[USML Announce] USML item - OnRoto Policy on two-way players

[Blocker, Mark B.]

League:

  I forget who owns Brendan McKay, but I wanted to let everyone know that OnRoto will be treating him as a pitcher only.  So his hitting stats will not count.  Below I have pasted OnRoto’s policy statement about two-way players, and as you will see, they plan to give very few players “Ohtani treatment.”  Let me know if you have any questions.

  -- Mark B.

From OnRoto:

Most Recent Update: Fri, Jun 28, 2019 10:21:41 AM
With the impending call-up of Brandon McKay, we thought we would address our guidelines for dealing with "two-way" players.
First, we want to remind everyone that historically, pitchers' hitting stats have never been counted in Rotisserie/fantasy baseball. That's true even when the better hitting pitchers have been called on to pinch hit. Similarly, when position players occasionally take the mound in blow-outs, their pitching stats likewise have not been credited.
There have been in the past some obscure two-way players -- generally those who were not good enough as either hitters or pitchers for anyone to take much notice. Brooks Kieschnick in the 00's and Christian Bethancourt a few years ago. Those players where more like gimmicks than actually two way threats, and we dealt with them by requiring leagues to determine before the season started whether they wanted to use them as a hitter or a pitcher, with the decision being final for the season.
All this changed, of course with Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is not a gimmick -- he's valuable as both a hitter and a pitcher (prior to his injury). And so we made accommodations for leagues to treat him in a variety of different ways.
Note that there are other currently active two-way players -- Michael Lorenzen of the Reds and Jared Walsh of the Angels. We have not provided options leagues to use the "Ohtani treatment" for either of these players. In Lorenzen's case, he had thrown 142 minor league innings, but posted only 40 AB. And while he did hit 4 HRs last season, he has just 9 AB this year -- when he bats, it's a gimmick. Likewise, Walsh had thrown just 15.2 minor league innings, but put up 1600 plate appearances prior to being called up. When he pitches, it's a gimmick.
Our plan is to treat all such two-way players on a case-by-case basis. In order to qualify for the full "Ohtani Treatment", a player must be so valuable as both a hitter and a pitcher that in a deep league, both his hitter half and pitcher half would likely be drafted. We realize that that's a subjective criteria, but there's almost never been a problem in applying it.
Brendan McKay is one of the few situations we've come across where our criterion doesn't give a cut-and-dry answer. McKay has 165 career MiLB innings and also 444 ABs. However, he has not played in the field this year (though he has DH'ed), and despite being 'hot' in limited recent ABs at AAA, he's slashing .205/.313/.331 for the season .216/.348/.356 for his career. In contrast, he's posted a 1.22 ERA and 88/15 K/BB rate in 66.2 high minors innings this year. He appears ready as a pitcher, but not close (except for his eye) as a hitter. The Rays may let him DH a few times this year, but based on the evidence we have, we're going to consider him a pitcher only for 2019.
If we see enough to prompt us to change our minds for 2020 we will do that over the off-season. But for 2019, this decision is final.
Thanks -- OnRoto Support

MARK B. BLOCKER


SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP
One South Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60603
+1 312 853 6097
mblocker at sidley.com<mailto:mblocker at sidley.com>
www.sidley.com<http://www.sidley.com>
[SIDLEY]




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