Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Top 10 Pickups for Week 21
Approaching the end of August, several useful free agents remain unclaimed on most fantasy baseball waiver wires.
There's no shame needing upgrades this late in the season. With precious time left to seal the deal, there's also nothing wrong with wringing out every last drop of a hot hand.
Two streaking teammates receive recognition for their offensive tears. A varying array of pitchers return to the spotlight, with one back in the rotation, another recovered from injury and another ending a forced rest.
A couple of subdued veterans join the party for their underlying success, but a looming international star tops the list. Here's a look at this week's top waiver-wire adds, all of whom are available in over 50 percent of Yahoo Sports leagues.
Honorable Mentions
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Mixed Leagues
Blake Swihart, C, Boston Red Sox
Mark Canha, 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics
Stephen Piscotty, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Steven Matz, SP, New York Mets
Tom Wilhelmsen, RP, Seattle Mariners
John Axford, RP, Colorado Rockies
Kevin Jepsen, RP, Minnesota Twins
AL-Only
Henry Urrutia, OF/DH, Baltimore Orioles
Josh Tomlin, SP, Cleveland Indians
Michael Fulmer, SP, Detroit Tigers
Alexi Ogando, RP, Boston Red Sox
NL-Only
Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals
Andres Blanco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
Aaron Altherr, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Travis Jankowski, OF, San Diego Padres
Jerad Eickhoff, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
10. Kris Medlen, SP/RP, Kansas City Royals (15 Percent Owned)
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The Kansas City Royals are finally tapping out on Jeremy Guthrie, kicking the veteran's 5.65 ERA out of the rotation. According to the Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough, Kris Medlen will take his place on Monday.
After missing last season with his second Tommy John surgery, the 29-year-old will make his first start since 2013. Since returning a month ago, however, he has looked sharp in Kansas City's bullpen, tossing 11 consecutive scoreless innings after his first outing.
Most pitchers enjoy enhanced results as a reliever, so the small sample size does not foreshadow success as a starter. The Royals would also be remiss to stretch him out like Gumby rather than easing him back with no more than five or six innings a turn.
But before going down, Medlen notched a 3.11 ERA through 197 frames during the 2013 campaign. What would have made him a top-25 fantasy starter instead felt like a slight letdown after registering a glorious 1.57 ERA the previous year.
If all goes well against the Baltimore Orioles, he's in line to face the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. Handling his first obstacle would at least make Medlen an intriguing streamer who once proved capable of far more.
9. Gregor Blanco, OF, San Francisco Giants (8 Percent Owned)
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Plenty of owners, especially those who lost Billy Hamilton, can use speed down the stretch. Although a far cry from the Cincinnati Reds star, Gregor Blanco can help fill the void.
The 31-year-outfielder has swiped a dozen bases in 102 games for the San Francisco Giants this season. Pressed into duty for the injured Angel Pagan, he has poached eight of them after the All-Star break and five in August.
Despite rarely receiving regular playing time, he has tallied at least a dozen steals in each of his four years with the Giants. Yet his .291 average stands far above his career .261 rate, and an elevated .348 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is the primary culprit.
Don't anticipate a high average, but his current 11.6 walk percentage correlates with his 11.2 career clip. Even down in San Francisco's batting order, Blanco will reach base enough to steal a few more bases and score a few more runs.
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8. Derek Dietrich, 2B/3B/OF, Miami Marlins (5 Percent Owned)
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Anybody interested in a hitter boasting a .903 OPS and nine homers in 58 games? Oh yeah, he's also eligible to play at second base, third base and outfield.
If so, look at Derek Dietrich, who remains available in all but the truly deep leagues. There's nothing wrong with some healthy skepticism, but the 26-year-old keeps raking for the Miami Marlins after hitting .260/.357/.458 in Triple-A.
He hit a putrid .228/.326/.386 for Miami last year, and his strikeout percentage has risen to 23.5. But before yawning, take a gander at his 38.7 hard-hit percentage, a steep incline from last year's 30.3 percent.
Maybe this is just a blip, but offensive contributors are tough to find this late. Steve Pearce, Jedd Gyorko and David Freese are owned in more Yahoo leagues.
7. Charlie Morton, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates (13 Percent Owned)
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Even when Charlie Morton was going well early, he only should have sniffed NL-only leagues due to microscopic strikeout tallies. While his ERA has ballooned to 4.06, he looks like a completely different hurler this month.
The Pittsburgh Pirates righty entered August with 41 strikeouts through 70.1 innings. In four starts this month, he has accumulated 30 punchouts in 25 innings, also limiting the opposition to six walks and seven earned runs.
Morton has authored an 11.4 swinging-strike percentage over the last 30 days, placing him half of a percentage point behind Clayton Kershaw. This recent outburst has given him a solid 6.70 strikeouts per nine innings along with his usually stellar 58.0 ground-ball percentage.
From a short-term lens, grab Morton pronto to employ him for Tuesday's tilt with the Miami Marlins, who have amassed MLB's second-fewest home runs (90) behind the Atlanta Braves. Finishing the week at home against the Colorado Rockies, he's also a strong two-start option in leagues with weekly lineup settings.
6. Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, Boston Red Sox (30 Percent Owned)
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This makes zero sense. After hitting .198/.265/.266 for the Boston Red Sox last year, Jackie Bradley Jr. delivered seven hits (six singles) over his first 71 plate appearances this year.
Since Aug. 8, he's 19-for-43 with seven doubles, three homers, 15 runs and 19 RBI. Just like that, he holds a .535 slugging percentage for Boston this year. Are we sure this isn't another guy also named Jackie Bradley?
Playing time isn't guaranteed in a crowded outfield, especially with Hanley Ramirez healthy. Yet Boston hasn't had the gall to regularly sit a soaring Bradley, who stuck around during last year's dreadful offensive showing due to his premier defense.
If competent at the plate, he's a highly useful everyday player. For fantasy purposes, his 11.9 walk percentage is encouraging. While nobody anticipated such an extra-base hit barrage, he earned another shot by hitting .305/.382/.472 with nine homers in Triple-A.
This looks like a case of already missing his best, but the 25-year-old looks more comfortable in the batter's box after executing some mechanical adjustments. Another hot week or two would serve many managers well.
5. Travis Shaw, 1B, Boston Red Sox (18 Percent Owned)
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Bradley isn't Boston's only sizzling hitter. Travis Shaw is just as hot, owning a dazzling .350/.398/.638 slash line through 27 games.
Seizing first base after the Red Sox gave Mike Napoli to the Texas Rangers, Shaw has belted six homers this month. To put his .438 weighted on-base average (wOBA) into perspective, Paul Goldschmidt has a .421 wOBA during his MVP-caliber season.
This of course won't last. A 25-year-old prospect slugging .356 in Triple-A doesn't suddenly morph into a superstar. Although far from a journeyman with a "Quadruple-A" ceiling, he's also not a blue-chip prospect expected to ignite Boston's batting order for years.
For now, he's a hot hand with pop who doesn't strike out too much (17.0 percent) or display any other glaring holes. Locked into a starting gig, he's a solid source of roster depth.
4. Sean Doolittle, RP, Oakland Athletics (38 Percent Owned)
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Let's hope Sean Doolittle sticks around this time. Upon making his 2015 debut in May, the Oakland Athletics reliever lasted one inning before backtracking to the disabled list.
After the second ailment (a shoulder strain) sidelined him for three more months, he initiated take two on Sunday, allowing two runs in a rusty return. While Oakland manager Bob Melvin wouldn't immediately hand Doolittle back his closing gig, he opened the door for an eventual reset.
“Well, that’s what he does" Melvin said, per CSNBayArea.com's Joe Stiglich. "So as long as he’s healthy and feels good, we’ll get him back there at some point.”
An elite closer last year, Doolittle submitted an uncanny 89 strikeouts to just eight walks through 62.2 innings, giving him a remarkable 1.71 fielding independent pitching (FIP). Make that guy available in draft rooms, and he's easily a top-10 closer, possibly a top-five choice.
Also working in his favor, nobody ran away with the role during his absence. Oakland shipped Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets, and Edward Mujica has surrendered six runs over his past three outings. Someone is going to snag the ninth inning from Mujica, so it might as well be Doolittle.
3. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians (26 Percent Owned)
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When top-notch prospects get called up, it's a big deal. When they perform well, it's an even bigger deal. Francisco Lindor, however, has fallen through the cracks.
Revered more for his glove than bat, the shortstop didn't receive a write-up upon his promotion. If anything, his arrival meant more for a Cleveland Indians pitching staff whose surface numbers lagged behind gaudy peripherals.
The 21-year-old has helped defensively, but he has far exceeded short-term offensive expectations by batting .298/.332/.424 with seven homers and three stolen bases.
Only four shortstops have a higher wOBA during the last 30 days, during which he's hitting .360. While the power is surprising, more speed should follow from a man who swiped 30 bags through the minors last year.
Even if this is merely a misleading small sample size, few gamers can afford to ignore a promising, producing shortstop.
2. Lance McCullers, SP, Houston Astros (38 Percent Owned)
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Lance McCullers flourished during an earlier-than-expected MLB debut, but the Houston Astros opted to rest him, preserving his workload to avoid a less timely shutdown. The rookie, abandoned in most leagues, returned from his sabbatical on Sunday.
In his last start before Houston pressed pause, the 21-year-old righty surrendered six runs before he could escape the first inning. Yet he still holds a 3.12 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, striking out 87 batters through 83.2 frames. As a result, he sports a pretty 2.81 FIP.
The newcomer hit a roadblock before his break, most alarmingly in the control compartment. Never a command artist in the minors, he issued 21 walks over a six-start span after previously issuing six free passes through his first five outings.
Yet he has bounced back with one walk during his last 14.1 innings, including a strong Sunday start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since his stock dwindled drastically, it's easier to overlook his issues and instead appreciate a promising youngster with a deadly arsenal.
Per Brooks Baseball, McCullers' curveball has generated a .170 slugging percentage and 36.41 whiff percentage prior to his return. His hard changeup also nets a 34.62 whiff rate, so the punchouts aren't going anywhere. With those weapons, he'll stay up for good now.
1. Hector Olivera, 2B/3B, Atlanta Braves (Not in Yahoo's System)
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Hector Olivera is still not in Yahoo's player database, but he probably won't be available this time next week.
The Atlanta Braves gave up way too much for the Cuban veteran to not promote him as soon as possible. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien, they could call up their recent acquisition on Monday, the first of a nine-game homestand. If not, MLB.com's Mark Bowman said the infielder is still likely to debut this week.
Although new to MLB, the 30-year-old won't need much of a learning curve. He spent a decade in the Cuban National Series league, hitting .315 or better all but one season.
Back in May, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman said scouts believe Olivera "is going to be a big star." Plenty of international signings have flourished right away, and most were younger upon their arrival. He's a refined product worth adding immediately.
In Yahoo leagues, that will mean filing a waiver claim when he's entered into the system after his debut. Many managers are picky about utilizing a high priority, but it's too late to wait around in hopes of someone better coming along. Olivera has a high ceiling as a starting third baseman, and it appears everyone will finally see him in action all September.
All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Ownership rates obtained from Yahoo Sports leagues.
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