Waiver Wired: Waiver Wired: Joe Must-Own?
Hopefully you didn’t panic if you missed out on the huge group of new closers coming out of last week’s trade deadline. We saw even more changes this week, with Marlins closer A.J. Ramos hitting the disabled list due to a finger fracture and Rockies rookie Carlos Estevez pitching his way out of the job. We might also be seeing a switch in Cincinnati, as Raisel Iglesias notched his first major league save in Tuesday’s win over the Cardinals. That came one day after Tony Cingrani was charged with five runs in a brutal loss.
We’re getting the point in the year where absentee owners are throwing ownership percentages out of whack, but Ramos fill-in Fernando Rodney is already owned in 67 percent of Yahoo leagues while Iglesias is owned in 57 percent. That means they won’t be included in the names you’ll find below, but new (and well, former) Rockies closer Adam Ottavino still hasn’t crossed the 50-percent threshold. I think he’ll get there soon enough. With Craig Kimbrel‘s knee still barking, Brad Ziegler (Yahoo: 68 percent owned) should also be picked up in leagues where he was dropped.
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MIXED LEAGUES
Joe Musgrove SP, Astros (Yahoo: 48 percent owned)
Musgrove wowed in his major league debut in relief of Lance McCullers last Tuesday against the Blue Jays and he followed that up with another impressive performance in his first major league start this past Saturday against the Rangers. So far, the 23-year-old has allowed just one run in 11 1/3 innings while striking out 14 batters and walking just one. He averaged 1.1 BB/9 in the minors and his much-hyped command and control has translated against some tough opponents. He lines up for starts against the Blue Jays and Orioles next, which sounds scary on paper, but Toronto’s lineup is missing Jose Bautista and Baltimore is scuffling a bit offensively. Musgrove needs to be owned in most leagues.
Alex Bregman 3B/SS, Astros (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)
I was getting constant questions Bregman for a good month or two before he was finally called up from the minors early last month, but folks have been quick to give up on him after a rough introduction to the majors. I get it. As much as we love our shiny new toys, we love immediate production more. The good news is that Bregman has looked a lot better at the plate over the last few days. The big question is what will happen when Yulieski Gurriel is deemed ready for the big leagues (he could be called up within a week), but the Astros have some flexibility between left field and the DH spot. Stay the course.
Adam Ottavino RP, Rockies (Yahoo: 43 percent owned)
Another day, another blown lead for the Rockies. Young righty Carlos Estevez got the boot from the Rockies’ closer role after back-to-back brutal losses, so now Ottavino will get a chance to reclaim the role he lost after undergoing Tommy John surgery early last season. His first chance didn’t go well, as he gave up a game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Rangers on Wednesday, but he was brought into a very difficult situation and has generally been very good since making his return last month. His velocity isn’t all the way back yet, but he has a legitimate chance to run away with this gig down the stretch.
Melvin Upton, Jr. OF, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 40 percent owned)
The move to Toronto hasn’t been good for Upton’s fantasy value so far. Not only was he pushed into a fourth-outfielder role, he has hit just .146 (6-for-41) with zero extra-base hits and a 16/2 K/BB ratio since joining the Blue Jays. The outlook for him has suddenly changed in the past 48 hours or so, as consistent at-bats should be there in the short-term with Kevin Pillar and Jose Bautista both going on the disabled list. I wouldn’t count on many three steal games like we saw on Wednesday night, but Upton still finds himself in a hitter-friendly home ballpark and a good lineup. It’s time to add him where he’s been dropped.
Cameron Rupp C, Phillies (Yahoo: 24 percent owned)
Rupp, top-10 fantasy catcher? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Thanks to last week’s power surge, he’s now up to 13 homers and 40 RBI on the year. Only six catcher-eligible players have more home runs while only eight have more RBI. Granted, it has been a weak year for catchers, but the group you’d definitely take over him is smaller than you might think. Do you think guys like J.T. Realmuto, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Salvador Perez, and Travis d’Arnaud are a sure thing to outproduce him the rest of the way. At this point, I don’t.
David Phelps RP/SP, Marlins (Yahoo: 24 percent owned)
Phelps had a great year out of the Marlins’ bullpen, but now injuries have opened the door for him to get another chance as a starter. He’s still in the process of getting stretched out, but he has thrived thus far by allowing just one run in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts while striking out nine batters. He saw a velocity spike with the move to the bullpen and so far it has stuck. Whether he’ll be able to maintain it as he builds a bigger workload is a fair question, but he’s pretty intriguing right now. He’s at least worth a stream in a start against the Reds next week.
Logan Forsythe 1B/2B, Rays (Yahoo: 46 percent owned)
After a rough July, Forsythe has picked things up so far in August by hitting .390 (16-for-41) with three homers, one double, four RBI, and 12 runs scored in 10 games. He’s now up to 13 homers through 84 games this season, which puts him well ahead of his power pace from 2015. Meanwhile, his .812 OPS is higher than where he was last year. He has even swiped six bases, so he’s contributing in all categories at the moment. Forsythe also hits leadoff and qualifies at multiple positions, which is extremely valuable at this point in the season. He’s already close, but I think he’s the sort of player who should be over the 50-percent mark.
Luke Weaver SP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 18 percent owned)
When it was announced that Michael Wacha was going on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, the immediate speculation was that top prospect Alex Reyes would replace him in the starting rotation. That still might happen at some point down the stretch, but Weaver is getting the first opportunity. Selected No. 27 overall back in the 2014 draft, the 22-year-old has posted a 1.78 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 over 38 starts in the minors. After missing the start of the season with a wrist fracture, Weaver had a 1.40 ERA over 12 starts in Double-A before tossing six scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut on Monday. There are questions about his breaking ball, but his control gives him a chance to make a successful transition to the majors. I wouldn’t recommend using him for his first start this weekend against the Cubs, but better matchups should come soon.
Travis Jankowski OF, Padres (Yahoo: 20 percent owned)
Jankowski still isn’t getting much attention in fantasy leagues, but he quietly ranks seventh in the majors with 25 stolen bases. This includes seven through eight games so far this month. Just think of where he could be if he didn’t spend the early part of the season as a bench player. Jankowski hit three homers in 1,444 plate appearances in the minors, so the upside is a bit limited, but he’s getting on base and has found a home as the Padres’ leadoff man. I realize that Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe (who is nursing a wrist/forearm injury) could eventually complicate things here, but Jankowski’s speed can help most rosters. By the way, the Padres get the Mets this weekend. Teams are running wild on them this season.
James Paxton SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)
Paxton has been a staple of this column this season. Since I recommended him again about a month ago, the southpaw has reeled off a 1.59 ERA and 27/3 K/BB ratio in 28 1/3 innings over four starts. He has completed eight innings in back-to-back starts and probably would have finished off a complete game against the Angels (during which he struck out Mike Trout four times) on Sunday if he wasn’t hit in the elbow by a comebacker. Fortunately, he has felt improvement in the elbow and the hope is that he could be ready to pitch again as soon as Monday, which would be another start against the Angels. Paxton’s velocity has held up pretty well since joining the rotation in June and he hasn’t walked more than one batter in six straight starts. I don’t understand why he’s still out there in so many leagues.
Shopping at the five-and-dime:
(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)
Mike Zunino C, Mariners (Yahoo: 7 percent owned)
Maybe Zunino is up for good this time? The former top prospect slugged 17 homers with an .898 OPS over 79 games at the Triple-A level this season and owns an impressive .255/.391/.557 batting line with six homers and 12 RBI through 19 games with the Mariners. 64 plate appearances aren’t enough to tell us that he has made progress with his approach. While his strikeout rate has been down so far, the contact rate is right in line with what we’ve seen in the past. But the power remains enticing. He’s still hitting plenty of fly balls and making a lot of hard contact. In two catcher-leagues, why not take a chance?
Fernando Salas RP, Angels (Yahoo: 6 percent owned)
Deolis Guerra RP, Angels (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)
I should probably file this under “For Desperate Fantasy Owners Only.” With Huston Street and Cam Bedrosian both hitting the disabled list over the past week, Salas now appears to be the favorite for saves in the Angels’ bullpen. This is more by default than merit, as Salas has a mediocre 4.75 ERA and 35/18 K/BB ratio over 47 1/3 innings this season, but he’s the only one with closing experience left standing in this shaky bullpen. Gurrera and J.C. Ramirez have been pretty good this season and could be worth a flier if you truly want to speculate, but this is a pretty ugly situation.
