As the Dog Days approach and ball games become more and more meaningful down the stretch, all eyes slowly begin to turn to the calendar date in which the baseball community sees its yearly cosmic shift: The Trade Deadline.
With tantalizing names like Shohei Ohtani, Mad Max, Sal Perez, and Shane Bieber, excitement is through the roof for this year’s edition and it can easily be measured through the lens of just about every sports media organization. The trouble is, despite the coverage, all of the blockbuster trade rumors being discussed at length in the media involve only the stars and the big names of baseball; players who are all but locked away with high roster rates. As such, for ambitious fantasy skippers, the deadline is often just another day on the baseball calendar.
Instead, let’s explore 6 hitting duds with low roster rates around the league, who despite being of fantasy irrelevance right now, are about to gain plenty of value and deserve to be stashed ahead of the deadline as exceptional trade deadline hitters while they are still available.
6 Trade Deadline Hitting Steals
Tom Murphy/Freddy Fermin, C, Seattle/Kansas City
At first glance, Tom Murphy and Freddy Fermin are enticing but nevertheless irrelevant backup catchers. Despite both having unanticipated success at the plate this season (Murphy: .278/.330/.526, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 32 GM) (Fermin: .276/.324/.459, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 35 GM), they play second fiddle behind two studs in Cal Raleigh and Salvador Perez. However, this year’s trade deadline has the potential to make both catchers worth stashing.
First, Murphy. With Seattle seemingly prepared for a soft sell (*keep an eye on the next two weeks though*), Murphy’s Mariner tenure may be over. After all, a trade shipping out hot-hitting, soon-to-be free agent catcher Tom Murphy would make sense, perhaps to San Diego being that he is the most plausible of trade deadline hitters who can catch.
Nevertheless, with the potential to soon become an everyday starter coupled with his offensive track record, Murphy is absolutely someone deserving of a roster spot ahead of August 1st.
Meanwhile, with Salvador Perez being tossed around in trade rumors of his own, there is a chance Freddy Fermin is promoted. Although a Perez trade feels unlikely right now, Fermin will be swooped up in lighting speed in the event of a deal, so stashing him now could be rewarding. Regardless of whether a trade comes to fruition or not, Perez should see more games at DH down the stretch anyways if not traded since the Royals are out of it, making Fermin worth your consideration ahead of the deadline either way.
Mike Ford, 1B, Seattle Mariners
On the subject of Seattle’s anticipated soft sell, another potential steal is Mike Ford. Signed to a minor league deal in January and called up at the beginning of June, Ford has been on a tear. Slashing .277/.330/.614 with 8 HR and 17 RBI in 31 games, he has exceeded almost every expectation.
Slated to become a FA at the end of the year, a competitive market is growing for the infielder and if he can keep hitting, Ford could end up batting in the middle of the order for a contending team as a coveted trade deadline hitter. Rather simply, with his roster rates still in the basement, the time to stash Ford is right now.
Mike Ford hearing some chatter for his teammates after reaching a 4-for-4 day that has him a triple shy of the cycle. pic.twitter.com/X5NneZ56eK
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) July 4, 2023
Tyler O’Neill, OF, St.Louis Cardinals
Bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 34 HR and a .286 BA, O’Neill made a name for himself two years ago. Unfortunately, with injuries and poor play weighing him down, O’Neill has once again reverted back to fantasy irrelevance, slashing just .228/283/.337 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in limited action. Even his relationship with the Cards has been seemingly on the rocks all season long.
Thus, O’Neill’s presence on the Cardinal’s trade block is no surprise. Although not a sure thing, with the power hitter rehabbing right now, acquiring O’Neill as a low-risk flier to see if he can return to his form in ’21 down the stretch is absolutely worthwhile.
Carlos Santana, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
Coming off of a solid April and a red-hot June, Santana’s roster rates are still unjustly low because of the slugger’s dreadful May. Nevertheless, by slashing .233/.311/.390 with 9 HR and 45 RBI, the first baseman is one of the best of the affordable trade deadline hitters available.
With an increase in RBI opportunities and a stronger lineup around him, Santana should benefit greatly from joining a new team down the stretch (much like he did during his tenure with Seattle last season). Thus, stashing Santana while he remains available ahead of August 1st is a shrewd move for managers planning to hit the waiver wire.
Randal Grichuk, OF, Colorado Rockies
Slashing .294/.359/.453 with 4 HR and 21 RBI this season through 54 games after beginning the year hurt, Grichuk is surprisingly available with a low roster rate. Although he has seen a drop in power, his average is up significantly from his career mark of .250 and Grichuk remains a valuable, albeit not glamourous, fantasy asset.
As such, with his name coming up in trade rumors that would send him out of Denver, expect to see an uptick in his overall numbers (*even though he is leaving Coors*) as Grichuk will almost inevitably join a fiercer, more competitive lineup. Likewise, the minute he leaves Colorado, expect to see his ownership skyrocket as well. Thus, Grichuk-who is hot as of late-is a safe trade deadline hitter to stash with confidence right now for proactive skippers.
#Rockies C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk showcase power and could attract Trade Deadline interesthttps://t.co/d6rwE1fCQe
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) July 6, 2023
Edward Olivares, OF, Kansas City Royals
Finally, for an all-around hitter, Olivares is another candidate whose ownership rate will surge upward when he leaves Kansas City. Slashing .242/.296/.410 with 6 HR and 15 RBI this year in addition to 8 SB, Olivares is nothing short of a boring fringe hitter.
However, with the Royals rumored to be shopping him in favor of playing up-and-coming prospects in his place, Olivares is intriguing. After all, he hit .286 last season, possesses solid stolen base potential, and should have more RBI opportunities if traded. In fact, the advanced metrics courtesy of Baseball Savant strongly favor Olivares. According to the site, he is well above average when it comes to xBA (84th percentile), xSLG (75th), xwOBA (69th), max exit velocity (69th) and sprint speed (87th). For that reason, stashing Olivares now ahead of the deadline before everyone else discovers him might be worth it.
Looking for more trade deadline content? Make sure to check out the pitching counterpart of this article.