Waiver Wired: Waiver Wired: Reed's Arrival
He’s here. After Stephen Strasburg hit the disabled list due to an upper back strain, the Nationals called on top prospect right-hander Lucas Giolito to make his major league debut Tuesday night against the Mets. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see him for long, as rain cut his outing short after four innings.
Giolito gave up one hit and walked a pair while striking out one batter. Working in the mid-90s with his fastball and showing off his power curve, he only induced two swinging strikes, but 29 out of his 45 pitches were strikes and threw a ton of first-pitch strikes. It would have been nice to see him go through the order for the third time. It was also the Mets, who can’t hit anybody these days. Still, it was an encouraging sneak preview.
The big question is how long Giolito will stick around. It sounds like Strasburg’s stay on the disabled list will be brief and I don’t see the Nationals giving up on Gio Gonzalez just yet. Odds are that a return to the minors is in Giolito’s future, but enjoy him while you can. He’s already owned in 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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MIXED LEAGUES
A.J. Reed 1B, Astros (Yahoo: 28 percent owned)
The wait was ultimately a bit longer than originally expected, but Reed finally made his major league debut over the weekend. The 23-year-old failed to match his monster numbers from 2015 during his time in Triple-A, but he still batted .266/.345/.509 with 11 homers over 59 games and he got the call in the middle of his best stretch of the year. That hasn’t translated so far in the majors. He’s hitless through his first 15 at-bats to go along with eight strikeouts. The Astros are slated to face a bunch of left-handers leading into the All-Star break (six out of their final 10 games), so don’t fret too much if he sits for a few games or the struggles continue in the short-term. His power potential warrants patience from fantasy owners.
Jose Reyes SS, Mets (Yahoo: 36 percent owned)
The Rockies cut ties with Jose Reyes after he finished serving his suspension for a domestic violence incident with his wife, but he quickly reunited with the Mets from there and could be back in the majors as soon as this weekend. It’s fair to wonder what Reyes has left at this point. He’s 33 years old and owns a .709 OPS (95 OPS+) in 259 games dating back to the start of 2014, but he stole 24 bases in 116 games last season. That’s relevant given the lack of speed around the game right now. Reyes is expected to see regular time at third base upon joining the Mets while serving as the regular leadoff man. The opportunity is there for him to be relevant again in mixed leagues.
Xavier Cedeno RP, Rays (Yahoo: 12 percent owned)
Alex Colome hopes to make it back from his biceps tendinitis as soon as he’s eligible next Monday, but there’s always the chance that the Rays will play it safe and delay his return from the disabled list. There’s no clear favorite for save chances in his absence, as Rays manager Kevin Cash plans to play the matchups for now, but Cedeno leads the team with 14 holds and he got the ninth inning (in a non-save situation) Wednesday against the Red Sox. Despite being left-handed, he’s at the top of my list if you want to speculate on this situation. Erasmo Ramirez and Matt Andriese could also be in the mix. This might not matter much if Colome backs it back soon.
Anthony DeSclafani SP, Reds (Yahoo: 42 percent owned)
DeSclafani was a favorite of mine coming into spring training, but a nagging oblique injury pushed back his season debut until June 10. So far, the wait has been worth it, as the 26-year-old owns a 1.52 ERA through his first four starts. Okay, okay. The ERA is admittedly deceptive, as he was chased in the third inning in his second start after giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks, but his last two starts have been really solid. He has just one walk with 13 strikeouts in 15 innings over that time. DeSclafani has starts against the Nationals and Cubs going into the All-Star break, so I don’t blame you for feeling hesitant about trusting him with those matchups, but he’s someone who could payoff nicely during the second half.
Nate Jones RP, White Sox (Yahoo: 11 percent owned)
If the White Sox become sellers, it might not be a bad idea to shop David Robertson around, especially if the Yankees decide to stand pat and keep Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Dellin Betances. Robertson still has two years left on his deal for a total of $25 million, so the White Sox could get a nice haul in return. Fortunately for fantasy owners, they also have a capable in-house alternative. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, Jones has compiled a 2.86 ERA and 31/7 K/BB ratio over 34 2/3 innings. It could pay to get ahead on this situation.
Daniel Mengden SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 21 percent owned)
Mengden is getting a lot of attention for his mustache. And rightfully so. It’s quite glorious. But he deserves some attention for what he’s doing on the mound too. The 23-year-old earned his first major league win on Tuesday against the NL West-leading Giants and now owns a 2.81 ERA and 26/9 K/BB ratio in 25 2/3 innings through his first four starts in the majors. Acquired from the Astros in the Scott Kazmir deal last year, Mengden had a dominant 1.39 ERA in seven starts in Triple-A prior to the call-up. He’s missing bats with his herky-jerky delivery and it’s not hard to imagine him having continued success, at least while he makes his way around the league for the first time. Keep him active against the Pirates this weekend.
Danny Espinosa 1B/2B/3B/SS, Nationals (Yahoo: 38 percent owned)
Count me among those who were waiting for the Nationals to put Espinosa on the bench and give Trea Turner the starting shortstop job. That might still happen at some point before the year is out, but Espinosa is doing everything he can to delay the future. In addition to playing solid defense at shortstop, he has seven homers, 14 RBI, two stolen bases, and 19 runs scored this month. He’s now up to 13 home runs on the year. The Nationals have begun giving Turner some time in center field in Triple-A, which indicates that they are pretty happy with what they are getting out of Espinosa. There’s not much batting average upside here, but his pop and multi-position eligibility makes him a useful plug-and-play option in most formats.
Kevin Gausman SP/RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)
It took 13 starts, but Gausman finally got his first victory of the season last Saturday. It was also his best start of the season, as he allowed just four hits (all of them singles) and no walks over 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Rays while striking out seven batters. It was a bit of a rough road for Gausman before that, as he had a 5.65 ERA with 10 homers allowed over his previous eight starts, but he’s still missing plenty of bats and showing good control. He’s still someone you want to play the matchups with, but a start against the Mariners in Seattle on Friday qualifies, especially with this offense rolling right now.
Ben Revere OF, Nationals (Yahoo: 47 percent owned)
I didn’t intend to do it this way, but this week seems to be about speed. As I mentioned above, the Nationals have begun to expose Trea Turner to center field with Triple-A Syracuse as they attempt to find a spot for him in the majors. This is an interesting development to keep in mind as we look toward the second half, but Revere has at least turned things around recently by hitting .299 (23-for-77) over his last 18 games while continuing to hit out of the leadoff. He has also stolen eight bases in that time. Only three players have stolen more bases this month. Granted, Revere won’t get to play against the Mets and Noah Syndergaard every night, but the Nationals line up for another game against Syndergaard next Saturday. Revere is who he is, but he remains one of the most reliable stolen base options out there.
Angel Pagan OF, Giants (Yahoo: 22 percent owned)
With Joe Panik hitting the disabled list due to a concussion, the hot-hitting Pagan has taken over as the regular No. 2 hitter in the Giants’ lineup over the past two days. It’s hard to count on the 34-year-old to stay healthy, but he has produced when in the lineup this season, putting up a .295/.340/.415 batting line to go along with three home runs, 26 RBI, seven steals, and 29 runs scored over 49 games. With his excellent contact rate, he’s a great fit hitting second in an underrated lineup. There’s enough across-the-board potential here for him to be owned in most leagues.
Shopping at the five-and-dime:
(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Brad Miller 2B/SS/OF, Rays (Yahoo: 9 percent owned)
Miller hasn’t become the fantasy stud many were hoping for a couple of years back, but he’s still a useful piece on fantasy rosters. Heck, at this point, he might be a little underrated. After a quiet April, he’s hitting .278 with eight homers, 21 RBI, and 25 runs scored in 49 games since the start of May. He has slugged five of those homers in his last 16 games. With 10 home runs through 70 games, he’s already one away from tying his career-high from last season. The Rays are still giving him limited exposure against left-handed pitching, but his pop and multi-position eligibility should have him on your radar.
Cam Bedrosian RP, Angels (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)
Yikes, what is going on with Huston Street? Since returning from an oblique injury, the veteran closer has allowed eight runs on 15 hits and eight walks over 7 2/3 innings. He retired just two batters while giving up three runs on four hits and two walks on Wednesday against the Astros. Street is going to need to get back on track for anyone to have any interest leading up to the trade deadline, but the Angels are obvious sellers, with Joe Smith also likely to be on the block. Bedrosian looks like the heir apparent for the ninth inning, with a 1.29 ERA and 29/8 K/BB ratio over 28 innings this season. Some things will have to go his way for an opportunity to open up, but it’s time to at least put him on your watch list.
Alex Bregman SS, Astros (Yahoo: 7 percent owned)
Bregman is just a step away from the majors. After playing in the Texas League All-Star Game on Tuesday, the 22-year-old is reportedly joining Triple-A Fresno on Thursday. It’s well deserved, as the 2015 No. 2 overall pick batted .297/.415/.559 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, and five steals over 62 games this season with Double-A Corpus Christi. Bregman has only made 11 starts at third base, so he’s still fairly new to the position, but a call-up is possible if he gets off to a hot start in Triple-A. Luis Valbuena has swung the bat well over the past month, but I wouldn’t let that get in the way of a stash if you have the roster flexibility.
