MLB FAAB Factor: Trade Elly De La Cruz?

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do – in life as well as fantasy baseball. On the latter, it means taking a hard look at your roster and asking yourself the valuable question: Can I win? 

I did that when considering trading Elly De La Cruz in my NL-only rotisserie league, where he's a dirt-cheap keeper. As you can imagine, my lead in stolen bases is something ridiculous, and at his price tag of $17 in a $260 cap, EDLC is one of the most valuable players in our league. All of fantasy, actually.

So I knew if I were going to trade him, I'd have to get a haul. And it had to be for pitching because my offense has performed well thus far, unlike most of MLB. This being a keeper league, I knew I'd need to get multiple players to make it worth my while, starting with pitchers. Good pitchers. Ace starters, in fact. More than one.

Well, to keep this from getting to be too long-winded (too late!), I settled on a package headed by Max Fried and Logan Webb. Yes, I lost the fun of EDLC, and fun is a big part of playing fantasy sports. But winning is equally fun, and I know that chances to win in "only" leagues sometimes don't come often. So I say goodbye Elly El Rojo – Spanish for "The Red" – and say hello to hopefully a more balanced team that's going to eat up points on the pitching side.

In a sense, I chose to trade fun for the sweat of the next three-plus months of contending in my favorite league. Wish me luck, and good health to Webb and Fried. And to EDLC, because him being on the field is good for the game. And for fantasy managers lucky enough to roster him. 

Starting Pitcher

Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals (14%)
After giving up five runs to the Dodgers in 4.1 innings on March 28, fantasy managers went away from Mikolas in droves. People are still coming back to the party with him, and those who have of late have been rewarded by him putting up a workman-like four straight quality starts. 

During his most recent outing on June 11, Mikolas took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Pirates. With his facing off against Paul Skenes, this game would be a scoreless tie when both starters left. This is still a good sign that Mikolas has left the memory of that first start in the past. That and how in his last 30 innings he's allowed nine runs (2.70 ERA), 22 hits+walks (0.733 WHIP) and struck out 24 hitters. FAAB: $7

Cody Poteet, New York Yankees (14%)
This is a recommendation that's going to take some explanation. Poteet pitched well against the Dodgers in the opener of that epic series in Yankee Stadium last weekend. The righty went 4.2 shutout innings against a great offense that scored so many runs the remainder of the weekend. Poteet also faced the Royals on June 12, getting the victory after allowing two runs in 5.1 innings.

Poteet could be taken out of the rotation when Gerrit Cole returns from his rehab assignment. That's always tricky when an ace has arm trouble and returns from slowly being built back up. Poteet could be shifted to the same role that Michael King excelled at last year for the Yankees, pitching in relief and then starting later in the season when needed. If that's the case, he could be a good stash on teams with long benches, in case his 1.72 ERA and 0.96 WHIP through 15.2 big-league innings plays well rest of season. FAAB: $3

Hogan Harris, Oakland Athletics (4%)
This is in the deep-cut edition of this article. Harris is a far cry from the pitcher who logged a 7.14 ERA and unsightly 1.51 ERA in 63 big-league innings as a rookie last season. He's pitched much better this season, sporting a 2.21 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 20.1 innings pitched. 

In his last three starts he has struck out 15 in 16.2 innings with a 93.6 mph average on his fastball, which is pedestrian by modern-day standards. He's set to face the Royals in his next start. FAAB: $2

Hunter Brown, Houston Astros (55%)
This one is a little personal, as I dropped Brown in a mixed league after his two-out, nine-run implosion on April 11 where many wondered if Brown would be relegated to the minors. Instead, he just pitched better. 

Brown has always been a strikeout artist – punching out 178 in 155.2 innings last year – yet he's still found too many bat barrels in his career, as shown by his 5.58 ERA this season. However, in his last four starts he's allowed just six runs (2.25 ERA) and has a sparkling WHIP of 0.875. He's still out there in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues and has a home start against Detroit on June 14. FAAB: $6

Relief Pitcher

Ryne Stanek, Seattle Mariners (13%)
Since May 31, when Stanek threw a perfect inning for the win and Andres Munoz closed the game out with a save, Munoz has pitched just twice for Seattle. In that span, Stanek has pitched scoreless ball in five of six outings, collecting two saves and a win in the process.

Munoz has had multiple tests on his back that are not showing any damage, yet he's still battling soreness. Stanek appears to be the best bet for saves as the Mariners' regular closer heals up. FAAB: $8

Catcher

Mitch Garver, Seattle Mariners (33%)
Don't look at that anemic .179 batting average. Look at what he's done more recently. In six games spanning June 2 to June 8, Garver went 6-for-17 (.353 average), pounding two home runs and driving in six runs. He hit anywhere from cleanup to the seven hole in the lineup. 

Garver is getting those valuable DH at-bats when he's not behind the plate, so the hope here is that he's leaving behind that slow start to the season. Next stop, Mendoza Line to show more progress. FAAB: $2

First Base

Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays (3%)
A first baseman hitting leadoff? It's happened sparingly before for this position that's supposed to be filled by these tall, powerful sluggers hitting in the middle of lineups. Horwitz is 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, and has just one home run in 53 MLB at-bats. But he can hit. 

At Triple-A, Horwitz hit .335 with a .970 OPS, walking (44) more than he struck out (41). Since his call-up on June 8, he's fashioned a four-game hitting streak. In the last three of those games he got two hits each. He's also played some second base, so he may already have dual eligibility in some leagues. FAAB: $5

Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox (27%)
From June 4 to 11, Vaughn returned to the White Sox' lineup after missing a few days and has done nothing but hit. He's gone 13-for-33, good for a .394 average and a 1.139 OPS in those eight games. He's also crushed three home runs and driven in four runs. Vaughn may just be getting back to the level he reached last year with 21 homers and 80 RBI. FAAB: $4

Second Base

Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays (23%)
Lowe is a return guest in this space and has notched hits in six of his last nine games. Perhaps he's finally gotten into a groove after missing time from April 7 to May 20. Fantasy managers may still be harping for the 2021 season, when Lowe hit 39 home runs. 

That year he had an average exit velocity of 89.3. This year, albeit in a smaller sample size, he has an average EV of 89.6. Perhaps he has a hot run in him his summer that fantasy managers can capitalize upon. FAAB: $6

Third Base

Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds (18%)
As of this writing, Marte is exactly 12 games away from being activated off his 80-game suspension for PEDs. He's currently on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville.

Marte was expected to be a part of a star-studded young infield, along with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, this season. Best laid plans, even though De La Cruz has has grown into a budding star with every stolen base. Marte, though, gets to pick up where he left off after a promising rookie season when he hit .316 with a .922 OPS in 35 games. He hit just three homers, but stole six bags in that small sample. Still just 22, he has some growth to his game to go. This could be the time to stash him. FAAB: $7

Justin Turner, Toronto Blue Jays (48%)
Looking at Turner's .212 batting average on June 2, any Dodger fan will feel like they've seen this movie before. Turner is a notorious slow starter – some seasons he would hit zero or one home run in April – and he's started to heat up with the June weather. 

In the last seven games, Turner has a .400 batting average and .978 OPS. He has a home run and three RBI in there. Occasionally he'll still sit, but he's regularly hitting in the fifth or sixth spots in the lineup when he's starting. FAAB: $5

Shortstop

David Hamilton, Boston Red Sox (29%)
Hamilton is not throwing away his shot at starting in Beantown. Sorry, for those who are not fans of the musical. Taking over primary starting duties at shortstop for the Red Sox, Hamilton has multiple hits in four of his last five games. He even hit a home run and stole four bags in that run.

With 13 steals at this point of the season, it's pretty clear why Hamilton has gained 22 rostership percentage points in the last few days. That speed is going to keep him zooming up roster numbers. If you need a multiposition speed merchant playing every day, look no further. FAAB: $15

Paul DeJong, Chicago White Sox (14%)
Gaining a reputation as a good-glove, sneaky power-hitting shortstop in St. Louis, DeJong has caught fire of late. In his last six games he has three home runs and four multi-hit games. He's also driven in seven runs. 

The White Sox are about a month away from being in full sell mode, and DeJong is being showcased to help a contender needing a shortstop – LA fans are begging for Mookie Betts to move back to his intended second base after the Dodgers acquire a shortstop. FAAB: $3

Outfield

Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers (22%)
After a hot start, Pages cooled down some in May. Then on May 28, he started a hot streak where he hit .400 over the next 12 games. He put up a solid OPS of 1.014 in the bottom third of the lineup. His lone home run in that hot streak was a shot off Paul Skenes.

The Dodgers are looking for any outfield production other than Teoscar Hernandez, and Pages is doing plenty of late. FAAB: $6

Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles (47%)
The lefty-swinging O'Hearn has appeared in this space before, and his role has not changed. He's a strong-side platoon hitter who regularly slots in the third or fourth spots when he's in the lineup for the Orioles.

In June, he's 12-for-30 (.400 average) and has a healthy 1.086 OPS. He even has a pair of home runs and six runs and RBI apiece. Anyone needing a player with 1B/OF eligibility, this is a good player to start with. FAAB: $8

Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox (49%)
Yoshida returned from the IL on June 11, and was immediately inserted in the fifth spot in the Boston lineup. He went 0-for-2, but the fact that he's healthy should be a boost to the Red Sox. He had 51 extra-base hits in 2023 – 15 of them were home runs – and he hopefully will have the threat of injuries lessen as he slots in at DH more often. FAAB: $4