Instant Fantasy Reaction: Cubs reload with Albert Almora
The Cubs are expected to dip into the minors to bring up another top prospect. Al Melchior assesses Albert Almora's Fantasy impact and the factors that could affect it.
By
Al Melchior
•
2 min read
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The Cubs' juggernaut just keeps rolling, and if their everyday players and rotation aren't scary enough, they have the depth to overcome just about anything. They have already survived the loss of Kyle Schwarber (knee), and while not as damaging to the lineup, they now appear on the verge of losing Jorge Soler, who had finally solidified his place as the Cubs' left fielder. Soler is presumed to be going on the disabled list after having injured his left hamstring in Monday's game against the Phillies.
Because the team's embarrassment of riches extends to the minors, it is able to pluck Albert Almora -- the 80th-ranked prospect overall, according to MLB.com -- from Triple-A Iowa. Pending the results of Tuesday's MRI for Soler, the Cubs are set to bring up the 22-year-old, who has primarily played center field in the minors. Almora has been better in his first season in Triple-A than he had been in either of his campaigns in Double-A, batting .322 with 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
Given that Almora has speed, good contact skills and an all-fields approach, he could continue to hit for average and pile up steals. While the spray chart below shows how Almora has hit up the middle and to the opposite field this year, it also shows he hasn't hit for much power. That's consistent with what Almora has done at all levels, and he also has a history of not walking much.
That means that Almora has much more appeal for owners in categories formats, and his main contributions will come in the stolen base and batting average categories. There's another factor that could depress Almora's value in points leagues, and that's his playing time. There is no guarantee that Almora would play every day with Soler out of the lineup, Joe Maddon could opt to use Kris Bryant in left field and Javier Baez at third base. With Matt Szczur in the mix as well, Almora could be part of a rotation rather than a steady presence in the outfield.
Because Almora is a speed threat, he maintains some Rotisserie appeal even if he doesn't play every day. If you were hoping that Trea Turner could boost your steals total, you might as well give Almora a try now that Turner is back in the minors. Almora is currently owned in six percent of the leagues on CBSSports.com, but now he is a must-own in all NL-only leagues and deeper mixed Rotisserie leagues. In 12-team mixed leagues, your quest for steals and batting average can be directed to safer, more proven options, such as Ben Revere, Cameron Maybin, Melvin Upton, Chris Owings or Leonys Martin (currently on DL, hamstring).
How relevant Almora becomes in mixed leagues could depend largely on the performance of Baez, who has started six of the Cubs' last eight games, splitting his time across second base, third base and shortstop. Baez has continued to provide power while struggling to get on base at a decent rate. If he can increase his productivity, Baez -- unlike Almora -- should have a place in standard mixed Rotisserie leagues. He could also be a threat to Almora's value, even in deeper leagues. Both players certainly need to be monitored over the coming days.
