Closing Time: The case for Jose De Leon

Pitching prospects have been a mess in roto 2016, a horrible investment. Anyone who’s played the wait-and-pounce game is buried in the red.

I’ve generally been sitting these out, but Friday morning I added a few shares of Jose De Leon. I’ve talked myself into this case.

De Leon is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty who’s been toying with the PCL during his age-23 season. Check what he’s done over nine starts: 43.1 IP, 14 BB, 64 K, a 2.49 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. He’s striking out 13.3 batters per nine innings, a silly ratio. The three main scouting clipboards all rated him a Top 30 prospect before the season.

The Dodgers rotation is full of question marks, as you know. We have no idea if Clayton Kershaw will pitch again this year. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood are on the disabled list. Julio Urias won’t be allowed to pitch extensively during his age-19 season; he went four innings Thursday.

I don’t know when De Leon might be recalled to Los Angeles, but let’s connect some dots. This is an upside play worth considering in leagues where you need to be a step ahead. De Leon is available in 92 percent of Yahoo leagues. Maybe he fits into your plans.

• I can’t tell if Steve Pearce is a long-term plan for the Rays, but he sure looks good at the moment. Fresh off the DL, Pearce went 3-for-9 at Colorado with a homer, four RBIs. The average is up to .329, the OPS .945. He’s eligible at three positions (first, second, outfield) and free to grab in about two-thirds of Yahoo leagues.

Tampa Bay realizes it’s not in the playoff hunt, so Pearce is getting shopped in trade. We can’t be sure he’ll be a full-timer for any contending club, but with his versatility, pop and professional bat, I’m willing to bet he lands on his feet.

• A National League version of Pearce is San Diego’s Yangervis Solarte, a CT opener from earlier this month. He covers three infield positions (everywhere but shortstop) and is working on a .297/.366/.530 season, with 10 homers in 56 games. Solarte had three more hits Thursday, including a homer, at St. Louis. Never nervous, Yangervis.

The Padres are forever rebuilding and they’re wise enough to realize Solarte isn’t a long-term foundation block. I’m less confident Solarte would start for a contending club, but I’ll have fun with the story while it’s current. A switch-hitter, Solarte’s best moments have come batting right-handed this year (.982 OPS) and away from home (.632 slugging).

• How important are walks to a batter’s profile? The Royals don’t seem to care much if their players walk — note their ongoing faith in Alcides Escobar — and Cheslor Cuthbert is another case in point. Cuthbert has a respectable .298 average and eight homers through his first 62 games, though he’s walked a mere 11 times and has a modest .328 OBP.

The Indians couldn’t get Cuthbert out this week — CC racked up six hits (and egads, two walks) in the recently-completed series. Ned Yost recently promoted Cuthbert to the No. 2 slot in the order, so we might be in for some fun. Cuthbert is owned in a mere six percent of Yahoo leagues.

Speed Round: If you have mail for A.J. Reed, send it to the Fresno address. He’s been returned to Triple-A after a .156 trial over 45 at-bats. He struck out 19 times in 17 games . . . Junichi Tazawa (shoulder) is back with the Red Sox, presenting another late-inning option if Brad Ziegler isn’t up to the ninth . . . After being a gasoline fire for three months, Francisco Liriano somehow struck out 13 batters in Thursday’s win over Milwaukee. Okay, it’s the Brewers; we’ll maintain skepticism . . . Sonny Gray was kicked around for seven Tampa Bay runs, pushing his ERA up to 5.49 . . . I’ll admit I thought James Shields was done like dinner a month ago, but he’s very quietly posted five straight quality starts. He took a tough loss Thursday against Detroit, giving up two runs over six innings.