Roto Riteup: May 29, 2016

Today’s Roto Riteup celebrates waking up on a Sunday, lying in bed for a couple hours, and realizing you get to the do the same thing tomorrow.

On the agenda:
1. This is the Gordon Beckham we wanted
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

This is the Gordon Beckham we wanted
When Beckham debuted in 2009 at the age of 22, he looked like a blossoming star for the White Sox; one they could build the middle of their infield around. Beckham hit .270 in 103 games, smacking 14 homers and stealing seven bags. After a disappointing sophomore campaign, there was still plenty of hope for the youngster. That hope would never really pay off, as the White Sox moved on in 2014, but ultimately brought him back in 2015 to the same sad results. The Braves, not competing for a title this year, took him in and gave him a shot to play, and so far he’s made it worth their while. Beckham’s strikeout rate is the lowest it has ever been, he’s walking more than ever, and smacking just enough extra base hits to make him an interesting hitter. Beckham hit his second homer yesterday, and while the power isn’t the same as 2009, he’s a better overall hitter and a very intriguing NL-only play. He’s not going to be the free agent who comes in and propels you to a title, but he’s got enough to hold down a roster spot.

Various News and Notes
It’s James Loney time in Queens! With Lucas Duda on the DL, the Mets are turning to the former Dodger and Ray to fill in for the time being. He’ll bring his good glove and low strikeout rate to the Mets, who will use him in a platoon while Duda recovers from a back injury. NL-only owners should certainly be interested, as long as they aren’t looking for homers.

Matt Cain is headed to the DL with a hamstring injury. Despite not being even a mid-rotation starter since 2012, Cain has a big name and had some job security. For the moment, it appears that Chris Stratton will take Cain’s spot in San Francisco. Stratton, a former first round selection, has never come close to living up to his draft slot, but he may be able to hold on to a job as a back-end start for the time being. Expect the Giants to be in the market for a starter over the next two months.


Streaming Pitcher Options
If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Archie Bradley vs SD (Drew Pomeranz)
Bradley is a high-upside bet against a weak Padres squad who may not be rolling out their best lineup on a Sunday afternoon.

A pitcher for tomorrow: Matt Andriese at KC (Ian Kennedy)
Kennedy is a worthy opponent, and while Andriese isn’t anything to write home about, he’ll be available and very cheap.





Zach is the creator and co-author of RotoGraphs' Roto Riteup series, and RotoGraphs' second-longest tenured writer. You can follow him on twitter.

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jimtron
7 years ago

Even though I don’t play in any leagues that are quite shallow enough to consider adding Beckham given subpar counting stats, lack of talent around him, this is quite a developing story. I’d love to see him keep this up. The sudden and significant improvement in his K and BB %, plus the medium/hard contact rates are very rare for a 29 year old who has been so awful the past few years. Maybe he can keep it up, get flipped to a contending team with a void at 2B. If he were to land in the right spot, a park like Rangers Park, Coors, Chase or Yankee Stadium, he could be mixed-league relevant.

I’m also reminded of the frightening reality that there truly is no such thing as a can’t miss prospect. Beckham was a top-2 prospect in Baseball Prospectus many years ago.