A trio of outfielders -- well, outfield-eligibles -- tops Wednesday's list of recommended adds. If you're in a tough spot with your outfield, which might be the case if you had been relying on Bryce Harper, Ramon Laureano or Franmil Reyes -- and, by the way, one also brings eligibility to help those missing Trevor Story -- consider adding any of the following in ESPN leagues.
Taylor Trammell, OF, Seattle Mariners: After a 19-day detour through Triple-A Tacoma, Trammell is back with the Mariners, taking over the regular center field chores while Kyle Lewis misses extended time due to a meniscus tear in his right knee. While the memories of his poor first stint in the majors, during which Trammell batted only .157/.255/.337 with 41 strikeouts in 95 plate appearances (including 14-of-27 games with multiple K's), certainly remains fresh in the minds of those who rostered him at the time, he managed seven doubles, six home runs, 19 RBIs, a .384 batting average and only a 21.3% strikeout rate in his 17 games for Tacoma. Trammell also rocketed a 104.3 mph home run in his first game back with the big club, an illustration of his strong power upside -- think 20-25 homers -- when he makes contact. He's a 20/30 potential player in the best-case, rookie-year scenario, but probably with many peaks and valleys getting there due to the many holes in his swing. Still, it's good to see the Mariners go back to him so quickly after his initial "failure," and there's little doubt they recalled him with the intent to play him regularly. It's not often you'll find a power/speed player of this caliber on the free-agent list, so don't let his poor April dissuade you from making him a speculative pickup, even in standard mixed leagues.
Amed Rosario, SS/OF, Cleveland Indians: Though I've led with Trammell, Rosario is the "safe," smarter add if you're hurting for outfield help and need someone with a bit of speed but with a higher floor -- this effectively goes out to you Laureano managers. Rosario's Statcast sprint speed has rebounded nicely thus far, to 29.4 feet/second, which places him in the 97th percentile among major leaguers, and he's a perfect 5-of-5 on his stolen base chances to date. But this is about more than just his rebounding speed, as Rosario has been much more patient at the plate, swinging nearly 7% less often than his career rate, and more than 7% less often at pitches outside the strike zone, his 29.1% chase rate on track for an easy career best. If he can maintain even an 8% walk rate while keeping his contact rate in its usual 78% range, he might well be able to approach the .287 high-water mark for batting average he posted in 2019, bringing 15-homer power and 25-steal speed with it. What's more, Rosario has settled in nicely as the team's regular shortstop and No. 2 hitter since Andres Gimenez's demotion, starting all but two of Cleveland's games since that date (both of those missed due to a hand contusion suffered on a hit-by-pitch), with that lineup spot a big helper in the counting-number categories.
Edward Olivares, OF, Kansas City Royals: The stealth add as far as power/speed hitters go, Olivares was recalled from Triple-A Omaha as outfield depth on Sunday, sneaking in a trio of right field starts the past three games as Jorge Soler nursed a groin injury. Olivares chipped in four hits and a stolen base in the process, and while his stint with the big club might be short-lived, his arrival shouldn't go without notice in 15-team mixed and AL-only leagues, especially considering his sleeper appeal in the preseason. Olivares delivered .283/.349/.453 rates with 18 home runs and 35 stolen bases in 127 games for the San Diego Padres' Double-A affiliate in 2019, and he got off to a scorching start for Omaha this year, batting .395/.473/.654 with five homers and seven steals in eight tries in his 20 games there. He's not generally considered a blue-chip prospect, but brings an appealing package of pop, above-average speed and a good outfield arm, and it's important to note that the Royals, under manager Mike Matheny, haven't been afraid to grant green lights on the base paths. If you've got a bench spot to burn, Olivares is a wise one to tuck away in those deeper pools.
Here are two players you can consider cutting in standard ESPN leagues, in order to make room for any of the above adds.
Matthew Boyd, SP, Detroit Tigers: While at casual glance, Boyd's ratios look good enough that he might strike you as a better-than-streaming choice, all of his underlying metrics suggest it's mostly a mirage. He has a 19.5% strikeout rate, which would be his lowest since 2017, and that's largely the product of the declining average fastball velocity that began in 2020 and hasn't recovered so far this year. Boyd is going more to his changeup than usual this season, angling for soft contact over swings and misses, but that he couldn't deliver worthwhile fantasy performances in recent starts against Cleveland and Kansas City tells a lot about his utility in standard mixed leagues. It doesn't help that he's on a team that's unlikely to win often, barring his pitching deeply and effectively into his starts, and wins are still 20% of the standard-roto equation (not to mention a big part of points-based scoring). Boyd should have his successful spots, but he's in the clear streaming-starter tier for me.
Jon Gray, SP, Colorado Rockies: Like Boyd, Gray is a pitcher who lost some fastball velocity in 2020 but has failed thus far to recapture it, but what's strange about the right-hander is that he has gone increasingly to his slider, yet failed to show any noticeable bump in his strikeout rate. Gray has the look of a ground ball-oriented, pitch-to-contact type, which isn't a trustworthy thing for a Rockies pitcher, as you'd much prefer a swings-and-misses skill set if you're going to ever use their Coors Field games. I wasn't a believer in Gray at all entering the year -- I've got one share, and it was an effective reserve-round freebie in a 12-team NL-only, in which I've hesitated to use him every week thus far -- and while he did impress during his first eight turns, his past three have been almost entirely forgettable. He's a clear streamer, and a tough read of one as a Rockies pitcher with a better career track record at home than on the road, and is rostered in a lot more ESPN leagues than I'd have guessed (38.9%).