Nolan Reimold & Dustin Garneau: Deep League Wire

We’re only a couple of weeks away from season’s end, so hopefully your team is in such amazing shape that it doesn’t require a dive into the free agent pool.

Nolan Reimold | OF BAL | CBS 5% Owned

Three months after we initially recommended him in deep leagues, Reimold is back and appearing here for a second time. Somehow, the 31-year-old with just a .326 career OBP has become the team’s leadoff guy. And until Sunday, their regular left fielder. I say until Sunday because he filled the DH role on Monday and then was absent from the starting lineup yesterday so Steve Clevenger and his .268 career wOBA could fill that DH role. Buck Showalter’s lineup inconsistency is maddening!

Any hitter batting leadoff regularly for a solid offense is worth considering in a deep league. But Reimold has shown good power in the past and shouldn’t be expected to just contribute in runs scored. His career home run total extrapolates to 23 over 600 plate appearances and a little BABIP luck could push his average into an asset. Furthermore, his sub-10% SwStk% suggests that his strikeout rate may improve.

The good news is that he has shown excellent patience, as evidenced by his nearly 12% walk rate. Though you never know what crazy Buck will do, it provides optimism that when he is in the lineup, he’s going to be at the top given the healthy OBP.

Dustin Garneau | C COL | 1% Owned

The Rockies recently lost starting catcher Nick Hundley for the rest of the season due to a neck injury and any time there is playing time opened up for a new Rockie, fantasy owners should take notice. While Wilin Rosario and Tom Murphy may get a start behind the plate here and there, Garneau will likely garner the majority of the starts. Since Rosario is flawed defensively at catcher and Murphy struck out over 30% of the time at Triple-A this year (albeit with an ISO well over .200), there aren’t any clear-cut alternatives.

At 28 years old, Garneau is no prospect. But we don’t really care about that since you’re only concerned with his potential for the next couple of weeks, not years. He has made excellent contact in the minors, which has actually improved as he has climbed the ladder. His strikeout rates at Triple-A in 2014 and 2015 were the second and third best marks he has posted throughout his minor league career, which is a good sign. And he was able to continue to hit for power.

Speaking of power, he launched 15 homers over 340 at bats at Triple-A this year and both projection systems expect above average power from him. His biggest issue has been that of his BABIP. But good thing he calls Coors Field home, a park that boosts BABIP. The Rockies embark on a long home stand beginning this Friday and altogether play 10 of their remaining 17 games at home.

Garneau is no mixed leaguer, but he makes for a perfectly respectable second catcher in NL-Only leagues.