Now here's a trade to shake up the Fantasy Baseball world.
J.D. Martinez may have been the best singular player dealt on Tuesday, but his move to the Diamondbacks didn't have the far-ranging effects that Todd Frazier's move to the Yankees did.
Just how many players did this deal impact? Well, let's count.
| 1 | 
Todd Frazier
N.Y. Yankees 3B
|
First, Frazier himself gets a welcome change of scenery. He was never himself in Chicago after a couple studly years in Cincinnati, though it's worth noting he did hit a career-high 40 homers last year. His BABIP then, an unbelievable .236, has dropped to an unimaginable .214 this year, and while a lower-than-average BABIP is to be expected for a player who elevates the ball like he does, a mark that low defies all reason given that he's still capable of putting a charge in the ball. Plus, his walk rate is up and his strikeout rate down, so he hasn't gone full old man yet. He's still young. Spry. Whether at third base or (more likely) first base, better times are ahead. | |
| 2 | 
Yoan Moncada
Chi. White Sox 3B
|
Frazier's departure leaves an opening in the White Sox infield. Their top prospect just so happens to be an infielder and the one prospect we've been begging to see since way back in spring training. Yoan Moncada's numbers at Triple-A Charlotte -- a .285 batting average, 12 home runs, 17 stolen bases and .833 OPS -- won't take your breath away, but the White Sox are finally ready to admit they're good enough to earn him the call, with general manager Rick Hahn making it official late Tuesday. Do I worry about Moncada's 28.6 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A? Yes, just like I did Cody Bellinger's (really -- his was exactly the same). But the combination of home runs and stolen bases that Moncada could provide as a middle infielder (he'll be playing second base, not third) is too enticing to pass up because of some bias of mine. It's why owners in 72 percent of CBS Sports leagues have stashed Moncada all this time. Some publications call him the top prospect in baseball, so regardless of your skepticism, you have to take a flier just to see where his second stint in the big leagues takes him. | |
| 3 | 
David Robertson
N.Y. Yankees RP
|
All this time, I thought David Robertson would wind up in Washington -- and if not there, somewhere else that needed a closer. I never considered the possibility he'd be traded out of the role, but now he's back to doing what he did as recently as 2013, setting up for a larger-than-life closer in New York. He may at least be the backup closer, with Dellin Betances becoming a multi-inning, put-out-the-fire sort of guy, but that's a small consolation to his Fantasy owners. It's why investing in relievers is so tricky: If they're not one of the 30 filling the one role that matters, they're worthless, and it can change at the drop of a hat. | |
| 4 | 
Tommy Kahnle
N.Y. Yankees RP
|
Here's something else I didn't consider: Tommy Kahnle following Robertson out the door. He was the heir apparent in Chicago, the No. 1 prospective closer to stash in Fantasy given the likelihood of a Robertson trade. But he was the main reason the White Sox were able to fetch a prospect as good as Blake Rutherford, seeing as he's cost-controlled for several more years. With a 2.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings, Kahnle still has closer potential, but he's probably fourth in the pecking order now. So we went from hopefully seeing both Robertson and Kahnle in the all-important role to ... neither. Oy. | |
| 5 | 
Blake Rutherford
N.Y. Yankees CF
|
He's all of 20 years old and hasn't exactly lit up low Class A this year, batting .281 with two homers and a .733 OPS, but Blake Rutherford was the 18th overall pick in the draft last year and the best high school hitter of his class, many scouts believe. He may have some development ahead of him, but he's unquestionably a prospect and the prize of this deal for the White Sox. And so Rick Hahn's furious rebuild continues, with Rutherford joining Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in what has become maybe the game's top farm system in less than a year's time. | |
| 6 | 
Anthony Swarzak
Chi. White Sox RP
|
Somebody still has to close for the White Sox, right? Anthony Swarzak is the lone remaining standout in their bullpen, having put together a 2.47 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings this year, but he had been working the sixth and seventh innings until now. Would they thrust him into a high-leverage role right away? They wouldn't necessarily have to, because ... | |
| 7 | 
Tyler Clippard
Chi. White Sox RP
|
Tyler Clippard was the one major-leaguer acquired by the White Sox in this deal, and he has spent his entire career in high-leverage roles, including closing for the Athletics in the first half of 2015. True, he has been far from reliable this year, compiling a a 4.95 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, but if the White Sox intend to market him for their next trade, it may not matter. I'm pushing all my chips toward Swarzak, for what it's worth, but no official announcement has been made. | |
And that's not even mentioning Garrett Cooper, Ji-Man Choi, Chase Headley and some of the other Yankees hitters who could suffer from Frazier's presence. It'll be interesting to see how the playing time shakes out, but I assume Frazier will play every day in some capacity.
So good news for Frazier. Good news for Moncada. Bad news for Robertson and Kahnle, but good news for Swarzak.
And good news Yankees and White Sox. Both sides got exactly what they wanted while avoiding the sort of thing that might come back to bite them.
