The 2021 MLB season has been defined by a lot of different factors, but the biggest one might just be injuries. And, if it wasn't the biggest before Saturday, the loss of Ronald Acuña to a season-ending ACL tear certainly added to the case.
There's no replacing a player like Acuña on your Fantasy Baseball roster, just like there's no replacing him in the Braves lineup. Oh, sure, technically Ehire Adrianza stepped into the lineup for Acuña on Sunday, just like technically you'll have to put someone in your lineup to replace him too, but there's obviously no one player who can help make up for the production you're going to be losing with Acuña sidelined.
You still have to try, of course. You have to make some roster moves to try to find immediate help, and the most obvious way is on the waiver-wire. But it won't be the most effective way. I'll have some waiver-wire options to consider below, but first, here are some potential trade options to consider who could help you weather the storm with Acuna sidelined:
- We talk Ronald Acuña and ranking Shane McClanahan, Jameson Taillon, Jake Odorizzi and Jon Gray after this weekend on the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast. You can follow us to get the latest episodes on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Option 1: Trade for another bonafide star. Duh. But also, obviously, much easier said than done. Any trade you make for a direct replacement of Acuña is going to weaken you somewhere else. Maybe you've got enough depth to do it without severely limiting your chances of competing, but it's going to be tough. Players with both power and speed are rare, and finding one who doesn't hurt you in batting average is especially tough. You'll probably have to look outside of the outfield position to find the right fit. I would consider Trevor Story an ideal target for this. He's a bit of a buy-low candidate since the power and average haven't been there so far, but they should be moving forward. It's also worth considering Javier Baez, whose batting average makes him difficult to stomach, but you're probably a lot more desperate than whoever currently has him.
Option 2: Make some buy-low offers. There are two obvious candidates here: Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger. Both are struggling through very difficult seasons, and there is rightly a lot of skepticism about whether they'll be able to turn it around. At this point, I would probably bet against either playing like a superstar moving forward. But, if you're going to win a championship after losing Acuña, you're going to need someone who isn't currently performing like a superstar to do so. If you're already a long-shot without Acuña, you don't lose much if Bellinger and Yelich don't produce moving forward. If they do, you've got your Acuña replacement, and potentially then some. On a lower level, I would also suggest Randy Arozarena, who has been a bit of a disappointment following his mammoth stretch run in 2020. There are real flaws in his game he needs to fix, but a 20-homer, 10-steal second half isn't at all out of the question if he can start driving the ball in the air consistently.
Option 3: Acquire other injured superstars. This is a gigantic risk, but as with the prior option, if you can't see a path forward without Acuña, you aren't losing anything by taking on risks anyway. I would be looking at Ketel Marte, Byron Buxton, and Luis Robert as potential stretch run difference makers. These would have to be moves made in conjunction with waiver-wire adds who can hopefully keep you afloat until they are healthy enough to play. Buxton and Marte don't exactly have clear timetables right now, but the hope is they can be back in August. Amazingly Robert might actually have the clearest path and might be the first back. He was cleared to begin baseball activities a few weeks ago and could be ready to go on a rehab assignment before the end of July. That creates a path for a potential early-August return for a player who could certainly do a passable Acuña impersonation over the final few months of the season. Robert has hit .259 with a 24-homer, 26-steal pace in his 81 major-league games, and at 23, he's just getting started. If he can come back from this calf injury at full strength, he could be one of the best mid-season acquisitions anyone could make -- and he's available in 31% of CBS Fantasy leagues right now.
Option 4: Play the waiver wire. Here are the top outfielders to consider to fill that Acuña-sized hole in your lineup, if not your heart:
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
"wire" - Google News
July 12, 2021 at 08:29PM
https://ift.tt/3yFVpI6
Fantasy Baseball: Trade options, waiver-wire targets to replace Ronald Acuña - CBS Sports
"wire" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YtvSDd
https://ift.tt/2VUOqKG
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Fantasy Baseball: Trade options, waiver-wire targets to replace Ronald Acuña - CBS Sports"
Post a Comment