Fantasy Baseball: 5 Potential Dee Gordon Replacements
How should fantasy baseball owners respond to Dee Gordon’s suspension? Here are some possible replacements.
With the news coming down yesterday that Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon had tested positive for two performance-enhancing substances and would be subsequently suspended for 80 games, fantasy baseball owners rushed to the waiver wire to find a way to replace his production. After going somewhere in the second round in most drafts this spring, Gordon was being relied on as a multi-category contributor at a weak position.
Related Story: Gordon Suspended 80 Games For PEDs
Ranked only behind Jose Altuve on draft boards at second base, he hadn’t been producing to the level most owners expected, making this suspension even harder to swallow. Gordon will now be ineligible to play until July 29, also known as Week 16 to fantasy owners. This is a devastating blow to many teams who were banking on the 50+ stolen bases and 80+ runs he was projected for, even with his slow start to the season.
Luckily it is only week 4, and though this is a big hit to many owners it is one that can be recovered from. We’ve put together some options that you should be able to slot into your lineup while you look for a more permanent replacement, or just to help wait out the 12 weeks until Gordon returns.
These are players who are available in a large amount of leagues and provide some upside, most of whom have actually outperformed Gordon up to this point in the season. While they are not top-flight fantasy options, each one provides a different mix of potential and reliability. Some have been fantasy superstars in the past, while others are just breaking onto the MLB scene.
Next: Natural Replacement
3B/OF. Miami Marlins. Derek Dietrich. 1. player. 82. Owned in: 1% ESPN / 1% Yahoo
The first place every fantasy owner knows to look when one of his players goes down to injury is the depth chart of the team he was playing for. Suspensions are no different, and you should consider the man who will reap the reward of Gordon’s positive test. The Marlins were already trying to find any at bats they could for Derek Dietrich after his hot start to the season; even after going 0-4 yesterday the 26-year-old is slashing .290/.389/.548 over 36 PA.
Now with the absence of Gordon at second base, Dietrich figures to become an everyday player for the first real stretch of his career. It’s not like Dietrich has never hit well in the past; in 2015 he slashed .256/.346/.456 and scored 38 runs in just 250 at-bats while bouncing all over the field. He even put up 10 home runs in limited playing time last year, something that Gordon would never give you, PEDs or not.
While Dietrich isn’t a perfect replacement for Gordon due to his complete lack of stolen bases, he will score some runs in the Miami offense, and won’t really hurt you in any other category. If you can find your stolen bases somewhere else, or play in a points league, he actually may end up performing better than Gordon in their half seasons.
If you can hold out for a few days while he gains eligibility at second, his multi-position status gives you another weapon to move around your lineup. If his production continues and manager Don Mattingly is forced to move him up in the order, he may even be your pickup of the year from the wire. While he’s available in almost every league now, he won’t be after a few days. If you end up missing out on him, there are a few more options that should be able to help out.
Next: Clipped-Wing Cardinal
Kolten Wong. 2. player. 33. Owned in: 58% ESPN / 56% Yahoo.. 2B. Cardinals
Let’s face it. When your second round pick goes down three and a half weeks into the season, you can’t be picky with his replacement. It’s not like there will be any fantasy studs on the waiver wire this early in the year. Which is why the dropping ownership rates of a guy who was expected to reach the top 5 of his position should be music to your ears.
Kolten Wong is off to a horrendous start. He’s battled consistency, injury and the flu, all while losing playing time to Jedd Gyorko of all people. He’s striking out more than he ever has and hitting way down in the lineup. But there are some reasons to expect a rebound.
The Cardinals are the best offense in baseball right now with 141 runs scored.
First, the Cardinals are the highest scoring team in baseball. With 141 runs on the board thus far, the Redbirds are outpacing everyone, including such vaunted offenses as the Cubs (+5), Dodgers (+37) and the Blue Jays (+44). It doesn’t really matter where you’re hitting in that lineup if they continue to swing the bat like they have early in the season. If Wong hits seventh regularly he’ll still see 60+ runs and 50+ RBI on the season, to help offset the loss of Gordon at second base.
Second, Wong is capable of bringing you some of those lost stolen bases. While not the straight speedster that Gordon is, Wong has stolen 40 bags over his short career and should see numbers around 15 when the season is complete. This is a far cry from the 50+ that Gordon puts up every year, but when the market is this thin, finding a guy with any multi-category potential is huge.
Third, Wong will not have a .000 ISO for the whole season. He had 43 extra base hits last season, and he should get back on that track eventually. While never being a slugger, Wong is capable of giving you 10 home runs and bringing up that RBI total to respectable numbers. His walk rate is strong, and his BABIP should regress a bit to give you some improvement in both the AVG and OBP categories.
All of this is predicated on playing time, and though Wong hasn’t seen much of the field lately it’s hard to believe the Cardinals would sit him down for any length of time. He signed a $37 million extension last year as a key piece going forward, and manager Mike Matheny won’t be able to put that much money on the bench for very long.
Wong is an upside play, but one that Gordon owners shouldn’t turn down. With the rest of this list all having significant red flags, he should be snapped up in a lot of leagues that he’s available in.
Next: Do Energy Drinks Count As PEDs?
Owned in: 70.6% ESPN / 38% Yahoo . 2B/3B. White Sox. Brett Lawrie. 3. player. 128
If you’re lucky enough to be in a Yahoo league this season, Brett Lawrie is probably available. ESPN owners aren’t as lucky, but still might catch a break as his ownership continues to trend down. The former top prospect isn’t enjoying a great start to the season, but is another play with big upside.
The 26-year-old, who has already been traded three times in his young career, looks like he’s found a home with the White Sox, solidifying their keystone and finding a home in the middle third of the order. While he still strikes out a lot and won’t give you a huge bump in OBP, he’s another guy who can provide a little pop from the 2B position.
When Lawrie first came up, it looked like he’d grow into 20+ power, and though he hasn’t shown that yet he does have a good shot at somewhere between 15-20 on a yearly basis. Hitting sixth in the lineup for the most part, he’ll have ample opportunities to cash in runners, especially when Jose Abreu turns around his early season slump.
While he may not have the superstar hype that surrounded him as he broke into the league, remember that he’s only a few years removed from top 50 prospect lists. His positional flexibility helps here too, as he can move around your lineup if you were to find a deal to your liking.
Chicago is one of the best teams in baseball through the first month, and though Lawrie isn’t the sole reason for it, he’s done enough to lock himself in as an everyday bat in the middle portion of the lineup. That’s enough for some fantasy owners to jump on board and hope that he’ll finally break out.
Next: Only The Good Die Young
Owned in: 16% ESPN / 8% Yahoo. 2B. Dodgers. Chase Utley. 4. player. 71
Some things never grow old. Not only did the Dodgers bring back 37-year-old Chase Utley this offseason after an ugly end to his playoff run that jeopardized Ruben Tejada‘s career and forced the MLB to institute a new rule (to the ire of managers across the league), but they installed him in the leadoff spot on what is supposed to be one of the best lineups in baseball.
Utley for his part has taken to the new but familiar role of hitting near the top of the lineup, and has gotten off to a great start at the plate. After a season that saw him post the lowest numbers in his career basically across the board, Utley has reinvented himself as a high-OBP, low-SLG leadoff guy that will have a ton of chances to score runs. His current slash line of .288/.380/.413 looks similar to a Dee Gordon line, if not slightly improved.
While Utley is never going to get back to the 30+ home run guy he was at one point in his career, he seems like he’s done enough to stay relevant in this league, and should post solid numbers in four categories. He won’t give you any of the lost stolen bases, but might give you a bump in OBP and will get a ton of chances to score or knock in runs.
The question with him is always if he can stay healthy. But since right now you’re only scrambling to find someone for the next 80 games, perhaps Utley is the perfect replacement. By the time he hits his mid-season injury, Gordon will be ready to return. After all, he has played in over 100 games in three straight seasons, including a really solid 155-game campaign in 2014.
Hopefully he’s learned his lesson sliding into second base, and we won’t see any other suspensions in the future. That’s the last word Gordon owners want to hear at this point.
Next: Just Win Baby
2B/3B/SS. Athletics. Jed Lowrie. 5. player. 96. Owned in: 12% ESPN / 17% Yahoo
Last on the list is a guy who has somehow recently turned 32 without anyone noticing. Jed Lowrie is the prototypical replacement, offering you steady counting stats without excelling in any one category. He’s been around the majors now for seven years, without ever fulfilling that big power potential he showed early on when he hit nine home runs in fewer than 200 at-bats for Boston.
Last year was a disaster for Lowrie. Slashing .300/.432/.567 through April 27, he was forced to undergo thumb surgery which put him out until August. When he came back, he didn’t really have a place on the diamond since Carlos Correa had debuted. He spent time at third but fought ineffectiveness the rest of the season and eventually was traded back to Oakland and the end of the year.
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Oakland is where Jed has had the most success in his career, hitting 15 home runs and scoring 80 runs for them in 2013. It looks like this magic has found its way back into his bat, as he’s off to a blistering start slashing .313/.352/.361. Like Wong, Lowrie’s power output is far too low to sustain, and he should see a jump as he hits some more hitter-friendly parks throughout the summer.
Bob Melvin is known for his ever-changing lineup card, and Lowrie has been put down everywhere from second to seventh this season. That shouldn’t scare owners as most of his appearances have been at the two- or four-hole, providing him a great chance at both scoring runs and driving home some of the better Oakland hitters.
Again, like a broken record, Lowrie won’t provide owners with any of the steals they’ve lost, so they’ll have to find them elsewhere. But if his early season hot streak continues, he has a shot to give you some solid totals in the other categories. His ownership numbers are going up steadily across the past week, and he should be owned in 30% or so of leagues by mid-May. With his positional flexibility he offers a help to any lineup struggling with their infield positions.
Next: Ones to Watch
Players to Watch Out For
While those five options give you a chance at winning week 5, there are some very interesting names to keep an eye on for the next few weeks as potential upgrades at the position.
Devon Travis, 2B Blue Jays
Devon Travis is set to begin a rehab assignment soon, and is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays in late May.
Related Story: Good News On Devon Travis
After a shoulder injury shut down the rookie late last year, Travis went through a tumultuous off-season of conjecture and worry, until his injury was finally diagnosed as a genetic issue. Surgery fixed that issue, and the former Tiger is coming back trying to prove that his first few months as a big leaguer were no trick.
Owned in: 24% ESPN / 16% Yahoo
Kike Hernandez, 2B/SS/OF Dodgers
Somehow the Dodgers still can’t find enough at-bats for Hernandez, even though all he has ever done at the MLB level is hit. He has played at least a game in each of the outfield positions, and both second and third, while hitting both first and ninth in the order. Hernandez is a super sub at the moment, but really deserves a full-time look. If you choose to go after Utley, make sure Hernandez is on your short list of replacements in case of injury.
Owned in: 19% ESPN / 22% Yahoo
Trea Turner, 2B Nationals
How long can the Nationals keep Trea Turner in the minors? The top prospect is destroying AAA pitching for the second time, and the Nationals are in a dogfight in the NL East despite having the best player on the planet.
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Though the thinking is they will keep him down for another month to slow his service clock, if Danny Espinosa keeps struggling they may be forced to bring him up sooner. Either way, he’ll be up before Gordon steps foot back on a baseball field, so make sure you’re ready to snatch him up. As the weeks go on his numbers will keep climbing, so if you have the room get him now.
Owned in: 13.8% ESPN / 20% Yahoo