Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to gain a little perspective and clear your head.
This could be anything from going on a road trip with no destination in mind, to going on a road trip with your significant other, to a family vacation somewhere other than Disney World (unfortunately, Disney World is too crowded and with kids, it’s not exactly a “quiet” vacation).
Baseball’s trade deadline passed this week, and several players were dealt to new teams that could potentially increase their value over the remainder of the season.
Sometimes, a change of location is all it takes for a player to turn a mediocre season around or even make it better.
Some players, like San Francisco’s Hayden Birdsong, didn’t move but were helped by the moves of teammates.
Alex Cobb has been unable to pitch this season due to hip and shoulder injuries, but was poised to return to the Giants’ starting rotation.
That was before he was traded to the Guardians, paving the way for Birdsong to return to San Francisco’s starting rotation (after Cobb was optioned out following his impending debut on July 27) and get some serious playing time down the stretch.
In his first six major league games, Birdsong went 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA, a 1.220 WHIP, 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings, a .204 batting average and a 15 percent strikeout rate.
In his last two starts, both against the Rockies, he struck out 20 batters for a 23 percent strikeout rate and held Colorado to a .135 batting average and a .454 OPS.
He also hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any start and is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA, 33 strikeouts, a 16 percent strikeout rate and a .180 batting average against in five starts in July.
From June 26th to July 27th, Birdsong ranked 9th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.27), 6th in strikeout swinging rate (14.8%), 17th in opponents’ batting average (.202) and 24th in ERA (2.97).
All of this is consistent with his performance in 169²/₃ innings of minor league pitching, where he posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.196 WHIP and 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Birdsong throws a mid-90s fastball 42.3 percent of the time and is batting .220 with a strikeout rate of 20 percent, but it’s Birdsong’s second pitch that induces early strikeouts.
Birdsong has a strikeout rate of 39.7 percent on his slider, is throwing it 22.8 percent of the time and opposing pitchers are batting .211 with it.
His curveball has a whiff rate of 43 percent and opponents have a .034 batting average and .054 xBA against it.
He’s throwing the changeup 16.5 percent of the time and it has a strikeout rate of 51.2 percent.
Opponents are hitting .421, but his xBA is .223.
The young pitcher has only appeared in six major league games and will have some flaws, the biggest of which is his 11.9 percent walk rate (third-worst in the major leagues from June 26-July 27).
He also has an xERA of 3.65, an xFIP of 3.82 and an FIP of 4.05, all indications that he’s been lucky (although facing these Rockies twice is obviously a plus).
But at this stage of the season, it’s hard to ignore Birdsong’s strikeouts.
Pitch volume shouldn’t be an issue, either, as he plans to pitch 100 innings in 2023 and has thrown 87 innings this year combined in the minors and majors.
The young pitcher is rostered in fewer than 10 percent of ESPN leagues, but should grab fantasy managers’ attention as a potential hidden gem this time of year.
Let’s take a look at some other pitchers who had big wins at the trade deadline.
Zach Eflin (74.4% rostered) was drafted as a top-25 starting pitcher this season after finishing sixth in Cy Young Award voting in 2023. In that time, he had a 16-8 record with a 3.50 ERA, 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.2 walks per nine innings.
This season he has allowed the second-fewest walks per nine innings (1.01), and it’s been a disappointing follow-up season for the 30-year-old right-hander.
But things are looking up for Eflin in Baltimore, where he’s already won his first game with his new team and earned the No. 2 pick on Saturday.
This is a great position for Eflin, as he’ll have access to a top-tier offensive line and his xERA (3.47) is nearly a full point lower than his 4.11 ERA in Saturday’s start against Cleveland.
Don’t ignore Efrin, his stock is on the rise.
Jack Flaherty (85.9%) was already having a strong season with the Tigers, his best showing since his breakout 2019 with St. Louis.
Before joining the Dodgers, he had a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA, a 14 percent strikeout rate, a .211 batting average and career-best numbers in strikeouts (11.2) and walks (1.6) per nine innings.
If his back holds up, he has a chance to add to his winning streak.
Erick Fedde (7-4, 3.11 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.0/9 strikeouts) was a pleasant surprise in the first half of a terrible White Sox team.
He was 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA and batting average of .236 in his past 11 starts before taking the mound Friday for his new team, the Cardinals.
His xERA (3.77), FIP (3.76) and xFIP (3.96) all point to decline, but he certainly has a chance to succeed in St. Louis and is still worthy of a roster spot (and he’s available in over 35% of ESPN leagues).
Former Marlins pitcher Trevor Rogers (2.5%) is coming off a breakout season in 2021, in which he was selected to the All-Star team and posted a 2.64 ERA, 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.150 WHIP.
He’s only 26 years old, and even though he suffered a tough loss in his first start against the Orioles on Thursday, Loto Lage believes the lefty is at least worth keeping an eye on.
In his past 11 starts before the trade, he was 1-3 with a 3.32 ERA and a .244 ERA.
Not only would he provide more run support on one of the league’s best offensive teams, but he would also be a nice upgrade defensively.
Keep an eye on him.
big hit
Xander Bogaerts, 2B/SS, Padres
After being placed on the disabled list, he got at least one hit in 12 of his first 13 games and batted .453 with one home run, six RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base and a 1.087 OPS.
Brady Singer SP, Royals
In his last three starts, he has a 1.29 ERA, a .181 batting average and won each of them, and in his last nine starts, he is 4-3 with a 2.33 ERA, a .222 batting average and an 11 percent strikeout rate.
Colton Cowser, outfielder, Orioles
He entered Friday with a 14-game hitting streak and has a .385 batting average with four home runs, 13 RBIs, 13 runs scored, two stolen bases and a 1.114 OPS during that span.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Diamondbacks
As of Friday, he was batting .230 this season, but over the last month he’s batted .333 with 10 home runs, 27 RBIs, 21 runs scored and a 1.131 OPS.
A big miss
Luis Robert, outfielder, White Sox
In the 12 games played through Friday, he was batting .174 with 25 strikeouts, and he has struck out 71 times in his past 199 at-bats.
Drew Thorpe SP, White Sox
In his past two starts (5 2/3 innings), he is 0-2 with a 22.24 ERA, a .448 batting average, a 1/4 strikeout/walk ratio and four home runs allowed.
Taylor Ward, outfielder, Angels
Last month, he played in 24 games, batting .174 with 34 strikeouts, four extra-base hits, two home runs, 11 RBIs, seven runs scored and an OPS of .499.
Christopher Sanchez SP, Phillies
Not only has he lost three straight games, but he’s also lost four of five games in the last month while allowing just 20 earned runs in 27¹/3 innings (a 6.59 ERA) while allowing opponents a .313 batting average.
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Check your swing
– Oakland’s Lawrence Butler finished June batting .179 with two home runs, eight RBIs, a 30.6% strikeout rate and a .529 OPS in his first 52 games. He improved his batting average to .253 in July with 33 hits in 91 at-bats (.363) with 10 home runs, 27 RBIs, 23 runs batted in, four stolen bases and a 1.210 OPS in 24 games.
– Boston’s Masataka Yoshida entered July batting .246 but finished the month batting .279 with 26 hits in 78 at-bats (.333 average), three home runs, 20 RBIs, 13 runs scored and an OPS of .898.
Former Yankee Michael King went 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA, 29 strikeouts, zero home runs allowed, a 15 percent strikeout rate and a .131 batting average in July. He has allowed more than two runs just once in his last 11 starts and is 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA, 77 strikeouts, a .205 batting average and a 12 percent strikeout rate.
– Yankees catcher Austin Wells (10.7% appearance rate) was productive in his first 11 games since the All-Star break, going 12-for-38 (.316 batting average) with two home runs, seven RBIs, seven runs scored, nine strikeouts and eight walks for a .981 OPS.
Carlos Estevez has pitched two scoreless innings since being traded to the Phillies, but the former Angels closer doesn’t appear to be taking on the same role in his new home. That said, Estevez has pitched 21 scoreless innings since May 20, holding opponents to a .063 batting average during that stretch.
– With All-Star Robert Suarez now entrenched as the Padres’ closer, San Diego was not an ideal landing spot for Tanner Scott, who will miss out on a save despite allowing just two runs in his past 37 appearances. Scott has struck out 46 batters in his past 38 innings and held opponents to a .122 batting average during that span.
After going winless in his four starts in July (and his first 10 outings), Blake Snell finally got one on the mound on Friday, pitching a no-hitter. The two-time Cy Young Award winner went 30-7 with a 0.75 ERA and .104 strikeout rate last month, and in his last five starts he has a 0.55 ERA, 41 strikeouts, .078 hits allowed and 19 percent strikeout rate. He has allowed zero earned runs in four of his last five starts and has allowed just two hits in his last two starts (facing 51 batters). In those two outings, he has allowed 26 hits, a .044 hits allowed and an impressive 23 percent strikeout rate. To say he’s looking pretty good would be an understatement.
This week’s team name
The Pursuer of Red October
