By Jonah Drew

Jesse Winker,OF

Although the Washington Nationals rebuild is really starting to take shape, Jesse Winker just does not fit their timeline. Winker’s stock was at an all time low after last season after he posted a putrid .567 OPS in Milwaukee. It seemed Winker’s days as an everyday big leaguer were dwindling but clearly the Nationals saw something, smartly signing the 30 year old to a 1 year, 1.5 Million Dollar contract. This transaction has turned out about as well as they could have possibly asked for. Winker is currently slashing .263/.381/.434(135 OPS+) with 11 HRs and 14 SB. The always selective Winker is doing just that. His walk rate is at 14.2% and his chase rate is at just 18.5%. Both of which are marks that land him in the top 3 percentile of all of baseball. His success is also backed by his .342 xwOBA, landing him in the 72nd percentile. Winker can absolutely fill in and beef up a lineup in need of some juice at the bottom. The price also should not be too high, I expect it to be a 10-12 level prospect in an average system.

Fits: Mariners, Braves, and Astros

Erick Fedde, RHP

There have been countless projected trade packages for White Sox stars Luis Robert and Jesse Winker, but how about some love for 2023 KBO MVP, Erick Fedde. Who could forget the legendary Erick Fedde bidding war to kick off free agency? The White Sox won the battle and they will reep the rewards in the form of a solid prospect package featuring what will likely be a top 10 guy and a flyer. Fedde has pitched 111.1 innings across 19 starts and is currently sitting at a 2.99 ERA. His peripherals are good enough to make me trust him in the back of a postseason rotation. He has a 3.59 xERA and has been generating soft contact at a well above average clip. His K/BB ratios are about bang average and that combined with his overall reliability would make me happy to hand over a back end top 10 guy if I was a contender. Especially because Fedde comes with multiple years of control.

Fits: Brewers, Dodgers, and Twins

Victor Vodnik, RHP

With all due respect to Mr. Vodnik, I doubt more than about 10 non Rockies fans had ever heard of Victor Vodnik. He debuted for Colorado last season and put simply, his stint was short and not so sweet. Vodnik made just 6 appearances, pitching just 8.2 innings to the tune of an 8.31 ERA. The flashes were always there tho as Vodnik is a pure flamethrower, luckily that raw eye test is actually translating to tangible success. Vodnik has thrown 52.1 Innings out of the Rockies pen, posting a 3.96 ERA with a 3.94 FIP. While 3.96 may not jump off the page, the Coors tax is very much real, that mark translates to a 115 ERA+. Despite his eye popping velocity, Vodnik actually does not rack up the strikeouts(21.2% K%). Vodnik is actually a ground ball specialist, he posts a 90th percentile 53.9% GB% which essentially negates any concerns about his hard hit rate not being where you’d like. As always, trust worthy relievers at are an absolute premium for contending teams and if you can get a guy like Vodnik to be a middle relief type of guy instead of a back end horse like he’s being used in Colorado, that would be an ideal situation.

Fits: Royals, Mets, and Diamondbacks

Tyson Miller, RHP

Despite the Cubs high expectations headed into 2024, all indications are that Jed Hoyer and the Cubs brass are open and willing to sell off pieces that aren’t part of their long term plan. This is in light of their underwhelming first half, compiling a record of 48-53, leaving them 3.5 GB of a weak NL Wild Card race. As for Miller though, he has been one of the better relievers in all of baseball, point blank period. After bouncing around every which way since the 2020 COVID season, he has finally found a home in the windy city. Miller has made 21 appearances in Chicago(9 in Seattle) and he is currently sitting at a 1.59 ERA in those 21 outings. I am a massive believer in Miller for a multitude of analytical points. Miller sits at a 3.12 xERA, with a .215 xBA, and a .228 wOBA. While those are fantastic underlying metrics what really excites me is Miller’s ability to generate whiff at an elite level while not allowing any free passes. Miller is at a 93rd percentile chase rate of 34.3, a 68th percentile 25% K%, and an ungodly 24% IZ Whiff%. He does all of this elite whiff generation while allowing just a 98th percentile, 3.1% BB%. Call me crazy but I would trust Tyson freakin’ Miller to throw high leverage October innings, I am absolutely enamored with this analytical profile.

Fits: Yankees, Orioles, and Mariners

Michael Conforto,OF

Farhan Zaidi is about as unpredictable of an executive as they come but if he doesn’t sell this deadline, I give up trying to get a read on this guy. They are not in a great spot at 48-52 and quite frankly, I don’t see an avenue for this team to make an honest run to a wild card spot and beyond. No, Conforto has not absolutely lit the world on fire but in fairness to him, he is in absolute hell for left handed pull hitters. Conforto currently sits at a .721 OPS with a 106 wRC+ and 10 jacks. Conforto’s underlying data really does suggest that he can help to lengthen a lineup come autumn. Conforto hits the ball hard with a 90 MPH average exit velocity, a 45.3% Hard Hit rate, and a 10.4% Barrel Rate. Put Scooter in a more hitter friendly ball park, specifically for lefties, and I think you see him hit more to his .457 xSLG rather than his .422 SLG.

Fits: Yankees, Cardinals, and Braves

Sources

Baseball Reference

Baseball Savant

Fangraphs

@JesseRogersESPN

Spotrac