Roto Riteup: July 26, 2024
Cool to see him get redemption:
In 2022 Luis Arraez faced Dylan Cease and ended his no-hit bid with 2 outs in the 9th!
Today, Arraez watched his teammate Cease finish the job. pic.twitter.com/vidB2fcuF2
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2024
On the Agenda:
- Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest
- Trades and Rumors!
- Closer Chaos
- Quick Hits
- Various News and Notes
- Streaming Pitchers
Sleeper and the Bust DK Contest
On most Tuesday’s and Friday’s and some other days, Paul Sporer and I will be doing a $5 draftkings game for anyone that is interested.
Trades and Rumors!
According to the Athletic, Jameson Taillon is being called about by multiple teams. Taillon has been very good this season, throwing 100.1 innings with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The Cubs look to be sellers with the deadline approaching and should get a decent amount back for the 32 year old with two more years of control after this season.
A.J. Puk was traded from the Marlins to the Diamondbacks for Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar on Thursday. This was surprising as the big rumors have been about Tanner Scott with the assumption that Puk would likely be the Marlins next closer. If Scott is still traded, then Andrew Nardi would like to be the next man up.
The Giants are reportedly shopping around Blake Snell according to multiple reports. The Giants had previously talked about being buyers at the deadline, but they have struggled out of the break and appear to be changing gears. They likely could look to trade Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski since they are both free agents after the season.
Closer Chaos
Mason Miller was placed on the IL with a fractured finger on his non-pitching hand. Lucas Erceg will be the next man up in the A’s bullpen more than likely, but it could be a fluid situation with Scott Alexander and Tyler Ferguson as well. Fergusen did get the first save opportunity and was able to pitch a clean inning with two strikeouts. Miller had been rumored to be a trade candidate but this could prevent that from happening.
Quick Hits
Jorge Mateo was placed on the IL with an elbow injury. There is no timetable for his return. Connor Norby was recalled to take his spot on the roster.
Wilmer Flores was placed on the IL with a knee injury. There is no timetable for his return. David Villar was recalled to take his spot on the roster.
Chris Taylor was placed on the IL with a groin strain. James Outman was recalled to take his spot on the roster.
Various News and Notes
Brandon Lowe went 4-for-4 with a home run in the victory over the Blue Jays.
Upper deck!
Brandon Lowe just took Chris Bassitt 414 feet to right field, into the 500 Level. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/hIi4kIDaVJ
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 25, 2024
Lowe has been very good since returning from the IL, hitting .263 with 11 home runs in 156 at bats. He has been much better versus lefties this season which has made up for his struggles versus righties. He is a cheap power source that is still available in shallower formats.
Lawrence Butler went 2-for-5 with a home run in the victory over the Angels on Thursday.
Lawrence Butler are you kidding me??
413 feet into the fountain. He’s now 18-for-his-last-30. pic.twitter.com/URiuslWs1V
— Karl Buscheck (@KarlBuscheck) July 26, 2024
Butler has been fantastic since returning from the minor leagues, hitting .344 with nine home runs and three stolen bases in at bats. More importantly, he is making a lot more contact and not sacrificing his power to do it. If he can continue to do it, then this might be a massive breakout.
Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)
Pitcher for Today: Drew Thorpe vs SEA
Thorpe has been great this season and while he won’t like be in line for a win because the White Sox are terrible, he is worth streaming for strikeouts and ratios.
High Risk Options: Andrew Heaney at TOR, Luis Ortiz at ARI, Trevor Rogers at MIL, Kyle Freeland at SF.
Pitcher for Tomorrow: Ryan Feltner at SF
Feltner has pitched well recently and gets a bad Giants offense in SF.
High Risk Options: Joey Estes at LAA.
Justin is the co-host on The Sleeper and The Bust Podcast and writes for Rotographs covering the Roto Riteup as well as other periodic articles. In addition to his work at Rotographs, Justin is the lead fantasy writer/analyst and co-owner for FriendswithFantasyBenefits.com, and the owner of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. He is also a certified addiction treatment counselor. Follow Justin on Twitter @JustinMasonFWFB.
Not only was Connor Norby recalled, he went 2-for-4 with a homer.