Hot Prospects to Watch Week 18: Beeks, Phillips, Spanberger

Today is the trade deadline and it seems safe to assume we'll be seeing more prospects landing on new teams by the end of the day.

Last week we took a look at some top prospects that could potentially have a path to the majors open up by trade or that could themselves be traded away. This week we'll take a look at players who have already gotten a change in scenery and see what their value looks like with their new franchises. Two of these players — Jalen Beeks and Brett Phillips — are already on the major league rosters with their new teams, but they have shown struggles in limited playing time so far.

This week's list will look at fantasy value for the rest of this season as well as value for the years to come, so let's dive in.

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SP/RP Jalen Beeks — Tampa Bay Rays

Upcoming games: vs Los Angeles (AL) 7/31-8/2, vs Chicago (AL) 8/3-5

Beeks has been less than stellar in his brief stint in the majors so far, but he has the potential to be a high strikeout starter for years to come. Over 9 2/3 innings between Boston and Tampa Bay, Beeks has allowed 17 runs on 21 hits and seven walks with six strikeouts. Those numbers are obviously quite terrible, but Beeks has shown significant promise over the last couple years in the minors. This year over 16 starts in Triple-A, Beeks posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.088 WHIP and 12.1 K/9 — all three of which are his best numbers since his debut season in 2014. The biggest question mark for Beeks' value for the rest of this season is how will he be utilized in the Rays' unorthodox use of its staff. His first appearance for Tampa Bay saw him come out of the pen for 3 1/3 innings, during which he allowed eight runs on 10 hits and three walks. His upside for the rest of the season, but his strikeout upside makes him worth keeping a close eye on to see how he finishes out the year. If he starts getting hot, he's worth adding in AL-only and 14-team mixed leagues as a high strikeout reliever.

OF Brett Phillips — Kansas City Royals

Upcoming games: at Chicago (AL) 7/31-8/2, at Minnesota 8/3-5

Phillips was the top outfield prospect in the Brewers before he was shipped off to Kansas City in the trade that netted Milwaukee Mike Moustakas. Now that he's in a position to see slightly more playing time in the less-crowded Royals outfield, Phillips can hopefully get more regular at-bats to help him work his way out of his offensive struggles from the first half of the season. After putting up decent numbers in his debut season in 2017, Phillips is hitting .167 with a .509 OPS and 12 strikeouts over 27 plate appearances at the major league level this year. His numbers at Triple-A this year were also slightly down from previous seasons, but he was still showing some of his potential to hit 15 to 20 home runs with 10 to 15 steals. His biggest problem this season in the majors has been the career-high rate at which he has been hitting ground balls (66.7 percent) but if he can work through his struggles in Kansas City, he could be a decent bench outfielder for the rest of this season in AL-only and 12-team mixed leagues, with the potential to do more in the future.

1B Chad Spanberger — Lansing Lugnuts (Single-A: Toronto Blue Jays)

Upcoming games: at Dayton 7/31, vs South Bend 8/1-3

Just two seasons into his professional career, Spanberger is looking like he has the potential to be a first baseman with numbers similar to those of Paul Goldschmidt. After hitting .294 with 19 home runs and two steals over 60 games last season, Spanberger is hitting .317 with 22 home runs and 16 steals over 94 games this year between the South Atlantic League and the Midwest League. He's still at least a season or two away from reaching Toronto, but if he continues to hit well he could find himself getting the call sooner than later as he appears to have a good shot at being the future at first base for the Blue Jays. Dynasty owners who had been looking forward to seeing Spanberger's power play in Coors Field will be somewhat disappointed in this trade, but his 20 home run-15 steals potential will still make him one of the better prospects at his position

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