Scott Pianowski joined Yahoo Fantasy Plus subscribers on Thursday, July 10, for a fantasy baseball AMA on our invite-only Discord server. This is the latest exclusive benefit for Yahoo Fantasy Plus subscribers.
Wondering what you missed? Don’t worry, we have highlights from the session below. Make sure you don’t miss out on the next expert AMA. Get $10 off your subscription for a limited time and unlock the invite-only Discord, optimized lineups, smarter waiver and trade advice with Yahoo Fantasy Plus.
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We’re almost to the MLB All-Star break and soon it will be the home stretch of the fantasy baseball season. Another key date is the MLB Trade Deadline, which is July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. Chances are your fantasy trade deadline is also approaching. If that’s the case, there’s no better time to get some great advice on how to approach deals.
Editor’s note: In some instances, questions and answers have been edited slightly for readability.
Fantasy Baseball AMA Recap
Question: What do you make of Addison Barger? His savant page is excellent, had a pretty long cool stretch but has been heating back up again. Is this sustainable ROS?
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Scott’s Answer: Mostly a fan. Can’t hit lefties yet but it’s a tiny sample. His Statcast page is a validation — so many sliders pushed to the right. His xBA is .292 and his xSLG is .540. While it’s hard to know how real the Blue Jays actually are — they’ve obviously outkicked their run differential — Barger looks like a fantasy asset for all of 2025.
Question: What would you recommend, I have four outfielders — Julio Rodríguez, Seiya Suzuki, Bryan Reynolds and Chandler Simpson. Should I move one? If so, should it be Reynolds in 12-team points league?
Scott’s Answer: Thank goodness for Suzuki. Rodríguez is underachieving but obviously someone you stick with. Simpson fits a specific roster and stat shape. Reynolds has been significantly unlucky in his actual stats versus his Savant-recommended ones (his slugging should be 127 points higher!), so I’d keep him over Simpson, all else equal. I realize Pittsburgh is not a destination offense, though.
Question: Hey Scott, first time, long time, was wondering if you think Jazz Chisholm can keep up this torrid pace or if I should look to trade him and sell high before my league’s deadline. Thanks!
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Scott’s Answer: It’s mostly been about health and engagement with Chisholm through the years. The move to New York revitalized him last year. He might be slightly outkicking his coverage right now, but just slightly. Project him for 90% of the current rate and work off that. I trust him.
Question: Who are some of your favorite pickups for second half upside?
Scott’s Answer: I could see Ronny Henriquez controlling the Miami bullpen the rest of the season, and they’re a quasi-competitive team. Roman Anthony probably can’t be added but he’s getting comfortable and looks ready to go off. Brayan Bello is still comically under-rostered.
Question: More of a real baseball question than fantasy here to be honest — but what’s your long term projection for Rafael Devers? It’s a tiny sample size but it feels like he hasn’t been as great since he got traded to the Giants. With his swing and style of play combined with the obvious park factor in Oracle, would it be accurate to say that he’s bound for some serious serious regression as he enters his 30s?
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Scott’s Answer: I know the Red Sox got crushed for the trade but I think history might validate them, given the aging curve Devers is likely to face. And the Giants have to make Devers happy either at first base or as a full-time DH. The park is a horrible fit for him. I see this playing out much closer to Xander Bogaerts than Mookie Betts, generally speaking. The timing and the tone of the trade from Boston’s side, I don’t defend. The general idea of it, I do.
Question: Probably too early to say but if you had to take a stab at it, is Jacob “The Miz” Misiorowski for real? Does he have Top-10 SP upside?
Scott’s Answer: I probably like him an eyelash less than market. I realize that’s like saying there’s no Santa Claus. Lots of walks. The stressful delivery might make him a reliever someday. Then again, they said that about Chris Sale. Obviously the strikeouts play and he sure is fun.
Question: Favorite catchers generally available on the waiver wire? I feel like that position has been a wasteland this year.
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Scott’s Answer: I don’t think it’s been that bad. Raleigh managers hit the lottery and we’ve added guys like Hunter Goodman and Agustín Ramírez for nothing. Alejandro Kirk was a free agent for a while. Ben Rice. As for guys available now, Omar Narváez is solid and that lineup is still deep. Perfect park. Rice is still under-repped. Drake Baldwin, Dillon Dingler. There are options.
Question: Fred Zinkie suggested in his trade analyzer story this week that you should target bats like Vlad Jr., Mike Trout, Ian Happ and/or Luis García Jr. for the rest of the season. Which of those buy low candidates do you like the most? And what would it take to land one of them?
Scott’s Answer: García jumped out to me because I think his case is the most screened, the most camouflaged. And he’s not a buzzy name. Ask for an infielder in trade discussions and try to stealthily come to García. As for what it would take, that’s almost unanswerable. I’m not your opponent, I’m not in your league. But García’s unlucky stats have him primed for you to steal him.
Question: Is Adley Rutschman droppable? Will hold him on my injured list spot for now but don’t really want him taking up a spot on my roster when he comes back. I have Kirk as well.
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Scott’s Answer: It’s not about names, it’s about numbers. It’s scary how similar Rutschman’s career arc matches that of Matt Wieters. You don’t have to cut him, but you could. It’s reasonable. He’s been unproductive and now he’s hurt.
Question: Does the news on Hunter Greene keep Chase Burns safe in his rotation spot for the Reds?
Scott’s Answer: I hope so. I thought Burns did a lot of good things in the second start. The schedule obviously did him no favors.
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