I would have assumed a crisis like this, taken straight out of an Outbreak movie, would have resulted in my email and phone being inundated with messages from friends and family seeing if I was OK … nope. The reality is I’m getting crushed with long email chains from members of my dynasty leagues panicking about draft dates and how this changes the value of certain players. I now know who will really be there for me when shit hits the fan! The season will be delayed for two weeks at the minimum. Here is who benefits the most from the Coronavirus:

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Justin Verlander HOU, RHP – Verlander said it “would probably take a miracle” for him to be ready by Opening Day. I mean, the cheating was one thing, but unleashing this level of hell on the world seems a little dark even for them. In fact, this virus will completely overshadow the cheating scandal as the most talked about story line going into the season. The Coronavirus is a huge win for the Houston Astros. They may have sold their soul to the devil, but at least the devil is paying up.

Chris Sale BOS, LHP – If you think Tommy John surgery is inevitable, this really doesn’t change anything, but with Sale unlikely to be ready until May at the earliest, the best case scenario just got a whole lot better. Other players that were likely to begin the season on the IL or were racing against the clock also get a bump (Eugenio Suarez, Byron Buxton, Adalberto Mondesi, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Yordan Alvarez, Mike Clevinger, James Paxton, Alex Verdugo, Miles Mikolas, Cole Hamels, Carlos Carrasco, Willie Calhoun).

Yasiel Puig FA, OF – Of course the Coronavirus benefits Yasiel Puig. That makes too much sense. The odds of Puig being signed and ready by Opening Day were slim, but this delay buys him a little more time to squeeze an extra year, or a few million, or whatever it is he wants out of the Colorado Rockies (wishful thinking for Puig owners, a nightmare for Hampson/Hilliard owners).

Julio Urias LAD, LHP, Jesus Luzardo OAK, LHP, Lance McCullers HOU, RHP, AJ Puk OAK, LHP … and any other pitcher that is facing an innings cap. This type of pitcher looks a little more appealing, and a little less likely to be shut down or skipped when the fantasy playoffs roll around.

All Hitters – Pitchers are creatures of habit, and with them ramping up to get ready for the grind of the MLB season … now what? Do they stop throwing? Pitch simulated games for over a month with an uncertain timetable on when the season will start? I’m sure the smart teams will come up with a good plan (and gain yet another advantage), but I would think any deviation from normal creates an unknown that can be much more detrimental to pitchers than to hitters.

(In all seriousness, I hope you and your loved ones are all healthy and safe)

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)