Roto Riteup: July 29, 2016

Lord have mercy, the trade winds are rising. From the depths of Wade Miley to the stars of Jonathan Lucroy, the rumors are flying fast and furious, and the Roto Riteup will be here every step of the way, provided those steps are taken at a certain time in the morning.

On the agenda:
1. Eduardo Nunez to the Giants
2. Hello Homer
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

Eduardo Nunez to the Giants
The Twins made a rebuilding move yesterday, shipping Nunez to San Francisco. The Giants came into the season with an excellent infield, but Matt Duffy’s achilles injury has opened up a hole at third base, and the club decided to grasp the chance to fill it. Nunez is having a career year, flashing power for the first time and stealing bases at a good clip. He’s still flawed — his glove is average on a good day and he hates to walk — but he should find a loving home in the bay area. His fantasy expectations should improve going forward as he moves to a better lineup, but we’ll need to see where the Giants slot him.

The Twins are going to replace some of Nunez’s ABs with Jorge Polanco, a man who could be a real asset in OBP leagues. While Polanco isn’t a huge walker, he should do so at a league average rate and his high batting average will carry him forward. While Trevor Plouffe is on the mend (and perhaps on the trading block), Eduardo Escobar will likely handle third while Polanco mans shortstop, but things could change should Plouffe remain after the deadline.

Going to the Twins is starter Adalberto Mejia, a left-hander who has taken a step forward this year. Mejia started the season in Double-A and pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA over 11 starts before being promoted. In seven starts at the highest minor league level, Mejia has raised his strikeout rate while keeping his walk rate steady, but he’s been plagued by the home run ball in the Pacific Coast League. Mejia, barely 23 years old, will likely finish off the season in the minors, but a strong stretch could lead to a September callup.

Hello Homer
Homer Bailey is making his 2016 MLB debut on Sunday, well more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery. The Reds’ former (and perhaps current) ace was a solid top-40 fantasy starter back from 2012 to 2014, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 now and needs to shake off the rust. Perhaps Bailey will be a low-end roto starter the rest of the way, but betting on anything better would be foolish.

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: Steven Brault @ MIL (Junior Guerra)
Brault is a wily left-hander, and while the Brewers aren’t ghastly against southpaws, they are certainly below average.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Christian Friedrich vs CIN (Anthony DeSclafani)
If you’re risk averse, this is not the play for you. Friedrich can look solid at times, and the Reds on the road could be dead meat.