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FanGraphs | Devan Fink: Ken Giles is back to being Ken Giles. After a dreadful year and a trade to Toronto, Giles sports a 1.25 ERA to start the season thanks to increased slider usage and an altered release point... not to mention just being more relaxed than during his struggles.
Baseball Prospectus | Ben Carsley ($): Dustin Pedroia was a franchise icon, and unfortunately his career in a Red Sox uniform is going out with a whimper. After a Manny Machado slide that basically ended his career, it doesn’t look like fans will get to see the career closure he rightfully deserves.
The Ringer | Zach Kram: It’s been a decade since a first baseman went in the top five (Eric Hosmer), and Andrew Vaughn of Cal could be next. He has 80-grade raw power and could be the best pure hitter in the draft, but his defensive profile is going to be a big question mark: he needs to hit at a 130 wRC+ clip at least at the big league level to be worth it. Yet with teams heading in that offensive direction anyway, maybe such thinking is already outdated.