Grant Balfour -- Balfour who has been one of the most disappointing pitchers in all of baseball this year, said this weekend that he believes he's been tipping his pitches. "I have a few things, and it's been cleaned up," Balfour said. "You look at the numbers and you think maybe they knew what was coming at certain times. That can explain a few things here and there. I'm not saying I pitched the best, but it doesn't help when someone knows what's coming. It could be an issue. It's definitely cleaned up, so we'll find out." While this sounds good in theory, Balfour's biggest issue this year has been free passes (6.7 BB/9). If pitch-tipping were the main issue, we'd probably expect his strikeout rate to drop (8.9 K/9 is still good) or his BABIP to rise (.278 is still quite low). Still, it could potentially be an issue for walks seeing as how hitters aren't swing at pitches outside the zone nearly as much this year (19.6%, down from a 26-29% range the past few years) , which has led to more balls and more walks. If hitters know what's coming, they may be less likely to chase pitches that run outside the zone. It's hard to count too heavily on a bounceback, but Balfour is worth stashing in deep leagues just in case.
Sonny Gray -- Gray dominated the Orioles on Sunday, twirling 6.2 two-hit innings while allowing 1 ER with 8 K and 2 BB. His ERA sits at 2.79, but his 3.48 xFIP is less impressive. Gray was a popular fantasy sleeper this season after posting a 9.4 K/9 in 2013, but that has predictably fallen off to 7.7 this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes a little lower. Gray throws 94 mph, but I'm unimpressed by the life on his fastball, and his change-up is more about deception than it is about movement. He has a good hard curve that induces plenty of whiffs and a sinker for groundballs, but overall he seems to be an overrated commodity. An ERA in the mid-3.00s is the most likely scenario going forward, making him a good sell high candidate for those buying into his great surface stats.
Zach Putnam -- On Sunday, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said that Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka will share closing duties for the foreseeable future. Putnam saved games on Friday and Saturday and holds the best skills of the two, so he has to be considered the guy to own. He only throws 90 mph, but he has a quality sinker and secondary offerings that have led to a 7.7 K/9, 58% GB%, and 3.38 xFIP. Petricka, on the other hand, despite throwing 94 mph, lacks control (4.7 BB/9) and doesn't profile well long-term given his 2.15/4.03 ERA/xFIP gap.
Matt Dominguez -- Dominguez had himself a day on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, and 4 RBI. Dominguez doesn't get a whole lot of credit because he bats .234 and doesn't walk much, keeping OBP under .300 at .282, but he's a great source of cheap power in deeper leagues. He has 12 long-balls already this year in under 400 plate appearances, and Minute Maid Park's short left field porch is a perfect fit for his power (and he's an even better play on days like Sunday when he's in parks like the Rogers Centre). He's worth owning in deep mixed leagues and is a good trade target in AL-only leagues for those looking to move up in home runs.
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