Making trades is one of the most exciting parts of fantasy baseball for a lot of us, while others may find it intimidating and nerve-racking. The idea is to improve your team in any event and making a move for a player who is underachieving can pay big dividends. It is all about finding the right player(s) to target whose value may be lower than normal and getting him at the right price.
There are a handful of predominant hitters on this list who are worth dealing for as Buy-Low candidates. Be on the lookout for our Sell-High piece coming soon and sometimes players from each list can be used to trade for each other.
Allen Craig, StL 1B/OF
It was just a few years ago that the man with two first names busted onto the scene and played himself into fantasy lineups everywhere. Since then, Craig has been a very solid producer having hit over .300 with at least 90 RBIs in each of the past two seasons.
This year hasn’t started out as great for the 29-year-old as evidenced by the sub-.250 batting average and through more than 40 games. Craig has let his owners down so far, but that will change pretty quickly.
The 29-year-old is traditionally a slow starter at the plate with a career .236 average in March and April. Craig hits over .300 in every other month except June (.283) and he is starting to heat up right now with 14 hits over his last 11 contests.
Wil Myers, TB OF
The second-year outfielder is not putting up the kind of numbers we saw out of him as a rookie. Pitchers and scouting reports have caught up to Myers a bit and that was to be expected out of a young hitter.
Myers might be hitting closer to .200 than .300 and some owners may be losing patience having drafted him around the sixth round. He did hit .293 with 13 homers in 373 plate appearances a season ago and that raw talent hasn’t gone anywhere. It is time to make some adjustments to become the professional hitter that scouts believe he can be.
Fantasy owners in need of an outfielder should target Myers because his upside is so high while the price could be considerably lower in comparison. Trust that the 23-year-old will make your team better sooner than later.
Jean Segura, Mil SS
Here is another struggling young ballplayer with a lot of potential. The 24-year-old was an All-Star last season and finished with a .294 batting average, 42 extra-base hits (12 homeruns) and 44 stolen bases. Segura’s great play got him drafted around the fourth or fifth round in most drafts this year.
Segura’s owners shouldn’t give up just yet, but some will get impatient enough to listen to offers. It is normal for young players to go through growing pains. Expect his bat to start coming around soon while the speed will never slump.
J.J. Hardy, Bal SS
Last year’s American League Silver Slugger at shortstop hasn’t hit a homerun yet this season after bashing 25 in 2013. Hardy has been a quality fantasy asset having averaged 26 long balls, 28 two-baggers and 75 RBIs over the past three years.
The 31-year-old veteran has been hitting a lot better as of late with four multi-hit games over the past week raising his average considerably. Look for his power stroke to come back soon as this streaky hitter can rattle off a bunch of productive contests in a row. Fantasy owners who can’t get Segura should target Hardy now before owners are more reluctant to deal him.
Matt Kemp, LAD OF
You need to act fast if you want to make a deal for the slugger who is rounding into form in the month of May. It was hard to trust that the injury-prone outfielder would be healthy enough to warrant a mid-round pick, but it’s paid off so far. Kemp is right around .275 with a handful of homeruns and stolen bases with the aggressiveness of the base paths being a very encouraging sign.
The Dodgers have a very potent lineup that figures to get even better with the addition of Alex Guerrero down the road. Kemp will be a fixture in the middle of the order and he will get better as the season gets older with 25/25 being a good possibility. For more fantasy baseball articles click here.
