The trade deadline is behind us, both in real life and in plenty of fantasy leagues. That means that waiver pickups will be crucial in both the next couple of months. It’s been a fun few weeks of call-ups, as players like Max Clark, George Lombard Jr. Jr., and other high-potential guys have been given the chance to help their teams down the stretch. There have also been some less heralded callups, which will also be discussed in the article here.
Throughout the season, this column is designed to help guide those in Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) leagues make the best choices in who to target on the waiver wire. Specifically, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Let’s dig in!
Investment Rating System
SEVEN GAMES: BOS, TOR, LAA, TEX, MIL, LAD
Batters
Outfielders
Max Clark (OF, $$$): 46% rostered on Yahoo
Max Clark was called up last week, at a time when Tigers fans were arguably at their most pessimistic. Tarik Skubal was out the door, but so far, Clark is showcasing why he was a top-five prospect and was the number one ranked in their system. There will be some growing pains, but it’s great to see that he currently has a .924 OPS, albeit in a limited sample size in the majors.
Brett Bateman (OF, $): 0% rostered on Yahoo
Bateman was called up by the Blue Jays to replace the injured Luis Urías, who had been surprisingly productive in his limited sample size with the Blue Jays. Bateman got his first hit in his first game, hitting at the back of the lineup. He’s not a super exciting prospect, but he fits the Jays’ mould well and can be an option for injured teams in deep leagues.
Infielders
George Lombard Jr. (2B, 3B, SS $$$): 43% rostered on Yahoo
This week’s featured player may have already been picked up in your leagues, as the hype is real for the Yankees’ number one prospect. Will he live up to that billing? It’s admittedly a bit early to tell. The Yankees were fed up with the lack of production from Anthony Volpe and slotted him in at shortstop, and immediately, he’s produced decently well. There’s a reason he’s so highly ranked as a prospect, and I would recommend putting a few bucks on him before he’s gone in every league.
Kaelen Culpepper (SS $$): 8% rostered on Yahoo
Culpepper secured his first hit and first home run in his debut game for the Twins, and all eyes are now on him. He’s a prospect who I honestly really like. He’s a natural shortstop who provides all the tools you’d want. Decent pop, good bat-to-ball skills, a disciplined approach, and great speed on the basepaths. He has a decent floor for a young player due to all these factors, and the Twins will need him to continue to produce if they want to make the push for their division. I would definitely place a few dollars on him in a bid.
Andruw Monasterio (SS $$): 21% rostered on Yahoo
At the time of writing (Saturday morning), Andruw Monasterio has a nine-game hitting streak, an essential part of the Red Sox’s success. This has allowed him to move up the lineup, from being an eight-hole guy to hitting fifth. Monasterio is a low-power but high-contact-ability guy who’s been able to hit a few balls out of the park due to his tendency to pull in the air. This stretch is definitely his ceiling, but there are certainly worse options you can roster, and why not give the guy a try while he’s red-hot?
Royce Lewis (3B $$): 50% rostered on Yahoo
Speaking of hitting streaks, Royce Lewis is now on a 12-game stretch (again, as of Saturday morning) of contests where he has recorded at least one hit. He has eight runs and nine runs batted in during this stretch, and that makes him another candidate to buy while he’s scorching. He was sent down earlier in the season, with many labelling him a fantasy bust. He may be overall, considering the time he missed, but ever since coming back, he’s been great. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .290/.359/.522.
Catchers/UT
Endy Rodríguez (C, 1B- $$): 8% rostered on Yahoo
Rodríguez has taken over as the primary catcher for the Pirates, though he is also making some starts at first base in the stead of Ryan O’Hearn. Rodriguez is an extremely underrated hitter this season. While the sample size is somewhat limited, he’s slashing .267/.373/.467. His ability to get on base is excellent, as his walk rate is nearly 15%. He also has great power potential, as he has solid exit velocities and pulls the ball in the air quite a bit. He’s not often going to start against lefties, especially considering how shocking his numbers are against southpaws this season, but he destroys righties and that can provide you some value. UPDATE: Rodríguez is currently day-to-day and hopefully won’t have to miss time with injury.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Jackson Jobe (SP – $$$): 23% rostered on Yahoo
Jobe’s not done. In fact, he’s finally back. I remember a couple of years ago, he was being compared to Paul Skenes in the discussion of who the next great young pitcher is going to be. Of course, we’ve seen the names of Skenes, Jacob Misiorowski, Trey Yesavage, Chase Burns, Cam Schlittler, and more have their days in the sun. Now, coming off a long-term injury, Jobe is ready to show why he was viewed as a super prospect not that long ago.
Clay Holmes (SP – $$$): 46% rostered on Yahoo
Speaking of players returning from the 60-day injured list, Clay Holmes is back and ready to make an impact for his new squad. By the time of publishing, he will have made his debut against the Royals, and I suggest not making any irrational decisions based on this. Holmes is a ground-ball-generating pitcher who is now joining a squad with a generational defense. His injury was also to the leg, which means he should find his groove quicker than pitchers returning from elbow/shoulder issues.
River Ryan (SP – $$): 8% rostered on Yahoo
Ryan was one of the key pieces going back to the Tigers in the Tarik Skubal trade, and while he may be older than pretty much all of the other prospects with his pedigree, he has serious upside. His breaking balls are incredible, and he’s looking to make a return to the rotation by the end of the month. This is a stash option for now, and unfortunately, he’s listed as not active instead of being on the IL. When he’s back, though, expect solid production.
Relief Pitchers
Steven Cruz (RP – $$): 5% rostered on Yahoo
It’s been a rough season for the Royals’ bullpen, as ever since the injury to Carlos Estévez that saw his velocity down by 10ish mph. They’ve turned to several options, and it looks like Cruz is going to be the guy from here on out. He has good swing-and-miss stuff, with a 100 mph fastball and a solid cutter. He’s not an absolute shutdown guy, but he’s a good pickup for those desperate for saves.
Ben Joyce (RP – $$): 4% rostered on Yahoo
Joyce is now back up with the Angels and should be in the mix to become their closer, especially with Kirby Yates and Ryan Zeferjahn being shipped off to the NL Central. He has incredible stuff and has some experience working in a high-leverage opportunity in the past. We will see what the Angels plan to do, but he should be the favorite to end the season making appearances in the ninth.
Yennier Cano (RP – $): 8% rostered on Yahoo
The Orioles appear to be doing a closer-by-committee thing right now in their bullpen, which is kind of a shame for fantasy purposes. In deeper leagues, though, Cano may be the best option, as he has plenty of experience in high-leverage roles and has glistening ratios this season. In saves/holds leagues, he’s a must-roster.
