Closing Time: Carlos Correa goes down and J.D. Martinez gets dealt
Carlos Correa is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after suffering a torn thumb ligament that will require surgery. He originally hurt it earlier this month, and a check swing apparently aggravated the injury Monday. Correa currently leads all shortstops in home runs (20), RBI (67), runs scored (64), wRC+ (158) and WAR (4.0). He’s also batting .320, which ranks top-10 among all hitters. Despite getting off to an extremely slow start (he finished April with an ugly .658 OPS), Correa is the No. 13 overall fantasy player, so needless to say, this is a devastating blow to his owners. So let’s take a look at some possible replacements on the waiver wire (all of these SS options are available in at least 50 percent of leagues):
Orlando Arcia: Known more for his glove entering the league, Arcia has really turned it on at the plate lately, as he’s slashed .348/.375/.565 with five homers and four steals over his past 92 at bats. He plays in a terrific hitter’s park, and the 22-year-old should only continue to improve.
Hernan Perez: Another Brewer, Perez is widely available yet quietly on pace to finish with 19 homers and 14 steals. He’s also eligible at four different positions.
Brandon Crawford: He’s hitting an anemic .229 and plays in the toughest park for left-handed hitters in baseball, but Crawford is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he recorded 84 RBI and is on pace to drive in 81 runs this year despite the poor batting average. He should be better from here on out.
Brad Miller: It’s been a rough year for Miller, but don’t forget he hit 30 homers with 81 RBI last season.
Correa is obviously irreplaceable, but a few other names who might be available in shallower formats include: Trevor Story, Zack Cozart, Jose Peraza and Javier Baez.
[Now’s the time to sign up for Fantasy Football! Join for free]
The other big news Tuesday was J.D. Martinez getting dealt to the Diamondbacks for a light return of prospects, a positive move both for Arizona and his fantasy owners. Martinez has been a superstar since returning from injury, posting a .305/.388/.630 line with 16 homers over 200 at bats (he’s actually been a star for some time, as his wRC+ ranks top-10 in baseball since the start of 2014). In fact, his 1.018 OPS would rank fourth in MLB if he qualified. Martinez will slide into the middle of a lineup that ranks top-10 in runs scored this season, and he goes from a neutral park to one of the three best hitter’s parks in baseball. He’ll have to learn a new set of pitchers switching leagues, but the improvement in environment should more than offset that. Those in NL-Only leagues shouldn’t hesitate to spend 100% of your FAAB on him.
Quick Hits: The Yankees are reportedly acquiring Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox. It crushes Robertson’s fantasy value, whereas Anthony Swarzak would become the favorite to take over as Chicago’s closer and needs to be added in all leagues…Top prospect Yoan Moncada was subsequently called up to the bigs by the White Sox. He’s an interesting fantasy add, but for what it’s worth, Steamer projects just a 78 wRC+…Starling Marte was activated from his 80-day PED suspension and immediately hit leadoff, so get him back into your lineups…Nick Williams is an intriguing young prospect already batting third for the Phillies. He’s hit two homers with eight RBI over the last three games and is owned in just two percent of Yahoo leagues…Michael Wacha’s shutout Tuesday was the first complete game of his career…Kenley Jansen has a 62:2 K:BB ratio this season, and the Dodgers have lost just one game to a National League team since June 7.
