Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where we review the top waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.
The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll try to list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. My hope is that it will help you to determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.
For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 50% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 50% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds
We won’t have a schedule this week since there are only three days of games. Adds are more about getting hitters who are swinging it well.
Hitters
Rice Hinds - OF, CIN: 58% rostered
(MAJOR BATTING AVERAGE RISK, HOME RUN UPSIDE)
I’m not even sure I want to add Hinds in many leagues, but I had to mention him here because of how wildly added he has been. The power he has is clear, and you certainly can’t argue with five home runs and 11 RBI in six games. With TJ Friedl and Stuart Fairchild on the IL, there is a chance for him to earn at-bats in Cincinnati, but I really would not bid a lot of money on Hinds in FAAB. Hinds was rocking a 38.4% strikeout rate in Triple-A with just a .216 batting average in 77 games. Last year, in 109 games at Double-A, he had a 33% strikeout rate. This feels a lot like that incredibly hot week for Luis Matos before he cooled off and then was sent back to the minors. If you want to bid to catch lightning in a bottle then that’s fine, but I would really be cautious with how much you spend.
Colt Keith - 2B/3B, DET: 52% rostered (was 45% rostered on Friday when I started drafting this)
(HOT STREAK POWER UPSIDE)
Keith’s roster rate is up 30% from last week and that makes some sense. It’s been quite a two-week stretch for Colt Keith, who went 16-for-42 (.381) with five home runs, 13 runs, and 13 RBI. It’s just another example of how rookie hitters are going to ride a rollercoaster all season. Keith had some cold weeks before this stretch but we know the type of talent he possesses and since he has remained in a full-time role most of the season, it’s smart to bet on the tools winning out in the end. The team context isn’t great for his counting stats, but Keith is a good hitter and should be better in the second half as he continues to get more comfortable at this level. If you want power or to ride a hot bat, you can add Brandon Lowe - 2B, TB (25% rostered). Over the last two weeks, Lowe is hitting .342 with two home runs and six runs scored. I don’t love Lowe, but it’s worth noting that the Rays continue to start him and bat him second or third, including allowing him to make a few starts against left-handed pitching. Given that the Rays had always platooned Lowe before, this is good news for his playing time. I don’t believe this batting average is real, but the power certainly is and the lineup spot will help with counting stats, so, if you have speed and batting average covered elsewhere, Lowe could be a decent fit for your roster.
Luis Garcia Jr. - 2B, WAS: 48% rostered
(MILD POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I had Garcia on here a few times earlier in the season when we talked about the new level the young middle infielder seemed to be finding. After a brief slump near the start of the summer, Garcia has found his groove again, hitting 30-for-97 (.309) over his last 27 games with six home runs, 17 RBI, and three steals. He will sit against most left-handed pitchers, so you need to plan around that, but he’s a solid add in all formats with his ability to contribute in five categories.
Masataka Yoshida - OF, BOS: 42% rostered
(PLAYING TIME, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
The narrative on Yoshida has shifted in a weird direction after he struggled in the final month of last season and then played through injury at the start of this season. However, I think that’s clouding the truth that Yoshida is a pretty solid MLB regular. He hit .289 with 15 home runs last year in his first full MLB season while playing through a fractured jaw at the end of the year and admitting that the MLB season was much longer than he was used to. Now that he appears to be fully healthy, he’s been hitting his stride a little bit of late, going 15-for-44 (.341) over his last 11 games with two home runs, six runs scored, and 11 RBI. He hits in the middle of the Red Sox lineup, which will always give him a good chance for RBIs, and the batting average should always be high. He’ll sit against lefties and won’t steal, so just make sure that works with your roster.
Heston Kjerstad - OF, BAL (37% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Yes, I know Kjerstad is now on the concussion-IL, but he should be back after the All-Star break and was starting to carve out an everyday role in Baltimore. Kjerstad was on this list for two weeks, but I kept mentioning that I understood being gun-shy if you were burned by Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers, or Kjerstad himself earlier in the year. It’s just hard to know what the Orioles are thinking. However, Kjerstad started against all right-handed hitters this week while Colton Cowser started only once. Given how well the rookie has acclimated in this most recent stint in the big leagues, it might only be a matter of time before he fully pushes Cowser out. Now is the time to add him before that becomes clear.
Brandon Marsh - OF, PHI: 26% rostered
(PLAYING TIME, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I’ve had Marsh on here a few times, and he always seems to fly under the radar because he’s just good enough to be useful in all formats but not good enough to really seem like a clear add on waivers. There is some concern that the Phillies are trying to add a right-handed bat at the trade deadline which would push Marsh into a strong-side platoon role; however, right now, Marsh is in a full-time role in a great lineup and is worth a shot in almost all formats after hitting .273 over his last 10 games with two home runs, two steals, and seven runs scored.
Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, TOR (22% rostered)
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Horwitz has been on this list twice, so let’s review what we said before since much of it is still relevant: “I know the counting stats aren’t as gaudy as we’d like, but I’m taking my chances with Horwitz. He was a plus contact hitter in the minors and has carried that over into his MLB debut, showcasing a good feel for the strike zone and the ability to hit for a high batting average. In 32 games in his MLB career, Horwitz is hitting .327 with four home runs, 13 runs scored, and 11 RBI. The Blue Jays hit him second in the lineup every time he plays which tells me that they like him. With the way the offense has been struggling lately, I think he’ll be even more of a fixture in their lineup.” I also do think the counting stats will improve if the offense ticks up a bit overall in the second half and that batting average is for real.
Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN: 22% rostered
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
Last year was a rough year for Stephenson, who didn’t quite build on his strong 2022 and we thought that perhaps his breakout might not come. It still might not, but the last two weeks have been great with Stephenson going 11-for-42 (.262) with four home runs and 10 RBI in 11 games. In fact, all four of those home runs were in the last six games. The lineup around him is good, and his home ballpark is great, so Stephenson is firmly on one-catcher league radars as we’re starting to see the power tick up. Another catcher heating up of late is Keibert Ruiz - C, WAS: (28% rostered) who’s hitting 12-for-39 (.333) over the last two weeks with two home runs and eight RBI. He’ll play 75% of the games for Washington, and I’ve always liked him for batting average upside. More catchers who are hitting well of late that should be on one-catcher league radars are Patrick Bailey - C, SF (14% rostered) who’s hitting .291 over his last 24 games with three home runs and 16 runs scored, Austin Wells - C, NYY (3% rostered), who seems to have emerged as the pure starting catcher in New York, and Alejandro Kirk - C, TOR: (4% rostered) with Danny Jansen on the trade block. In two-catcher formats, Carson Kelly - C, DET (1% rostered) has also worked his way into consideration.
Rowdy Tellez - 1B, PIT: 16% rostered
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
We’ve had Tellez on here the last two weeks and while he’s slowed down a bit this past week, he still deserves an add in deeper formats. I’ll keep my write-up from last week here and update the stats: “The fantasy community has dreamed about Rowdy Tellez in a way that has probably built him up to be something he’s not. However, he continues to play against right-handed pitchers and hit in the middle of the lineup for the Pirates. In June, Tellez played 19 games and hit .344 with two home runs, seven runs, and 12 RBI. He struck out just 21% of the time but isn’t hitting the ball as hard as he has in years past. Meanwhile, Tellez has kept it going and is hitting .325 over his last 12 games with five home runs and 10 RBI. Obviously, 10 RBI on five home runs isn’t a huge total and that highlights a bit of the issue with his team context, but he’s worth adding in deeper formats right now.” In the same vein of veterans who are starting to heat up, you could take a gamble on Eugenio Suarez - 3B, ARI (23% rostered). Over the last two weeks, Suarez is hitting 13-for-44 (.295) with four home runs and 14 RBI. He has historically been a much better hitter in the second half of the season, and not just in one area. Suarez’s career stats see a big spike in ISO, SLG, AVG, and other power metrics in the second half of the season. Given how long his career has been, I think we do need to acknowledge he’s somebody who either gets hot as the weather does or needs a long time to find his rhythm within a season. We could be entering a much better stretch for him than we saw in the first half of the season, and so I’m taking a gamble in deeper formats where I need power.
Harrison Bader - OF, NYM 17% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I’m going to keep Bader on here because he just keeps producing and his roster rates are not going up. He has always had a decent power/speed combination when he plays and should continue to play every day with Starling Marte out for a month with a hamstring injury. Over his last 23 games, Bader is 22-for-73 (.301) with four home runs, 16 runs scored, 11 RBI, and five steals. That’ll play.
Angel Martinez - 2B/3B/SS/OF, CLE (12% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
The Guardians seem to be cycling in these multi-position high-contact hitters all season, and Martinez is now emerging as another one. This week, the switch-hitter started in every game, with Tyler Freeman playing just twice. Martinez is a top-10 prospect within Cleveland’s organization and was hitting .316 in 26 games at Triple-A this season. His fantasy profile is not super enticing since he has never hit more than 14 home runs in a minor league season or stolen more than 13 bases; however, he makes a lot of contact, has a good understanding of the strike zone, and is hitting second while playing every day in a good lineup. That can be worth an add in deeper formats. If you want another multi-position add in deeper formats, you can go with Max Schuemann- 2B/SS/OF, OAK (10% rostered) since the 27-year-old is hitting .333 in 11 games in July with two home runs, seven runs, five RBI and four steals. He’s hitting ninth in a bad Oakland lineup, and I’m not sure how long Schuemann can keep this up, but we need to acknowledge it while he’s doing it. The batting average and speed have been helpful over the last couple of weeks and if you need those categories, you can take a gamble.
Matt Wallner- OF, MIN 3% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)
Since Matt Wallner has come back up, he has started every game, including one on Friday against left-handed pitching. The Twins are telling us that he’s a full-time player. Wallner was featured in my Mining The Minors article where I looked at his recent production in Triple-A, so I’d encourage you to check that out, but I’m adding him for power upside. If you wanted another upside outfielder who is getting a second chance, you could take a gamble on Lawrence Butler - OF, OAK (4% rostered). I was a fan of Butler’s coming into the season and even predicted that he would go 20/20 on our bold predictions episode of the Rotoworld Baseball Show. A .201 batting average with six home runs and six steals was not the first half I had in mind. However, Butler has looked good since coming back up, starting against all righties while hitting .286 in 11 games in July with four home runs, seven runs, 11 RBI, and two steals. Throughout his minor league career, Butler has been great in his second chance to see a level, making clear improvements every time. It wouldn’t shock me if he continued that trend at the MLB level and held a starting job for the rest of the season.
Gio Urshela - 1B/3B/SS, DET (4% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Over the last week, it seems that the Tigers have finally moved Mark Canha out of the starting lineup, which has meant added playing time for Urshela, who now appears to be the starting first baseman in Detroit. He’s hitting .292 over his last 13 games with two home runs and nine RBI while batting fifth for the Tigers, so if you are in a deep league and just need players who are playing regularly, Urshela could be your guy. Ernie Clement - 2B/3B/SS, TOR (3% rostered) has also worked himself into an everyday role thanks to the injury to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. He had two home runs this week while going 6-for-18, so, same as with Urshela, if you need a guy getting consistent at-bats in deep leagues, Clement could fit the bill.
Jon Singleton - 1B, HOU: 3% rostered
(HOT STRETCH, RBI UPSIDE)
Much like with Tellez, I’m not sure how long this can be sustained, but Singleton has been hitting well of late, going 22-for-70 (.314) over his last 21 games with two home runs, 12 runs scored, and nine RBI. The Astros are apparently looking all over for a 1B at the trade deadline, so I’m sure Singleton will have a job by the end of July, but if you wanted to take a gamble on him producing for a couple more weeks in a good offense, I can see it.
Pitchers
Pitcher adds in particular are different during the All-Star break. Since we just have three days of games next week, there won’t be as many starting pitchers who have a game, which means we won’t have as many streamers. It also means that elite multi-inning or oft-used relievers can be really valuable. If you don’t have enough starting pitchers who have scheduled starts, you can pick up a multi-inning reliever or a reliever who might be used twice and will potentially get you 2-3 innings and maybe sneak a win rather than take a zero from a pitcher who won’t start. Some of my favorite options for these types of pitchers are Daniel Hudson - RP, LAD: 30% rostered, A.J. Puk - RP, MIA (12% rostered), Jason Adam - RP, TB (41% rostered), Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI (20% rostered), Dedniel Nunez - RP, NYM (2% rostered), Jorge Alcala - RP, MIN (2% rostered), and Ryan Walker - RP, SF (2% rostered),
Reese Olson - SP, DET 49% rostered
Olson has been on fire and we’re still not rostering him in enough leagues. Olson’s last five starts have clearly righted the ship, but his roster rates are not going up. His changeup and slider have come back around a bit and that’s crucial for him since his fastball is fairly mediocre. If he can keep his four-seam and sinker on the edges of the strike zone and then pound the zone with his slider and changeup, he should continue to be a solid fantasy starter. He did it for almost two months to start the season and is doing it again, so I’m not sure why we’re not more interested in a pitcher with a 3.30 ERA and 1.18 WHIP on the season who is surging of late.
Jameson Taillon – SP, CHC: 48% rostered
I was a big fan of Taillon’s coming into the season and wrote him up as one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers and then covered him again this week in my Mixing It Up Column, so I encourage you to check that out to see my detailed thoughts on him. That mixing it up article also covers Luis L. Ortiz - SP, PIT (24% rostered), who I really like based on some changes he made this season, so you should read his section as well.
Hunter Harvey - RP, KC: 44% rostered
Harvey was traded to the Royals late on Friday night for one of the Royals’ top prospects and a conditional first-round pick. It’s a lot to give up for a reliever if you don’t want him to close. Now, I’m not saying that Harvey will just be given the closer job in Kansas City, but the Royals giving up that much tells me that they see him as somebody who could close and would be more than happy if he took the job. He has struggled over the last month, but he was great last year and early this year and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends the year as the closer.
Robbie Ray - SP, SF (27% rostered)
I had Ray on here the last two weeks, so I’ll just repeat what I wrote then: “Now is the time to stash Robbie Ray since he just moved his rehab assignment up to Triple-A. He’s still only at about three innings of work (or that’s the plan for this upcoming week) so he’s maybe three weeks away from making his season debut, but I think we’re forgetting the ceiling that Ray has. There are some command concerns with Ray since he’s always had some control issues and command is the last thing to come back after Tommy John surgery. However, his overall talent level and strikeout upside make him worth a stash.” Another injury stash is Jeffrey Springs - SP, TB (32% rostered), who threw four shutout innings in his last rehab start at Triple-A. He’s now up to 62 pitches and with the Rays trading Aaron Civale away, it looks like they’ll be sellers who could also deal Zach Eflin or Zack Littell. I wouldn’t expect Springs up until after the trade deadline, but I think he could slide back into the rotation when I had previously worried he would be a multi-inning reliever with a full staff around him.
Jose Quintana – SP, NYM: 23% rostered
We’ve seen Jose Quintana do this before. He’s a smart pitcher who knows how to mix and match his arsenal to keep hitters off balance. He may not have the elite stuff to deliver great numbers over a whole season, but he frequently goes through stretches where he produces good results, and we’re in the middle of one now.
Alex Vesia – RP, LAD 16% rostered
Evan Phillips is still the closer for the Dodgers, but he has been struggling of late and even pitched in the sixth inning this week in a game where the Dodgers were trailing, which is not an indication that things are going well for him. Meanwhile, Vesia has five saves on the season and has allowed a run in just one of his last nine appearances. He could earn more save chances. If you’re also looking for save stashes, I kind of like grabbing shares of Ben Joyce - RP, LAA (2% rostered) as a young, high-upside reliever who could find himself in a closer job if/when Carlos Estevez gets traded. Joyce has added a sinker this season and is pounding the strike zone with it, which has made him more confident overall. He looks great.
German Marquez - SP, COL (2% rostered)
Marquez is back from the IL and making his season debut on Sunday. He wasn’t great on his rehab assignment, and we know that pitching in Coors is brutal, but we also know that Marquez has the talent to put together some strong stretches of road starts, so I just thought I would highlight that he’s back.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
Jose Quintana (NYM) - at MIA
Reese Olson (DET) - at TOR
Jose Soriano (LAA) - at OAK
Drew Thorpe (CWS) - vs KC
JP Sears (OAK) - vs LAA
Sean Manaea (NYM) - at MIA
Griffin Canning (LAA) - at OAK
Joey Estes (OAK) - vs LAA
Edward Cabrera (MIA) - vs NYM
Players to Drop
Nolan Jones - OF, COL 58% rostered
Jones has struggled this season, hitting .202 with just three home runs and three steals in 49 games, and is now on the IL with a lower back strain again. He might not miss much time, and if you have the IL space, you certainly CAN hold him, but I worry that he’s now had multiple back injuries in one season and with the Rockies not contending, they may opt to just rest him if it becomes an issue as the summer goes on as well.
David Fry - C/1B/OF, CLE: 56% rostered
I think the sun has set on Fry. I know he was a great find at the start of the season and is a really good story. However, he is hitting just .221 over the last month with no home runs, one run scored, and three RBI. That’s the 404th-ranked hitter in 5x5 scoring. Even with catcher eligibility, he’s not producing well enough across the categories for me to want to hold onto him right now.
Alex Verdugo - OF, NYY: 56% rostered
I really don’t think Verdugo needs to be rostered in this many places. He’s a fine hitter, and the move to Yankee Stadium has helped his power a bit, but he’s not that much different of a player. He’s hitting .246 with 10 home runs on the season but is batting just .178 over his last 108 at-bats in the last 30 days with two home runs, which makes him the 326th-ranked hitter over that span. In deeper formats, I know his everyday role is valuable, but outside of 15-team leagues, I can’t see needing him on your roster unless he’s in the middle of a hot stretch, which is decidedly not now.
Players to Hold
Jose Miranda - 3B, MIN: 70% rostered
Miranda is the most dropped hitter in Yahoo leagues this week, dropped in over 1,000 leagues. Stop it. Don’t do that. They’re backdating his IL stint so he should only miss one game over the All-Star break stretch. Yes, he was never going to keep up the pace that saw him get a hit in 12 straight games, but he’s a good hitter in a good lineup, so you should be keeping him on your roster.