Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top 10 Pickups for Week 19
Ride a hot streak or plan ahead? Roster management is no easy task for fantasy baseball players fighting for positioning down the stretch.
This late into a trying, often frustrating season, many gamers have developed a quick hook for struggling options. There's no time to patiently wait for a star to get his act together, especially when alternatives are catching fire on the waiver wire.
Then again, streaks hot or cold don't last forever. There's nothing worse than a guy heating up for someone else after spending months tolerating his doldrums.
Among the week's top adds available in over half of Yahoo Sports leagues, some choices will provide immediate, but probably temporary value. Others, including two young teammates flanking both sides of the top 10, will require more patience.
Honorable Mentions
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Mixed Leagues
Yangervis Solarte, 1B/2B/3B, San Diego Padres
Domonic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Bourn, OF, Atlanta Braves
Chris Bassitt, SP/RP, Oakland Athletics
Jon Gray, SP, Colorado Rockies
Bruce Rondon, RP, Detroit Tigers
AL-Only
Danny Valencia, 1B/3B/OF, Oakland Athletics
Richie Shaffer, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
Abraham Almonte, OF, Cleveland Indians
Cliff Pennington, 2B/3B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays
Aaron Brooks, SP/RP, Oakland Athletics
Vidal Nuno, SP/RP, Seattle Mariners
NL-Only
Shane Peterson, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Kyle Parker, OF, Colorado Rockies
Raisel Iglesias, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Keyvius Sampson, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Colin Rea, SP, San Diego Padres (not in Yahoo's system yet)
10. Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins (1 Percent Owned)
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How much longer can the Minnesota Twins keep Jose Berrios holstered in the minors?
While Minnesota's starting rotation continues to falter with a 4.32 ERA, the 21-year-old prospect has posted a 3.06 ERA and 135 strikeouts through 135.1 innings. After a rough start in Triple-A, he has yielded six runs over his past five starts, tossing seven shutout frames sprinkled with nine punchouts on Saturday.
"Early in the league, the first two starts, my mind wasn't very strong," Berrios told MiLB.com's Kelsie Heneghan. "But I told myself, 'C'mon, I can do my better work in Triple-A.' I worked with that, and that helped me to have five quality starts in a row."
Meanwhile, Kyle Gibson is the only active Twins starter with an ERA below 4.00. Promoted to replace the injured Tommy Milone, Tyler Duffey lasted two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, relinquishing six runs.
MLB.com's No. 26 overall prospect has started consecutive Futures Games, but he'll get promoted long before the next one. The Twins need a pitching upgrade, and Berrios is ready to join Miguel Sano and the rehabbing Byron Buxton as part of an exciting young nucleus.
His arrival should happen soon, so stash him in leagues with bench spots to spare.
9. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B/SS, Tampa Bay Rays (25 Percent Owned)
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Fresh from the hot-streak department, Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .465 (20-for-43) with two homers and a steal since returning from an injury hiatus on July 28. By hitting safely in 10 of 11 games back from the disabled list, his .223 batting average has skyrocketed 30 points.
While no more than a temporary run to ride, the middle infielder has returned to his norm with this sizzling stretch. The 29-year-old has raised his weighted on-base average to .304, slightly behind 2013's .307 and last year's .308.
He'll never replicate 2011's 25 long balls and 17 steals, and a .250 average is all anyone can ask for at this stage of his career. Casual owners in compact mixed leagues should at most play him for a week or so until he cools down.
For other guys and gals, he's a useful option at either scarce middle-infield spot. Since an unsustainable 2011 breakout, he has offered 14-16 homers and 9-10 steals every season—totals he won't likely hit after missing time with a sprained right hamstring. Those outputs are boring to own during a grueling season, but they add up to a passable player.
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8. Hunter Strickland, RP, San Francisco Giants (5 Percent Owned)
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Santiago Casilla has allowed five runs over his past three outings, bloating his ERA to 3.89. The San Francisco Giants gave him the closer gig last year after yanking the more established Sergio Romo, so don't expect a long leash as they vie for a playoff spot.
Based on the advanced metrics, Romo deserves another crack at a role he served well for over two years. He holds a pristine 1.76 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and a 6.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but a 3.68 ERA won't help him earn a promotion.
That opens the door for Hunter Strickland. Many fans will remember him as the young reliever who coughed up six home runs last postseason, but he has yielded only one long ball through 32.1 innings this year.
Along with keeping the ball in the park, he has issued a 1.67 ERA with 37 strikeouts and seven walks. During his last 19 outings dating back to June 15, he's on the hook for one run, his lone homer of the year.
With Casilla pitching his way to the hot seat, Strickland now has the look of an elite middle reliever with the chance to fall into saves down the stretch.
7. Michael Taylor, OF, Washington Nationals (9 Percent Owned)
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An armada of injured Washington Nationals are returning, seemingly relegating Michael Taylor to backup duty again. That was the only reason not to pounce on the outfielder with 10 homers and 14 steals in 94 games.
Instead, the antithesis of "Homer at the Bat" has unfolded for Taylor. Everybody has returned to the fold, except for the guy who would have taken his job. Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth have all reclaimed their spots, but center fielder Denard Span admitted, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, that he may not return this season.
As long as the veteran stays sidelined, the 24-year-old rookie keeps playing. Taylor is a raw talent hitting .237/.282/.371 with a 31.9 strikeout percentage, but he’s one of 14 outfielders with double-digit homers and steals.
The Nationals would much rather have Span in their lineup, but rotisserie managers will enjoy Taylor, who won't fall too short of a 20/20 campaign despite spending considerable time on the bench.
6. Rajai Davis, OF, Detroit Tigers (30 Percent Owned)
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For those in the 70 percent of Yahoo leagues where Rajai Davis remains available, erase the Michael Bourn honorable mention from your memory. The Detroit Tigers outfielder is a superior pure-speed option who will see extra playing time with Yoenis Cespedes gone.
The 34-year-old occupied the short end of a platoon with younger speedster Anthony Gose, and he'll now have to fend off 25-year-old rookie Tyler Collins in left field. Even though he's still not playing every day, Davis has received six of eight starts since Cespedes went to the New York Mets.
Despite just once netting more than 500 plate appearances in a single season, he has swiped 320 bags since 2007, giving him 35 per season. Over that stretch, only Bourn (321) has absconded more bases, and he needed over 1,000 extra plate appearances.
Detroit's veteran outfielder has aged better, hitting .251/.305/.410 with 17 steals during 79 games. Currently brandishing a career-high 30.2 hard-hit percentage, he should inch closer to his career .269 batting average, giving him more opportunities to wreak havoc on the basepaths.
5. Tommy Kahnle, RP, Colorado Rockies (16 Percent Owned)
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John Axford fumbled away the Colorado Rockies' ninth inning, but fantasy managers are justifiably reticent to touch the situation. There's no standout Plan B poised to dominate, and any replacement still must combat Coors Field on a regular basis.
Someone set with saves doesn't need to snatch Tommy Kahnle, who received a lukewarm endorsement from Rockies manager Walt Weiss after locking down the lead on Friday night.
"I think if we get in that situation again tonight, Tommy will be out there," Weiss told the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders on Saturday. "Over the last week or so, the plan was to mix and match in that ninth inning and play matchups—who's the freshest, all of those things are a factor. But I have been wanting to see Tommy in that ninth inning."
Certainly a more appealing option than Axford, the 26-year-old has recorded a 2.51 ERA and 36 strikeouts through 28.2 innings. Along with a deadly 14.8 swinging-strike percentage, the hard-thrower has also generated a 56.3 ground-ball percentage.
These skills would make him a must-add if not for his 19 walks. Wildness is nothing new for Kahnle, who dispensed 4.06 free passes per nine innings last year. Every opportunity will prove an adventure, like when the Washington Nationals loaded the bases on Sunday. Saves and strikeouts are still enough to put him on most managers' radars, but he's far from a lock to remain Colorado's stopper.
4. Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies (32 Percent Owned)
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MVP-turned-punchline Ryan Howard has devolved into a symbol of the Philadelphia Phillies' grim decline. Aging poorly, the colossal slugger now makes an exorbitant sum for a team that probably would have happily dumped him months ago if they found a willing taker.
The 35-year-old first baseman still hinders the franchise's future with a .285 on-base percentage and 0.1 WAR. For fantasy managers needing power, however, he'll provide more than narrowly above replacement-level production.
Howard has quietly belted 19 home runs and 64 RBI in the middle of a Phillies lineup kicking into gear after the All-Star break. He's also hitting .235 with a 27.9 strikeout percentage and career-low 5.4 walk percentage, so don't expect a return to superstar form.
Appearing done upon exiting 2014 with a .380 slugging percentage, he has regained relevancy as a positive source of power. Think of him as a poor man's Chris Davis for owners who lost patience with Chris Carter.
3. Nori Aoki, OF, San Francisco Giants (32 Percent Owned)
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Nori Aoki returned from the disabled list on July 27, but most leagues have let him fester on the waiver wire. If they're not fans of a .304 hitter with a .370 on-base percentage, four homers and a dozen steals, that's cool.
Ever since entering MLB in 2012, Aoki has gone under the radar as an outfielder who does everything well but nothing amazingly. The 10 homers and 30 steals accrued as a rookie represent his peak; he's more of the 8-20 guy who appeared the following year. This could be the first season he hits above .300, but it's hardly a fluke from a career .290 hitter with a 5.4 strikeout percentage this season.
Although not a flashy pickup who can carry an offense, he's certainly playable in five-outfielder formats. Not every player needs to offer superstar upside or hulking power, and Aoki provides a great complement to a powerful average liability.
2. Jimmy Nelson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (45 Percent Owned)
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The St. Louis Cardinals snapped Jimmy Nelson's three-start scoreless streak on Sunday afternoon, but the Milwaukee Brewers righty finished with eight strikeouts and no walks during seven innings. He now has a 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP on the season alongside 7.68 strikeouts per nine innings.
A 3.86 FIP suggests his hot streak overstates any improvement. Rather than a dominant hurler breaking out of his shell, expect a solid starter best utilized as a matchup play in most formats. He's not an ace, but he holds value.
Entering Sunday, Nelson sported a 10.2 swinging-strike percentage, ranking a percentage point below Jon Lester, Gerrit Cole and Michael Wacha. He also carries a 50.1 ground-ball percentage while lowering his walks per nine to 3.02—all promising signs of a skilled hurler.
It's rare to find an unheralded pitcher who generates punchouts and groundouts. He's one of 14 qualified starters with a K/9 above 7.50 and ground-ball percentage higher than 50.0, but he's the only one who remains widely available.
1. Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins (21 Percent Owned)
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Remember how big a deal it was when Minnesota called up Byron Buxton? MLB.com's No. 1 prospect emerged to the same fanfare as Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa, but the buzz quickly dissipated when he hit .189/.231/.270 in 11 games.
He collected five hits over four games before an untimely thumb injury forced the 21-year-old outfielder to the disabled list. Owners in redraft leagues didn't want to wait around for someone yet to prove he can handle big league pitching, making the top prospect available in 79 percent of Yahoo leagues as he gears for a return.
All the superlatives dispatched before his MLB debut still stand. He's a five-tool phenom who stole 20 bases in 59 Double-A games. Back in March, Torii Hunter called him "Mike Trout Two" to Bleacher Report's Scott Miller.
Perhaps the veteran knew Buxton would struggle at first, because Trout hit .213 during his first month in the majors. He turned out OK.
Buxton very well might return to more growing pains, but owners can't let a hitter with game-changing upside lie on the waiver wire. Even if he spends the next week or two benched, stash him now for a potentially explosive September.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs. Ownership rates obtained via Yahoo Sports leagues.
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