Transaction Analysis: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Transaction Analysis: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

This article is part of our Transaction Analysis series.

Here's a look at some of the most noteworthy moves in baseball this week, along with their fantasy impact.

SUNDAY

Blue Jays

Melky Cabrera, OF - activated from the 15-day DL
Neil Wagner, RHP - optioned to Triple-A Buffalo

Impact: The Jays' left fielder had been dealing with leg issues all season before he was shut down for almost a month with tendinitis in his left knee. The health issues appeared to have an impact on Cabrera's performance, as he was hitting just .278 with three home runs and 29 RBI in 78 games before the injury (after hitting higher than .300 in each of the last two seasons with the Giants). Speedster Rajai Davis did a fine job filling in for Cabrera in left field, and now returns to a backup role. Wagner made 20 relief appearances with Toronto, posting an ERA of 3.26.

Padres

Jason Marquis, RHP - placed on the 15-day DL (right elbow)
Miles Mikolas, RHP - recalled from Triple-A Tucson

Impact: Marquis will undergo Tommy John surgery after tearing the UCL in his right elbow, a procedure that will likely require a year of recovery. It's an unfortunate blow for the veteran righty, as he was on pace for a career year before the injury. He finishes the season 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA over 20 starts. Sean O'Sullivan should occupy Marquis' rotation spot for the time being, though he should be avoided in most fantasy league formats. Mikolas was shipped

Here's a look at some of the most noteworthy moves in baseball this week, along with their fantasy impact.

SUNDAY

Blue Jays

Melky Cabrera, OF - activated from the 15-day DL
Neil Wagner, RHP - optioned to Triple-A Buffalo

Impact: The Jays' left fielder had been dealing with leg issues all season before he was shut down for almost a month with tendinitis in his left knee. The health issues appeared to have an impact on Cabrera's performance, as he was hitting just .278 with three home runs and 29 RBI in 78 games before the injury (after hitting higher than .300 in each of the last two seasons with the Giants). Speedster Rajai Davis did a fine job filling in for Cabrera in left field, and now returns to a backup role. Wagner made 20 relief appearances with Toronto, posting an ERA of 3.26.

Padres

Jason Marquis, RHP - placed on the 15-day DL (right elbow)
Miles Mikolas, RHP - recalled from Triple-A Tucson

Impact: Marquis will undergo Tommy John surgery after tearing the UCL in his right elbow, a procedure that will likely require a year of recovery. It's an unfortunate blow for the veteran righty, as he was on pace for a career year before the injury. He finishes the season 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA over 20 starts. Sean O'Sullivan should occupy Marquis' rotation spot for the time being, though he should be avoided in most fantasy league formats. Mikolas was shipped back to the minors Tuesday and did not make an appearance during his brief stay with the team.

MONDAY

Brewers

Ryan Braun, OF - suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season

Impact: Braun's season is over after he was suspended for violating the MLB's drug policy, and there may be more suspensions forthcoming due to the investigation surrounding the Biogenesis rejuvenation clinic. About 20 players have been implicated in the investigation, most notably Braun, Alex Rodriguez and Nelson Cruz. Braun finish's the year with a .298 average, nine home runs and 38 RBI in 61 games. Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl should both be in line for some extra playing time as a result, but neither player is likely to be much of an asset in most mixed leagues.

Rangers

Matt Garza, RHP - acquired from Chicago Cubs for IF Mike Olt, RHPs Justin Grimm, C.J. Edwards and player(s) to be named
Yu Darvish, RHP - activated from the 15-day DL

Impact: The Rangers rotation got a huge boost Monday, picking up one star pitcher via trade and returning another from the DL. Garza went 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts for the Cubs this year after missing the first month-and-a-half of the season with a lat injury. His ERA may take a hit with the move to the American League, but he shouldn't have a hard time winning ballgames with the Rangers offense backing him up. Darvish returns to an 8-4 record, 3.02 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 119.1 innings through 18 starts. Grimm was awful for Texas, posting a 6.37 ERA over 17 starts. He heads to Triple-A Iowa, but could get a look with the Cubs later this season.

White Sox

Paul Konerko, 1B - activated from the 15-day DL
Brent Morel, 3B - optioned to Triple-A Charlotte

Impact: Konerko struggled offensively before he was shut down for almost three weeks with a strained lower back. It appears that age has caught up to the 37-year-old first baseman/designated hitter, as he was hitting just .249 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 68 games before the injury. He still could have some mixed-league value, but he's clearly no longer the hitter he once was. Morel went 5-for-25 without a homer in 12 games with the White Sox.

TUESDAY

Braves

Paul Maholm, LHP - placed on the 15-day DL (left wrist)

Impact: Maholm has been diagnosed with a contusion on his left wrist, and will miss at least a couple weeks. The veteran left-hander has performed adequately this season for Atlanta, going 9-9 with a 4.41 ERA over 20 starts. Alex Wood gets the call to take over Maholm's spot in the rotation after going 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 16 appearances (including one start) with the Braves earlier this year. He has been dominant in the minors this season, and could have some fantasy value, at least in the short term.

Pirates

Jason Grilli, RHP - placed on the 15-day DL (right forearm)
Neil Walker, 2B - activated from the 15-day DL
Victor Black, RHP - recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis
Brandon Inge, IF - designated for assignment

Impact: Grilli has been one of the top closers in baseball this year, so his injury comes as a huge blow to both the Pirates and his fantasy owners. It is unclear at this point how long the NL saves leader will be out, but the Bucs have Mark Melancon on hand to handle the ninth inning in the meantime. Melancon has done an amazing job as a setup man this year and could thrive in the ninth-inning role. Walker was having a somewhat disappointing season before he was shut down for a couple weeks with a strained right oblique. He returns to a .244 average, six home runs and 26 RBI through 72 games. Inge posted an awful .442 OPS in 50 games with Pittsburgh, and Black gives the Pirates an extra bullpen arm.

Rangers

Alexi Ogando, RHP - activated from the 15-day DL
Cory Burns, RHP - optioned to Triple-A Round Rock
Joseph Ortiz, LHP - optioned to Triple-A Round Rock

Impact: The Rangers rotation got another boost Tuesday, as Ogando returned after missing about seven weeks with right shoulder inflammation. He returns to a 4-2 record and a 2.93 ERA through 10 starts and should be safe to activate in most leagues. Ortiz has done a decent job in middle relief for Texas this year, going 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 25 appearances.

WEDNESDAY

Matt Kemp, OF - placed on the 15-day DL (left ankle)
Ted Lilly, LHP - activated from the 15-day DL

Impact: After missing a couple weeks with a left shoulder injury, Kemp appeared in just one game before being shut down again. This time he's dealing with a sprained left ankle, though it isn't expected to keep him out much longer than the 15-day minimum. It has been a forgettable season for Kemp, as he leaves behind a .263 average, five home runs and 27 RBI in 62 games. His injury allows Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig to all get regular playing time in the outfield. Lilly has since been designated for assignment.

THURSDAY

Braves

Tim Hudson, RHP - placed on the 15-day DL (right ankle)
Alex Wood, LHP - recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett

Impact: Atlanta's rotation took another hit as Hudson fractured his right ankle during a play at first base during Wednesday's game, thus ending his 2013 season. The Braves rotation had done a great job of staying healthy prior to this week, as their starting five had started all but one of the team's games this year. With Hudson and Paul Maholm now both out of action, Atlanta will give Wood a shot, and Brandon Beachy is expected to come off the DL to fill Hudson's rotation spot Monday. Beachy had Tommy John surgery last June and hasn't pitched in a major league game since. He comes into the season with a career line of 12-10, a 3.07 ERA and a strikeout rate of better than one per inning. It's always hard to tell how a pitcher will perform after coming back from Tommy John surgery, but Beachy should still be worth a look in most leagues.

Phillies

Domonic Brown, OF - placed on the 7-day DL (concussion)
Steve Susdorf, OF - contract purchased from Triple-A Lehigh Valley

Impact: Brown will miss at least a week as he tries to recover from concussion-like symptoms that were the result of an attempted diving catch Tuesday. The 25-year-old outfielder has put up some good numbers in his first full season this year, hitting .271 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI through 99 games. Laynce Nix should see some extra playing time as a result of the injury, though he can be safely avoided in most leagues. Susdorf provides the Phillies with some outfield depth, but shouldn't be fantasy relevant.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryan Arbour
Arbour writes the weekly Transactions article for RotoWire. He also enjoys creating his own projections and statistical analysis each winter for the upcoming season. In his spare time, Arbour roots for the Blue Jays from north of the border.
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