Every year in fantasy baseball there are players who come out of nowhere to end up league winners. Other times, there are players that fall flat on their face, crushing their fantasy value and likely the hopes of their managers.  The ability to draft well is important. But in-season management is equally important. That is especially true in fantasy baseball.

Yes, waiver wire additions can be critical each week to set your team up for success. But the ability to make successful trades is oftentimes a huge component. Most fantasy managers like to open trade negotiations with an outright robbery. I feel this is generally a massive mistake. Unless the other owner is a newb, it's obvious you are trying to fleece them. That's not perceived well. It also creates lost time when you can just get right to an offer they might actually contemplate.

The goal in every trade should be making your team better. If you have to make your opponents team better in the process, so be it. It is a small likelihood you will even face them when it matters. You are looking to put your team in a better position to win a championship. With only a few weeks left before most fantasy baseball trade deadlines, let's take a look at some players to either trade for or away.

Fantasy Baseball Buy Low Trade Targets

1. Marcell Ozuna – Atlanta Braves OF

I know that Marcell Ozuna has struggled mightily this season. He's hitting just .221 with an equally awful .278 on-base percentage. But there are serious reasons to believe he is likely to have a much better second half.

Anytime I am analyzing a hitter's production in fantasy baseball, one of the first things I look at is BABIP. That is batting average on balls in play. This is generally a great indicator if a player has been lucky or unlucky over the specified course of time. Ozuna in 2022 has a .239 BABIP, the lowest of his career. Critics to this argument would point to his 82 strikeouts in 329 at-bats. I would counter with that's within a couple percentage points of both of his career years in terms of strikeout percentage. He has always struck out a ton.

Despite not reaching as often as he should this year, the power is still there. Coming out of the All-Star break, Ozuna has 17 home runs. There's a very good chance he finishes north of 30 again. But with some positive regression in the peripherals, he could become a highly valuable asset. Due to his struggles this season, you can get him on the cheap as well. Don't forget also, he generally hits 5th or 6th in Braves lineup, the team that's scored the 5th most runs in baseball.

2. Teoscar Hernandez – Toronto Blue Jays OF

It likely would require a bit more to trade for Teoscar Hernandez, but it's likely still worth it. Hernandez missed a month earlier this season dealing with an oblique injury. That hampered his stats for the season. Overall, the Jays outfielder is hitting .265 with a .314 on-base percentage.

But over the last month, he's slashing .294 with six home runs, 19 RBI's and 13 runs. He started slow, got hurt and it took a bit of time for him to find his rhythm. He's found it. His price tag is probably still not very high considering the season stats, 12 home runs and 43 RBI. He obviously is not going to approach his career numbers from last season. But I fully expect a strong second half for the 29-year-old in his prime. He has shown to have power to all fields and hits in the middle of one of the best lineups in baseball.

If he continues to see the ball well, he could help carry a fantasy baseball team down the stretch.

Fantasy Baseball Sell High Trade Targets

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1. C.J. Cron – Colorado Rockies 1B

I loved C.J. Cron coming into the season. He had always shown to have tons of power and was hitting in Coors Field. So, I drafted him in three leagues (all round 15 or later) and have been laughing my way to the power bank all season. But I am definitely concerned about how he is going to perform for me when it matters this season.

Of Colorado's 79 games remaining, only 30 of them are in Coors Field. The final nine games of the season all are on the road. So, if I make the championship in the leagues where I have him, he could become a liability. The numbers do not lie either.

Cron has hit 16 of his 21 home runs this season at home. Not only that, all of his numbers fall off a cliff away from Coors Field. This isn't an anomaly either. He had equally terrible splits last year between Coors and the road. Before other fantasy baseball managers catch on, I strongly suggest trading him now. His value is likely at it's peak so you can land a stud in return.