The trade deadline is closing in, and the dominoes have begun to fall. Whatever happens, the best place to find out what it means for your Fantasy Baseball team is right here in the Trade Deadline Tracker. Over the next week-plus, Scott White and Chris Towers will use this space to break down every move that’s of some significance for Fantasy, updating the feed as trades happen. Be sure to bookmark it so you’ll always have the latest insights and information.
Dean Kremer traded to Twins
For a minute there, it looked like Dean Kremer might be of some interest in Fantasy. I’m referring mainly to that time when he allowed one earned run in six innings against the White Sox after a three-month absence for a quad strain. He was leaning into his splitter more than ever before, and it’s a pitch that yields excellent results with a .204 batting average against and 41.5 percent whiff rate. As the pitch selection normalized, though, the ERA took an ugly turn, and now he finds himself on a Twins staff that doesn’t have an obvious opening for him. At first glance, he wouldn’t appear to be any better than the pitchers occupying the fourth and fifth spots, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp, but both are entering unfamiliar territory with regard to innings, Prielipp especially. This trade serves as a reminder that those two pitchers, who are pretty fringy in Fantasy to begin with, have an expiration date. You can expect Kremer to fill a swingman role until he needs to step in full-time. –Scott White
Curtis Mead traded to Red Sox for Connelly Early
Update: Curtis Mead fractured his wrist in his second plate appearance for the Red Sox and will likely miss the rest of the season. The outlook depicted here now belongs to the theoretical. Perhaps it will apply to 2027, though the Red Sox could make moves between now and then that would alter it.Â
How refreshing to see a trade that’s more about matching up needs than shedding salary for prospects. Mead and Connelly Early both have several years of control left and, with this trade, become foundational pieces for clubs that lacked what they can provide. The big winner for Fantasy is Mead, who has had a breakout season in every respect but was required to sit occasionally on account of the Nationals‘ infield surplus. He should play every day for the Red Sox — and at second base, no less, likely preserving his triple eligibility for next year. He also has a batted-ball profile that’s perfectly suited for Fenway Park, lacking in high-end exit velocities but abounding in fly balls pulled from the right side. He was already having an offensive breakthrough, but you can expect his batting average to rise as some of his fly ball outs become singles and doubles off the Green Monster. This trade puts him on the fringes of the top 12 at third base, where he’s of the most use in Fantasy.
From a real-world perspective, this trade probably seems like a coup for the Nationals, seeing as Early was a top prospect coming into the year while Mead had already flopped with two organizations and is challenged defensively. Mead’s stock has obviously risen since then, however, while Early’s has probably slipped a little. Notably, the Nationals are acquiring Early while he’s sidelined by elbow inflammation, which doesn’t sound serious but does introduce an element of uncertainty. Even prior to the injury, Early’s control had been shaky and his stuff had played down, putting his ERA estimators well above his actual ERA. Perhaps the Red Sox thought they should get while the getting was good. Â –Scott White
