Roto Riteup: August 12, 2016

Somebody tell Carlos Martinez it’s Friday, and there’s no longer anything to be upset about.

Boy Carlos Martinez was pissed off!#STLCards pic.twitter.com/7MP3wo66Xs

— LeeLee (@leehenderson32) August 12, 2016

On the agenda:
1. A farewell to A-Rod
2. Devenski deals
3. Various News and Notes
4. Streaming Pitcher Options

A farewell to A-Rod
Alex Rodriguez will play his final major-league game today, ending one of the greatest baseball careers ever (assuming the Marlins don’t scoop him up). However you feel about him on a personal level, there’s little denying he’s one of the best to ever do it, and he’ll close out with at least 696 home runs, 2021 runs, 2085 RBI, and 329 stolen bases. Since his first full season with the Mariners in 1996, Rodriguez has been a staple in the fantasy game and, until about 2011, was a perennial top-round pick. He’s been doing it so long he almost pre-dates modern fantasy, and we can only go back as far as 2000 to get a feel for his fantasy impact. Here’s how he ranked in fantasy value among all players during his career:

1994-95: Partial
1996-99: Unavailable
2000 (SS): 6
2001 (SS): 4
2002 (SS): 3
2003 (SS): 5
2004 (SS/3B): 14
2005 (3B): 1
2006 (3B): 19
2007 (3B): 1
2008 (3B): 13
2009 (3B): 59
2010 (3B): 42
2011 (3B): 196 (99 games)
2012 (3B): 155
2013 (3B): N/A (44 games)
2014: Suspended
2015 (Util): 64
2016 (Util): N/A (64 games)

Devenski deals
Yesterday in this space, I recommended Christopher Devenski as a streaming option for Thursday’s slate. Just three-percent owned, he’d flashed enough in 75.1 innings as a swingman for me to be intrigued ahead of a matchup against the Twins, in a doubleheader at Target, where they’d be at less than their normally average selves. It turns out I wasn’t alone in my optimism – the handsome and intelligent Eno Sarris was aboard the Devenski train later in the day on the Fangraphs side, putting an emphasis on Devenski’s excellent changeup and ability to get whiffs with it as a reason for optimism.

Devenski didn’t exactly blow the doors off with a two-hit shutout over five innings with five strikeouts, but that’s a great line for a spot-start, and one that could earn him another look. Most notable? While his changeup coaxed just three whiffs on 29 offerings, it maintained its near-12-MPH separation and produced seven outs in play (good for a -2.96 LWTS, per Brooks).

Various News and Notes
Looking to manage his innings total, the Marlins will skip Jose Fernandez on Sunday. It might be the right move, but it robs us of a Fernandez-Chris Sale showdown. Fernandez has thrown 137.2 innings this year, well up from 64.2 in his return from Tommy John surgery last year, and pushing close to his career high of 172.2. The Marlins, who have a grip on a wild-card spot right now, don’t want to shut him down, and they’ve deemed this a way to limit the risk as they keep him in the rotation for the stretch run (although even then, there have been reports of a 180-inning cap).

Bryce Harper missed a third consecutive game due to neck stiffness Wednesday, but manager Dusty Baker didn’t sound clear on if another (scheduled) off-day Thursday would result in a Harper return Friday. Harper’s been slumping over the last month, and owners will have to hope a few days to get right help him change course.

The Cardinals will be without Matt Holliday for a while, as the outfielder was placed on the DL with a fractured right thumb after getting hit by a pitch. Holliday is having a slightly down season by his standards but has still managed 19 home runs, power the team is unlikely to get from an internal replacement. The Cardinals are reportedly considering Carlos Gomez as a potential stop-gap. Until then, Holliday’s at-bats will be spread across a few names (Kolten Wong, Tommy Pham, or Jeremy Hazelbaker could all conceivably see a bump in playing time, and Randal Grichuk was recalled).

Remember when Trevor Story went down, ending a fun, well, story for the year? The Rockies just went and found a new rookie sensation in David Dahl, who has now hit in 17 consecutive games to start his career, tying an MLB record. The 22-year-old outfielder owns a .358/.394/.597 line through 71 plate appearances, capping off a year in which he dominated at both Double-A and Triple-A.

Streaming Pitcher Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Ariel Miranda @ OAK (Sean Manaea)
I kind of think Homer Bailey is worth another gamble here in Milwaukee, but most will probably be snakebitten if they streamed him (at essentially now cost) last time out. Ariel Miranda doesn’t have anywhere near the track record, but the Mariners like what he’s shown enough to keep him in the rotation over Taijuan Walker for the time being, in the middle of a playoff race. The Athletics, meanwhile, have been middling against lefties and have one of the lowest home ISOs in baseball, providing what you’d hope is a decent floor for Miranda.

Update: Go with Bailey. Miranda is likely to be bumped because of a relief outing Tuesday. H/T to the first commenter for pointing out my blunder.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Tyler Anderson @ PHI (Jerad Eickhoff)
The Braves need to know that the Phillies are coming for them. While Atlanta’s actually been decent at the dish over the last month, Philadelphia owns just a 73 wRC+, enough to pull them even with the Braves at the bottom of the league’s offensive totem pole. They’re good streaming, and 19-percent owned Tyler Anderson is in a great spot to take advantage. The 26-year-old is dealing in his rookie season, to the tune of a 3.04 ERA, 3.31 FIP, and nearly four-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio, all while pitching the bulk of his innings (50.1 vs. 17.2) at Coors. Here, he’ll toss at in an easier environment, against a team that owns the worst offense in baseball against left-handed pitchers.