After looking at some hitters who should be on the move last week, this week’s batch of fantasy baseball trade candidates is composed entirely of hurlers. There are still plenty of pitchers who have been especially lucky or unlucky thus far, and therefore have the potential to be incorrectly valued on the trade market. And the headliner of this week’s article, MacKenzie Gore, is in the opposite situation, as he is every bit as good as he his stellar numbers indicate.

[Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all]

Buy High

MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals

Gore is in the midst of a memorable breakout season. His 28.0% K-BB ratio is second best among qualified starters, and his 36.3% strikeout rate is tops by a notable margin. Gore has succeeded in spite of an unlucky .366 BABIP, and his 2.93 FIP is even better than his solid 3.47 ERA. Gore may not require the trade return of the top aces, but he is just as likely to have success the rest of the way.

Buy Low

George Kirby, Seattle Mariners

Kirby’s return from a season-opening IL stint didn’t go as planned, as he was hammered for five runs across 3.2 innings. The right-hander makes his second start on Wednesday, and the advice here is to send a buy-low offer if he has another unsuccessful outing. Overall, Kirby was unlucky in his first start. His velocity was on par with previous seasons, he kept the ball in the yard, and he walked just one batter. He’s still a fantasy ace.

Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres

The buy-low window remains open on Cease, who was mentioned in this article a couple weeks ago. He continues to be plagued by bad luck (.324 BABIP, 66.0% strand rate), while demonstrating excellent skills (21.1% K-BB ratio). Wise managers will use Cease’s bloated 4.58 ERA and unimpressive 1.25 WHIP to acquire him at a discount, while burying the news that most of his ERA estimators are below 3.50. He hasn’t earned a win since April 2, but if he continues to pitch as well as he has of late (33:4 K:BB ratio across his past four starts), he will rattle off a long string of victories at some point in the coming weeks.

Justin Martinez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Martinez failed to return from the IL in top form when he blew a save last Saturday. The reliever has middling numbers this year (3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), and the recent combination of injury and ineffectiveness has reduced his value to the point where Martinez could be a throw-in for a larger trade. But the right-hander is skilled, and Arizona needs him to anchor an unsettled bullpen. If Martinez can get on track soon, he could be a top-20 reliever the rest of the way.

Luke Weaver, New York Yankees

This one is a bit of a risk, but it’s a move that could pay off in a big way. Weaver is keeping the closer’s role warm while Devin Williams works out his struggles by being used in earlier innings. But no one told Weaver that’s he supposed to give the job back, and he has currently has the second lowest ERA of any pitcher who has earned at least three saves. Weaver could hold the job for the rest of the season and rank among the top-5 relievers while anchoring the bullpen for one of baseball’s best teams.

Sell High

Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers

Although Peralta seems to be in the midst of an excellent season (2.55 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), his skills are no better than they were when he was frustratingly inconsistent in previous years. Peralta’s 24.2% strikeout rate is a career-worst mark, and he has not offset the lack of whiffs by issuing fewer walks or inducing weaker contact. Instead, Peralta has succeeded through good fortune that includes a .239 BABIP and an 86.4% strand rate that is the fourth highest among qualified pitchers. He is likely to have an ERA near 4.00 from this point forward.

Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers

There are small signs that the wheels are coming off for Mahle. In his most recent start, he logged a 3:3 K:BB ratio while allowing three runs over five innings against an unproductive White Sox lineup. And he has been struggling to collect whiffs for over a month, having struck out just 18 batters across his past six starts. Mahle has the stats of an ace (1.80 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) but the skills of an average pitcher.

Sell Low

Shane Baz, Tampa Bay Rays

Baz has already been sent to waivers in most 10-team leagues, and those in 12-team formats should try to get something of value for him while they still can. The right-hander’s swing-and-miss abilities have disappeared, as he has recorded a 6.3 K/9 rate since April 19. Without the strikeouts, Baz is unable to compensate for his shortcomings (9.4% walk rate, 1.65 HR/9 rate), and his 4.92 FIP is the 10th worst among qualified pitchers. A wise plan would be to find a 1-for-1 deal that is to your liking and then throw in Baz to sweeten the pot.

Baseball is a game of failure. A player who gets three hits out of every 10 at-bats is considered among the best hitters in the game. The truly elite players clearly have physical gifts, but their ability to remain mentally strong in a brutal game is what separates them from the rest of the pack.

Miami Marlins rookie Ronny Simon had a night to forget during Tuesday’s 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres. The second baseman committed multiple errors, and was seen shedding tears on the field before he was pulled from the game early. 

Simon’s struggles started in the second inning, when a ball deflected off his glove after a dive. After getting to the ball, Simon attempted to throw out a runner at home. That throw was off target, causing the runner to score. Simon was charged with his first error of the night for the throw.

The following inning, Simon missed a ground ball right at him during a hit and run. It’s possible Simon’s view of the ball was blocked by the runner, but it skipped right over his glove. Simon was not charged for an error on the play, but it added to his rough evening.

The fourth is where things really unraveled. A routine ground ball hit off Simon’s glove, allowing Tyler Wade to reach first base. Marlins pitcher Max Meyer induced what should have been a double play on the next hitter, but Simon’s flip to the shortstop was overthrown, causing everyone to be safe.

At one point during the inning, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough used a mound visit to give Simon a pep talk.

When the fourth inning ended, Simon appeared to be crying as he walked off the field.

He went straight into the clubhouse, and was followed by a few Marlins players and coaches.

When the Marlins took the field for the bottom of the fifth, Simon was removed from the game for a defensive replacement. 

Simon was charged with three errors in the loss. Those errors proved costly, as the Marlins were up 6-0 after the first inning. Simon’s errors led to at least three runs scoring, and played a major role in the Padres completing their comeback. As a result of Simon’s tough fourth inning, the Padres completed their comeback and tied the game 6-6. San Diego went on to add two more runs after Simon left.

Following the game, McCullough said he felt taking Simon out of the game was the appropriate call.

“Things just started to snowball a little bit and, you know, compound effect. And it was tough. And just thought, for us and him, just in that moment, that making the change there was prudent just with how things had transpired.”

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was asked about the situation, and offered words of encouragement for Simon.

While it was a game that Simon will want to put behind him, it wasn’t all bad. Simon did contribute to the Marlins’ early lead, singling in a run in the first inning. He also scored a run in the inning, finishing the contest 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored.

Simon spoke to reporters Wednesday, and said he heard from a number of current and former MLB stars after Tuesday’s game. 

With that game now in the past, Simon will look to bounce back in his next opportunity. That could come as early as Wednesday, as the Marlins will once against take on the Padres before an off day Thursday.

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is dealing with an injury ahead of the team’s most important game of the season. Towns banged his knee twice during the team’s 130-121 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, and looked to be in a fair amount of pain late in the contest. 

With time winding down in the fourth quarter, Towns banged knees with Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith. Towns immediately grabbed his knee, and remained down on the court in obvious pain.

Despite the injury, Towns was able to re-enter and finish the game, but he was hobbled the rest of the way. 

Towns didn’t want to talk about the injury after the contest, saying, “I’m only thinking about this loss, I’m not thinking about that right now.” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau tried to take a more optimistic track, saying it was “a good thing” that Towns was able to get back into the game. Thibodeau added that Towns will be evaluated ahead of Thursday’s Game 5.

Then on Wednesday afternoon, the Knicks officially listed Towns as “questionable” with a knee contusion.

Losing Towns could prove devastating for the Knicks, who trail the series 3-1 following Tuesday’s loss. Towns is averaging 25.8 points and 11.5 rebounds during the series and put up a standout performance in the team’s Game 3 win. 

Towns was nearly as good in Game 4, dropping 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the loss. 

Even if Towns can play in Game 5, his presence might not matter if Tyrese Haliburton continues to post huge numbers. Haliburton torched the Knicks in Game 4, dropping a historic triple-double on New York in the win. 

Haliburton is one of the few players who has been able to match Towns statistically during the series. In four games, Haliburton is averaging 24.3 points and 11 rebounds. Those numbers should only go up if Towns misses Game 5. 

INDIANAPOLIS — Rick Carlisle walked into his press conference after Game 4 understanding that he was going to be asked about the masterpiece that his virtuoso point guard had just unleashed upon the Knicks: a 32-point, 12-rebound, 15-assist, zero-turnover triple-double to propel his Pacers to a 130-121 win, and to within one win of the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.

But that didn’t mean Indiana’s head coach had to like it.

“I know Ty did some historic stat stuff tonight, and that’s great,” Carlisle said after Game 4. “But it’s tough talking stats when it’s such a team thing right now.”

Heard, Coach. So, here are some stats you might like better:

• In the course of an 11-plus minute podium session with reporters — an interview that spanned nearly 2,000 words, the primary topic of which was playing the game of his life to get his team within one win of a chance to play for an NBA championship — Haliburton used the word “we” 28 times, the word “our” five times, the phrase “as a group” six times, and the phrase “play the right way” five times.

• He said “It’s about winning” twice, “I just want to impact winning” once, and “How can I impact winning?” once, bringing us to four discrete instances of emphasizing how much he wants to win.

• He gave a 52-second, 189-word answer in praise of Bennedict Mathurin, who bounced back from a rough start to the series by exploding for 20 points in 13 minutes off the bench, helping Indiana expand its lead with his physical drives to the basket and the free throws they generated.

• He almost said that it was more exciting to see Triple H in Gainbridge Fieldhouse than it was to see his dad back in the building — but he stopped short. Chalk up another possession successfully concluded without an unforced error.

“Look, Tyrese is a great player, and people realize that,” Carlisle said. “He happens to do some very impressive statistical things. But he’s well aware that all of this far transcends statistics.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Haliburton left Game 3 with a bad taste in his mouth, frustrated by Indiana scoring just 42 points in the second half and leaving the door open for New York to pull off a daring comeback — unhappy with a finish where he felt the team he’s responsible for leading was on the back foot rather than pressing the action.

“They’ve got some guys who just make some hellacious shots, you know, and [Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson] did that last game, and I felt like those were kind of like taking the air out of us,” Haliburton said. “We were kind of sighing after every one, walking the ball up. Today, we were just trying to keep focused on, ‘Who cares?’ You know, let’s get [the ball] in and let’s run, go right back at them. They’re gonna make shots. Let’s just keep going.”

Haliburton hit the gas off the jump, repeatedly attacking Towns and Brunson in the pick-and-roll and generating great looks. He rebounded misses and mashed the pedal to the floor, creating three open 3-point attempts in the first three minutes of the game before stepping into his first — an almost unfathomably open stepback after the Knicks miscommunicated assignments on a switch in transition — and drilling it to put Indiana up 16-9, a sterling start that put Game 3’s ugly finish behind them.

The Pacers scored 42 points in the second half on Sunday; they scored 43 points in the first quarter on Tuesday. They were off to the races, with Haliburton, as always, setting the pace.

“I felt like I’d let the team down in Game 3 — felt like I could have been so much better,” he said. “So I felt like I responded the right way today.”

Yeah, you could say that.

“I just thought he was free out there,” said Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, who scored 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting with five rebounds. “Just playing with pace, just not slowing down whatsoever, just being in attack mode the whole game. And for him, what makes him special is attack mode is not just scoring — it’s getting us in position, bringing the pace, playing the way that we want to play, and then also him just being in control of the game.”

“He was the leader tonight,” Carlisle said.

It’s a role that Haliburton has steadily grown into since landing in Indianapolis back in February of 2022 in a blockbuster trade that — with all due respect to Domantas Sabonis, an excellent player — looked like a steal at the time and now feels like outright larceny. Step by step, brick by brick, Haliburton has been the foreman overseeing the construction project in Indiana: an overhaul in overarching approach, a revolution in RPMs.

“Unbelievable,” said Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, who gutted through a sprained right ankle to play 33 minutes of physical defense on Brunson while also chipping in 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting. “He’s a special player. He does what we ask of him, what we need him to do every night, and I think he almost had a triple-double at halftime. This guy is unbelievable.”

The most unbelievable part, really, is the turnovers — or, rather, their absence. Haliburton now has a 44-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio in 153 minutes in these Eastern Conference finals — almost all of which has been spent with him fending off physical defenders in his face, playing as fast as he possibly can, and slinging the ball all the hell over the court.

“He was really throwing the ball ahead tonight, too, which was really important for us,” Carlisle said. “And to not have any turnovers in any of those situations, too, is pretty remarkable. But this is — this has become his thing. And you know, there will be a new statistical category, perhaps named after him, somewhere down the line.

“You know, him and Chris Paul, these guys … there aren’t a lot of guys. I know [John] Stockton didn’t turn it over much, back when he played. There are others. LeBron James doesn’t turn it over very much. And you can go right down the line. Some of the all-time greats. I know he takes great pride in it, and that’s a motivating factor.”

(Haliburton confirmed that: “I’d rather do really anything else on the basketball court than turn the ball over.”)

Go back a second, though, and look at those names: Paul, Stockton, James. These are some of the absolute greatest playmakers in the history of the sport. Maybe it feels a little early for all that. With one more win and a Finals berth, though — and, let’s face it, likely an Eastern Conference final MVP trophy — Haliburton would take a big step toward earning a spot in such august company … even if the way he gets there looks a little bit different from those all-time table-setters.

“I think my game is a little unorthodox,” Haliburton said. “I jump to pass probably more than anybody in the NBA. But I work on that stuff. That’s how I’ve worked my whole life to play the game. So I take pride in taking care of the ball. I feel like the more we take care of the ball as a team, the more opportunities we get to shoot the ball. The more shots we get in the game, the better opportunity we have to win.”

Just so long as he doesn’t forget to look for his own shot sometimes, too.

“He’s amazing — like, when he’s playing that way, and just the pace and getting us in position, and then also being aggressive, just finding that balance of doing both, like … yeah, we know he’s a pass-first kind of guy, but he also was able to give us big buckets when we really needed them,” Siakam said. “I just loved the way he played tonight, his energy on both ends of the floor. And also you don’t turn the ball over? That’s amazing.”

Combine that with stepped-up effort on the defensive end — 12 defensive boards, four steals — and you’ve got a performance for the ages.

After one of those steals, when he pounced on Brunson to force a turnover in the third quarter, Haliburton popped up and high-fived Pacer alum and former teammate George Hill, who was seated in the front row:

That moment meant a lot to Haliburton.

“I see G-Hill as kind of like one of my vets,” Haliburton said after the game. “He was here with me for a little bit, and we do have constant conversation to this day. But you see Lance [Stephenson] in the building, you know, Stephen Jackson was here the other day, Al Harrington, Roy Hibbert, [Danny Granger], Reggie [Miller] — I mean, all these guys are guys I’ve grown up watching.”

“Yeah, and he’s doing this within the system — you know, there isn’t a lot of freelance stuff, where they’re just outside-the-box gambles,” Carlisle said. “He’s doing it within the system, and that’s real growth.”

Everywhere you look in Indiana, there’s growth: Nesmith’s evolution as a shooter, Mathurin’s bounce-back maturity, Andrew Nembhard’s developing two-way work, and on, and on. These Pacers are smack in the middle of the pack in terms of average roster age among NBA teams; there’s plenty of young guys still with a ton of runway to get better, 25-year-old Haliburton included. The deeper the play, the bigger the games get, and the more they learn.

One thing they’re learning: When you get an opportunity as good as the one that’s in front of them right now, you have to seize it with both hands. And when you do, it’s awful nice to have a point guard who’d rather do anything than cough it up.

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“Look, he’s had a lot of things happen this year,” Carlisle said. “You know, the year’s been filled with ups and downs. He’s remained remarkably resilient and steadfast in his belief in what we’re doing and who he is. We just need him to continue to lead us.”

That mantle of leadership, passed down from those Pacer greats in the building for Game 4, rests with Haliburton. He knows the franchise will go as far as he can take it; he also understands, like all the great point guards do, that you can go a hell of a lot farther together than you can alone.

“When I got traded to the Pacers, or just being a basketball fan, you think of all the guys that come before you,” Haliburton said. “And they’ve tried to help put this organization in a better place than they found it. And that’s what I’m trying to do, as well.”

Tyrese Haliburton’s father got a show on Tuesday night in what was his first game back in the stands at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

John Haliburton, after an on-court incident with Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the postseason, returned to watch the Pacers’ 130-121 win over the New York Knicks in Game 4 on Tuesday. Fittingly, Tyrese went off and put up a triple-double the likes of which the NBA has never seen before.

“Hell yeah. I’m glad pops is in the building, man,” Haliburton said when asked about his dad’s return on TNT. “It makes it that much more sweet. Yeah, it had a little bit to do with it.”

John missed eight straight postseason games after his incident with Antetokounmpo last month. After the Pacers closed out the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round, John ran out onto the floor and started taunting Antetokounmpo repeatedly. Tyrese and Antetokounmpo called John out after the game, and John apologized the next morning.

Still, the team then confirmed that he’d be away from games “for the foreseeable future.”

“I think there was obviously a lot of commentary around him, especially right after [the incident], which I think some was warranted,” Tyrese said. “Some went a little too far. But I mean, that’s just sports. That’s just sports. And that’s just … talking heads, you know? What can you really do?”

John was cleared to make his return on Tuesday night in Indianapolis, and he was sitting in a suite at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the contest. His son then erupted in a historic performance.

Tyrese finished with a 32-point triple-double with 15 assists and 12 rebounds in the nine-point win for the Pacers. He’s now the only Pacers player with multiple postseason triple-doubles in franchise history, and he’s just the third player in NBA history with a 30-15-10 triple-double in the playoffs. Tyrese didn’t commit a single turnover, either, which is something no player has successfully pulled off with that triple-double line.

“Obviously, my dad being here is special,” Tyrese said. “But I mean, growing up, like, my dad was reffing for a lot of the weekend, so he didn’t get to come to many of my games growing up, so when he would come to any of them, I wanted to play well. So, with him being in the building, of course I wanted to play well.

“I know we’re saying, “Free Pops,” and “Pops is free!” But he was not in jail,” he added, jokingly. “He was in a very beautiful home, sitting very pretty watching NBA basketball. He’s just fine. Yeah, I was happy he was in the building.”

While Tyrese has been dominating throughout the postseason — the Pacers have lost just three games total so far, and are now just a win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 — his dad’s return to the stands undoubtedly gave him a boost, even if small, on Tuesday night. 

We’ll see if John makes the trek to New York for Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Even if he doesn’t, the Pacers have the Knicks in a 3-1 hole that very few teams have ever rallied from. The critical win in Game 4 might make all the difference.