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
Hitters
Tommy Edman - 2B/SS/OF, LAD (45% rostered)
(RECENT IL RETURN, EVERYDAY JOB)
Two weeks ago, I mentioned that it could be the time to stash Edman before his price went up, and now Edman is back and has started every game since returning, splitting time between center field and shortstop. We know the Dodgers are going to keep him in the lineup and even hitting eighth or ninth, he’s going to be in a good position to put up strong counting stats. Edman’s wrist injury is likely to sap some of the power from his bat (not that there had been much), but he’s a starter with good speed who hits in one of the best lineups in baseball. When you add his positional versatility to all of that, it makes him a really useful add for fantasy leagues of all sizes.
Wilyer Abreu - OF, BOS (38% rostered)
(STRONG SIDE PLATOON, POWER UPSIDE)
Why does Abreu’s roster rate keep going down? Over the last two weeks, he’s gone 10-for-38 (.263) with two home runs and eight RBI and has 14 home runs and seven steals in 99 games this season. Abreu is hitting .273 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 29 games since the All-Star break and starts against all right-handed pitchers. Well, the Red Sox have seven games next week and not one lefty on the schedule, which is great news for Abreu and his teammate David Hamilton - 2B/SS, BOS (26% rostered). After a brutal July, Hamilton has turned it on a bit again, going 14-for-50 (.280) in 16 games in August with three home runs and six steals. While that has led to regular playing time, we know that Hamilton will continue to sit versus left-handed pitching, but, as we mentioned before, that’s not an issue this upcoming week, so he needs to be added by all teams in need of speed.
Spencer Torkelson - 1B, DET (39% rostered)
(ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Tork came back last week, and, as I mentioned then, I’m not the biggest Torkelson fan for fantasy purposes, and I think there are still some contact and approach issues I’d love to see improve; however, we can’t pretend the power upside isn’t tremendous. The 24-year-old slashed .239/.356/.442 across 275 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo but did have 11 home runs in 58 games in the minors. He also hit 19 home runs in 72 games after the All-Star break last season. I know he was heating up in the minors the last few weeks, but he also had a 31 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A in 58 games, so I’m not convinced he’s going to come back and immediately start raking. However, if you need power, he’s worth an add. Torkelson is 8-for-27 (.296) with two doubles, a triple, and a home run in seven games since returning.
Joey Bart - C, PIT: 38% rostered
(EVERYDAY ROLE, POWER UPSIDE)
Joey Bart has been tremendous since the All-Star break. He has seven multi-hit performances across 19 starts in August and is hitting .305/.365/.524 in 29 games in the second half. He also has six home runs, 18 RBI, and 20 runs scored in that span while operating as Pittsburgh’s primary catcher and also part-time DH, which keeps his bat in the lineup almost every single game. Another option for deeper formats is Miguel Amaya - C, CHC (2% rostered), who is the unquestioned starter for the Cubs and has been heating up since a mid-season swing change. As was highlighted in that link, Amaya’s slash line since the swing change is .299/.341/.506 with a 137 wRC+ in just 85 PAs but his strikeout rate has decreased from 22.1% to 12.9% and his barrel rate has doubled from 3.0% to 7.2%. In a two-catcher format, he’s a must add in my opinion.
JJ Bleday - OF, OAK (27% rostered),
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, POWER/RBI UPSIDE)
Bleday has continued to be a fringe rosterable player in 12-team leagues and a solid outfielder in 15-team formats for essentially the entire year. The 26-year-old outfielder is batting .241/.322/.449 with 60 runs scored and 49 RBI across 513 plate appearances on the season, but has gone 11-for-42 (.262) over the last two weeks with five home runs, nine runs scored, and 11 RBI in 11 games. The A’s will go to Cincinnati and Texas next week and get a pretty solid slate of starting pitchers to hit against.
Dylan Crews - OF, WAS: 25% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Crews will make his MLB debut on Monday, and he may be the highest-upside hitter prospect left who is likely to get called up this season. I guess Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY (22% rostered) also counts for that and could be worth a stash in case the Yankees decide to bring him up. Back to Crews. The second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is hitting .272/.343/.446 with 21 doubles, six triples, 13 homers, 68 RBI, and 25 steals for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester during his first full pro season. Crews is a plus runner who makes good swing decisions and has the easy power to drive balls out of the yard. He has struggled with spin at times in his brief pro career, so there’s no telling how quickly he’ll hit the ground running, but the raw ability is immense.
Brendan Rodgers - 2B, COL (24% rostered)
(RUNS, HOME WEEK)
Brendan Rodgers has been hot since the All-Star break, hitting .306/.351/.476 with four home runs, 16 RBI, and 20 runs scored across 32 games. The beauty of that is that the Rockies have played the majority of their games on the road over that span, but Rodgers now gets to play a full week of games at home, so he could be in for a strong week, even if he’s never going to give you any speed. That’s also a good reason to add Michael Toglia - 1B/OF, COL (32% rostered) who has 21 home runs on the season and has gone 19-for-68 (.279) over 21 games in August with three home runs and 15 runs scored. Back in Coors, he should get the long ball going next week.
Ernie Clement - 2B/3B/SS, TOR (24% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, HOT STREAK)
I’ve had Clement on here over the last few weeks now that he’s a full-time starter for the Blue Jays, but even I’m surprised by how solid he’s been. (Side note: Clement played for the collegiate summer league team I was the GM for, the Albany Dutchmen, and we signed him before his freshman year at UVA, so it’s awesome to see him succeed like this). Over his last 27 games, Clement is the 95th-ranked player in Yahoo 5x5 formats, hitting .294 with four home runs, 11 runs scored, 19 RBI, and four steals. He hasn’t stolen a base in the last two weeks, which isn’t ideal, but he continues to post a solid batting average and has great positional versatility, so he remains a solid add in 15-team leagues at minimum. Clement’s teammate Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, TOR (12% rostered) has also found his power stroke of late, hitting four home runs in the last two weeks. The batting average has dropped a bit, but I believe in his contact upside, so if the power sticks and the other hits start falling again, Horwitz could have a good final month of the season.
Geraldo Perdomo -2B/3B/SS, ARI (24% rostered)
(RUNS, SPEED UPSIDE)
Perdomo, who was an All-Star last season, missed much of the season with an injury but has been the 65th-ranked player in Yahoo 5x5 scoring over the last month. In 31 games since the All-Star break, he has hit .304 with two home runs, 10 doubles, 14 RBI, 21 runs scored, and five steals. There is nothing extraordinary here, but he’s been hitting at the top of the lineup a bit more often since Ketel Marte went down, and he could also give you solid speed and run totals from here on out too, which makes him worth an add.
Adrian Del Castillo - C, ARI (20% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
I covered Del Castillo a month ago in my Mining the Minors article where I said: Del Castillo was put on my radar earlier this week by Chris Clegg in his awesome work at Dynasty Dugout. For just a taste, this is part of what Chris said: “Del Castillo has always shown some pop and good OBP skills but seems to be taking it to the next level this year...His exit velocities are quite strong, with an average exit velocity of 91 mph and a 90th percentile of 105.5 mph. The contact numbers are reflective of his batting average as well, as Del Castillo has a 78.5 percent overall contact rate and an 86 percent in-zone clip. The chase rate is a modest 26 percent, showing quite a well-rounded profile...The profile looks good, and there is a real chance Del Castillo will be in Arizona soon. With the underlying data, performance, and an opportunity for at-bats soon, Del Castillo is an easy buy [in dynasty leagues].” Since being called up from Triple-A Reno in early August, Del Castillo is slashing .341/.400/.610 with seven runs scored, three home runs, and 14 RBI across 45 plate appearances. He can be rostered in all league types.
Matt Wallner- OF, MIN: 11% rostered
(STRONG SIDE PLATOON, POWER UPSIDE)
Why does nobody want to pick up Matt Wallner? He continues to play against all righties and produce, hitting .299/.419/.675 in 27 games since the All-Star break with six home runs, 15 runs scored, 17 RBI, and three steals for good measure. He’s more valuable in daily moves leagues because he will sit against lefties, and the Twins do face two lefties to start the week against the Braves, but he’ll get three righties over the weekend against the Blue Jays, so should still be worth an add. You can also get power upside from Jhonkensy Noel - 1B/3B/OF, CLE (22% rostered), who is starting to play every day for the Guardians to give them some right-handed pop. Big Christmas is 11-for-33 (.333) with five home runs and 10 RBI over his last 10 games and is hitting .266 with a .946 OPS and 22 RBI on the season. He has an absurd 45% chase rate and 15.2% swinging strike rate, so he is going to swing and miss and he does chase spin out of the zone too often, but he also clobbers pitches in the zone with an 87.3% zone contact rate, so if you just want the power, he’s a good option.
Parker Meadows - OF, DET: 9% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
We were excited for Meadows to return after his demotion to Triple-A Toledo because he had made process changes that led to clear success. However, Meadows hurt his hamstring in his third game back and landed on the IL. Well, the outfielder is back now and has gone 22-for-63 (.349) with 11 runs scored, six RBI, and five steals in 16 games. He has only one home run, but he has the ability to drive the ball out of the park, which gives him low-key five-category value. Meadows has the raw ability to be a real contributor down the stretch and is worth a stash in most formats.
Ramon Urias - 1B, 2B, 3B, BAL (9% rostered)
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, MODEST COUNTING STAT UPSIDE)
Despite just a .244/.316/.404 slash line, Urias maintains some deep league fantasy value since he figures to be the starting third baseman on the Orioles for the rest of the year after they sent Coby Mayo down to the minors. There is nothing in Urias’ profile that jumps off the page, but hitting in a lineup as good as Baltimore’s will boost his fantasy value enough to be considered in deeper formats. If you want just batting average upside, you could also turn to Will Wagner - 2B, Tor (5% rostered), who has slashed .344/.364/.438 with five RBI through the first 10 games of his MLB career. The son of Billy Wagner was hitting .307 in 70 games in Triple-A for Houston before being traded to Toronto and had a ridiculous 16.7% walk rate compared to just a 10.2% strikeout rate. He doesn’t run much or hit for much power, but the batting average and plate discipline are very much for real.
Ramon Laureano - OF, ATL (7% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)
Laureano began playing every day with Jorge Soler hurt and Adam Duvall losing favor, but has continued to play since Soler came back. Now some of that has to do with the Braves facing a lot of lefties, so it was easy to bench Jarred Kelenic, but Kelenic has also been awful of late, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Laureano just take his job. Over the last two weeks, Laureano is hitting 16-for-43 (.372) in 13 games with four home runs, seven runs, six RBI, and one steal. Why are you benching that production for Jarred Kelenic? You can also take a gamble on his new teammate Gio Urshela - 1B/3B, ATL (5% rostered), who is the new starting third baseman with Austin Riley out. We know he’s not going to set the world on fire, but he’s going to play every day in a good lineup and that’s worth a lot in deeper formats.
Joey Loperfido - OF, TOR (7% rostered)
(POWER UPSIDE, REGULAR PLAYING TIME)
Loperfido may be heating up at the dish with multiple hits in five of his last six games, including two home runs over that span. The 25-year-old has a .780 OPS in 18 games with the Blue Jays and is hitting .387 over his last 10 games. He should continue to see regular at-bats down the stretch, and we saw the type of power he displayed in the minors, so this could be the chance to get in before a true breakout happens.
Jace Jung - 2B, DET (5% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
The Tigers have turned things over to the youth movement, calling up one of their top prospects in Jace Jung. The brother of the Rangers’ Josh Jung, Jace hit 14 home runs with a .831 OPS in 91 games at Triple-A this year. The former first-round pick has enough power to contribute for fantasy purposes and pairs that with solid plate discipline since he walked 16.1% of the time with a 22.4% strikeout rate in the minors. We have to figure that the strikeout rate increases a bit against big-league pitchers, but he should hit for power and be an OBP asset out of the gates. If you’re in a deeper format, you could also turn to Jung’s teammate Trey Sweeney - SS, DET (1% rostered), especially now that Javier Baez was put on the IL. I’m not sure about his upside since he’s a career .251 minor-league hitter who was hitting just .254 in 96 games for the Dodgers’ Triple-A club. He was better since coming to Detroit and has 15 home runs and 20 steals in the minors this season, so there is some fantasy appeal, but I’m not sure he’ll hit enough at the MLB level.
Jose Tena - 3B/SS, WAS (1% rostered)
(REGULAR PLAYING TIME, MILD POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Tena came to Washington in the Lane Thomas trade at the deadline and has been great as their everyday third baseman, hitting .359 with a home run, six RBI, and a steal in 39 at-bats for Washington. His home run on Saturday was the first of his MLB career, but he did display power and speed at Triple-A this year with 18 homers and 15 steals. If he can continue translating that to the major league level, it would make him an interesting pickup in deeper formats.
Niko Kavadas - 1B, LAA (1% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)
I wrote about Kavadas back when he was with the Red Sox and I thought he might get a chance to fill in for Triston Casas. That never happened, but Kavadas seems to be getting a chance with the Angels. The 25-year-old first baseman is slashing .264/.400/.521 with 19 homers and 67 RBI over 383 plate appearances in Triple-A and that’s including his poor stats in 11 games since being traded to the Angels, where he hit .159/.229/.341 with two homers and four RBI for Triple-A Salt Lake. He should DH or play first base against all right-handed pitchers from here on out, which makes him intriguing if you need power. In deeper formats, you could also look to Shay Whitcomb - SS, HOU (1% rostered), who led all of minor league baseball in home runs last year and was slashing .293/.378/.530 with 25 homers, 91 RBI, and 26 stolen bases in 481 plate appearances in Triple-A this year. The Astros have said that Alex Bregman will have to DH every now and then for the remainder of the season, which could open up at-bats for Whitcomb, who has gone 6-for-21 with two RBI through the first seven games of his MLB career.
Pitchers
Lucas Erceg - RP, KC (45% rostered)
Erceg has taken over the closer’s role with Hunter Harvey on the IL and has completely run away with it. The right-hander has yet to allow an earned run in 11.1 innings since being traded to the Royals while also posting a 0.44 WHIP and 15:0 K:BB over that span. He should be 100% rostered at this point.
Justin Martinez - RP, ARI: 43% rostered
Even though Paul Sewald is beginning to pitch better, Martinez still appears to be the ninth-inning favorite in Arizona. The right-hander finally was able to notch saves on back-to-back days and also had a multi-inning save this week. On the season, he has a 1.89 ERA and 71:30 K:BB ratio over 57 innings. He clearly has the team’s trust right now, which is enough for you to roster him if you need saves considering how well the Diamondbacks have been playing of late.
Bowden Francis - SP/RP, TOR: 42% rostered
I covered Francis’ recent success and his pitch mix changes this week in my Mixing it Up column, so I’d encourage you to check that out to see why I believe in picking him up right now, even though his next two starts are against the Red Sox and Phillies. I also don’t believe Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU (45% rostered) should be on waivers in this many leagues. He’s been excellent over the last two months with a 3.21 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings over his last eight starts,
Ryne Nelson - SP, ARI: 36% rostered
Well, the Diamondbacks did the right thing and announced they are keeping Nelson in the rotation and moving Jordan Montgomery to the bullpen. Recently, Nelson has been leaning far more aggressively into his four-seam fastball, which has helped carry him to a 2.76 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP over his last 10 starts. He has also struck out at least five batters eight times in those two starts and has six quality starts. His schedule isn’t easy the rest of the way (Mets, Giants, Astros, Brewers), but he’s been pitching well enough that you’re not running from it.
Cody Bradford - SP, TEX: 33% rostered
Bradford is starting to round back into form after returning from injury, posting a 3.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 22:3 K:BB in 21.2 innings. Bradford didn’t undergo major surgery and his team is competing for a playoff spot, so the left-hander is being pushed a little more than other guys coming back like Jeffrey Springs, which gives him a bit more of a fantasy ceiling. Bradford has been surprisingly solid for the Rangers all season and also has an elite schedule the rest of the way facing the A’s, Angels, and Mariners if the Rangers maintain their rotation. The same can be said for his teammate Jon Gray - SP, TEX (22% rostered), whose next two starts are against the A’s and Angels before getting a matchup against the Diamondbacks that we probably want to avoid.
Seranthony Dominguez - RP, BAL: 33% rostered
Dominguez stumbled against the Mets, allowing two walk-off home runs; however, he remains the Orioles’ choice at closer right now with Craig Kimbrel continuing to struggle. Even with the poor series against the Mets, Dominguez has five consecutive save chances for the Orioles and has a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 16:3 K:BB ratio across 13 innings since being traded to Baltimore. He’s been hard to trust in the past, but the role is valuable enough that he’s worth an add. Another option for saves is Aroldis Chapman - RP, PIT: 20% rostered, who has been great for the Pirates and is getting tons of high-leverage innings while David Bednar struggles. The Pirates keep going back to Bednar, and he has looked good in a few outings, but he remains inconsistent, so the Pirates could still go to Chapman here and there if Bednar can’t get his mojo back.
Albert Suarez - SP, BAL (33% rostered)
Suarez has been excellent since taking over Grayson Rodriguez’s spot in the rotation at the beginning of August. In three starts since that time, he’s pitched 17.2 scoreless innings and now has a 3.18 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 78:33 K:BB in 96.1 innings on the year. He will pitch in Coors this week, which I think you can avoid in 12-team leagues but use in deeper formats, and then he’ll face the White Sox and Red Sox in his next two outings.
Edwin Uceta - RP, TB (26% rostered)
Yes, the Rays turned another random reliever into a stud. He’s been stellar this year in Tampa Bay, allowing three total runs and amassing a 39/4 K/BB in 31 1/3 innings this season. He’s also now stepped into the Rays’ closer role with Pete Fairbanks hurt and, much like Erceg, needs to be rostered in far more leagues right now. Porter Hodge - RP, CHC (16% rostered) and Jorge Lopez - RP, CHC (19% rostered) can also both be rostered given that they appear to be forming a committee in Chicago after the team released Hector Neris. Right after Neris was released, Hodge stepped up to earn his second save of the season. However, on Friday, Hodge was used earlier in the game in a high-leverage situation, and Lopez was able to snag his second save with the team. My gut is that Lopez, who had 14 straight scoreless appearances for the Cubs until last week, is the favorite for saves because Hodge will be used in the most high-leverage situations. However, they both should get opportunities down the stretch.
Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 20% rostered
Zebby Matthews made his MLB debut last week, and I broke down his pitch mix in this week’s Mixing It Up, so I’d encourage you to check that out to see why I’m a fan.
Andrew Heaney - SP, TEX: 16% rostered
Heaney has a two-start week and it’s against the White Sox and Athletics. I don’t really need to tell you more.
Matthew Boyd - SP, CLE: 16% rostered
Boyd sat 92.2 mph on his four-seam fastball in his season debut, which was up from when we saw him last. He also continued to spin a solid slider and mix in a changeup against righties. Then he ran into Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in his second start and things didn’t go great. Still, Boyd seemed healthy, and he was electric in his rehab starts, posting an 0.83 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and 27:2 K:BB in 21.2 innings. I still believe he’s worth a gamble in deeper formats.
David Festa - SP, MIN: 14% rostered
Yes, Festa hasn’t pitched more than five innings in any of his eight starts, and the home run issues that seem to bite him have led to a 5.20 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, but he’s been better in this second taste of the big leagues, striking out at least six batters in five of those eight games while posting a 44:11 K:BB ratio in 36.1 innings. I’m never opposed to chasing strikeout upside, and Festa was enjoying a great year in the minors, so I believe in his potential. I would pass on this next start against the Braves, but I don’t mind a final schedule that includes the Rays, Royals, and Reds.
Jack Leiter - SP, TEX: 5% rostered
Leiter was a huge disappointment in his first three major league starts in April and May, pitching to a 16.39 ERA. However, the second overall pick in the 2021 Draft has turned things around of late, showcasing increased velocity that has helped lead to a 2.57 ERA and a 63:18 K:BB ratio in 42 innings over his last nine starts. With Max Scherzer (shoulder) suffering a setback and Dane Dunning faltering in his last spot start, the Rangers have said they’re going to call Leiter up again and he gets a cake matchup against the White Sox this week. Maybe the third time is the charm?
Ty Madden - SP, DET: 1% rostered
It’s not the same type of promotion that Dylan Crews is, but the Tigers are calling up one of their top pitching prospects, Ty Madden, to face the White Sox on Monday. The issue is that Madden hasn’t really been great this year. The 2021 first-round pick has a 4.30 ERA with 403 strikeouts in 337 1/3 innings pitched in his minor league career but has a 6.98 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 22 appearances in 2024, including a 7.97 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in Triple-A. He has been striking hitters out, but there are some Tigers beat writers who are suggesting that the team wants to give Madden a look against MLB hitters to decide if his long-term future should be shifted to the bullpen. As a result, you don’t really need to be adding him in any formats right now.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
Andrew Heaney (TEX) - at CWS, vs OAK
Nick Martinez (CIN) - vs OAK, vs MIL
Cody Bradford (TEX) - vs OAK
Micheal Lorenzen (KC) - at CLE, at HOU
David Peterson (NYM) - at CWS
Jon Gray (TEX) - vs OAK
Javier Assad (CHC) - at WAS
Cooper Criswell (BOS) - vs TOR, at DET
Jose Quintana (NYM) - at CWS
Jameson Taillon (CHC) - at PIT
Zebby Matthews (MIN) - vs TOR
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) - vs NYM
Alex Cobb (CLE) - vs PIT
Griffin Canning (LAA) - at DET
Keider Montero (DET) - vs LAA
Jack Leiter (TEX) - at CWS
Martin Perez (SD) - at TB
DJ Herz (WAS) - vs CHC
Matthew Boyd (CLE) - vs PIT
Davis Martin (CWS) - vs DET, vs NYM
Jordan Wicks (CHC) - at WAS
Ben Lively (CLE) - vs PIT
Julian Aguiar (CIN) - vs OAK