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The Ditch List: April 10, 2017: Is It Time To Move On From Tommy Joseph & More
by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)
No one is going to make a definitive decision based on a week’s worth of AB… OK we all know that’s not true, though it should be. This early in the season you need to try and show patience, as slumps are magnified and we are working with small sample sizes. That said, has it ever stopped anyone from making a knee jerk reaction? While it’s early, let’s look at a few players off to slow starts that we may be ready to move on from already:
David Peralta – Outfielder – Arizona Diamondbacks
Already a platoon player (he sits against southpaws), Peralta has gotten off to a slow start (even with his home run on Saturday), and could find himself as the victim of a numbers game. The team has too many middle infielders and have utilized Chris Owings in the outfield (where he played last season with A.J. Pollock injured). If Peralta doesn’t hit, is it unthinkable to see the team utilize Owings more in the outfield?
As it is we had questions about Peralta’s power entering the year, having put up fly ball rates of 26.6% and 28.5% the previous two seasons. That’s supposed to be his calling card, as he isn’t a contact machine (10.5% career SwStr%) and doesn’t have immense speed. If he can’t start producing at the plate the AB are going to start to disappear, and with it will go any potential value.
The Cut List Guidelines:
- 10 Team Leagues – Cut
- 12 Team Leagues – Can Cut (waiver dependent)
- 14+ Team Leagues – Hold for Now
- NL-Only Leagues – Hold for Now
- Keeper Leagues – League Size Dependent
Tommy Joseph – First Baseman – Philadelphia Phillies
Another player we were skeptical on entering the season, Joseph had shown poor plate discipline during his time in the Majors in ’16 (11.1% SwStr%, 34.7% O-Swing%). That has been magnified over the first week of the year (even with a 2-4 night Saturday night), and while he does have power (though maybe not as much as he displayed last season) you have to make contact in order to tap into it.
The Phillies have Rhys Hoskins waiting at Triple-A, though they’ll likely wait for the Super 2 deadline to come and go before even considering that type of move. They do have rookie Brock Stassi in the Majors who they could give a look, or potentially shift Howie Kendrick (89 games at first) to open a spot in their crowded outfield. Regardless of who is next up, if Joseph struggles it may not be long before he gets removed from the lineup.
The Cut List Guidelines:
- 10 Team Leagues – Cut
- 12 Team Leagues – Can Cut (waiver dependent)
- 14+ Team Leagues – Hold for Now
- NL-Only Leagues – Hold for Now
- Keeper Leagues – League Size Dependent
Matt Duffy – Tampa Bay Rays – Third Baseman
This is a tough one to recommend, as Duffy was one of our favorite sleepers entering the season. However he has yet to start playing and it isn’t known when he is going to be able to take the field. At this point we can’t expect to see him before May 1, and even that may be a stretch. The longer he’s away the more opportunity someone else gets to claim his job, and it’s unlikely that anyone is rushing to the waiver wire to stash him.
The Cut List Guidelines:
- 10 Team Leagues – Cut
- 12 Team Leagues – Cut
- 14+ Team Leagues – Hold (if have DL spot)
- AL-Only Leagues – Hold (if have DL spot)
- Keeper Leagues – League Size Dependent
Sources – Fangraphs, MLB.com
Source: http://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=32538
