Don’t sleep on Michael Kopech providing value once he’s healthy. (MLB.com)
This week, the Mets’ injury issues continued with Francisco Alvarez (surgery on broken hamate) out 6-to-8 weeks, thereby making Luis Torrens an interesting early-season addition (see below); Michael Grove (torn labrum) will miss the season (aww… poor Dodgers); and Minnesota RP Erasmo Ramirez will be out for quite a while thanks to a tear in his shoulder. Other Fantasy baseball related stories we’re following include…
Can Toronto Bounce Back?
Since winning 92 games in 2022, it’s been downhill for the Toronto Blue Jays. They dropped to 89 wins the following season, and missed the playoffs last year when they managed just 74 victories.
They’re likely to bounce back to over 85 wins this season, but there are plenty of questions surrounding this team, not the least of which is the pending free agency status of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. After being rumoured to be on the trade block last year, he set a spring training deadline to reach an extension with the Blue Jays and that hasn’t happened as he seems to have overvalued himself ($600 million for a future DH is beyond excessive).
So Vladdy’s situation could prove a major distraction all season long. He says he’s putting the contract talk behind him to focus on being the best version of himself this year, but we’ll see how this plays out. For what it’s worth, a deal may still happen.
You may recall, Guerrero was a third baseman when we named him as our top prospect in 2019. Now, he’s the top ranked first baseman in Fantasy baseball, going early in the second round of drafts, but a future as a designated hitter seems inevitable.
For obvious reasons, this is a huge year for him. After two straight seasons of declining offense, Guerrero bounced back in a huge way in 2024, getting back to the 30-homer mark and recording the second highest OPS of his career. Given that as a prospect he was considered a generational hitting talent, we need to see more seasons like last year to justify that projection. The good news is he doesn’t turn 26 until next week, so Vladdy’s power prime may still be coming.
Who Closes for the Dodgers?
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ win total may have slipped in each of the last two years, but they are still the defending champions and hardly stood pat this winter.
Regardless, while some things are a certainty, like Shohei Ohtani being the NL MVP favourite (currently +145 to win the award as per FanDuel), other things aren’t quite as clear.
Like who will be saving games for the team, for instance.
Last year, Evan Phillips occupied the closer role for most of the season before being replaced in August by Michael Kopech down the stretch. In the postseason, the team turned to Blake Treinen, so this isn’t exactly a new issue.
We know that Phillips (shoulder) won’t be back until next month. Similarly, Kopech (forearm) probably won’t be ready to go for Opening Day as he just started throwing bullpen sessions again.
That would leave Treinen as the logical choice except for the fact that the Dodgers signed Tanner Scott this winter. Scott is expected to do most of the heavy lifting in the ninth to begin the season, but Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts hasn’t ruled out Kopech competing for the job once he’s healthy.
That’s fair; Kopech was lights out after being dealt from the White Sox at the deadline last year. He went undefeated and improved his control once donning the Dodger blue. Not to mention, Kopech can bring the heat…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBDlxuCplAE
But let’s not forget about Treinen (80 career saves) and Kirby Yates (95), both of whom have extensive closing experience.
It’s clear the Dodgers have options here, but for now, it looks like Scott is the main man, but Yates, Treinen and ultimately Kopech (and Phillips) will be very useful Fantasy assets this season, too.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Luis Torrens, C, New York Mets (ESPN: 0.2 per cent; CBS: 9 per cent): Who? Exactly. But with Alvarez out, Torrens will begin the season as the No. 1 catcher for the Mets, so the opportunity is there. Torrens, a Venezuelan journeyman, was Seattle’s top catcher in 2021 (before being supplanted by Cal Raleigh), so has some experience as a starter, and he was fairly productive as a backup for the Mets last season even if his OPS (665) left something to be desired. Like most catchers, Torrens offers zero speed. However, as a short-term option in NL-only leagues, he could provide some value.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
When Queen first started, you could hear prog rock, hard rock and even heavy metal in some of their tunes, but over time, they morphed into a more radio friendly band. From that period, in 1981 they released “Under Pressure,” with David Bowie, a No. 1 single that was later featured on the 1982 album Hot Space.