Wei-Yin Chen: 3 Best Fantasy Free Agent Landing Spots

In fantasy sports we tend to overlook players who are not the flashiest or do not produce those prolific numbers that we all chase. But, each and every season these under the radar players are the keys to success in fantasy and Wei-Yin Chen proves to be a prime example.

When the O’s brought Chen over to the U.S. the move was not really met with a lot of excitement. In Japan, Chen was one of the most steady aces in their league but the question was could Chen make the transition to the MLB and not to mention do it in the AL East.

Chen has proven to be better than advertised, as over the last two seasons has had back to back years of sub 3.60 ERA and 10+ wins. Having that success and doing it in the rigors of the AL East is admirable and he finds himself a free agent in 2016 looking to cash in on that success.

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Here are the three best fantasy landing spots for Chen in 2016.

Los Angeles Dodgers

While their attempts to retain Zack Greinke will rightfully dominate the headlines, the Dodgers still lack pitching depth even if they can bring Greinke back or not. After Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers are littered with question marks in the rotation. Can Brett Anderson have back to back solid seasons? Will Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu recover from injuries again? Will Alex Wood take the step in development over a full year with the ball club?

You get the idea, so at worst Chen could step right in and offer quality innings. While Chen has yet to eclipse the 200 innings mark in his career, 185 in 2014 and 191 in 2015, he has proven that he will keep his team in the game and battle over the six innings per start that he averages. If he can have an outstanding ERA in the AL East, he would thrive in the move to the National League and especially a move to Dodgers stadium. If he lands here, make it a point to target him in the draft.

Detroit Tigers

While his value wouldn’t jump so much if he landed here compared to a move to the National League, Chen’s fantasy value would still get a boost with a move to the Tigers. Chen’s biggest bugaboo is that he is prone to the long ball and pitching in the shoebox stadiums that are in the AL East have done him no favors.

Comerica Park had always tended to be more of a pitchers ball park so Chen could improve his numbers even further with Detroit. The Tigers desperately need pitching and with the big name aces warranting huge contracts, a move to snag Chen would offer the Tigers a cheaper, yet still quality addition. Target him in the later rounds if he can find a way to Detroit this offseason.

St. Louis Cardinals

With Lance Lynn sidelined for the 2016 season, the Cardinals are going to be on the market for a pitcher to come in and solidify the middle of their rotation. While the top of their rotation is still headlined by Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, and Michael Wacha the Cardinals could use Chen’s consistency and lefty presence.

They still have Jaime Garcia and Tyler Lyons as potential in house solutions, but Chen could surely step in and offer an immediate upgrade. Like with the Dodgers, there is an immediate fantasy boost with a potential move to the NL and he would benefit from being on a team that is always competitive which would help him sustain his wins totals. If he can find himself with the Cards, target him as a solid late SP4 in next year’s draft.

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