Roto Riteup: July 19, 2015

This morning’s Roto Riteup was written by a man wearing his commemorative Philip Humber perfect game t-shirt.

On today’s agenda:
1. Various news and notes
2. Streaming Pitcher Options

Various news and notes
Despite being pulled before he would be eligible to pick up the W, Erasmo Ramirez continued his brilliance yesterday, striking out four Blue Jays and giving up just one earned over four-plus innings of work. This is the Erasmo we were hoping for in Seattle, and the one we saw in his 2012 debut. If he’s still available for some reason, buy now.

Randal Grichuk looks to be coming into his own with extended playing time in St. Louis, but I don’t want to heap too much praise on a guy striking out almost a third of the time. Grichuk won’t turn 24 for another few weeks, and his power is obviously real, but the rest of his offensive game is going to need a little work over the next couple years if he’s to reach his full potential.

Mets prospect Michael Conforto hit his fifth homer in his 40th Double-A game last night, and may be knocking on the door of the big leagues with the club needing an offensive boost. Conforto’s approach is big league ready, but it remains to be seen if he would be able to make the transition just 13 months after being drafted. Conforto will certainly be in the mix in the Mets outfield next season, and will be a nice long-term asset in OBP leagues.

It was disappointing to see the White Sox call prospect Frankie Montas up for their doubleheader on Friday and not use him. Montas has held his own as a starter in Double-A this year, and is probably ready for a new challenge at Triple-A. Montas could be an erratic but interesting starter, or a shutdown reliever, depending on when the White Sox feel pressured to make a decision about his future role. Montas will keep starting until he fails, which hasn’t happened yet.

Hector Olivera doesn’t even have 100 minor league plate appearances, but it’s relatively clear that we won’t be learning anything from his experience at non-MLB levels. The Dodgers will need to find a roster spot for him in short order, lest waste his time with nothing other than a tune up.

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

A pitcher for today: Miguel Gonzalez at DET (Justin Verlander)
It’s not a day full of options, so take Gonzalez away from Camden Yards against a Miggy-less Tigers.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Steven Wright at LAA (Andrew Heaney)
A few teams have the day off, but having some fun with a knuckleballer sounds like a good way to give yourself a rush on a Monday.