Enmanuel Valdez DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Enmanuel Valdez is starting at second base and is hitting leadoff for Friday's series opener at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Brady Singer. Valdez will get a shot at leadoff with outfielder Oneil Cruz (finger) sitting out for the second straight game. The Pirates continue to experiment at the top of their batting order early in the 2025 season. The left-handed-hitting Valdez has started his first season with the Bucs by going just 3-for-17 with a double, triple, two RBI, a run scored, one walk and five strikeouts in seven games played. It will be his first start at the keystone this year with Adam Frazier in right field on Friday. Normally, Valdez will be a bench player for the Pirates, although he'll have deep-sleeper appeal in DFS on Friday in the leadoff spot against a pitcher he's never faced.

The Pirates have acquired infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez in a trade with the Red Sox. Minor league pitcher Joe Vogatsky was shipped to Boston in exchange for Valdez. The 25-year-old debuted for Boston in 2023, playing 125 games and posting a .235-12-47-40-6 line in 372 career plate appearances. It's unclear how the Pirates plan to use the left-handed hitter as they already have Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and Nick Yorke who can play his primary position of second base. Vogatsky was the Pirates' 19th-round pick in the 2024 Draft but has yet to make his minor league debut. Neither player figures to have a significant fantasy impact in 2025.

The Boston Red Sox optioned infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday and recalled infielder/outfielder Jamie Westbrook from Worcester in a corresponding move. The Red Sox also selected the contract of right-hander Trey Wingenter from the minors and designated right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa for assignment. Westbrook will now replace Valdez on Boston's big-league roster as a utility man after Valdez hit just .226 (37-for-164) with six home runs, 26 RBI and 20 runs scored in 56 games in just his second year in the Show. The move to send the 25-year-old back to the farm is good news for fantasy managers that have been relying on regular playing time and the speed of middle infielder David Hamilton. Westbrook, who hits right-handed, made his big-league debut earlier this year and went 4-for-18 with a homer, four RBI and eight K's in 11 games played.