Keeper ?-- Got approached about trading my Miguel Sano (22nd Rd value) for the other owner's Corey Seager (19th). 
@LanceRomance81

Sano might be the top power hitting prospect with less than a full season of big league work in baseball (he or Joey Gallo most likely).

Seager is the top shortstop prospect in baseball.

Sano won’t be playing third base as the Twins shift him to the outfield. A 25-90 season from an outfielder is strong. A 25-90 season from a third baseman is elite. As an outfielder Sano clearly loses value.

Seager is the top shortstop prospect in baseball, and he’s staying at shortstop. And he’s three rounds cheaper than Sano.

I can’t come up with a reason why Seager isn’t the best choice here. He’s who you want.
 

Would you trade Hunter Pence for Gregory Polanco, h2h with OPS?
@TheHall98

Polanco is one of my favorite guys this year given the low draft day cost (see his Player Profile).

Pence has always been one of my favorites. Before last season he was as consistent an option as there is in the game. A little here, a little there, and a whole lots of overall production.

Per 162 games the average Polanco effort has been .251-11-58-91-27.

Per 162 games the average Pence effort has been .283-25-93-90-14.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with Polanco. Look at those numbers again. Also note that Polanco is yet to hit 10 homers in a season, yet to bat .260, yet to post and OBP of .325, a SLG of .385 or an OPS of .715. Prior to last season, when he appeared in just 52 games, Pence had hit 20 homers in 7-straight seasons. Pence has hit .260 every season of his career but one and is a .283 career hitter. Pence owns a career OBP of .337. His mark the last three seasons has been better than Polanco has ever posted. Pence owns a .471 career SLG, nearly .090 points better than Polanco. The worst OPS that Pence has ever posted is .743, and the last three years as a Giant the mark is .782.

Pence is a better option in an OPS format than Polanco.
He’s also a better option in H2H as he’s more likely to be consistent from week-to-week than Polanco.

Who is a better own - Nick Hundley or J.T. Realmuto? Thx
@gsherman5

Tough one here.

Hundley hit .355 at home with a .957 OPS in 2015. When he was on the road he hit .237 with a .630 OPS. That’s about as divergent a line as you’re going to come across. Overall he hit .301 with 10 homers, 43 RBI and 45 runs scored. Note that those counting numbers are very boring, not even 50 RBI total, and the guy owns a .249/.328/.401 career slash. Other than his work at Coors Field last season he’s never been anything to look at in fantasy.

Realmuto stole eight bases last year, and he’s got a shot at double-digit steals this season. Second, he hit 10 homers, drove in 47 runners and scored 49 times last season. The homers matched Nick while the RBI/Runs were better. Realmuto also hit .338 over his last 24 games to end the year and seems more likely of the two to accrue 450 plate appearances.

I struggled with this one all spring. Ultimately I went with Realmuto, they are one spot apart in the rankings, because of the fact that Hundley is just junk on the road.

Worth it to drop either of Sean Doolittle or Ken Giles for Arodys Vizcaino? Three points for save, 1 point for hold. 
@mediaBRUTE

Never, ever, ever drop a closer. Period. Don’t care what type of league you are in. Never drop a closer – ever. Doolittle is currently the Athletics closer. Can’t drop him. Giles isn’t the current closer, but as I’ve written before, I believe the Astros will eventually turn the 9th inning over to Giles. I’m not cutting him either. Vizcaino, who I’ve also written about, seems to be the lead for 9th inning work in Atlanta, so he is a must add. Still, I think it’s best that you drop another player than Doolittle or Giles to add Arodys.

Morning, Ray. What do you think: Drop Derek Norris for Chris Iannetta?
@drstuck

Questions like this one are why I spend so much time and effort putting together the Player Rankings each year. Nothing has changed in a half week since games started, so here’s why Norris is still the better choice – he’s a better hitter. That’s astute analysis folks.

I’ve always been a fan of Iannetta and in fact I’ve rostered him in a couple of leagues (AL-only, and super late as a last ditch call as a second catcher in mixed leagues). Iannetta is a soon to be 33 year old backstop of the Mariners and he’s started out on fire (and then some). Iannetta set a Mariners franchise record for a catcher by reaching base in his first five plate appearances to start a season. "I'm just trying to take it one at-bat at a time," he said. "That's something that I haven't done necessarily throughout the course of my career, just really focus on that one at-bat.” Coming of the worst season of his career, he hit .188 last season with a .628 OPS, Iannetta is in line for major improvement this season. It’s impossible to think that he will replicate his .225 BBAIP or 13.0 percent line drive from last season. Impossible. At the same time he’s of more value in an OBP league since his career mark there is an impressive .352 while his batting average is just .232. He also has a mere .714 OPS against right-handed pitching versus an .866 mark against lefties in his career. He’s got some power and knows how to take a walk, but his overall game is poorer than that of Norris. Simple as that.


Follow this link to check out the entire Player Profile Series.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Friday, 7 PM EDT and Friday on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 6 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).