Daily Dime: Stephen Strasburg, Thursday start or fade?

We've got six evening games to break down on the Thursday card. Be sure to check those lineups and weather reports carefully.

Here's my ten cents, worth less in Winnipeg.

The Big Name Fade

Stephen Strasburg, SP, at NYM (deGrom), $9200: At some point Strasburg is going to find his form and throw some monster strikeout game at somebody. But for the moment, he’s a little off his game, strikeouts down, walks up. The Mets put the ball in play, eighth in walk rate and fifth in strikeout avoidance. I’ll spend my blue chips elsewhere, ask Strasburg to give me a prove-it game first.

Players to Buy 

Daniel Norris, SP, at CLE (House), $5800: It’s been an up-and-down go for Norris, though he was very sharp in his last turn, a tough-luck no-decision against Tampa (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K). The Indians offense isn’t doing much against southpaws: .213 average (that ranks 25th), .623 OPS (27th).

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Robinson Cano, 2B, at HOU (Feldman), $3500: Just seeing the price and the opposing pitcher should be enough to sway you. Houston is more favorable for right-handed pop, but the lefties do enjoy a five-percent float here.

Devon Travis, 2B, at CLE (House), $3600: So much for the plucky little underdog story - you have to pay up for Travis now. But up against a struggling lefty like T.J. House, you better believe I want major pieces of the Toronto offense. Jose Bautista might be borderline at 5K, but Travis, Josh Donaldson ($4200), Edwin Encarnacion ($4000) and others look ready to stack.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, vs. DET (Simon), $3000: Ah, that soft pricing. Although Moose has been hitting everyone this year, his career profile shows a boost against right-handed pitchers. Alfredo Simon’s ERA is crying out for correction (3.10 FIP, 3.75 xFIP), and the pesky Royals (high on contact, aggressive on the bases) could be a bad draw for him.

Evan Gattis, C, vs. SEA (Paxton), $2700: There are going to be some swings and misses, like there always are with the Astros (on the strikeout potential alone, you might want to consider Paxton as a lesser-priced arm). But the best part of Gattis’s career comes against left-handed pitching (.279/.309/.508, 10 homers in 183 at-bats) and the price is a giveaway. Paxton, oddly, has a reverse career split - he struggles more against left-handed batters - but that’s not going to steer me from Gattis.

Chris Carter, OF, vs. SEA (Paxton), $2600: Carter couldn’t do much right for the opening two weeks, but he’s been fine over the last eight games (.310/.444/.552, two homers, six walks). Carter doesn’t have the platoon bump that you’d expect against southpaws - just a 35-point rise in OPS - but he’s swinging well at the moment and Paxton will probably allow a homer or two to someone.

Kelly Johnson, OF, vs. CIN (Leake), $2800: He has a modest history of success against Mike Leake, 5-for-13 with a homer. More central to the Johnson case is his recent play (.389-4-1-7 over the last five games), his cheap price, and his No. 4 slot in the Atlanta batting order.

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Adam LaRoche, 1B, at MIN (May), $2700: LaRoche is a fly-ball swatter and Trevor May was a fly-ball pitcher last year, though that’s come down in early 2015 results. The road game ensures nine innings of offense (weather permitting), and LaRoche bats fourth in a decent lineup (Melky and Abreu in front of him, Garcia behind him); at least on paper it’s a good lineup.

Player to Fade

Ryan Raburn, OF, vs. TOR (Norris), $2400: Normally I like Raburn as a low-cost platoon streamer, but he’s pushed back to the No. 6 slot for Thursday, and there’s always the risk he could leave the game early (like he did in his last appearance). And given the way Cleveland has struggled to hit left-handers, Raburn might see less run-scoring opportunities than you’d expect..