James Shields (SP-CHW) - It's hard to know what to make of Shields' prospects for 2017, but if you like him and want to buy low, chances are you'll be able to. Shields was pummeled for seven runs (six earned) over 5.1 innings on Tuesday against the Phillies. The poor outing gave Shields a 7.11 in 20 starts since coming to the White Sox from San Diego, and a 5.98 ERA overall. Shields has seen his BB/9 spike to 4.1 this year to continue a troubling three-year in which that rate has jumped from 1.7 to 3.6 last year, and now to over 4. Factor in an incredible 38 home runs, and is there any doubt this is a guy who belongs in the NL? If he's somehow traded to the Rockies this winter, he could allow 50+ homers.
Hector Santiago (SP-MIN) - Santiago was hit hard by the Tigers on Tuesday, allowing six runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings to result in his ERA jumping to 4.82 on the year. Santiago had put up a 1.80 ERA over his previous four starts after losing his previous four starts, his first four with his new team after coming over from the Angels in one of the year's odder deals involving Ricky Nolasco. Santiago has seen his BB/9 rise from 3.5 in 2015 to 4.0 this year, and combined with an ugly 1.6 HR/9, you can see why the ERA is at a career-worst mark. If you're looking at him for 2017, I think he'll be somewhere in the high-3s in terms of ERA, though the Twins could look to shop him this winter, hopefully to an NL club for his fantasy owners' sakes.
Logan Forsythe (2B-TB) - Forsythe had a good night Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with two runs to bump his slash line to .279/.350/.470. He's dealt with back and shoulder injuries this year, but Forsythe has still managed 462 at-bats, and the result has been a career-best 19 homers and .820 OPS. Forsythe will have one more year of arbitration-eligibility next year, so he could be an interesting trade candidate this winter. The Rays could elect to sell high and use Nick Franklin at second base.
Aaron Sanchez (SP-TOR) - Sanchez's workload has been a point of interest in recent weeks, as he was skipped in the rotation in August (and optioned to High-A Dunedin). After logging 102 innings last year, Sanchez is at 173 in 2016 through 27 starts. He's been excellent overall, posting a 3.17 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9. Sanchez is dealing with a blister and is coming off a start in which he allowed six runs over 3.2 innings to the Red Sox, and in his last four starts, Sanchez has a 5.66 ERA. Maybe he's tiring a bit under the spike in innings, but Sanchez is expected to start on Wednesday, putting him in line for potentially reaching 30 starts this season. That could change if the Blue Jays fall out of the playoff race however. As for 2017, it remains to be seen whether the innings spike becomes an issue, but Sanchez has top-of-the-rotation upside, and we should eventually see his strikeout rate trend up.
Nick Franklin (2B/OF) - Franklin is dealing with a hamstring strain suffered in last Thursday's game. The injury was classified as "moderate", making the possibility that Franklin is done for the season a real one. If that's the case, he'll end it on a bit of a down note. After batting .311/.364/.590 in 61 August at-bats, Franklin hit just .217/.265/.326 in the first half of September before getting hurt. Overall in 157 at-bats, Franklin would up at .280/.343/.465 after batting .254/.322/.392 in 240 at-bats for Triple-A Durham. A strong September may have given Franklin a leg up on a 2017 starting job, but he's likely now going to enter camp on the bubble yet again in his age-26 season. The switch-hitter batted .300 versus RHP and just .216 versus southpaws, but at least he showed more promise this year than he ever had. The Tampa Bay outfield for next year looks fairly unsettled at this point, so Franklin should at least be able to carve out a super-utility role, particularly against RHP.
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