The Z Files: Deadline Deal B-Sides

Those reading of a certain age likely have fond memories of going to the department or record store to pick up the latest hit single, or "45", from their favorite artist. Eventually, after burning a groove in the A-side, we'd flip it over and play the B-side, a tune not expected to become a hit. Often, this was a better song, usually because the A-side was designed to be a commercial success while the B-side was something truer to the artist. Occasionally, a B-side became a hit.

Today, the B-side of the recent deadline deals will be examined. For every player traded, another takes his place. The player may not be a difference-maker, but especially in single league formats (see what I did there?), playing time is currency. As such, the deadline deals with the potential for the B-side to become a hit will be discussed.

Arizona Diamondbacks

With the report Jake Lamb is almost assuredly headed for season-ending surgery, Eduardo Escobar takes over at the hot corner. This means the current playing time distribution between Daniel Descalso, Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte remains intact.

Atlanta Braves

Ender Inciarte owners may complain he's likely to lose playing time, but be realistic, you've already banked an outstanding return on your investment. The reason, of course, is Adam Duvall will probably occupy the small side of a platoon with Inciarte.

As for the staff, Kevin Gausman means the Braves won't have to rely on Luiz Gohara or Max Fried down the stretch or feel pressured to rush Mike Soroka back.

Baltimore Orioles

Including the earlier Manny Machado and Zach Britton deals, Baltimore shipped away five regulars with Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman and Brad Brach moving at the deadline. Other than the obvious regular playing time for the newly acquired Jonathan Villar, the only other repercussion on the hitting side is Renato Nunez could be in play in American League-only formats. A former Athletics prospect, Nunez began the year with the Rangers before being claimed off waivers by the Orioles. Still just 24 years old, the infielder has time to recapture the pop he displayed when he started out in the Oakland system. He's certainly in the right park for it to manifest.

As for pitching, David Hess gets first crack at Gausman's spot, with Jimmy Yacabonis in the mix. It's unclear who'll get the scant remaining save chances as Mychal Givens was brought in with a big lead in the seventh Wednesday, then promptly left with a much smaller lead. Other than a flyer on Paul Fry in the ninth, there's really nothing to see here.

Boston Red Sox

Ian Kinsler's arrival all but shuts the door on a Dustin Pedroia return. Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez fall back into the utility roles intended in April, though Nunez should continue to fill in for Rafael Devers, expected to return in a week from a sore hamstring. The real question is what happens when Devers and Christian Vazquez return? The answer is probably sending down a pitcher, as the club is currently carrying 14 arms. There's an outside chance the casualty is Drew Pomeranz. If he's not going to start, perhaps ceding his spot to Brian Johnson, it comes down to who is more helpful from the bullpen, Pomeranz or Brandon Workman. It's not a no-brainer Pomeranz stays on as a reliever. In fact, it wouldn't be shocking if Pomeranz returned to the disabled list, citing an issue causing reduced velocity. He could then be brought back after rosters expand. Speaking of which, Swihart's spot is safe since Vazquez isn't due back until after September 1.

Cincinnati Reds

Suggesting playing newly acquired Preston Tucker isn't exactly B-side material, so let's dig deeper. Currently, former Yankees farmhand Mason Williams is helping fill in for Scott Schebler. Like Tucker and Schebler, Williams is a lefty swinger. This allows Phillip Ervin to assume the right-handed platoon role, spelling one of the lefties when a southpaw is on the hill as well as pinch-hitting. This may not seem like much, but it could be useful in NL-only formats. Coming up through the Reds system, Ervin ran a bunch. He can still swipe a base, though his success rate has waned at the upper levels. Still, he profiles as someone that can chip in across the board, garnering a start or two a week the rest of the way.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers surprisingly didn't do much; however, their moving of Leonys Martin to Cleveland clears a spot to look at a couple of outfielders, neither named Mikie Mahtook. First up is Rule 5 draftee Victor Reyes. Detroit needs to keep him on the roster the next two months, why not get a longer look? Remember, they can send him to the minors next season and have the spring to further evaluate, but getting more playing time now avails more data points to judge. Reyes' primary asset is speed, though as expected he struggles getting on base. A 22 percent strikeout rate is decent by today's measures, plus his minor-league track record suggests improvement. That said, a walk rate under two percent is unacceptable. If you're desperate for steals, Reyes could provide a handful.

The other possibility is Detroit giving slugger Christin Stewart an audition down the stretch. The 24-year-old outfielder had had a rough month at Triple-A, slashing just .210/.289/.420. However, he posted a .895 OPS over the last week, so maybe he's warming up at the right time and a callup could be imminent. Beware, Stewart's best position is designated hitter, which isn't ideal for an organization expecting Miguel Cabrera to return next season.

Kansas City Royals

With a logjam in the Brewers outfield that included Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana toiling with Triple-A Colorado Springs, Brett Phillips was expendable. Once a highly regarded prospect, the 24-year-old has been unable to pair his ability to take a walk with an acceptable contact rate, even hitting in one of the best environments in the minors. Hmm, this sounds a lot like Jorge Soler, who may have figured something out before breaking his toe in June.

Phillips is going to get a good look in the Royals outfield, in part because another recent acquisition, Brian Goodwin, is on the shelf. Phillips was 11-for-11 in steals for the Sky Sox as well as being perfect in five chances for the Brewers last season. Getting on base will be an issue, but when he reaches, Phillips will likely be afforded the green light. As a club, Kansas City is mid-pack with 53 pilfers, but that's due to personnel, not managerial philosophy. Whit Merrifield has 23 bags while Adalberto Mondesi has swiped eight. If the player is capable, Ned Yost will let him take off.

Goodwin isn't expected to be out long, likely returning in a week. At that time, there's a good chance both Goodwin and Phillips join Alex Gordon as regulars, pushing Jorge Bonifacio to designated hitter. In the interim, Ryan O'Hearn will get a look, though he's likely to lose playing time when Goodwin returns.

The vacated hot corner will be taken over by a combination of Hunter Dozier and Rosell Herrera, both likely to amass the 20 games to be eligible at the position in most 2019 drafts. Of the two, Dozier is more interesting as he possesses some pop, albeit it with too much swing-and-miss. This could be an opportunity to audition Cheslor Cuthbert, but he's still nursing a sore back with no timetable to return.

Los Angeles Angels

David Fletcher was already getting a lot of playing time. Now, with Ian Kinsler gone, Fletcher moves to his natural position of second base, where he'll play every day. While being eligible at second base shouldn't change a player's raw value as compared to third base, having dual eligibility is beneficial, especially in 2019 AL-only formats.

Los Angeles Dodgers

While there's still B-side material on the Dodgers after the club fortified their infield with a pair of All-Star caliber players, those riding the Max Muncy unicorn towards the pot of goal at the end of the rainbow may be frustrated with his playing time once Justin Turner returns.

Miami Marlins

While everyone else in your NL-only league is bidding on the bevy of crossovers, peek to see if Magneuris Sierra is available. Acquired from the Cardinals in their spring housecleaning, Sierra is earmarked for a lot of playing time, especially with Lewis Brinson still on the shelf. Sierra's calling card is contact and speed, as well as defense. He doesn't draw walks, which hinders his attempts to steal, but with his paucity of strikeouts, propensity to hit the ball on the ground and his speed, he's not a big batting average risk. At least for now, he has a better chance of an inside-the-park homer than clearing the Marlins Park fences, but he's still just 22 years old. Sierra could mature into some added pop.

Milwaukee Brewers

Assuming their petition to be moved to the American League to finish the season is rejected, the Brewers are going to be playing a lot of infield musical chairs the final two months. Aside from everyone losing a little playing time, the fantasy positives could be Travis Shaw and Jonathan Schoop picking up another eligible position. It remains to be seen if Schoop plays any shortstop, let alone the requisite number of games to be legal the rest of this season or next, but it's worth tracking.

Minnesota Twins

Since the Twins took back Logan Forsythe in the Brian Dozier deal, no one internally benefits from the deal. On the other hand, Tyler Austin is an intriguing B-side seeing as he's a righty swinger while the Twins deploy a pair of left-handers at first base and designated hitter. Initially, Austin will play for Triple-A Rochester, but it shouldn't be long before he's spotting Logan Morrison or Joe Mauer versus southpaw pitching. Now 26 years old, Austin is in between the prospect and post-hype labels. Once thought to be a combination power-speed guy with good plate skills, there really isn't one peg he can hang his hat on. There's some faint hope a change of scenery with a clearer path to playing time sparks something. Not much came over in terms of crossover players, so that puts Austin in play if he's not already rostered in your AL-only league.

San Diego Padres

Depending on your league rules, and what happens the remainder of the 2018 campaign, Francisco Mejia may be eligible for the prospect portion of your draft in NL-only leagues. Regardless if he remains at catcher, Mejia's stick should play at the MLB level. If you're able to improve your pick slot for minor leaguers in NL-only keeper leagues, it's worth doing so to be in the running for Mejia.

St. Louis Cardinals

This one is pretty straightforward. Tommy Pham's absence clears more playing time for Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill. The question is whether this elevates either to mixed league relevance? Complicating matters is Bader, along with O'Neill and Marcel Ozuna, swings from the right side, so there aren't natural platoons. The other outfielder in the mix is switch-hitter Dexter Fowler who was on the bench for Thursday's matinee, though it remains to be seen if this is more than just a day off. It wouldn't be shocking if Fowler saw more pine time the last two months, but that's just speculation. At least for now, Bader looks to me more likely to be mixed-league worthy, especially if you need steals. O'Neill has a good chance to emerge as a good power source.

Tampa Bay Rays

There's no question, Pham is the prize of the crossover players, which makes his foot injury all the more frustrating. Something I wonder about is whether playing all home games indoors will affect his vision concerns. My guess is no, since I can't recall his being scratched from a day game with the Redbirds, just that he still must check everything is OK before each day's affair. On the other hand, chasing fly balls on turf can't be good in the long run for someone with a history of lower body injuries.

Austin Meadows is initially headed to Triple-A Durham, but it shouldn't be long before he joins the Rays. Tropicana Field suppresses right-handed power, though it is one of the few venues that's an upgrade over PNC Park, which is the sneaky silver lining for the move. Depending on your league rules, if you don't have enough FAAB to secure one of the top NL crossovers, don't overspend on a lesser player just to get someone right away, as there's a good chance Meadows plays enough to make a difference by season's end.

Sergio Romo wasn't dealt, but he qualifies as a B-side since his role as closer appears secure.

Dealing Chris Archer opens up another spot for the opener-follower tandem, with Tyler Glasnow in the mix, along with Yonny Chirinos. On Twitter, Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Passan astutely noted Glasnow will now be working with pitching coach Kyle Synder, who matches Glasnow's 6-foot-8 frame. If anyone can harness Glasnow's mechanics, it's Snyder.

Texas Rangers

By dealing Keone Kela and Jake Diekman, the Rangers paved the way for Jose Leclerc to assume closing duties. The 24-year-old righty is improved control away from being someone capable of not only finishing out the season working the ninth, but becoming a stalwart at the spot. He's carried a double-digit strikeout rate everywhere he's pitched, albeit with a bloated walk rate. As a fly ball pitcher, he's been fortunate allowing just one long ball in 39.2 frames. That said, his track record is very good with respect to keeping the ball in the yard. If he can reduce the free passes, the occasional homer can be accepted. For the record, the Rangers haven't committed to Leclerc yet, naming Chris Martin and Cory Gearrin as possible closing options as well.

Toronto Blue Jays

Ryan Borucki was already in line for an extended look but with J.A. Happ gone, Sean Reid-Foley could get a callup. Though, to be fair, this is irrespective of the Happ deal. Reid-Foley has comported himself well since being advanced to Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 4.49 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 86 punch outs in 77 stanzas for the Bisons.