Last week, I mentioned that selling high on a player is the most difficult aspect of navigating the Trade Market. This week, I’m going to nominate some big-name players who have been excellent thus far but are sell-high candidates for a variety of reasons.
Managers who have these players should consider making some aggressive offers, as they may be able to get more than they think.
Sell High
Sal Stewart, 1B/2B/3B, Reds: A couple of weeks ago, someone asked me and my Rotowire podcast partner, Jeff Erickson, if we would trade Fernando Tatís Jr. for Sal Stewart. I quickly said that I would not make such a deal, and I was shocked when Jeff said that he would consider the offer.
This is exactly what I mean when I say that these players who are off to a hot start can sometimes be traded for more than anyone expected.
I really like Stewart. His blend of power and speed gives him a fantasy-friendly skill set. But after a hot start, he has hit .180 with one homer, one steal and a .497 OPS over 15 games since April 26. He remains the 20th overall player and top third baseman on the Yahoo player rater, but I would be happy to trade him for an established star.
Munetaka Murakami, 1B/3B, White Sox: If I’m trading Stewart, I might as well go all the way and recommend dealing the player who ranks third in baseball in home runs. Murakami is a terrific player; there is no doubt about it. But major league hurlers have shown many times in recent years that they can adapt to a player who catches their attention. Murakami could find things more difficult as we progress through the season and pitchers get a better plan for how to shut him down.
I’m not expecting him to go silent, but he produced 64 homers over 283 games in Japan during 2023-24, which is a home run rate that is good but not great. He’s not Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. Similar to Stewart, I would be happy to trade him for an established star.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies: Moniak is hitting .303 with 11 homers, which makes him the 64th overall player in the Yahoo Player Rater. Unfortunately, we have never seen this level of production from the 28-year-old before, and his expected stats are far worse than his actual marks, including a .232 xBA and .492 xSLG. Moniak has recently been traded in Yahoo leagues for some top-notch players, which is exactly the type of move I would aim for.
Justin Wrobleski, SP/RP, Dodgers: Largely due to undeserved marks in wins (5) and ERA (2.42), Wrobleski is rostered in far too many Yahoo leagues (65%). Managers who have added him should look to trade him away before he cools off, as his 4.09 xERA shows his low floor and his 4.4 K/9 rate shows his low ceiling.
The advice here is to either trade Wrobleski for any player who could remain on your roster for at least two months, or better yet, use him to sweeten the pot in a larger trade.
Joe Ryan, SP, Twins: After leaving his May 3 start against the Blue Jays in the first inning due to elbow soreness, Ryan tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Guardians on May 9. I remain worried about his long-term injury risk and would look to trade him while he is racking up quality starts. In many leagues, Ryan can be traded for full value right now, which shouldn’t be the case for any pitcher who has dealt with an arm ailment in recent weeks. After all, mitigating risk is a significant part of playing fantasy baseball.
Sell Low
Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners: In short, Raleigh is a mess. He’s striking out more often (31.1%) and walking less (10.2%) than in recent seasons. But the bigger problem is that he is struggling to make hard contact, as his 87.4 mph average exit velocity is 3.9 mph lower than his mark from a year ago. Raleigh should get his season on track at some point, at least to the degree that made him a 30-homer, .230 hitter in pre-2025 seasons. But any expectations for him to recapture his 2025 form are overly optimistic at this point.
Managers could try to trade Raleigh for a different elite catcher, such as Shea Langeliers or Ben Rice. That trade will be accepted in many leagues. Or they can trade him for an excellent player at another position and pivot to a deep group of catcher waiver wire options.
Rafael Devers, 1B/3B, Giants: Last week, I mentioned Devers in an article about players who are rostered in too many Yahoo leagues. Of course, dropping a player of his stature is only an option in the shallowest of leagues, but his inclusion in the article shows how little faith I have in him to turn things around.
Since arriving to the Giants nearly a year ago, Devers has hit .237 with 25 homers in 132 games. He has enjoyed a brief hot streak since the beginning of May (1.121 OPS). Wise managers will strike while the iron is hot.
Bubba Chandler, SP, Pirates: Considered by many to be baseball’s best pitching prospect at the outset of the season, Chandler hasn’t been able to harness enough control to have success in the majors. He would need to make major improvements to his 6.2 BB/9 rate before being a consistent fantasy contributor. There is a real chance that Chandler returns to the minors by the end of May.
Luis Castillo, SP, Mariners: Castillo has been every bit as bad as indicated by his 6.57 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. Managers can drop him if necessary, but before doing so, they can try to trade him for absolutely anyone who could provide minimal value to their roster.
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