Players’ trade values fluctuate throughout the season. There’s no exact science in determining when or if to trade a certain player. There are a few clues, though, that can help owners maximize their player’s trade value during the fantasy baseball season.
Here are three players who should be on the trading block before their value disappears.
Marcus Semien
Is this the real Marcus Semien? Is he a product of the Oakland A’s system? Or is he a flash in the April/early May pan.
Fantasy owners can’t be sure, but in Semien’s short career, he’s never produced like he has so far this year. He’s batting .283, with 15 runs, 12 RBIs, three home runs and four stolen bases. If those numbers continue, Semien will be a star on any fantasy roster.
Or, he could revert to the player that found the bench on the Chicago White Sox last year. Sometimes fantasy owners have to take risks. If Semien is this kind of player, then surely, the best bet is to keep Semien on the roster.
But if he cools over the next month, his value will disappear, and fantasy owners will likely have to cut him in favor of another fantasy option. The safest play would be to put him out on the block and see what return comes your way.
Because of his ability to score in several areas, he could be worth some quality options from fellow fantasy owners.
Joc Pederson
Here’s another young guy. He hasn’t done it before in the MLB, so all fantasy owners should at least put out a line on him and see if anyone bites.
So far, Pederson has been a machine at the plate, going for nine homers, 18 RBIs and runs apiece, and hitting .272. Those are robust numbers for any player in fantasy baseball.
But Pederson’s young. Pitchers haven’t figured out the lefty yet, and with more time, will MLB figure him out? That’s a chance fantasy owners must evaluate going forward.
Pederson plays in the outfield, so replacing him isn’t as big of a chore as another position. He also has never experienced the grind of a full Major League season.
If you’re participating in a keeper league, then don’t think about trading him away. But if in you’re in a regular fantasy league, put him on the block and see what you can get for him. He should be worth a quality addition to any roster.
Yoenis Cespedes
Cespedes is a good fantasy option. There’s no doubting that.
But his numbers so far this season are not sustainable. Cespedes is hitting .296 with 17 RBIs, four homers and 12 runs. He’s also being highly consistent, which happens to not be consistent with the rest of his career.
His normal batting average hovers around the .250 mark for his career, and his RBI total cannot keep up the pace he’s currently producing.
Many fantasy owners would salivate over Cespedes, based on the perception that he can get on base and drive in runs. In reality, these numbers will likely go down, giving fantasy owners higher trade value now, compared to when he runs into one of his inconsistent slumps.
