Month: April 2019

Welcome to Week 3, the third week of Period 1. The common theme is choosing a lesser priced SP2 to afford an SP1. Here’s where the Touts landed.

Derek Carty (RotoGrinders, @DerekCarty)

Pitcher: Pablo Lopez – Of the sub-7k pitchers, Pablo is the most talented and is pitching in the best park. He’s facing a solid offense in the Cubs, but it’s also an overrated offense with plenty of holes. He’s a little more expensive than Kyle Gibson and Reynaldo Lopez (both also solid options tonight), but at what may be the lowest ownership of the trio, he holds strong appeal.

Hitter: Mike Trout – Much will be made of Christian Yelich after his hot start to the year and 3-HR night last night, but don’t let recency bias cloud your judgement. Trout is the FAR superior hitter. He’s in the better park tonight. He has the better weather. He’s facing the weaker pitcher. He has the more important RvL platoon advantage. And he’s only $300 more. It’s not a close decision. Trout is a must.

Gene McCaffrey (The Athletic, @WiseGuyGene)

Pitcher: Max Fried – Very impressive so far, against tough hitting teams, nice $8k price in a pretty lousy field.

Hitter: Robinson Cano – Not much to show for it but he’s swinging the bat well, in a favorable Philly park against a struggling Nick Pivetta

Phil Hertz (BaseballHQ, @prhz50)

Pitcher: Shane Bieber – Like Gene, I like Fried, but tonight I’m a Bieber believer. He’s not a lot more expensive than Fried and has a longer track record.

Hitter: Michael Conforto – Michael Conforto has been doing well over his last 10 games and faces a struggling Nick Pivetta.

Anthony Aniano (Rotoballer, @AAnianoFantasy)

Pitcher: Collin McHugh – Collin McHugh’s ability to accumulate Ks and keep a low ERA has him as a relatively low cost SP1 for tonight to pair with Fried

Hitter: Bryce Harper – Bryce Harper versus Matz. As well as Matz has pitched this season he is prone to the HR and Harper is in a great spot to go deep.

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis)

Pitcher: Shane Bieber – Tonight, I have Bieber fever, especially at a DraftKings price of only $8,600. Shane Bieber is averaging almost 20 fantasy points per game, but this number is deceiving. In his first outing, he had only 4.9 fantasy points. In his last two outings, he had 25.1 and 29.4 fantasy points per game. He’s trending in the right direction. On the season, Beiber is 1-0 with 17 strikeouts, an ERA of 1.80, and a WHIP of 0.67.

Hitter: Javier Baez – It’s always nice to be occasionally start a member of the Chicago Cubs since they play a lot of their home games during the day. Baez faces Miami starting pitcher, Pablo Lopez. Lopez owns a 6.60 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and a 1-2 record through his first 3 starts. I like Baez at a reasonable price of $4,800 on DraftKings.

Derek VanRiper (Rotowire, @DerekVanRiper)

Pitcher: Pablo Lopez – At home for $6,900, Lopez is a nice value against the Cubs. I’m treating this entry as a GPP lineup, and with a very limited supply of viable home starters higher up the price list, I want to take the chance on a young pitcher on the rise in a matchup that night scare enough people away to keep his ownership reasonably light.

Hitter: Ji-Man Choi – If I were at Costco, I’d pay a six-pack of Choi at this price tonight. Dylan Bundy turns left-handed hitters into superstars, and Choi is another one of the hard-hit/barrel-rate darlings in Tampa Bay capable of turning an increased role into meaningful production. Stacking against Bundy will likely be popular, so I’ll probably limit my exposure to the matchup to Choi at this price, even if he’s relatively popular with the low price.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports)

Pitcher: Tyler Glasnow – Spending up for top pitcher going against lowly Baltimore

Hitter: Stephen Strasburg – Strasburg surface numbers haven’t been great, but he’s faced the Mets twice and Phillies. The Giants are a weak offense with the second worst wOBA against RHP.

Adam Ronis (Scout Fantasy, @AdamRonis)

Pitcher: Stephen Strasburg – Strasburg surface numbers haven’t been great, but he’s faced the Mets twice and Phillies. The Giants are a weak offense with the second worst wOBA against RHP.

Hitter: Nolan Arenado – Arenado is heating up with homers in consecutive games and faces a LHP tonight.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola)

Pitcher: Nick Margevicius – One of the best bets in recent seasons is a southpaw opposing the Rockies in their home park. It’s even better when the park rhymes with SHMETCO.

Hitter: Jorge Alfaro – Alfaro is hitting clean-up, with the platoon edge on the struggling Jose Quintana. I’ll take the savings and pair Margevicius with a stud.

Howard Bender (Fantasy Alarm, @RotobuzzGuy)

Pitcher: Nick Margevicius – He’ll be super-chalky tonight given his price-tag, but how do you not love this guy facing a Rockies team that can’t seem to consistently hit its way out of a paper bag and is striking out nearly 30% of the time over the last week?

Hitter: Brandon Lowe – He’s hit safely in nine-straight games (three multi-hit games in his last five) with three homers, eight RBI and a stolen base in that span. Oh yeah…and he’s facing Dylan Bundy! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Rick Wolf (Fantasy Alarm, @RickWolf1) 

Pitcher: Colin McHugh – In a league like this where there are so many great baseball minds, I try not to get fancy with the pitchers. McHugh has a good price tonight plus has struck out 22 players in 17 innings. When he faced Oakland on the 5th of April, he only struck out four, but he is safe to get 20 points and sometimes it is best to bank the 20 at a good price.

Hitter: Trevor Story – Like all the RHHs in the Colorado lineup which will have the obvious Nolan Arenado in them too. Story is slightly less obvious but both hitters mash LHP. In 2018, he hit .326 with a home run every 14 at bats. The counting numbers were good too. He started 2019, with a strong .348 in just 23 at bats. Tonight both he and Arenado go yard. It’s on!

Steve Gardner (USAToday Fantasy Sports, @SteveAGardner)

Pitcher: Max Fried – Young lefty hasn’t given up a run yet this season. Doubt he extends that streak, but a solid effort vs. Arizona is certainly doable.
Hitter: Josh Donaldson –

Clay Link (Rotowire, @claywlink)

Pitcher: Pablo Lopez – I couldn’t really find a way to fit Glasnow AND Bieber in along with quality bats, and Joe Musgrove is not a part of this slate due to an early start, so I’m dipping down and taking a chance on Lopez. The results haven’t been good, but Lopez has a stellar 17:2 K:BB and 3.21 FIP.

Hitter: Austin Meadows – Dylan Bundy has been more homer-prone against same-handed hitters in recent years, but lefties are still getting to him for close to two per nine since the start of 2018. I’m buying into Meadows’ breakout and will happily get back aboard this train in DFS even at a lofty $5,000 price tag.

Tim Heaney (Rotowire, ESPN, @Tim_Heaney)

Pitcher: Stephen Strasburg – Flipping a coin between Strasburg and Tyler Glasnow…. nah, it’s a bit more than that: Strasburg is $3K cheaper and, despite Glasnow’s tilt with the Orioles, Strasburgh’s matchup is just as tantalizing. He’ll mow down the Giants.

Hitter: Robinson Cano – Nick Pivetta allowed 1.52 HR/9 to LHB last season, and his poor early returns show he’s feeding that beast again. Cano ($3,700, hitting third) is mildly priced for such a promising situation at a hitter-leaning park.

Jeff Erickson (Rotowire, @Jeff_Erickson)

Pitcher: Jon Gray – I’ve also got Shane Bieber going, but I figured that is actually pretty common. Gray has had two good road starts this year and Petco is a nice venue to continue that run.

Hitter: Austin Meadows – I think a lot of us are going to have Rays Fever and I see that Clay also has Meadows as his highlighted hitter. The logic here is pretty simple – Meadows is on fire against a pitcher in Dylan Bundy that is tater-rific.

Welcome to this week’s Tout Wars Roundtable. The questions posed to the Touts is

Please finish this sentence: When it comes to early-season trading…

Here are the replies. Feel free to chime in with your take in the comments.

Brad Johnson (Patreon/BaseballATeam, @BaseballATeam): I’m looking to acquire or trade away changes in talent before they become statistically obvious. I’m also looking to nab slow-start veterans, i.e. Carpenter and Goldy last season. This year, Josh Donaldson and Jose Ramirez top the list.

AJ Mass (ESPN, @AJMass): I tend to preach patience. I drafted players (bought them via auction) for a reason, and I’m not typically going to change my outlook on these guys after a few cold weeks — both in terms of stats and the outdoor temperature, which often is a reason for slow starts. Now, when I lose Trea Turner to a lengthy injury, I might be more inclined to listen to offers, but since any deal I might make reacting to such a need is going to be from a position of weakness, I’m going to have to make sure I’m not getting fleeced.

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis): I’m active, but the problem is that I can’t seem to find a trading partner that won’t try to take advantage of the trade deal. Take for example Chris Sale. I tried to trade for him, but the owner still values him as a 2nd round pick. I’m willing to give him 75% on the dollar, but he wants 99%. Not going to happen since I am the one taking on the additional risk. My advice in any trade negotiation is to first get on the phone and call, email, or text various trading partners to see if they have any interest in a trade. It will save you and other league managers a ton of wasted trade offers.

Andrea Lamont (LennyMelnickFantasySports, @RotoLady): I try to be the guy buying low, not the guy selling low. Yesterday I was offered Chris Sale for Zack Greinke, and that made me pretty excited. Don’t ever trade a player away at his lowest value. Especially ones you drafted in the first round or paid a bunch for. They get a little more time to get it together than cheaper players. I am happy to trade a player away if I think he is playing above his skill level, like Pete Alonso, who is striking out 31% of the time and has a BABIP of .478 – SELL

Ryan Bloomfield (BaseballHQ, @RyanBHQ): I hang back and chill. Presumably, you drafted your team after months of offseason research; don’t toss that away after 2-3 weeks. Two exceptions: injuries and falling *way* behind in a certain category. If there’s an obvious hole in your squad (i.e. you drafted Mike Clevinger as your ace, you lost a closer or two), then it makes sense to be aggressive and patch those gaps before you fall too far behind. But if you’re mostly in the pack, relax and let things play out. A weakness can turn into a strength (or vice-versa) at a moment’s notice this early in the year.

Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ, @dougdennis41): I am always happy to try to upgrade.  I don’t think there is every a “wrong” time to try to make a trade, and earlier trades have more impact. But having said that, it is very hard to find someone panicking in the leagues I am in and no one is buying the crazy first two weeks of some player or selling their best player who had a bad start. Owners out looking to rip me off–forget it. I admit that I have not made any offers (yet). I have Vogelbach in Tout AL, if someone wants to make an offer! I need SBs and SPs.

Ariel Cohen (CBS Sports, @ATCNY): I tend to look right after my draft to see if I have any positional or statistical imbalances, and attempt to make a low-end trade. A low end SS for a low end 3B, or a low end steals guy for low end power, etc. But if everyone drafted to their views, it will be tough to make major trades early on – as people are high on their own picks. If I am approached by another team, I will certainly entertain offers if I think that I can profit, but I won’t attempt anything major myself. The exception to that is an impact injury, if the waiver wire isn’t helpful.

Chris Liss (Rotowire, @Chris_Liss): Make me an offer, I will certainly consider it. Just don’t assign me homework, e.g, “take a look at my roster.”

Perry Van Hook (Mastersball): There is a fine line between being patient with players off to a slow start and recognizing a deficiency that you might be able to fix better via trade than through free agents. The easiest and best trades to make early in the season are trading from a position/category of strength to correct a weakness with a team that has a clear match. Old school but I always prefer to have a conversation with teams in my league to see how they view their players/team and mine before presenting a trade offer – you will often get a better deal than the one you had in mind.

Michael Stein (Fantasy Judgment, @FantasyJudgment): I am always looking to upgrade where I can and tend to target GMs with star players that are under-performing to see if I can buy low. I do not overreact positively or negatively to players’ performances over the first few weeks of the season, but I know other GMs do so I try and capitalize on that overreaction.

Grey Albright (RazzBall, @razzball): I’m mostly against early season trades unless it’s obvious in your favor. My mom always said I’d make a great landscape architect with my hedges. Also, you can check out our Razzball’s Trade Analyzer to see when a trade is in your favor: https://razzball.com/trade_analyzer_mlb/

Seth Trachtman (Rotoworld, @sethroto): Buy low, sell high. Unless there’s something apparent in the small sample size of stats that says the player has legitimately gotten better or worse, I try not to take too much from a couple weeks of data, one way or the other.

Howard Bender (Fantasy Alarm, @RotobuzzGuy): I’m usually pretty conservative throughout the month of April. I’ll fill holes on the waiver wire, but don’t often feel it necessary to blow up the first 6-to-8 rounds of my draft this early. Once the calendar flips to May and I have a better read on my team and its needs, everyone is fair game. There is no player who is untradeable, though, obviously, prices vary. Also, instead of making my own moves, I often enjoy spending April talking fantasy newbies out of making bonehead deals.

Phil Hertz (BaseballHQ, @prhz50): Everything is fair game. Just don’t try to buy low with me. If you’ve come out of the draft with an obvious gap; for example, steals. Why wait to fix it.

Tim McCullough (Baseball Prospectus, @TimsTenz): I will listen to offers and leap if the price is right but I’m much more inclined to initiate and/or actually make a trade once April is over and I have a better idea of what my team needs most.

Dr. Roto (Scout Fantasy, @DrRoto): I like to be patient for the first month or so of the season to see how the categories shake out so I can target my needs better.

Rob Leibowitz (Rotoheaven, @rob_leibowitz): Early season I don’t usually go out seeking trades unless I have an injury concern, but am not opposed to trading at any time.. The best trades are typically the ones that come to you but hopefully also include an offer rather than something vague. Everyone wants to sell high/buy low but I rarely encounter those situations in actual practice. Most people stick to their guns early in the season at this level of play if they already have expectations regarding a player since they drafted or purchased them in the first place.

Michael Florio (NFL Network, @MichaelFFlorio): I am looking to buy a player who has made a change before it really gets notice. For instance, Zach Eflin is throwing a cutter (according to some sites) and it has become his best swing and miss pitch. I have shot multiple offers for him already. Additionally, I look to jump on panicking owners. I loved Zack Wheeler coming into the season and he is still doing everything I loved. He still has his added velocity and throwing that new split finger, but because of one bad start where he had nothing, some may be panicking.

Dan Strafford (FNTSY Radio, @DanStrafford): I generally despise trading at any point in a season. So many owners are so afraid of “losing” a trade that they become difficult to negotiate with and circular in offers. If I drafted a specific roster with intent of trading for a category later, I try to get ahead of the curve whenever possible.

Ray Murphy (BaseballHQ, @RayHQ): I’m pretty hands-off, unless I’ve got an express need. In Tout Wars Mixed, for instance, I’ve got zero saves after 2 weeks. Safe to say I’m going shopping there soon. But I’m generally not aggressive about trying to buy or sell into hot/cold starts. Just not a predator by nature, I suppose.

Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt): … I’m willing to listen, but I don’t expect much activity because most owners (including me) are usually waiting to see what they have as a team, what they have in the categories, and what they have from individual players. It’s hard to know those things with only a few weeks of games. That’s partly just common sense and partly a kind of ownership bias, but either way, it mitigates against early-season trading. When I played keepers, it was different, because dumping got going earlier and earlier to the point where trades were being made in April, but that’s only because the trades are not meant to be current-value-for-current value, so owners can are addressing two different sets of needs.

Anthony Aniano (Rotoballer, @AAnianoFantasy): I’m willing to listen to offers and try to take advantage of an impatient owner who’s too eager to sell low. If an owner is willing to move on after 50 poor at bats or 3 poor starts i’ll happily take them for the next 500 at bats or 27 starts.

Michael Beller (Sports Illustrated, @MBeller): …be realistic. Far fewer people are prone to panic than popular lore would suggest. Everyone answering this question plays in industry leagues, but we all play in home leagues, too. I’m betting that you aren’t seeing too many Jose Ramirez or Chris Sale trades in those leagues just yet. Worry less about what the other person may be willing to give up, and more about the holes on your roster that may already be developing. If you’re trying to make a discount trade for someone you liked back in draft season, consider guys who were mid- or late-round targets. For sake of example, some players who fit that mold for me include Franmil Reyes, Robinson Cano and Ross Stripling.gh

Rudy Gamble (Razzball, @RudyGamble): ….I’m typically patient and using the waiver wire to upgrade the bottom of my roster and filling in for injured players. I will always listen to offers but it is hard trading early when managers still like most of their players for the same reasons they drafted them.

Justin Mason (Friends with Fantasy Benefits, Fangraphs, Fantasy Alarm, @JustinMasonFWFB): … I rarely do it unless if I know that I have a categorical weakness heading out the draft or if an early season injury cause me to have an unexpected weakness.

Scott Swanay (FantasyBaseballSherpa, @fantasy_sherpa): . . . I generally pass. Unless injuries have left me with a glaring weakness that I can’t even begin to fill from the waiver wire AND I match up well with a potential trading partner who needs something I feel I can spare, I’ll stick to the waiver wire. One exception – if I see a league-mate with a player coming off the IL, I might offer them some FAAB for a player I like that they look likely to cut.

Ray Flowers (Fantasy Guru Elite, @BaseballGuys): I don’t really participate much, though to be fair, I don’t think most folks in these industry leagues do. We all believe in “our players,” so we’re not likely to be selling them on the low, causing the dampeners to be put on a lot of potential early season moves.

Brian Walton (CreativeSports2, @B_Walton): I listen and respond to every offer – same as later in the season. Even if the deal doesn’t make sense, keeping the lines open for the next proposal could pay off. Rarely does an early deal interest me, but there is no reason to limit one’s opportunity and risk being labeled as a disinterested trader and someone to avoid. This season, I’ve already been approached in a dynasty league in which I am rebuilding. The price I requested in return is high, but if the other owner wants the deal, it will get done. If not, no problem.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports): I’m only interested if it looks like I’m going to miss my projections and I’m going to be short in a category. I’m not usually brave enough to trade for the upside from a player off to a slow start, but those trades could help the most!

Glenn Colton (Fantasy Alarm, @GlennColton1): I am very hesitant to make an early season trade unless I can trade for a guy I liked a lot in March who is off to a slow start. The risk of overreacting to meaningless April standings is too great.

Adam Ronis (Scout Fantasy, @AdamRonis): In general, I tend to be patient. Every team is different, though, and there are times where it’s clear a trade needs to be done. With so many injuries already, it might make sense to make a trade before you fall behind by too much. There are times where you know coming out of a draft you’re deficient in a category and a quick trade can help.

Ryan Hallam (Fighting Chance Fantasy, @FightingChance): I like to be on the offensive. Trade guys off to a good start that maybe are overachieving. Try to get a better player that maybe didn’t hit the ground running. I don’t like to trade early if I’m struggling with guys I believe in. Early season trading is for taking advantage of hot starts, not for making up for slow ones.

Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball, @LarrySchechter): If you know that you have a need, and/or a surplus of something, don’t hesitate to trade. No reason to wait. And while it’s always nice to gain an edge, or buy low, sell high, a fair trade is fine.

D.J. Short (Rotoworld, @djshort): I keep an open mind. After a few weeks, you generally have a feel for your roster and how things might play out in certain categories. Grabbing someone off waivers is possible and maybe even season-altering, but you can’t count on that happening or finding a player who matches up with category need. So it’s always wise to look at your strengths and see if someone if willing to cash in on a surplus. The problem is that it’s just too early for many to do that. Otherwise, I’m not really overreacting to much of what I’m seeing in the early part of the season unless playing time/role or injuries have significantly changed things from my preseason valuation.

Derek VanRiper (Rotowire, @DerekVanRiper): I keep a very close eye on injuries for other teams in order to find trade partners in need. Most likely, the roster I built on draft or auction day doesn’t have perfect balance, so an injury for someone else could open the door for a productive dialogue that allows us to make a deal to improve both teams, as a gaping hole on a roster might lead another owner to give up an excess of something else I might need.

Andy Behrens (Yahoo! Fantasy Sports, @andybehrens): …if the early results match post-draft expectations, I’m willing to trade at any time. No one should set a date before which they aren’t willing to deal.

Jason Collette (Rotowire, @jasoncollette): Always willing to listen but rarely willing to pull the trigger. My one trade early on — moving Kolten Wong for Bryse Wilson before opening day. Smooth move, Ex-Lax

Mike Podhorzer (Fangraphs, @MikePodhorzer): I’m open to it and always willing to listen to offers on any player I own. I rarely seek out deals until at least a month into the season though, unless I’m in a league with a bunch of rookies who I think could fleece with some buy low offers.

Al Melchior (FNTSY Radio, @almelchiorbb): I’m really averse to making deals. I want to give myself a chance to better assess players’ values for this season. I’m definitely more open to dealing if I’m lucky enough to have a surplus to trade from.

Nando DiFino (The Athletic, @nandodifino): I’m all for it. Maybe a player I really like got swiped from me in the draft. Maybe a risk I took crashed and burned. Perhaps I just get restless. I think you can get better deals early on, too, because while owners have players they really may like, they also have a few they settled for, or grabbed late because they were bargains. For instance, I got Tim Beckham at the end of Tout because he was the best available player left. I think I had him pegged as UT or SW. If someone comes to me and needs a SS and wants to give me a Dylan Bundy upgrade… I’m all for it. Especially this early, when one player change can steer your team in a totally different direction.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola): I’m receptive but not usually aggressive. Injuries may force the issue, but I generally prefer to let things play out. That said, I don’t play in many leagues where there are panicking competitors. If you do, there’s nothing wrong with looking to take advantage. If you don’t, someone else will.

Welcome to our summary of the top free agent bids in each of the five Tout Wars leagues, with links to the detailed bidding action following our 8 p.m. ET deadline each Sunday evening. All prices are on a $1000 base.

After you scan the detail below, please join our live chat, starting at 9 p.m. ET Sunday evening, to discuss these results with Todd Zola of Mastersball and other Touts.

American League

15 players moved from free agency to AL Tout rosters this week – but at mostly single-digit prices. The clear exception is Minnesota reliever Trevor Hildenberger. The 28-year old, recently thought to be third in the Twins closer hierarchy, bailed out Blake Parker on Sunday for his first save of 2019. That was enough for Jeff Erickson of Rotowire to put in a winning $65 offer.

At $59, Mike Gianella of Baseball Prospectus added Roenis Elias of Seattle. The 30-year old lefty has logged a pair of saves already this season despite apparently not being in the Mariners’ closing race.

Josh Phegley of Oakland has swung a hot bat in the early going, taking playing time away from Nick Hundley. Three home runs and eight RBI this week is an impressive haul, but Gianella won’t get those stats for his $26.

Review all 4/14 AL bids here.

National League

With recent call-ups Austin Dean (MIA OF) and Touki Toussaint (ATL SP) already rostered, NL owners were faced with an offensive talent pool led in at-bats for the week by Giants back-up catcher Erik Kratz with 12.

Another new Giant, Tyler Austin, has received decent playing time at first base and offered one of the few offensive upgrades this week. Yet, seven strikeouts in 13 at-bats across his two stops is hardly comforting. Yet, I bit the bullet and paid $55.

Miami reliever Nick Anderson is off to a strong start, with 14 punchouts in just 6 1/3 innings to go with just one run allowed. Mastersball’s Todd Zola won the bidding at $37 as a replacement for injured Atlanta closer Arodys Vizcaino.

Zola, who has been bidding aggressively early this season, plunked down $33 for Rockies outfielder Yonathan Daza. An 0-for-11 start with four K’s did not deter Todd, but the potential near-term return of David Dahl could put Daza back down to Triple-A.

In total, 13 players were acquired this week, including four $0 winning offers.

Review all 4/14 NL bids here.

Mixed Auction

There was both quality and higher prices paid this week in Mixed Auction. 21 players were acquired, led by the $203 paid for former Phillies closer Hector Neris. Jeff Zimmerman is Neris’ new owner. The reliever collected a save this week, but still seems behind David Robertson and Seranthony Dominguez in the closing hierarchy.

Braves starter Touki Toussaint was called up to replace another hurler who attracted FAAB dollars in week no. 1, Kyle Wright. After throwing six shutout innings on Saturday, Toussaint joined the roster of Brent Hershey of BaseballHQ for $179.

With injury to Scooter Gennett in Cincinnati and top prospect Nick Senzel biding his time in Triple-A, free agent signee Derek Dietrich has received regular playing time. The former Marlin has shown nice power and attracted the eye of Tim Heaney for $47.

Review all 4/14 Mixed Auction bids here.

Mixed Draft

21 new players acquired was also the total in Mixed Draft this week. The top dollar offer went for Pirates starter Jordan Lyles, joining the roster of Perry Van Hook for $123. Now on his fifth MLB team, the right is being skipped in the Pittsburgh rotation this week, but seems to have hold of the no. 5 spot. An 0.82 ERA over two starts has to have a lot to do with that.

Tom Kessenich of the NFBC acquired Toussaint for $69 and his boss Greg Ambrosius snared Angels infielder Tommy La Stella for $55. Earlier in the week, the veteran hit three home runs on Monday and Tuesday, but hasn’t had a hit since.

Outfielder Avisail Garcia is with Tampa Bay this season and joined the roster of Van Hook for $53. The veteran was red-hot this week, with a total of 11 hits in a four-game stretch. Eight of those hits were against his former White Sox teammates.

Review all 4/14 Mixed Draft bids here.

Head to Head

This was a relatively quiet week in Head-to-Head, with 14 players acquired, none over $75.

In fact, $75 was the highest offer made, as Brandon Lowe of the Rays was acquired by Dr. Roto. The second baseman had two standout outings this past week, with three long balls and six driven in. Lowe is working on an eight-game hitting streak.

Max Fried looks to have positioned himself in the Braves youthful starting rotation, justifying a $71 bid from Clay Link of Rotowire. Five other owners placed lesser offers.

Franmil Reyes, competing for time in a crowded and talented Padres outfield, brought $49 of Ralph Lifshitz’ cash. The 23-year old outfielder launched his first three home runs of the season this past week.

Review all 4/14 Head to Head bids here.

Usually, there’s a degree of commonality with the Tout’s picks. Tonight, they’re all over the place. We’ll have a chat open at 7:00 PM ET for those wanting to hang out and talk some baseball.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola)

Pitcher: Mike Minor – Want to use Jacob deGrom, so need to find a cheaper SP2. I don’t like Minor at home, but I’ll roll the dice in an NL park against a middling lineup

Hitter: Robinson Cano – Batting 3rd against Kyle Gibson at home? Yes, please!

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis)

Pitcher: John Means – I need a low cost, high ceiling starting pitcher tonight as I am also going with Jacob DeGrom at $11,600. Means is playing for a spot in the Baltimore rotation and has pitched well this season. He’s thrown 5.2 inning with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks. He has a favorable matchup today at home against Oakland.

Hitter: Christian Yelich – It was a tough decision on starting either Yelich or Chris Davis tonight. (Who am I kidding?) I’m actually going to do a Milwaukee stack for the most part as they face Matt Harvey tonight. Yelich owns a .370 batting average all time versus Harvey.

Steve Gardner (USAToday Fantasy Sports, @SteveAGardner)

Pitcher: Jacob deGrom – The reigning NL Cy Young award winner hasn’t allowed a run in his first two starts and he’ll be pitching at home against the DH-less Twins. He’s the closest to a sure thing on the schedule, so I’ll find value elsewhere.

Hitter: Whit Merrifield – The guy has a 29-game hitting streak! Yeah, he isn’t going to threaten DiMaggio just yet but against lefty Marco Gonzales, I’ll take my chances.

Dan Strafford (FNTSY Radio, @DanStrafford)

Pitcher: Derek Holand – While not someone who I’m overly comfortable with on regular basis, Holland presents the best park on the slate. San Francisco’s Oracle Park helps to mitigate the RHB of San Diego here.

Hitter: Nolan Arenado – While stacking Coors may be difficult if you’re looking to play one of the top end pitchers, it’s hard to imagine any hitter in a better “spot” than Nolan Arenado. Over his career agaisnt LHP at Coors Field, Arenado sports a .388 ISO. He’s going up agaisnt lefty Max Fried who, while talented, relies on a curveball as one of his out pitchers. Coors Field greatly diminishes the effectiveness of the curve.
Gene McCaffrey (The Athletic, @WiseGuyGene)

Pitcher: John Means – Paired with deGrom for salary relief, has a chance to put up a good start but I’ll be happy with 15 points
Hitter: Robinson Cano – Not expensive but a good bet to hit a home run, and where there is one home run there can be two.

Michael Florio (NFL Network, @MichaelFFlorio)

Pitcher: Marco Gonzales – The Royals have a .260 wOBA against lefties this season, which is the fourth lowest in baseball. Also, the Mariners have been scoring a ton of runs, which greatly increases his chance at a win.

Hitter: Joc Pederson – I am a sucker for Joc. But he has been red hot, is hitting leadoff and facing Dakota Hudson who has already allowed 3 homers to left handed hitters. The fear is that he gets pinch hit for later in the game, but I trust him to get on base and potentially go deep tonight.

Adam Ronis (Scout Fantasy, @AdamRonis)

Pitcher: Jacob deGrom – No need to get cute. He hasn’t allowed an earned run yet, the wind is blowing in on a cool night and Nelson Cruz isn’t in the lineup.

Hitter: German Marquez – This is a sucker pick…I’m a sucker for Marquez. I don’t imagine he’ll be owned by more than one or two other people, so if he hits, it should separate me from the pack.

Clay Link (Rotowire, @claywlink)

Pitcher: German Marquez – This is a sucker pick…I’m a sucker for Marquez. I don’t imagine he’ll be owned by more than one or two other people, so if he hits, it should separate me from the pack.

Hitter: Jorge Soler – Just 3-for-his-last-28, but SEA/KC has the third-highest over/under tonight and Soler is a career .254/.346/.460 hitter (115 wRC+) against left-handed pitching.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports)

Pitcher: Marco Gonzales – Seattle is hot and Marco in the middle of it. Good chance for a win and 6+K’s

Hitter: Jay Bruce – Stacking Seattle and Colorado tonight. Bruce and Santana could both go deep, Arenado will hit his first HR this year, and Story goes back to back nights

Tout Daily is back for the 2019 season. Tout Daily is a DFS league where the season is broken into five four-week segments. The top three point scorers in each period are awarded a Golden Ticket into the Championship Round. In addition, the Tout accruing the most points over the 20 week regular season earns a wild-card entry into the tourney.

Phil Hertz from Baseball HQ lapped the field in Week 1. His lineup was so dominating, Phil’s 195.35 points would have still lead the pack without Mike Trout’s two-homer evening. Along with Trout, Phil got a big night on the hill from the Pirates’ Joe Musgrove and his seven scoreless, eight strikeout effort against the Reds. Lady Luck also was in Phil’s favor. “At 6:15 pm, it started to pour in Maryland,” Hertz explains. “Remembering I had Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jonathan Schoop in my lineup, I checked the Philadelphia weather report.  All it showed was rain and more rain.  I brought up my lineup.  Out went Realmuto, in came Tyler Flowers. Out came Schoop, in came Ketel Marte, etc.  So if it hadn’t started to pour at home, Steve Gardner and Michael Beller probably win. “

Marte totaled 34 points while Flowers added 19. Phil also played Adam Jones and his 25 points.

There was a rare tie for second as defending champion Michael Beller from Sports Illustrated and Steve Gardner from USA Today each tallied 154.2 points.

Week 1 was a rare Friday night Tout Daily contest. We return to Tuesday this evening, our regular night. Be sure to check back later as the Touts share their favorite hitter and pitcher picks for the Tuesday night slate. We’ll also have a chat posted on ToutWars.com where you can follow along and get your fantasy baseball questions answered.

Here’s the Tout Daily Leaderboard:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lkp-pznGjNL0mp6QZXRLAdQsW12mFStDe7WJvBmPhys/edit#gid=0

After a brief hiatus, the Tout Table is back! This week’s question:

What is your level of Chris Sale concern? Who from this list do you prefer rest-of-season over Sale: Blake Snell, Jameson Taillon, Luis Severino, Carlos Carrasco, Walker Buehler, Trevor Bauer, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Clevinger, Jack Flaherty and Patrick Corbin?

Larry Schechter (Winning Fantasy Baseball, @LarrySchechter): I took Sale at pick #9 in the first round of my NFBC Platinum league, so I have been extremely concerned about the lack of velocity. When I log on to answer these “tout table” questions I always write my answer before looking at others answers. But tonight I wanted to read what everyone else had to say first, looking for reassurance. It does make sense to think that they wouldn’t sign him to that contract without knowing for sure that he’s healthy, and his lack of spring innings, etc., so I am feeling a little better after reading everyone’s answers…but until I see the velocity come back, won’t be relieved. For the record, my pre-season projections for him were 180IP, 2.86, 0.96, 14.5 Wins, 245K

Brad Johnson (Patreon/BaseballATeam, @BaseballATeam): I’m definitely worried, but I wouldn’t say I’m ready to call him a non-ace yet. I valued him around pick 20 to 25 entering the season. Now I have him slightly after pick 30. In other words, two rough starts have barely affected my valuation despite elevated concern. As for pitchers I prefer, I’d definitely take Bauer over him. Probably Snell too. In other ace news, I’ve moved deGrom ahead of Scherzer on my personal pref-list.

Ray Murphy (BaseballHQ, @RayHQ): We ran a survey of HQ staff a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised at how pessimistic we were as a group… very disconnected from our pretty optimistic projection. But, big picture: there was nothing structurally wrong with him after last season. Boston just gave him a giant extension, and I don’t think he’d be getting paid like that, or pitching right now, if there were a health concern. I think Boston is just playing the long game and managing his workload, thus making his first two starts were the equivalent of mid/late March starts for another pitcher. Just in case I’m wrong, I might consider taking Bauer or Snell from the above list instead of him. But nobody beyond that.

Gene McCaffrey (The Athletic, @WiseGuyGene): I was worried before the season started because the Sox babied him in the World Series, showing that surely they will baby him in the regular season. I’m a little more worried by the velocity loss but it’s hardly conclusive. That said, I would prefer ALL the above listed pitchers to Sale with the exception of Severino. I just don’t see ace IP to match the ace price, even if Sale turns it around.

Derek Carty (RotoGrinders, @DerekCarty): I called Sale the top pitcher in fantasy before the season, and I still stand by a healthy, no-concerns Sale being the top option. He’s the best pitcher in baseball with the best run support of any ace. Losing 2-4 mph of velocity is a big deal if it sticks around, but his velocity through April last season was low, and he finished the year with one of his highest average velocities in years. The velocity paired with the late-season shoulder injury last year is what has people freaking out, but I’m not ready to lose my cool yet. It’s entirely possible Sale is just easing himself into the season. Yes, there’s concern that an injury does exist, but the extent of that concern is what matters. A no-concerns Sale is a $45-50 player. Most of the guys on this list are in the $20-30 range, some are more like $10-15. If you’re really scared, MAYBE you can think about Snell or Bauer. But you’re banking on either 1) Sale losing substantial value or 2) those guys repeating their career-best 2018 seasons. That’s risk in and of itself, and after two starts, this is a lot of value to give up if you’re not really sure that Sale isn’t going to be the same guy we’ve come to expect for the majority of this season.

Charlie Wiegert (CDM Sports, @GFFantasySports): I’m not worried at all. He missed most of Spring Training and is just now catching up. Give him 2-3 more starts and he’ll be back to normal. I still think he’s the number 3 starter, behind Mad Max and Degrom.

Todd Zola (Mastersball, @toddzola): Maybe I’m blinded by too many duck boat parades, but I’m not concerned about health. I am a liitle worried short-term we may not see as many whiffs, but if the trade-off is September punchies, I’ll take that exchange. I’d be looking to acquire him, even dealing someone like Gerrit Cole or Aaron Nola for Sale if I can also get a decent stick as well, especially if I lost someone like Trea Turner, Daniel Murphy, Miguel Andujar or perhaps Marcell Ozuna.

Doug Dennis (BaseballHQ, @dougdennis41): I was all-in on Sale this year, rostering him in 3 leagues and taking the discount on what I perceived as his value. My worries are more about players on the IL right now–not Sale.  I don’t prefer any of those list pitchers over Sale, ROS.

Tim McCullough (Baseball Prospectus, @TimsTenz): If there was a true medical issue with Sale’s shoulder, I doubt the Red Sox would have extended his contract earlier this spring. In addition, it appears they have a plan to ease Sale into the season. After giving him just nine innings in spring training, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him limited to a max of six innings per start through April and perhaps into early May with the goal being to preserve him for September and beyond. If the Sale owner in my leagues is panicking, I’m buying.

Anthony Perri (Fantistics, @Anthony_Perri): Seeing him only averaging 89.6 MPH on his fastball in last start is alarming, until you look back to last year and see that his fastball was also less than his norm in April. In fact last April 15th, he averaged 89.5. So when you combine that with the extension that Boston gave him this offseason….there is optimisim that he will rebound.

Dan Strafford (FNTSY Radio, @DanStrafford): I think a healthy amount of concern is worth while any time a pitcher isn’t hitting the velocity levels we’ve seen them consistently at. With no context, I’d be more concerned about Sale, but we’ve seen this story before. Sale is someone who has intentionally dialed things back in the past and been just fine. In a fantasy context, you’d need to best understand your league mates to consider what to do next. Sale’s value is clearly down from where we were to start the year and bailing on him now isn’t advisable without massive returns. It’s close, but I still would rank Sale first out of the pitchers listed.

Alex Chamberlain (Rotofraphs, @DolphHauldhagen): The odd part about looking at Sale’s game logs… many of his lowest velocity readings occur in the months of April and September. They account for 11 of his 18 worst starts by fastball velo, including his April 15 start last year. Don’t know if it’s a mental thing, just mailing it in a couple of times a year, especially early on. I’m hardly a scout, but it looked to me he wasn’t going 100% the other day. That doesn’t preclude an injury — he could be half-assing it because he’s injury — but I’d like to think it was more a conscious decision than one induced by injury. I’d definitely wait one more start to move him, if that decision is on the table. His value is already relatively low after the last start; waiting one more probably can’t make things any worse, only better. Assuming he is broken, I still might only place Snell, Bauer, Carrasco, maybe Clevinger and Flaherty above him (keeping the injured Severino and Kershaw below him for now). Lots of hypotheticals, though. Wouldn’t sound the alarms just yet.

Scott Engel (Rotoballer, @scotteTheKing): The entire Boston staff has not started the season well. But I am not ranking any one of those guys over Sale yet. I have seen aces like Corey Kuber start slow before and turn it around. I dont panic after two April starts. I just want him to stay healthy

Chris Liss (Rotowire, @Chris_Liss): Moderately concerned. Would take Snell and Bauer over him without a second thought. The others except for Kershaw and Severino would be closer calls.

Michael Stein (Fantasy Judgment, @FantasyJudgment): I am very concerned about Sale because of his injury history from 2018 as well as his unconventional throwing motion. The drop in velocity is not cause for panic in a vacuum, but coupled with his previous injuries there is good reason to be worried. It is understandable that he would want to hold back in order to prevent any re-aggravation. The idea is for him to pitch the entire year and avoid any time on the injured list so starting the season throwing softer does make sense. That being said, his fantasy value is partially premised on high strikeout totals so his decrease in velocity diminishes his fantasy value. I prefer Snell and Bauer over Sale for the rest of the season based on health and track record.

Seth Trachtman (Rotoworld, @sethroto): I’m a bit more concerned than I was entering the year, but the fact his velocity was very similar last April (including one sub-90 mph start, like he had in his second start this year) is more reassuring. He was my second ranked pitcher behind Max Scherzer entering the year. I’ve dropped him a few spots, but I’d only put Trevor Bauer and Walker Buehler ahead of him at this point.

Dr. Roto (Scout Fantasy, @DrRoto): Watch Sale become more of a pitcher than a thrower this season. It doesn’t mean that he won’t be good–it just means that I don’t anticipate him striking out 300 batters anymore. Snell and Bauer will have more Ks for sure than Sale by season’s end.

Phil Hertz (BaseballHQ, @prhz50): I’m not overly concerned after all the Sox just gave him oodles of money. That said, I’d probably take Snell and Bauer over him and if I can have another week, I migh5 also take Kershaw.

Lenny Melnick (LennyMelnickFantasySports, @LennyMelnick): Did Sox extend an injured pitcher for 5 years? Relax Sale and Bauer over all

Howard Bender (Fantasy Alarm, @RotobuzzGuy): Not worried about Sale at all. Alex Cora deliberately held back his starters so they were all in line for full work in October. Sale threw fewer than 10 innings of Grapefruit League ball and he’s supposed to be in midseason form? Nah. Not to mention, do we really thing the Red Sox are going to give a guy a five-year extension without checking the medicals real thoroughly? I’m super bullish on both Clevinger and Flaherty, but you just can’t deny what Sale has done over the years. If you believe he’s healthy, and I do, then he’s got to be your top arm.

Ariel Cohen (CBS Sports, @ATCNY): It is a 2.5. I am not concerned … but it does register as something to thing about. Sale is a PITCHER first and foremost. He will battle and be effective even if his velocity isn’t as high as it was in the past … and this could just be an April ramp-up. In either case, you aren’t dropping him, you are still playing him each and every week, and no one is trading you any pitcher close to him at this time anyways – so there isn’t anything for fantasy owners to do. As far as who I would rather have over him – the only one I would consider would be Snell.

Vlad Sedler (Fantasy Guru Elite, @rotogut): Very little concern about Sale but after these first two outings, it’s the perfect time to field some buy-low offers in case his current owner is panicked. From the list, the only guy I prefer to Sale rest-of-season is Bauer, and that’s because he’s going to be the best pitcher in baseball this year.

AJ Mass (ESPN, @AJMass): Let’s put it this way. Last season, on April 17, Jacob deGrom had a 3.24 ERA and a .312 slugging percentage against. Some people may have asked, “What’s the matter with Jake?” All he did the rest of the season was post a 1.50 ERA and a .272 slugging percentage against. Sure, Sale *could* be hurt. He also may win the Cy Young. Small sample sizes are sometimes bad. Remember Sale’s back-to-back starts at the end of May/beginning of June last year where he had an 8.71 ERA (.452 SLG)? Did that mean to sell? Until the IL becomes his home, you stick with him.

Michael Rathburn (Rotowire, @FantasyRath): As a Sox fan, I am concerned a little. I watched both starts and the power RHB on the Mariners took the outside FB and crushed it. It also happened vs. the A’s but not as much. I can see him trying to avoid that pitch until his velocity comes back. I wouldnt take any of the other pitchers over him with the exception of Blake Snell.

Andy Behrens (Yahoo! Fantasy Sports, @andybehrens): I don’t want to appear as if I’m completely dismissing Sale’s opening week issues, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him dial back velocity. There were no serious warning flares this spring. For me, he’s a strong buy. I don’t see a name on this list of pitchers (other than Snell) who belongs in the conversation with Sale.

Patrick Davitt (BaseballHQ, @patrickdavitt): I’m confident that it’s OK because I trust the team. I can’t see them signing Sale to an extension with salary-cap implications if they had any concerns with Sale’s long-term health. And as someone noted upthread, the team seems to be orienting its pitcher management to an extended run into October. I also think that Sale and the team might be trying to manage the long-term transition from Sale being a power pitcher to being more of a “smart” pitcher who gets guys out without maxing his delivery. That will likely have implications for his strikeout totals, which is why I’d probably lean to Bauer and Snell over Sale, but I’m not super-concerned about Sale.

Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire, @JeffBoggis): Sale owners don’t need to be in panic mode. Even if they are, they won’t be able to get full trade value right now. His fastball is in the high 80’s, but I feel it’s more related to a slow spring training rather than pitching mechanics or injury. Blake Snell would be the only pitcher that I would consider in a trade for Sale.

Ray Flowers (Fantasy Guru Elite, @BaseballGuys): There has to be some level of concern. That said, sheer panic is taking things way too far. If you’re not going to give an elite performer like Sale some rope, then it brings me back to the position I’ve always held – don’t take pitchers as foundational blocks of your team. Why people would spend a top-15 pick on a guy who didn’t qualify for the ERA title last year and on a guy who threw all of nine innings in spring, and then express concern when he starts slowly is a bit beyond me. He will find his groove eventually. He’s too talented not to.

Scott Swanay (FantasyBaseballSherpa, @fantasy_sherpa): Selfishly, I’m not concerned because I don’t have him on any of my teams this year. Keith Law and others have had concerns about his delivery for years, but so far those haven’t been borne out. He’s no Max Fried, but what we’re dealing with here is likely nothing more than a small sample size issue. Snell and Bauer are the only pitchers Todd listed who I think have the potential to produce similar value to Sale over the course of the entire season, but neither have the track record of sustained excellence that Sale does. I’d be buying low on him if the opportunity presented itself.

Derek VanRiper (Rotowire, @DerekVanRiper): Maybe it’s naive, but I’m trusting that the medical staff in Boston was confident in Sale’s health before green lighting the five-year, $145 million extension he just signed. I know we saw Luis Severino go on the shelf soon after signing an extension with the Yankees, so that logic isn’t bulletproof, but when you factor in his past history of reduced early-season velocity and his slow-played progress through the spring, I’m not ready to drop Sale’s projections beneath any of the pitchers included in this question. I think it’s easy to justify Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, or Aaron Nola ahead of Sale if you wanted to reduce risk, but ultimately, that could be a costly error based on two starts.

Michael Florio (NFL Network, @MichaelFFlorio): I am worried about Chris Sale. I get the reports that this is by design and watching video comparing him this year to last year, it is hard to argue that he is fully exerting himself. But velo is down across the Red Sox rotation. Either this is by design or their spring plan was attrocious. Still, Sale sitting at 88 MPH is concerning. He had just one strikeout and barely drew any swinging strikes. Of the pitchers listed I would take Bauer, Snell and Walker Buehler if I could in a trade. Other than that, I would take a shot on Sale returning to form.

Mike Gianella (Baseball Prospectus, @MikeGianella): I’m moderately worried about Sale, which is saying something, since I think people tend to overreact to reduced velocity in March/early April. But there’s a difference between being 1-2 MPH below your noirmal velocity and 3-4 MPH below. There’s usually an injury lurking when there’s that much of a drop and even when there isn’t it takes a while for pitchers to adjust to their new, diminished “normal”. I’m grabbing Snell, Bauer or Carrasco over Sale right now if I can, and I’d consider Buehler under the right circumstances.

Anthony Aniano (Rotoballer, @AAnianoFantasy): On a 1-10 scale my concern for Sale is a 3. The velocity is low but it’s early April, if he is still hovering at 90 mph after 5 starts or 6 starts my concern will grow. His secondary stuff is still good enough to get batters out. Of that list Snell, Bauer, are a preference over Sale. Younger arm with less wear and tear. Buehler still has to prove he can perform over a full season at the major league level.

Jon Hegglund (Baseball Prospectus, @JonHegglund): I’m not a Sale owner in any leagues, so this is a purely theoretical question for me, but I’d be moderately alarmed. That said, Snell would be the only name on this list that I would elevate above Sale at the moment. That the velocity issues from late last season and in the playoffs have continued is a big concern for me. Also, while he may well become vintage Sale eventually, how many sub-par starts will you be booking while you wait for him to ramp up? And finally, I’m not fully comforted by the idea that the Red Sox wouldn’t have extended him if they had even the slightest worries about his health. Hey, this logic holds true until it doesn’t. Teams make bad decisions sometimes. If you are a Sale owner, I think you have to hold, but you drafted him knowing full well about the red flags from last season, so you have to keep the faith.

Mike Sheets (ESPN, @MikeASheets): I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. Maybe it’s true that Sale is simply taking it easy early and will ramp up his velocity in the coming weeks. However, the fact that he was pounded by the Mariners in his first start and recorded only one strikeout in his second doesn’t make that explanation easy to swallow. Ultimately, Sale’s secondary stuff is good enough to compensate for diminished velocity, but I don’t want to be having these questions and discussions about a first-round player. At this point, I’d feel better with Snell or Bauer.

Justin Mason (Friends with Fantasy Benefits, Fangraphs, Fantasy Alarm, @JustinMasonFWFB): I think it is naive to not have any concern, but ultimately the Red Sox are a smart organization and I don’t think they would be running out Chris Sale every fifth day or have given him a long term contract if they had any concern about the structural integrity of his arm or his health. In my most recent starting pitching ranks over at Fantasy Alarm, I ranked Sale either among starting pitchers behind Scherzer, deGrom, Verlander, Bauer, Cole, Snell, and Nola.

Ian Kahn (Rotowire, @IanKahn4): I would take Trevor Bauer over Sale at this point, but that has as much to do with Bauer as it does with my concern for Sale. Sale looked like he was throwing batting practice the other day. He was far from giving full effort. That seemed to be a choice on Sale’s part. One would think that the Red Sox know exactly where he stands physically, and that contract shows great faith in his present and future. I just think the Sox didn’t have a great Spring Training plan with their pitchers, and they are paying the price in the early going. I expect to see vintage Sale coming our way in the next few starts.

Mike Podhorzer (Fangraphs, @MikePodhorzer): Level of concern: high. However, it’s only been two starts and nine innings! I projected Sale to earn significantly more than any of the other pitchers listed, so it’s still a bit too early to prefer any of those names.

Steve Gardner (USAToday Fantasy Sports, @SteveAGardner): Many pitchers go through the dead-arm period coming out of spring training. I’m not going to worry unless his reduced velocity and effectiveness last for a couple more weeks. The Red Sox gave him a full exam before signing him to his contract extension this spring so that’s the most important piece of info for me.

Clay Link (Rotowire, @claywlink): I’m concerned about Sale, as I have been since the end of last season. The fastball velocity was down to 92 and then 90 in his final two regular-season starts, and it was down around 90 in the ALCS. Now that concern is hightened, as he’s had close to a full offseason and the velocity hasn’t returned. The silver lining is that he was at least able to work around the diminished velo in his second start, and that lends hope to the idea that he can still be successfull without the velocity, just with fewer strikeouts. Pitchers I would definitely take over Sale: Blake Snell, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger. I wouldn’t take Severino or Kershaw over him since they’re hurt and we don’t quite know what we’re getting from either when they come back. Jameson Taillon, Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty aren’t far off from Sale, but I’d still lean Sale. For now.