Welcome back to Buy & Sell, where this week’s theme is: Old can (still) be gold! In the shadow of all the hype of 23-year-olds like Jordan Walker, Cam Smith, and even Angel Martinez (all of whom I already wrote up and still love) there’s less focus paid on the old vets with relatively unexpected bounce-back seasons. But at least a few of them happen every year, plus some from mid-career journeyman types who finally hit their stride… these are the quiet breakouts that everyone overlooks that can make the real difference, and I hunt for them like a pig hunting truffles. Now let’s get onto the list!
BUY
10-team
Mike Trout (OF, Los Angeles Angels)
I’ve been trawling for injury-prone players worth taking a chance on, and I’m ready to go fishing. Sure, I’m a bit late to the game, as he’s hit .240 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI over the past week, but I think the Trout of a few years back might finally be back, and I mean, like BACK back. And as long as he stays upright he’s going to hit a lot of balls going back back back.
This past week, despite the fact he hit .240, he hit the snot out of the ball (yes he gave the ball a sinus system), with tons of barrels, and unlike last year, he struck out only 3 times (with 4 walks) in those 29 PA last week. While his season line of .222/.388/.508 is excellent, it’s nothing compared to his xAVG of .285 and xSLG of .727. If you checked an xwOBA leaderboard and wondered how the heck his name is at the top, well, that’s how.
Sure, he’s generally underperformed his expected stats, historically, but it’s worth noting that while the sample is small, it seems his strikeout woes of last year are behind him, and he’s currently barreling far beyond his career rate (28% vs 16% career). He is still only 34, so despite his degenerative back condition, he could be this year’s George Springer with the right breaks (and nothing broken). He’s obviously not on your wire, but you chance to buy low on him by targeting him in a trade is closing fast.
Christian Walker (1B, Houston Astros)
Speaking of mid-30s players we shouldn’t have given up on (fantasy baseball sure can be ageist)… Walker is signalling that he is not in fact the next Jose Abreu and that he was merely pressing in his first year with the Astros, and is looking studly with a .313/.389/.594 line with 4 HR in 72 AB in the early going, making him one of the top 1st baseman and at a great value just before pick 200. While he’s a bit over his skis, one look at his Statcast page shows he is doing literally EVERYTHING better than he did in 2025, with a better K%, higher HardHit% and Barrel%, drawing walks again, the whole nine yards. He makes a fine trade target even with his hot start, because he still may be had for cheaper than you’d think… because fantasy baseball is ageist.
Honorable Mention: Kevin McGonigle (SS, Detroit Tigers)
Despite the hype, the lack of power may have kept owners gun-shy in shallow formats, but Kevin quieted doubeters hitting .333 with a homer in 18 AB this week, and most impressively, with a 5/1 BB/K. He could be like 2025 Jacob Wilson but also with excellent OBP and more power.
12-team
J.J. Wetherholt (SS, St. Louis Cardinals)
See, this is why you don’t panic drop highly talented youngsters. A week ago, he seemed to have limited power/speed, and suddenly he’s at 3 HR and 4 SB. He’s at least average in every category and his aptitude for stealing bases despite average sprint speed raises his fantasy floor, and I expect him to keep improving as he adjusts to the league. Despite being perennially in the shadows of Kevin (The Professor) McGonigle and Konnor Griffindor, J.J. (definitely sounds like a Ravenclaw) Wetherholt still could end up just as good in 2025 with his more balanced skillset.
Jake Bauers (1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers)
You have 24 Hours to make an move on Jack—I mean Jake Bauers. Most assume that his season line of .240 with 5 HR and 2 SB was a fluke because he cooled off a crazy-hot first week, but he’s still crushing the ball with elite velocities and also making league-average contact, and given he can also steal some bases, I’d suggest targeting him now, as this could be a true breakout season for Bauers. I think he’s especially sneaky in OBP formats, as he has a 47th percentile walk rate despite a 94th percentile Chase%.
Honorable Mention: Trent Grisham (OF, New York Yankees)
The early stats look bad, I know, though I see as I type this he just had a multi-homer game. It’s been mostly bad luck and he’s still a good player to buy-low on (since he had plenty of doubters going in).
15-team
Jeremiah Jackson (2B/OF, Baltimore Orioles)
From the numbers he’s putting up, you’d think he’s Jeremiah Jackson Holliday. I originally wanted to write J.J. as a deep league name, but when you’re suddenly hitting .340 with 4 Homers in 55 PA, that conversation needs a change or two. As you probably guessed, he’s gotten lucky, as his .277 AVG and .497 xSLG are more reasonable. It’s still a bit hard to tell who he is, as his 73.3 mph bat speed is surprisingly good but his 29% HardHit% is very poor. I’m guessing it’ll even out in the middle, but league-average far exceeds what we expected of a guy expected to be a backup or toiling in the minors/
But what really puts him here on the list is that Jackson Holliday is not recovering as planned from his hamate bone injury, meaning Jackson is going to get extended runway. Even with all of the injuries the O’s have endured, it’s still a favorable ballpark and lineup, and Jackson seems to have two things I like: potential for multi-position eligibility (he played 13 games at 3B last year), and moxie. Add him for the moxie, really.
Carlos Cortes (OF, Athletics)
Some fantasy experts have a rule against believing in hitters that are vertically challenged. I say, go find yourself a Short King. While you won’t find Betts or Altuve on your wire anymore, the 5 foot 7 King Carlos Cortes has a small strike zone but a big heart… and big power. On the season, he’s hitting a fine .292/.393/.500 with a homer in 28 PA. And I know his sample size is smaller than most… but look at that above average 44% HardHit% and even better 13% Barrel! Fine, but what’s so great about that? That it comes with a 4% K% and 14% BB%, that’s what!
It seems that he’s done enough on the surface stats to hold down the role while Rooker is out, but I think he can carve out a role after that, as a hitter who draws walks and makes lots of contact will do well playing half his games in a minor league park, especially when it heats up. If he can start lifting the ball more with the 40% flyball rate he had last year, he could pop 20 homers with a healthy batting average. Again, this sample is so small that it could be a total mirage. But he did hit .309 last year with a 111 mph MaxEV, so it’s pretty weird he wasn’t drafted even in many Draft Champions leagues. But I’m buying in hard, since the price now is still so low and the upside I see as quite high.
Honorable Mention: Nick Yorke (2B, Pittsburgh Pirates)
The noble Nick of Yorke, he had no homers yet, but 50% HardHit% and elite whiff rates, and I will buy, not fret. His playing time went up, to the bench Gonzales went down, he’s hardly owned but in deeper leagues he could win you the crown.
Deep Leagues
Edmundo Sosa (SS/3B, Philadelphia Phillies)
Sosa is a longtime vet here at Buy & Sell, as I write him up at some point every year, and at some point his hot spell ends. But maybe this year is different. For one, his K% is way better than normal at an elite 11%, backed by a similarly great whiff rate. The rub is that it’s only been 19 AB, so the numbers are rather meaningless. Still, my angle here is that I think he could start siphoning at-bats away from Alec Bohm, who is struggling with the bat just like he’s struggling against his parents in court (legitimately this could be a real distraction for him). Odds are Sosa is the same as he’s always been, but even though he’s 30 now, he still may have some untapped upside, as he has good power and speed (though he rarely runs) and has been a batting average asset the past few years. A .270 15 homer campaign could become a reality with more reps.
Luis Campusano (C, San Diego Padres)
He used to have lots of hype, but he can still crash the party despite no longer being the big man on Campusano. He continues to be available in even the deepest of leagues, probably because despite hitting .333 he only has 22 AB. But top catcher Freddy Fermin has been struggling with a .161 AVG, meaning Campusano could carve out a larger role, and I remain intrigued by the seldom discussed monster season he had at Triple-A with a 94 mph average exit velocity. Campusano already found a few barrels, for what it’s worth, and I think he’s a fine spec add in two-catcher formats and NL-only.
Honorable Mention: Daniel Susac (C, San Francisco Giants) – He may be something of a baseball Nepo Baby (Buster was tight with Andrew Susac), but Susac has pedigree and has hit so well in his first 13 PA (.583) that he could start taking time from the defensive wizard but offensive whipping boy Patrick Bailey. Sure, it’s BABIP fueled, but a catcher putting up a 8% K% will always grab my attention.
Deep Leagues
SELL
10-team
Jacob Wilson (SS, Oakland Athletics)
With how aggressive he’s been this year, he’s becoming a real no-take Jake. While that approach may have worked for Vlad Guerrero and, to a lesser extent, Willians Astudillo (I will never forget you, La Tortuga), I don’t think it’s really working for him. Last year, his contact rates were the best in baseball, and this year, they’re merely plus, which for him, is devastating. Why? Because when you have no raw power, that leads to a line like he’s put up so far, with a .239 AVG, 0 HR, and 0 SB. That’s not what you expected with a ADP under 200.
Maybe I’m overreacting. Sure, a 87% Contact% is great and a 8% SwStr% is okay, but the contact rate is down 5%, and the whiff rate has DOUBLED. That’ll happen when your swing rate goes from 50% to to 60% this year, with a 46% O-Swing% that’s up 14%. But why am I fretting over this? Because you need an extremely good contact rate to compensate when your exit velocity and bat speed are the bottom of the barrel. It’s somewhat a wonder he’s managed a below-average but passable 35% HardHit% with a bat speed of 63 mph (1st percentile), and his LA SweetSpot of 32% (20th percentile) suggests he’s not getting the most out of his contact.
Most experts agreed he probably overperformed last year with more homers and stolen bases as expected, as most projections had him similar to Arraez with 6-9 HR and a similar amount of SB. If that contact rate stays merely good, that tracks more to a. .260-.270 average with the poor contact quality. Perhaps you can see how that line would end up making him a lot like an overpriced Mauricio Dubon (I mean the version from BEFORE this year when things still made sense, okay?) You can’t roll with that at shortstop in 10-teamers when other possibly available shortstops like Dansby Swanson are likely cruising for 20/20 in their sleep.
Sal Frelick (OF, Milwaukee Brewers)
His 2025 season line had him making drafters crazy like a sharp dressed man, but that was the ZZ Top, and now he’s just Salt Lick. Speaking of hit singles, that’s mostly all he does lately, as he’s hitting just .192/.323/.288 with 1 HR and 1 SB in 63 AB. It seems he’s falling into a platoon role and that’s not getting better when Chourio comes back. I honestly don’t think he’s worse than last year… I just think he overperformed his peripherals last year, and this is the regression. I’d cut in 12-team AVG formats, but consider holding in OBP, as he is drawing more walks.
Dishonorable Mention: Kyle Isbel (OF, Kansas City Royals) – His surface stats still look solid with a .308 AVG, but that was in the .400s a week ago, and will likely continue to plummet. He’s not a total mirage as he’s better than last year, but you should still try to trade, and in 12-teamers, can likely find better impact talent on your wire.
12-team
Caleb Durbin (2B/3B, Boston Red Sox)
I thought the acquisition could remind the Red Sox of a former scrappy favorite, but with his rubbish performance, Durbin been more like Dustbin Pedroia. It was always going to be big shoes to fill with Bregman leaving, but starting the year hitting just .127/.226/.164 is no way to endear yourself to the Fenway Faithful. His expected stats and rate stats don’t do much to ease the pain, as his .204 xBA and .244 xSLG won’t be enough for any amount of stolen bases to make him usable in a shallow league.
I do think some of it is just cold weather, especially being in Boston and all this spring not being super fun. But still, his whiff and contact rates, while elite last year (they need to be for him to survive with such weak batted ball quality), have been merely very good, which for him, means the offense won’t be good enough to be a regular. Given that the Red Sox still do have alternatives, with Marcelo Mayer able to play 3B and Kristian Campbell already signed to a deal and in the minors (not that he’s hit well in the minors this year), though I’d guess they don’t want to take the L so early. But for fantasy leagues, it’s notable that he hasn’t run at all… Nasim Nunez and Jake McCarthy are examples of two terrible hitters who still ran wild when possible. With a batting average going from average to poor, no power, and reduced speed, I think it’s fine to go shopping for something trendier at Durbin Out-hitters.
Alec Bohm (3B, Philadelphia Phillies)
He’s actually Alex Ohm. Why? Because his bat resists ever getting electric. The best thing about him is that he’s still the cleanup hitter for the Phillies, and therefore will keep driving in runs. But his bat speed continues to decline, and this year his whiff rate is declining as well. He’s hitting just .153 with 1 homer in 66 PA, and I’m pretty concerned he hasn’t hit a single barrel all year. He’s starting to look like 2025 Nolan Arenado, and that still may be too generous.
15-team
Willi Castro (2B/3B, Colorado Rockies)
It seems the Rockies are going with the tried and true strategy of throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks, but they’re scraping them off the wall at the same time. Castro’s start was by no means good, as the .200 AVG and 1/1 HR/SB actually is rosy given his 41% K%, but it’s also worth noting that it’s not his first awful April before a May turnaround. But it seems the Rockies are doing the guy looking at different girl meme with Eduard Julien, so don’t let him accumulate goose eggs on your roster and set free Willie Orcastro.
Nick Gonzales (2B, Pittsburgh Pirates)
He’s starting to look like the ghost of Nearly At-Bat-Less Nick. He’s really not bad, despite a .245 AVG, no HR, and just 1 SB in 49 AB. But he lost the battle of the Nicks, as Nick Yorke is simply better with more power and pedigree. Especially post-Griffin call-up, this all pushes Gonzales and his low power & decent average combo to a utility role that could turn into a full-on backup role.
Deep Leagues
Lane Thomas (OF, Kansas City Royals)
Maybe you were fooled into thinking that going from red to powder blue would turn him into Thomas the hitting tanks engine. But it seems he’s been derailed entirely, hitting just .154 and slugging .192 in 32 PA. His peripherals are less awful than his abysmal 2025. but other hitters around him improved, pushing him to the bench.
Graham Pauley (2B/3B, Miami Marlins)
The good news is his bat speed and fast swing% are notably up. That’s the only good news, as every offensive statistic has been abysmal, being 1st percentile in xwOBA, avg exit velo, and his K% is also poor. Maybe Pauley would perform better if he were a NYPD pigeon mascot.
