This seemingly low-key deal could actually have an impact in Fantasy given how important the park change is to Mancini’s swing in particular. He pulls the ball in the air more than the batting average (about 25 percent of the time, according to FanGraphs), which would normally be a good indicator of power, but the Orioles have naturally moved the left field fences way back this year. Minute Maid Park, meanwhile, is best known for its small terrace in left field. The pitches couldn’t be farther for that outfield fence — we’re talking tens of feet — and fittingly, Statcast suggests that Mancini would have more than doubled the home runs, 22 in total, if he had played all of his games in Houston this year. He won’t play all of his games in Houston even now, it’s worth noting, but he’ll play enough to be a top 40 outfielder moving forward. Credit to Montas, of course, who goes from the team with the worst record in the AL to the one with the best. As good as the rest of his stats look, it’s his 4-9 record that only made him the 52nd best starter in league points and 46th best in 5×5. He might have been 9-4 had he been with the Yankees since the start, and I’d expect him to be a top-25 starting pitcher moving forward. Of course, there’s also the matter of him going from one of the best parks to one of the worst, but that’s not going to affect him as much as his 5.01 road ERA would have you believe. For a full explanation of why, as well as an analysis of the prospects (namely Ken Waldichuk) in the opposite direction, click here. Hunter will continue to do his thing, just for a new team. The Padres are just as inconsistent as the Brewers, so he remains as productive as a save source as ever. The bigger question is who closes now for the Brewers. Rogers seems like the easy choice, but the Padres had just moved him out of the role after a rough July in which he allowed 10 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings. So the best bet might be Devin Williams, who has long been thought to be the closer in the lineup with the Airbender changeup (h/t @PitchingNinja ) and his career 14.7 K/9. Because Rodgers flies left and Williams flies right, it could be a platoon, but the Brewers will want to make sure Rodgers is right before going that route. We should all be rooting for Williams to claim the role. It has the three closest possibilities. To close the talent gap between the two lefties, the Brewers also picked up Esteury Ruiz, Dinelson Lamet and prospect Robert Gasser. The most interesting of those names for Fantasy purposes is Ruiz, who put up monster numbers in the minors before his promotion just before the All-Star break, highlighted by 60 stolen bases in 77 games. He hadn’t done much with the big club, and in fact was immediately drafted by the Brewers. However, he could eventually claim the starting center spot from Tyrone Taylor. Castillo will enjoy a major park upgrade with this move, which you could argue makes less of a difference for a pitcher who consistently ranks in the top five in ground ball percentage. But Castillo has faded in recent weeks for more four-seams — a change that has produced positive results overall, with his K/9 going from 7.8 before May 31, when he first increased his four-seam usage , in 10.1 . However, it has made him less ground ball oriented, and relatedly, he has a 3.64 ERA at home this year compared to 2.09 on the road. What does this mean, practically? We should probably treat Castillo as a top-20 Fantasy starting pitcher again. For a more complete breakdown of this deal, click here. Peralta had already lost control of an everyday role with the Diamondbacks, and that certainly won’t change with a team like the Rays. After all, he’s hitting .268 with an .823 OPS against righties compared to a .114 with a .462 OPS against lefties, which at least gives him some utility in everyday ballpark leagues. Acquiring him means Josh Lowe is back in the minors, not that the former top prospect has contributed anything of note. It also helps pave the way for Diamondbacks prospect Corbin Carroll, however remote the possibility of him making his debut this year. This trade likely means the Yankees are giving up Joey Gallo as more than just a starter, and things could get even tighter once Giancarlo Stanton returns from his bout with Achilles tendinitis. So far, though, Benidenti looks like an everyday part of the lineup, having already started against a lefty since arriving. This year, he worked in Fantasy because of his high average, but he was even more hollow than in previous years. It’s possible he’ll make more of an effort to pull the ball now, targeting the small porch in right field, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on it.
