This article is part of our The Long Game series.
I was going to write about reliever targets who could work their way into save situations later this season, but it looks like my colleagues have that topic well-covered already. Instead, I'll focus on other overlooked resources, bench players and fringe starters who could work their way into more prominent roles and become valuable fantasy assets as the summer rolls on.
If you're in a 12-team AL-only or NL-only league with any kind of bench depth, you know how quickly remotely useful players can get plucked from the waiver wire. Currently, the top names available in my AL-only keeper league include such luminaries as Hanser Alberto, J.B. Shuck and Ji-Man Choi. Yikes. It's just as bleak in my NL-only re-draft league, where I can choose to spend my FAAB dollars on the likes of Ivan De Jesus, Gordon Beckham or Jeff Francoeur. Actually, Francoeur will probably get snapped up for a hefty bid relative to his talent this week in the wake of the Hector Olivera arrest, but I digress.
The prospect pool is depleted too, even in single-season formats. In deep leagues, top prospects like Lucas Giolito, Jose Berrios, A.J. Reed and Orlando Arcia are already stashed away on someone's bench, despite how early it is in the season.
Most mixed leagues have it a little easier, but it's still important in keeper formats to jump on players before they break out, as you're generally able to land them at a reduced
I was going to write about reliever targets who could work their way into save situations later this season, but it looks like my colleagues have that topic well-covered already. Instead, I'll focus on other overlooked resources, bench players and fringe starters who could work their way into more prominent roles and become valuable fantasy assets as the summer rolls on.
If you're in a 12-team AL-only or NL-only league with any kind of bench depth, you know how quickly remotely useful players can get plucked from the waiver wire. Currently, the top names available in my AL-only keeper league include such luminaries as Hanser Alberto, J.B. Shuck and Ji-Man Choi. Yikes. It's just as bleak in my NL-only re-draft league, where I can choose to spend my FAAB dollars on the likes of Ivan De Jesus, Gordon Beckham or Jeff Francoeur. Actually, Francoeur will probably get snapped up for a hefty bid relative to his talent this week in the wake of the Hector Olivera arrest, but I digress.
The prospect pool is depleted too, even in single-season formats. In deep leagues, top prospects like Lucas Giolito, Jose Berrios, A.J. Reed and Orlando Arcia are already stashed away on someone's bench, despite how early it is in the season.
Most mixed leagues have it a little easier, but it's still important in keeper formats to jump on players before they break out, as you're generally able to land them at a reduced salary that could make them useful as soon as this season. In essence, today's cheap buy could turn out to be tomorrow's roster cornerstone.
With that in mind, here are some position players you may want to pick up now if your league permits. If not, you can at least keep them on your radar in case they get called up, activated, or begin pushing their way into the lineup on a more regular basis.
Rio Ruiz (3B, ATL) – Adonis Garcia is doing a solid job so far as the Braves' starting third baseman, but the Hector Olivera situation could cause some dominoes to fall elsewhere in the lineup. Ruiz, meanwhile, is something of a forgotten prospect after a disastrous 2015 at Double-A, but he's come out of the gates firing this year with Triple-A Gwinnett, slashing .346/.433/.538. Atlanta's roster isn't exactly chock full of established players, so it may not be long before they give Ruiz a call and try to fit him in somewhere, whether it's third base or a corner outfield spot.
Hyun-Soo Kim (OF, BAL) – If you held your draft or auction right before or just after Opening Day, it's entirely possible that Kim fell through the cracks due to his bad spring and the chatter that the O's might cut him loose and send him back to Korea. He's currently stuck behind even Nolan Reimold on the depth chart and has just eight plate appearances on the young season, but the patience that was his best asset in the KBO has already been on display. Also, he's also the only left-handed hitting outfielder Baltimore has on the roster. The team's been using Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard in the leadoff spot, but if he slows down and Kim continues working counts and reaching base, he could be a run-scoring fiend later in the year.
Christian Vazquez (C, BOS) – Just off the DL, Vasquez is the better defensive catcher of the Red Sox's young backstop duo, and he offers some upside on offense, too. Vazquez has a .285/.356/.388 line in 72 career games at Triple-A, and while he's not expected to hit for much power, he does have that 18-homer season in 2011 back at Low-A Greenville to hang his hat on. Given the catcher's spot is a fantasy wasteland combined with Blake Swihart struggling defensively and facing a possible demotion, there are worse gambles to take than Vazquez.
Matt Szczur (OF, CHC) – Kyle Schwarber's unfortunate knee injury probably caused Szczur to be snatched up already, but if he's been overlooked you may want to remedy that. Jorge Soler and – eventually -- Javier Baez will probably inherit most of those at-bats, but Szczur's upside in steals (he swiped 20 bags in just 70 games last season at Triple-A) and reasonably solid on-base skills could get him more playing time than you might expect.
Tyler Holt (OF, CIN) – While everyone waits for Jose Peraza's seemingly inevitable promotion, Holt is in the majors now and has the skills to contribute. The former Indians prospect stole 33 bases and drew 69 walks across three levels in 2014, and if the Reds find a taker for Jay Bruce's contract, Holt could find himself starting in right field and possibly even hitting leadoff. That's if they finally realize Billy Hamilton's woeful OBP doesn't cut it as a table-setter, of course.
Max Stassi (C, HOU) – Another currently-DL'ed catcher, Stassi will probably end up being just a low batting-average option with moderate power behind the plate, but in deep AL-only leagues that kind of production still has value. His 2013 season at Double-A (.277/.333/.529 with 17 home runs in 70 games) gives some hope of upside, however, and it's not like Jason Castro has done much to stake a strong claim to the starting job.
Reymond Fuentes (OF, KC) – Another speedster, Fuentes is currently splitting time in right field for the Royals with Paulo Orlando while Jarrod Dyson is on the DL. In all likelihood, he'll get sent back to Triple-A when Dyson is healthy, but Fuentes is a former first-round pick (28th overall to Boston in 2009, three spots behind Mike Trout) and is the kind of slap-and-go hitter that Kansas City likes. That means he could just stick in the bigs this season, even after Dyson returns.
Ronnie Torreyes (2B, NYY) – The Yankees' latest young utility man, Torreyes doesn't have many easy paths to playing time given that middle infield is the one area on their roster that isn't manned by decrepit old-timers. However, the franchise has had a lot of success in grooming and then flipping players like Torreyes (Yangervis Solarte being the most recent example), so there's some potential for value here if he gets traded somewhere where he's afforded a starting role. Even as a bench player in New York, he might still contribute a solid batting average and the occasional steal.
Hak-Ju Lee (SS, SF) – Remember this guy? The slick-fielding former Rays prospect could never get it together as a hitter in the minors and they cut him loose in the offseason. After signing a minor-league deal with the Giants, he reported to Triple-A Sacramento and started his season with a bang, hitting .391/.462/.739. Brandon Crawford isn't going anywhere as San Fran's starting shortstop, but if Lee keeps lighting it up he could suddenly see himself in the Giants' plans, and you never know when an injury might strike.
Dae-Ho Lee (1B, SEA) – He's already a hero in Seattle after his 10th-inning pinch-hit walk-off homer Wednesday, but Lee is stuck in a limited platoon role at the moment behind Adam Lind at first base and Nelson Cruz at DH. The Mariners have a lot of moving parts in their lineup, though, and if Lee keeps supplying some pop when given the opportunity, he'll earn more playing time. There isn't a tremendous amount of long-term value here given that he's already 33 years old, but he could be an asset for a couple seasons.
Aledmys Diaz (SS, STL) – The Cuban defector (how weird is it that defecting from Cuba could soon be a thing of the past?) finally started to get comfortable in North America in the second half last year at Double-A, and slashed an impressive .380/.448/.620 in 14 games at Triple-A to cap off his campaign. The Cardinals tried bringing in Ruben Tejada to fill in for the injured Jhonny Peralta, but then Tejada got hurt. Now, Diaz is crushing it to the tune of .409/.435/.818 through his first seven big league games. If he's still available in your league, you need to pounce, as we don't yet have a clear idea as to how high his ceiling actually is.
Brian Goodwin (OF, WAS) – Something of a forgotten prospect in the Nationals' system, Goodwin was supposed to be the center fielder of the future before Michael Taylor stole that spot. He's hitting an impressive .368/.500/.474 thus far at Triple-A in 2016, and with Taylor flailing away in the majors trying to replace the injured Ben Revere, the Nats could be inclined to give Goodwin another look at some point.
