How waiver deals could affect your team


August 7, 2010 by Chris Davies  
Filed under Baseball

The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline was a spectacular display this year and fantasy owners are still learning how their players may fit in with new teams. But teams are not done dealing for the 2010 season, and many more (possibly big) names may be relocating soon.

The big question for owners is: Will my player turn in to Alex Rios last year or Jose Canseco circa 2000? Only time will tell, but here’s how some moves might shake down.

Adam Dunn, OF, Washington Nationals

The Nats have already placed Dunn on waivers, but given their stance on a deal prior to the non-waiver deadline, it seems like it will take a great deal to see him swapping uniforms.

Dunn has already said that he won’t go to the AL, so seeing him as a DH is probably not in the cards. However, should an NL team go all in for him, his numbers may just pick up.

One interesting team in on Dunn is the Colorado Rockies. Sandwiching him between Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki would be an ideal situation to boost their offense. Opposing pitchers are going to be in no hurry to face any one of those three players, which ensures that each of them are going to see plenty of pitches to hit.

Another interested party is the San Francisco Giants, who’s situation is not as promising for Dunn owners. Despite the resurgence of Aubrey Huff and rookie Buster Posey’s impressive form, pitching around Dunn to get to either would certainly be preferable.

Owners may be more excited to see Aug. 30 come and go without any moves on Dunn, if only for the fact that he will continue putting up the same numbers.

Brian Fuentes, RP, Los Angeles Angels

Fuentes smoke and mirrors 2009 season fooled a lot of owners into higher than usual draft choices. Owners who have stuck with the closer, however, may get their dividends from an August move.

Lefties are batting .129 against him this season, making him a very attractive option for a team like the White Sox who have nine games left against Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Because the Sox closer is Bobby Jenks, Fuentes would be more likely to earn holds rather than saves should he be moved. For owners whose leagues don’t recognize holds, a trade would certainly send him to the waiver wire, but for those who do count holds, this could be a great reinvention.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

The “Mannywood” sign is gone, and the dreadlocked slugger maybe by the end of the month.

Though he still has some time left on the disabled list, Manny could bring some hits to some lucky owners. Unlike Dunn, Manny would accept a move to the AL, where he could gain consistent at-bats as a designated hitter.

Should a team like the Rays, Yankees, or White Sox (any of the teams who seem certain to miss out on Dunn) make a move for Manny, his numbers could jump. Of course, as fans are aware of, any numbers boost from Manny would depend on how much “Manny being Manny” his new team gets.

Johnny Damon, OF, Detroit Tigers

As of writing this the Tigers have sunk to two games below .500, and seem to be out of the race for the AL Central. Execs and analysts have speculated the Tigers would need to be pretty far out in order to deal, and this just might be the situation that facilitates such movement.

If a move is made, it would be likely that Damon would be the odd man out. Damon has put up an on-base of .370 and an OPS of .799, numbers that any owner could deal with, but given a change of scenery owners may see a drop in their stats.

Damon is an ideal bench pickup for a contending team, meaning that his opportunities to rack up fantasy points would decrease significantly. Should Damon see a change of scenery, it may be time for owners to cut the cord.

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