Fantasy Baseball Popular Trades: Francisco Lindor for Anthony Volpe, Mike Trout for Julio Rodriguez, Mason Black for Connor Phillips and More

Assessing some of the top trades on the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer.

As the fantasy baseball season moves along, owners are going to need to make moves to help their team out. Sometimes that can be done through waivers, but in order to get really good players, trades are usually the best route.

Let’s dive into the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer and break down some of the most popular trades.

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Francisco Lindor for Anthony Volpe

Let’s kick things off with a shortstop swap. Before we get going, it’s worth mentioning that Lindor went around pick 38, while Volpe went around pick 157.

Volpe has doubled up Lindor (and then some) in most stats to this point of the season, despite having six less plate appearances.

Volpe has a .324 average and .410 on-base percentage to Lindor’s .151 average and .259 OBP. Volpe has 22 total hits, including two homers, eight RBIs and six stolen bases. Lindor has 11 total hits, with just one homer, two RBIs and no stolen bases.

Volpe hit .209 in his first MLB season, which explains his ADP. It’s not likely he hits this well all season, but he also doesn’t look anything less than a sub .275 hitter right now. He plays every single day just about, and is a cornerstone of the Yankees’ long-term plans.

Lindor hit .254 a season ago and is a .272 career hitter. It seems very unlikely that he won’t turn things around and at least match last year’s numbers, but he might be single-handedly dragging fantasy teams down right now.

Assessing this from both sides of the deal, I can make arguments to agree both ways. 

Volpe is an immediate upgrade over Lindor, and although their numbers should be closer by the end of the season, it’s hard to imagine Lindor being that much better by the end of the season. If you own Volpe and want Lindor, this is the perfect “sell high, buy low” deal. Lindor was drafted that high for a reason, and will get himself going at some point, so if you can afford some subpar play for a little while, Lindor could help push your team over the top in the second half of the season when the matchups matter the most.

Mike Trout for Julio Rodriguez

This is a fascinating deal between a couple star outfielders. Rodriguez was drafted around pick 18, while Trout went around pick 70.

Trout has been the far superior hitter to this point of the season. Across 84 plate appearances, Trout has 20 hits (including eight home runs), 11 RBIs and five stolen bases. Trout has a .270 average and .357 OBP.

Rodriguez has 78 plate appearances so far, collecting 16 total hits (but no homers). He drove in five and stole four bases. Rodriguez sits with a .219 average and .269 OBP so far.

It’s great to see Trout back to mashing the ball, but it’s hard to trust him after his injury-riddled seasons over the past four or so years. Rodriguez is still young (23 years old) and will struggle from time to time still, but at the end of the season, I still expect him to be one of the best fantasy hitters.

If I was offered Rodriguez for Trout, I’d take that trade immediately, especially if I felt pretty solid about my team overall. You might need to deal with some down games from Rodriguez for a while, but he’s another one that could push a fantasy team over the top when he gets going at the plate.

If you are a struggling fantasy team and need to take a gamble on a guy like Trout to try to get things going before it’s too late, then I can also see sending Rodriguez away in a deal. There’s definitely some risk in taking in a player with an injury history like Trout, but you’ll be adding one of the best fantasy hitters in the game, so it’d be hard to say no, despite the big difference in their ADPs.

Max Fried for Luis Castillo

This is an interesting trade between two well-known fantasy pitchers who are struggling to start the season. Fried went around pick 50, while Castillo went around pick 21.

Castillo is 0-4 across his first four starts, with a 5.82 earned run average over 21 2/3 innings. He’s struck out 27 while walking just four, but has a career high 1.66 WHIP figure right now.

Fried is 1-0 across his first four starts despite a 7.71 ERA. He’s struck out just 12, while walking nine. His WHIP is an even worse 1.96.

It’s been an ugly start for both of these guys, and there’s reason to believe both guys can turn things around at some point. 

I like the team around Fried more than Castillo, but the difference in innings and strikeouts should be all you need to see. Castillo is going to be the better fantasy option because he pitches deeper into games. There’s also some health concerns with Fried that make the deal even more favorable for the Castillo side. 

It’s a fun trade idea as both guys are struggling, but in the long run, Castillo looks like the much better fantasy option. I’d accept a trade if I got Castillo, but decline if I was offered Fried.

Colton Cowser for Michael Busch

Let’s next turn to a pair of mashing rookies who were fantasy draft afterthoughts. Coswer was not part of our 400-player ADP list, while Busch went around pick 250.

These guys have been pretty evenly matched, with each guy leading the way in a few stats. Busch has 70 plate appearances over 18 games, collecting 19 total hits and six homers. Cowser leads the way in RBIs (15), stolen bases (3), average (.400) and on-base percentage (.429). Busch has 13 RBIs, no stolen bases, a .317 average and .400 OBP. Cowser has played in 17 games, but with just 49 plate appearances, across which he’s gotten 18 total hits and four homers.

The big difference in plate appearances should stand out, although Cowser has been far more productive in his plate appearances. Across the past few games, Cowser has either hit fifth, sixth or seventh, while Busch has been fifth or sixth.

I love adding players who get more playing time, as that means more chances for fantasy production. Both these guys are playing just about everyday, with Busch having a very slight edge because he hits just earlier in the lineup. Neither guy should have position eligibility outside their normal spots (outfield for Cowser and first base for Busch), so that doesn’t give either one an edge. 

I personally like Busch a touch more over the course of the season, but would also be willing to ship him out for Cowser if I needed an outfielder. Both guys are likely to see their averages and OBPs decrease over the season, and it’s a guess who might finish with the top marks. I give Busch the slight edge for his home run numbers.

Mason Black for Connor Phillips

Let’s toss in a prospect-focused deal to finish things up. 

Black is the No. 7 prospect in the Giants’ organization. Phillips is No. 4 in the Reds’ organization and is a top-100 prospect overall.

Phillips pitched in the MLB in 2023, posting a 6.97 ERA across five starts and 20 2/3 innings. He struck out 26 and walked 13. This season, Phillips has an 8.03 ERA across 12 1/3 innings and three starts, striking out nine and walking nine.

Black is getting his second taste of Triple-A to start this season, and should be a callup at some point this season. He’s made three starts this season and has a 1.98 ERA across 13 2/3 innings and three starts. Black has 17 strikeouts and just three walks.

Most prospects lists I’ve seen have Phillips as the better option, and even though his numbers are a little worse in the minors and so far this season, he’s also two years younger, making him more valuable in dynasty/keeper leagues (which should be where this trade makes most sense). I expect Phillips to be called back up at some point this season, while Black isn’t even on the Giants’ 40-man roster yet.

With all that said, I’m giving Phillips the edge over Black for the time being. If the numbers for each prospect continue over the next month or so and both are still stuck in AAA, Black might become the better option.

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