Joshua Rojas (OF/IF - ARI) - The D-Backs brought up Josh Rojas Monday and immediately slotted him into the #6 spot playing LF against the Rockies. Rojas singled twice in 4 ABs, showing some of the contact ability that he clearly has. Rojas is more of a grinder than anything....he doesn't have any outstanding tool, but he can do a little bit of everything both offensively and defensively (he can play anywhere but C and CF). He has 23 HRs and 33 SBs across 4 levels so far this year, and he's done it all while decreasing his K rate from 2018. The biggest problem with Rojas is his age. For a guy with just over 2 years of pro experience, he's already 25, so we are seeing much closer to a finished product than what you'd expect for someone with this number of minor league PAs. Still, although I suppose anybody can put together 100 games this impressive without it resulting in a big-league career of any import, the fact remains that he has really broken out this season across multiple levels and organizations, and he at least has the contact ability and speed to make some sort of positive impact. I don't dismiss the scouting reports, but we've seen plenty of guys hit for more power than expected with this year's rabbit ball, and the contact ability is clear. I do think that Rojas is worth a speculative pickup in most formats right out of the gate despite the utility player designation placed upon him....he's just done too much right this season to dismiss it.
Randy Arozarena (OF - STL) - Randy Arozarena is getting the call to replace the injured Jose Martinez for the Cardinals, and I think it's highly unlikely that the Cards would bring him up if they weren't going to play him. I think he is instantly a solid play for the Tuesday slate at just $3300 against Glenn Sparkman, even if he doesn't quite have the power you'd like to see. Arozarena hit 349/435/547 with 10 HR and 16 SB in 80 games between AA and AAA so far this year, and as you'd expect with that AVG he's shown some pretty solid contact ability (7.2% swinging strike rate!). To comp him to someone on his own team, think Harrison Bader with a little pop sacrificed for contact. I don't think Arozarena is enough of an impact prospect to justify a big waiver claim in standard leagues, but those in deeper formats should take a look to see if he fits your roster.....at the very least a few cheap steals could be had.
Corey Seager (SS - LAN) - I've seen Corey Seager dropped in two of my leagues recently, and his struggles the past few months notwithstanding, that still surprises me. The hard contact has kicked back up the past few weeks (over 60% in August with 6 doubles) , but he only has two HRs since May, and that's what people are seeing. I have no problem considering this a bit of a consolidation year after the major injury, but the total lack of production against LHP is a concern....he's hitting 285/357/507 against right-handers, which is very much acceptable. If you have daily transaction capability, I still think he's a big help, and at just 25 I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a bunch of these doubles go over the fence next season as well. I expect him to be underrated come spring.
Keston Hiura (2B - MIL) - Hiura has continued to hit and hit well despite a bit more swing-and-miss than expected, posting 14 HR and 7 SB through his first 55 games. With the Brewers finally accepting reality and optioning Travis Shaw last week, there's really no more threat to Hiura's playing time.....the job is his for years now in all likelihood. He should be a top-10 player at the position going forward, and at age 23 there are still potential gains to be made here, which is pretty scary.
Mitch Keller (SP - PIT) - Keller was decent against the Angels on Monday, allowing just 1 earned run (and 1 unearned) on 5 singles over 5 innings of work, walking 2 and fanning 4. Keller has the stuff to be a quality SP, but the control has gotten a bit spotty at the higher levels. There is a very low floor here, but he did strike out 123 in 103 2/3 innings at AAA this year.....he can miss bats, and that's always valuable. The home park is a plus as well. I like him more for 2020 and beyond than for right now, but I could see slotting him in as one of 4-5 arms for the last few spots in your rotation and playing him against the weaker matchups the rest of the way.
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