Waiver Wired: Waiver Wired: Take Taijuan

I have no idea whether Byron Buxton is ready for the majors, but I added him everywhere I could based on the potential upside. Even with the expected growing pains, his speed should come in handy in most formats. Why not take the gamble? It seems most fantasy owners agree, as he’s already been scooped up 55 percent of Yahoo leagues. Things are a bit trickier in regard to Francisco Lindor, who is already owned in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues. We’re used to seeing him at the top of prospect lists, but a lot of that has to do with his excellent defense at shortstop. Check out whether I think he’s worth an add in this week’s “Buy, Sell, or Hold” video. You’ll also find two names from this week’s column.

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Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.

MIXED LEAGUES

Kevin Siegrist RP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 28 percent owned)

Trevor Rosenthal hasn’t pitched since Saturday due to a “knot” in his bicep, so Siegrist has been filling in at closer and notched saves on back-to-back days against the Twins this week. It’s believed that Rosenthal’s issue is minor — he was available to pitch Wednesday — but it’s not a bad idea to stash the next guy in line. Siegrist burst onto the scene with an excellent rookie season in 2013, but he struggled through a forearm injury last season while posting a 6.82 ERA over 37 appearances. However, the 25-year-old southpaw has bounced back nicely by posting a 1.52 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks over 29 2/3 innings. With his ability to miss bats (11.5 K/9 over 115 appearances in the majors), Siegrist has the potential to help in a lot of mixed leagues even if Rosenthal is fine.

Rougned Odor 2B, Rangers (Yahoo: 23 percent owned)

Odor held his own as a 20-year-old rookie last season, so he was a favorite target of mine this spring, as I expected him to make a nice leap forward in his sophomore season. It didn’t work out that way early on, as he was demoted last month after hitting just .144 with one home run and a .486 OPS over 29 games. However, he batted .352/.426/.639 with 19 extra-base hits (including five home runs) and a 10/12 K/BB ratio over 30 games with Triple-A Round Rock prior to rejoining the Rangers this week. As I said in the video above, Odor has pop and speed and plays half of his games in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the game, so he’s well worth a second chance. I think he’s being overlooked amid all the hype of the recent prospect call-ups.

Francisco Cervelli C/1B, Pirates (Yahoo: 18 percent owned)

Pirates fans were sad to see Russell Martin go over the winter, but Cervelli has quietly been very good this season, batting .316 with a .396 on-base percentage and an .804 OPS over 51 games. He has been batting seventh or eighth for most of that, but he was moved into the sixth spot on Sunday and has batted fifth in each of the last three games. The 29-year-old has just 12 home runs in 984 plate appearances in the majors, so he’s not going to provide much power, but he has a .285 career batting average to go along with a .358 on-base percentage. We’re not looking at a No. 1 option here in mixed leagues, but I’m surprised that he’s still this widely-available.

Taijuan Walker SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 49 percent owned)

I’ll admit it: I bought in on Walker after his excellent showing during spring training. It didn’t take long for that to look rather foolish, as the 22-year-old struggled to the tune of a 7.33 ERA with 23 walks and eight home runs allowed in 43 innings over his first nine starts, but you can’t help but be encouraged by what he has done recently. Including his impressive performance against the Giants on Monday, Walker has a 1.55 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just three walks in 29 innings over his last four starts. If he can keep those walks in check, look out. As I said in this week’s “Buy, Sell, or Hold” video, his fly ball rate might make me hesitant about using him for tough matchups on the road, but he’s been great at home this season and gets the Astros this weekend. I’ll take my chances on his upside.

Corey Seager SS, Dodgers (Yahoo: 10 percent owned)

With the recent promotions of Joey Gallo, Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Francisco Lindor, Seager is at the top of the list of elite prospects still remaining in the minor leagues. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, many believe he’ll end up at third base in the long-term, but he’s still mostly playing shortstop in Triple-A. This is relevant given the continued struggles of Jimmy Rollins, who is batting just .198/.261/.332 through 64 games this season. He can still make the plays at shortstop and has a long track record of success, so you can understand why the Dodgers are giving him every opportunity to work his way out of it, but you have to wonder if Seager could get a chance if those struggles continue into the second half. He has a chance to make a real impact at a weak position, so he’s worth the stash if you have the roster flexibility.  

Wilmer Flores SS/2B, Mets (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)

Flores has flaws in his game. He’s playing out of position and isn’t hitting for average or getting on base often, but he has 10 home runs and 32 RBI through 61 games. Only Hanley Ramirez has more home runs among shortstop-eligible players while only four players (Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, Jhonny Peralta, and Brandon Crawford) have more RBI. Getting production from the shortstop position has been a challenge for a lot of fantasy owners this season, so it’s curious why he isn’t getting more attention. With David Wright‘s back condition, I think Flores’ playing time should be safe even if the Mets juggle their infield at some point and move him over to third base.   

Matt Cain SP, Giants (Yahoo: 43 percent owned)

Cain has yet to make his season debut due to a flexor tendon strain, but he’s two starts into a minor league rehab assignment and has reportedly been throwing his fastball in the 93-94 mph range. The results have been mixed, as he has allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and three walks over seven innings, but the important thing is that he’s healthy and building his pitch count. He might only be one or two starts away from joining the Giants’ rotation. It’s a complicated situation, as Jake Peavy is also nearing his return and they’ll have more pitchers than rotation spots, but Cain could be a useful pitcher during the second half if he’s finally healthy.

Justin Turner 1B/2B/3B/SS, Dodgers (Yahoo: 28 percent owned)

After being non-tendered by the Mets in December of 2013, Turner proved to be one of the game’s best bargains with the Dodgers last season by batting .340 with seven home runs and an .897 OPS over 109 games. There was naturally some skepticism about his ability to maintain that level of production coming into 2015, but he’s showing more power than ever before while hitting .318 with six home runs and 26 RBI over just 56 games. Alex Guerrero hasn’t made a start at third base since May 24, so it’s time to start taking Turner more seriously in mixed leagues. His eligibility all over the infield is icing on the cake here.

Brock Holt 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, Red Sox (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)

Another versatile option, Holt has gained momentum in mixed leagues this week after his cycle on Tuesday against the Braves. However, he was worthy of attention even before that. The 27-year-old has been a mainstay near the top of Boston’s batting order since the start of the June while making starts between the corner outfield spots, third base, and even second base. He doesn’t stand out in any one category, but he’ll contribute in all of them. The ability to plug him in at just about every position is a nice luxury.

Kyle Schwarber C/OF, Cubs (Yahoo: 18 percent owned)

Brought up this week with the Cubs playing in American League parks, Schwarber struck out in his first major league at-bat Tuesday before starting at DH on Wednesday and going 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, and three runs scored. Selected No. 4 overall by the Cubs last year, the 22-year-old has rocketed through the minors with his impressive power and on-base skills. It’s probably just a matter of time before he’s up for good, but the Cubs plan to send him to Triple-A after this weekend. Still, with his catcher-eligibility, I think he’s worth having around in a bunch of formats for as long as the early cameo lasts. He can really hit.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Will Venable OF, Padres (Yahoo: 3 percent owned)

Wil Myers is now set for surgery on his left wrist and is expected to miss around eight weeks, which clears the way for Venable and Melvin Upton, Jr. to share playing time in center field. It’s hard to get excited about Upton these days, but Venable is batting .258 with five home runs, 18 RBI, five stolen bases, and a .729 OPS through 55 games this season. Sure, he had an awful year in 2014, but we know he’s capable of being useful in mixed leagues.

Daniel Hudson RP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

It should be a given that the guy who is getting the regular handshakes should be owned, so while Brad Ziegler (Yahoo: 44 percent owned) isn’t your prototypical closer, it’s rather strange that he’s still available in so many leagues. With that said, I think Hudson could threaten for this job before long. After a long comeback from a pair of Tommy John surgeries, the 28-year-old has been very effective out of Arizona’s bullpen this season, posting a 3.26 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 10 walks over 30 1/3 innings while showing mid-90s velocity on his fastball. He notched his first career save on Sunday. Ziegler hasn’t struck out a batter since May 22 (he has faced 38 batters since his last one) and might be better served for high-leverage spots in the seventh and eighth innings when the Diamondbacks really need a ground ball. Securing a closer often requires thinking ahead on a situation and I think this is one which has some merit.  

Editor’s Note: Having troubling figuring out hot streaks in FanDuel baseball? RotoGrinders‘ JM “JMToWin” Tohline has some more sound fantasy (and life) advice in this week’s column “The Girl Who Was Hot in High School“. He touches on what to do with mediocre players playing well, great hitters playing poorly and everything in between. Check it out.

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