Which Fantasy Players Did the Trade Deadline Impact the Most?

With a myriad of players moving cities last week, there are a few in particular I’d like to focus on.

A change of scenery often does more good than bad, especially for struggling big leaguers. I believe the brand-new team context for these five players will favor better production moving forward. 

Fantasy Impact: Jorge Soler to the Atlanta Braves

When I think about Jorge Soler, he doesn’t belong in a Cubs, Royals, Marlins, or Giants jersey. However, he’s a natural fit with the Braves logo dawning across his chest.

Remember his historic second-half run with Atlanta back in 2021, eventually leading to a World Series ring? Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has not forgotten that special time, which is why he picked up the phone and dialed San Francisco to make this deal once again.

The thing with Soler is that the batting average will always be low, so putting him in a park that suits his power is crucial.

Hitting in Oracle Park over the first half of the season surely didn’t do him any favors, only resulting in 12 homers and a .749 OPS across 93 games. Those are fine numbers, just not what we all know Soler is capable of.

Go back three years to his 2021 second half, and you’ll find that he smacked 14 home runs with an .882 OPS in 38 fewer games. Truist Park fits his swing well, and with the amount of injuries the Braves have endured this season, Soler has captured an everyday role in which the sky is the limit.

If Soler is available on the waiver wire be sure to scoop him up. 

Fantasy Impact: Lane Thomas to the Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland pitching factory makes it possible for this team to compete almost every year. While this is true, the Guardians’ offense has usually been the problem when it comes to this team achieving postseason success.

This year, however, that’s not the case. The Cleveland offense has a +84 run differential, a large contrast to their -35 result just last year. Seems like a good landing spot for Lane Thomas.

In 2023, Thomas hit 28 home runs while thieving 20 bases. That might be one of the sneakiest near 30/20 performances ever.

This season with Washington, Thomas only had eight home runs. The good news is he’s running like wild with 28 steals, something that you are probably in dire need of if you do not have Elly De La Cruz rostered.

Plus, hitting behind Steven Kwan, José Ramírez, and Josh Naylor is an upgrade for Thomas, who previously only had CJ Abrams to support him in the Nationals lineup.

Thomas owns an everyday role since the Guardians have found few answers in terms of offensive production in the outfield. That’s something so valuable at this time of year in fantasy leagues.

Fantasy Impact: Erick Fedde to the St. Louis Cardinals

As bad as the White Sox season has been, credit to their front office for taking a chance on Erick Fedde. After all, he did win KBO’s version of the Cy Young award in 2023.

This season, Fedde was traded at the deadline when Chicago owned just 27 wins – with Fedde being the reason for seven of those. It would be astonishing for any pitcher in the game to gather seven wins with the type of run support Fedde was getting from the Sox.

The good news is that run support will only increase now that he pitches in St. Louis.

Fedde doesn’t do any one thing especially well. In fact, his best skill might be distracting offenses better than most pitchers.

What I mean is that he sort of lulls offenses to sleep with efficient innings, even when he lets runners reach base. Fedde may give up one or two hits per inning but has done a good job preventing those runners from crossing home plate.

A 3.11 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 108 strikeouts is the steady kind of production you need on your fantasy pitching staff, even if it’s not ace-type stuff. And surely as the Cardinals compete for a postseason berth, the competitive environment and improved bats surrounding Fedde will help.

Fantasy Impact: Hunter Harvey to the Kansas City Royals

You may look at this trade and think: Really? Of all the trades I could have chosen, I picked this one?

Yes indeed, because – in terms of fantasy – this is a huge acquisition. The Royals have struggled to find a lockdown 9th-inning man all year long.

Even with James McArthur holding down the role for most of the season, things have been more than shaky at the end of games. McArthur has danced to the tune of a 5.20 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, numbers that would make anyone feel uneasy, especially with his low strikeout percentage and failure to miss bats like many lockdown closers.

Enter Hunter Harvey.

Lately, the Royals have been giving Harvey the chance to nail down saves, even if it’s been a rough start to his Kansas City tenure. However, things almost always regress to the mean, and you will be happy when they do.

In 45 innings with Washington this season, Harvey produced 50 strikeouts with a 3.17 FIP. Even though his ERA sits at 4.44 for the season, that low FIP suggests better times await.

He has always been able to strike guys out, and on a team that will net him plenty of save opportunities (the Royals play a lot of close games), Harvey could be a valuable addition to your squad.

Fantasy Impact: Christopher Morel to the Tampa Bay Rays

I know that Christopher Morel has been sort of a disappointment this year for many fantasy managers, but fear not. When a team like the Rays decides to invest in a player, there must be something that can be fixed.

Whether it’s a mechanical issue or something pertaining to his setup or approach in the box, the Rays will surely find how to get the most out of Morel’s upside. I’m confident in Tampa Bay’s ability to develop players, and Morel is their latest project.

His .676 OPS is way too low for a guy as talented as he is. Cut down some of the strikeouts, and with an improved plate approach, his numbers will increase. Not to mention, the Rays often steal more than the Cubs, and Morel has the speed to do so.

I don’t love the return the Cubs got for Morel, considering Isaac Paredes‘s Statcast page makes it such a mystery how he can be so successful.

His pull rate is one of the highest in the league, and Wrigley Field doesn’t quite have the same dimensions as Tropicana Field, which should cause concern for his power numbers.

It seems as if the Cubs front office made this move based on defense, contract length, and the possibility of prospects panning out. Because, to put it simply, I believe the upside of Morel outweighs anything Paredes could ever produce.

It will be interesting to see which third base project works out, but when it comes to fantasy, I’d say go with Morel.