers traded catcher Robinson Chirinos to the Mets for a player to be named later.
Ramos was the eighth catcher taken in a majority of fantasy drafts this season but has failed to live up to that billing. He's sporting a .228 batting average with only two home runs. Chirinos is having an even worse season hitting just .119, but the Mets are hoping the change of scenery can help get his bat going.
Ramos was playing every day before the trade, which is rare for a fantasy catcher. Now that Chirinos is in town, look for Ramos to take a backseat periodically. There's a chance Chirinos gets even more playing time if he contributes offensively, which doesn't bode well for Ramos' rest-of-season outlook.
Archie Bradley, RP, Cincinnati Reds
The Diamondbacks traded Bradley to the Cincinnati Reds for Josh Van Meter and Stuart Fairchild.
Arizona with its third trade of the final hour after moving Starling Marte and Andrew Chafin: closer Archie Bradley is going to the Cincinnati Reds, source tells ESPN. First: @Ken_Rosenthal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 31, 2020
Bradley had six saves with an unsightly 4.22 ERA and 1.50 WHIP before being traded. Before this season, Bradley averaged a 2.87 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over the past three seasons. He's a solid bullpen addition for the playoff-hopeful Reds.
He joins a bullpen that already boasts closer Raisel Iglesias, so Bradley's value takes an enormous hit. Usually, I'd advise that you keep Bradley and see if he takes over the closer role eventually, but manager David Bell has stated that he doesn't "see anything changing" regarding the ninth inning. In a shortened season, drop Bradley and move on.
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