August 8 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Streamers: Nestor Cortes, Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer and Randy Vasquez

How much is enough? Coaches in every sport start getting fired near the end of the season, and more will go once we hit October. With the White Sox are fighting for the worst record in baseball history, can they actually bring their manager back?

It’s not Pedro Grifol’s fault that the team is devoid of talent. He can put together any lineup he wants, but the players are mostly below the major league talent line and aren’t producing no matter who is on the field.

When it comes to 2025, though, a new manager (and roster churn) might be the best way to look past this putrid season and start fresh. I feel for you, Pedro, I really do, but you might lose your job through no fault of your own.

Let’s run through Thursday’s probable starters (according to MLB.com) who are widely available in fantasy leagues and have good matchups, creating streaming value. Most stats and rankings are from MLB. The full streamer rankings are listed at the bottom.

Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels

Cortes is owned in over half of fantasy leagues, not the same availability as most guys who end up on this list but still possibly a free agent in your league. His walk and strikeout rates are both better than average, a rarity among free agent starting pitchers at this point in the season. He’s not pitching at his peak levels of 2021-22, but Cortes is probably worthy of a roster spot in most leagues.

In a start against the Angels back in May, Cortes allowed two runs in 5.1 innings with four strikeouts and no walks. LA played some OK baseball earlier in the season, but they have been regressing and are now a bottom-10 offense and over 10 games below .500. Without major reinforcements, this will be a losing team for a few more seasons.

Cortes is a high-level streamer. His underlying numbers are good, and the matchup gives him a chance at a big outing; he might be worth a roster spot if you have a weak rotation.

Kyle Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Gibson is walking too many guys this year, but he has a strikeout rate right at the league average, a better mark than many streamers. His ERA is right around 4.00, but Gibson has struggled a little more at preventing runs recently, having allowed at least four runs in five of his past seven starts. He has also struck out at least six batters in six of those seven, so there is good to go with the bad.

Tampa will likely be more of a contender next season when they get multiple high-level pitchers back from major injury. The offense has struggled this season, and that’s continued over the last few weeks, as they are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, hits, home runs, batting average and slugging percentage in that time. They are fighting for their lives in the wild card race, but this team is weaker than recent iterations.

Gibson is a mid-level streamer. He has pitched well, especially striking guys out, and the matchup here is good enough to put him on the radar.

Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles @ Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto isn’t in the basement. They struggled mightily during the first half of the season, but they have looked more formidable in the last month, probably part of the reason they kept players who can help them win next season. They rank between 20th and 27th in runs scored, hits, home runs, slugging percentage and OPS.

Kremer has very similar stats to Gibson, holding a walk rate higher than average but a strikeout percentage right at the league average. He missed a stretch from late-May through the beginning of July, and it hasn’t been smooth sailing since returning: 30 innings, 18 runs (16 earned), 29 strikeouts and 13 walks. It hasn’t been all bad, and his strikeout work has been strong, but there’s a ceiling on Kremer’s value.

As such, Kremer is a low- to mid-level streamer here. He is a feasible fantasy pitcher, but it’s best to expect middling production, even with the strikeouts.

Randy Vasquez, San Diego Padres @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Vasquez is in his first full season, and while he’s doing well limiting walks, his strikeout rate is well below average. Vasquez was listed here before his last start against Colorado (in San Diego, not at Coors Field) and did fine, giving up just one run in five innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

Pittsburgh has a poor offense, but their top-level pitching is keeping them in the wild card race in a weak National League. They only made minor moves at the trade deadline and will play out the home stretch with their bottom-10 offense, hoping Paul Skenes and Co. can carry them to the postseason.

Vasquez is a low- to mid-level streamer. He’s been OK, but his serious lack of strikeouts limits his upside, so the matchup means more than anything else.

Thursday’s Streamer Rankings

1. Nestor Cortes, NYY
2. Kyle Gibson, STL
3. Dean Kremer, BAL
4. Randy Vasquez, SD