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
Wilyer Abreu - OF, BOS (44% rostered)
(STRONG SIDE PLATOON, POWER UPSIDE)
Yes, Abreu sits against left-handed pitching, which might be why his roster rate remains low, but he has been tremendous all season and has been swinging a good bat of late, going 10-for-34 (.294) over the last 11 games with three home runs and 11 RBI. He’ll chip in a little bit in all five categories and needs to be rostered more widely. If you also wanted some RBI upside, you could go take a shot on TJ Friedl - OF, CIN (37% rostered), who has emerged as an unlikely clean-up hitter in Cincinnati. Despite being drafted in fantasy leagues for his speed, Friedl has 15 RBI in his last 13 games. He also has just six steals on the season, so perhaps the multitude of injuries has impacted how much the Reds are willing to let him run. That would be a knock to his fantasy ceiling, but the RBI value is there.
Austin Wells - C, NYY (34% rostered)
(NEW LINEUP SPOT, POWER UPSIDE)
Even with Giancarlo Stanton back, Wells has remained the clean-up hitter for the Yankees and the new lineup spot has also been a huge boost to his value. In July, he hit .277 in 21 games with five home runs, 12 runs, and 14 RBI. Those are good numbers for hitters at most positions and great numbers for a catcher. This Yankees lineup is a bit deeper now, so Wells is a great add in all league types. In deeper formats, you could also turn to Alejandro Kirk - C, TOR: (4% rostered) who is now the everyday catcher in Toronto with Danny Jansen on the Red Sox or Joey Bart - C, PIT: (7% rostered), who has been tremendous over the last two weeks. Another option is Freddy Fermin - C, KC (7% rostered), who has been getting regular playing time at DH too.
Tommy Edman - 2B/SS/OF, LAD (28% rostered)
(IMPENDING IL RETURN, EVERYDAY JOB)
The Dodgers have said that they expect Edman to return a week from Monday. When he does, he should emerge as the everyday shortstop for the Dodgers with Mookie Betts shifting to right field. Even if Edman’s wrist injury saps some of the power from his bat (not that there had been much), he’ll be a starter with good speed who hits in the one of the best lineups in baseball. If you have a spot to stash him for one week, this is likely the time to do so.
Michael Conforto - OF, SF: 23% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POWER/RBI UPSIDE)
Conforto was one of the waiver wire darlings at the start of the season, but he slumped and battled injuries and has seen his roster rates drop drastically. However, he has been pretty good for the last month and really turned it on over the last two weeks, hitting 13-for-38 (.342) with two home runs and 10 RBI in 12 games. He hits third in a solid lineup, which will continue to give him ample chances to knock in runs.
Coby Mayo - 3B, BAL (21% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME RISK, POWER UPSIDE)
I know Mayo is not playing a lot now, but I’m still willing to add him in places where I can stash him on the bench because the upside is so high. Coby Mayo got the call after hitting .308/.384/.619 with 23 homers, 67 RBI, and four steals in 357 plate appearances in the minors this season. He is a plus offensive prospect who should be the everyday third baseman for one of the best offenses in baseball now that Jordan Westburg is out. At some point, I have to believe the Orioles will let him get a legit shot to take the job.
Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA: 15% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, POWER SURGE)
Coming into the season, I was not a fan of Schanuel for fantasy because I didn’t expect the Angels to be good, and I felt like he didn’t have enough power to be a fantasy-relevant first baseman. However, Schanuel has really been showing clear signs of progress as a hitter. We knew that he had good plate discipline but since June 1st he’s fifth amongst 1B with a .290 batting average while also ranking first in walk rate, fifth in strikeout rate, and fourth in wRC+. Those elite swing decisions have also allowed him to try to turn on pitches when he sees one he can drive, and he has six home runs since June 1st too. It’s not a lot, but Schanuel becoming a 20-home-run hitter while posting a plus batting average and hitting leadoff makes him a solid fantasy target. A trade helped Josh Bell - 1B, ARI (38% rostered), who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late, going 26-for-88 (.295) over the last month with 10 home runs and 19 RBI. The injury to Christian Walker forced the Diamondbacks to go out and add Bell, so he now finds himself in a slightly better park and a much better lineup, which should help his fantasy value down the stretch.
Geraldo Perdomo -2B/3B/SS, ARI (16% rostered)
(RUNS, SPEED UPSIDE)
Perdomo, who was an All-Star last season, missed much of the season with an injury, but has hit .291 with 34 runs scored and 21 RBI in 54 games since returning. He only has three steals so far this year, but he did steal 16 last year, so he could also give you solid run totals from here on out too despite hitting near the bottom of Arizona’s lineup. You could also take a gamble on Ernie Clement - 2B/3B/SS, TOR (11% rostered), who is a full-time starter for the Blue Jays and has also started to run more of late. Clement has three steals in his last six games but is also hitting .300 over his last 24 games, so if he can pair that solid batting average and positional versatility with some speed, he could be a solid deep league add.
Jake McCarthy -OF, ARI (10% rostered)
(HOT STREAK, SPEED UPSIDE)
McCarthy has started six of the last seven games for Arizona, including against two left-handed pitchers. He’s been tremendous over the last two weeks. There could be some playing time concerns when Christian Walker returns. Right now, Josh Bell is able to play first base with Joc Pederson at DH against right-handed pitching. However, when Walker is back, if the Diamondbacks want to get both Bell and Pederson in the lineup, it may push Joc to the outfield, which could impact McCarthy’s playing time. Another speed option in deeper formats is Alex Call - OF, WAS (11% rostered) who is now in an everyday role after Jesse Winker and Lane Thomas were traded at the deadline. Call has gone 19-for-41 (.462) in his 12 games since being activated with nine RBI and three steals. He’ll lead off basically every day for the Nationals from here on out, and while that batting average will come down, he could be a good deep league source of runs and steals.
Matt Wallner- OF, MIN: 9% rostered
(STRONG SIDE PLATOON, POWER UPSIDE)
Wallner continues to play every day against righties and produce, but people don’t seem to want to add him. The lefty is 16-for-52 (.308) in his last 17 games with four home runs, 10 runs scored, and 12 RBI. He’s more valuable in daily moves leagues because he will sit against lefties, but he was featured in my Mining The Minors article where I looked at his recent production in Triple-A. I’d encourage you to check that out, but I’m adding him for power upside. You can also get deep league power upside from Jerar Encarnación - OF, SF (1% rostered), who I was fortunate enough to grab some shares of when I was on the Rotoworld news shift the day he was recalled from Triple-A. What I wrote in the blurb that day was: “Encarnación was signed to a minor league deal with the Giants back in mid-May after hitting 19 home runs in only 107 plate appearances in the independent Mexican League following his release from the Marlins. The 26-year-old has continued to rake in the minors, hitting .352 with 10 home runs in 125 at-bats in Triple-A.” He has now been starting regularly at DH or RF for the Giants and could be worth a look if you need pop.
Parker Meadows - OF, DET: 7% 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 now played in five games, going 10-for-22 with four extra-base hits, four runs scored, and four RBI. Meadows has the raw ability to be a real contributor down the stretch and is worth a stash in most formats.
Victor Scott II - OF, STL (4% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, SPEED UPSIDE)
Scott is back. After not delivering in his MLB debut earlier this year, the speedy youngster gets another shot and will hope the second time is the charm, much like we’re seeing with Jackson Holliday. However, Scott has gone just 4-for-19 (.211) with no steals in five games since being back. He did overhaul his swing in the minors to give him a more deliberate load and provide more gap power in his swing, and while I think those changes are great long-term, it may not make a clear difference this year. He’s just a deep-league speed dart throw.
Zach Dezenzo - 3B, HOU (2% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)
We looked at the Astros’ first base situation all year and thought they needed an upgrade. While we thought it was going to be Joey Loperfido, it looks like it might now be Zach Dezenzo getting a chance. The 24-year-old corner infielder put together a breakthrough campaign last year, registering a robust .914 OPS with 18 homers and 22 steals between High-A Asheville and Double-A Corpus Christi, before slashing .391/.472/.739 in eight games at Triple-A. He has started regularly at 1B for the Astros since coming up and could be the guy moving forward.
Miguel Vargas - 2B/OF, CWS (2% rostered)
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, MODEST POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Vargas is hitting just .190/.271/.352 with four homers, 11 RBI and one stolen base in 118 plate appearances on the season, but the White Sox have said he’s going to be the every day third baseman for the rest of the season. In Triple-A for the Dodgers, Vargas was hitting .290/.440/.566 in 41 games with eight home runs, eight steals, and a ridiculous 19.9 percent walk rate. While his defensive home remains unclear, he should play every day for the White Sox and has the offensive profile to be a solid contributor across most categories without potentially being elite in any.
Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA (1% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)
Stowers has not produced since coming to Miami, so he should only be added in the deepest formats because he’s going to play every day. He did have 18 home runs in 58 games in Triple-A this year, so the power is real. The batting average won’t help you and the lineup around him is bad so temper your expectations, but the power could be there. In deeper formats, you could also look to Stower’s teammate Derek Hill - OF, MIA (1% rostered), who has started four straight games in the outfield for Miami after being claimed off waivers from the Giants on Saturday. He also has hits in all of those games. With just Vidal Brujan and his .218/.306/.316 slash line standing in the way of playing time, there’s a good chance Hill could find himself as an everyday starter and a potential add in deeper formats.
Adrian Del Castillo - C, ARI (1% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
I covered Del Castillo a few weeks ago in my Mining the Minors article and he’s now getting a chance to start with Gabriel Moreno hurt. In the article, 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].”
Pitchers
Brayan Bello - SP, BOS (48% rostered)
I’m telling you guys, Brayan Bello is coming around. Heading into this season, we desperately wanted to see his slider improve to up his strikeout total. Then, the slider got better but he lost his feel for the changeup and the results were poor. Now, it seems like the changeup, his bread-and-butter pitch, is coming back along with the new slider. It has led to 45 strikeouts in his last 40 1/3 innings. There’s a storm a-brewin’.
Ben Joyce - RP, LAA: 43% rostered
I know Hunter Strickland and Roansy Contreras have gotten some save chances post-deadline while Joyce operates as the high-leverage reliever, but Strickland simply isn’t good enough to hold that job down. Joyce is going to take it. The right-hander has a 1.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 21:11 K:BB ratio in 21 appearances this season and is the best reliever in this bullpen.
Ryan Walker - RP, SF: 37% rostered
Well, the Giants have finally made a change at closer, demoting Camilo Doval to Triple-A and turning the ninth inning over to Ryan Walker. Walker had been working high-leverage situations in the sixth and seventh innings this season, which made it seem possible that Jordan Hicks or one of the Rogers brothers would get the first crack to replace Doval but not so. Walker has a 2.24 ERA and a 71/13 K/BB ratio in 60 1/3 innings on the season and should be added in all formats if you need saves. It also seems like Lucas Erceg - RP, KC (12% rostered) will be taking over as closer now that Hunter Harvey is on the IL.
A.J. Puk - RP, ARI: 27% rostered and Justin Martinez - RP, ARI: 24% rostered
The Arizona bullpen situation is a bit of a mess at the moment, but it does seem like Martinez is emerging as the ninth-inning favorite. The right-hander has made six straight scoreless appearances with 12 strikeouts in those six innings and has posted a sub-2.00 ERA on the year. It’s possible that he could emerge into some kind of split with left-hander A.J. Puk, but they’re both worth rostering right now while this situation plays out.
Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU: 26% rostered
Arrighetti has been looking sharp for a few weeks now, and I covered his arsenal changes in June in my second-half stashes article, so I encourage you to check that out.
Ryne Nelson - SP, ARI: 25% rostered
I’m not sure enough people are talking about how good Nelson has been of late. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in five of his last seven starts and has a 3.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in his last 38 innings. Some smart people were in on him earlier in the season and Nelson’s strikeout rates have continued to improve as he leans more on his four-seam fastball up in the zone. He has solid stuff and should be a good long-term bet to remain in the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
Edward Cabrera- SP, MIA: 18% rostered
Is this finally happening? We’ve been dreaming on Edward Cabrera’s upside for a while. He has the stuff to be electric if he could hone his command. Well, over his last two starts he has thrown 12 shutout innings against the Braves and Padres while striking out 12 hitters. He’s now thrown four straight starts after the All-Star break where he allowed three or fewer runs. He has leaned more into his elite changeup, throwing it over 50% of the time against the Padres. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come?
Tyler Mahle - SP, TEX (18% rostered)
Mahle allowed on earned run on five hits in five innings in his season debut against the Astros. While the start was electric, and Mahle was around 92.3 mph on his fastball, he limited a potent Astros lineup to one run. He was up to 76 pitches and should see his pitch count stretched out a bit more in the coming weeks. I’ve admittedly always been a sucker for Mahle, but I think he’s a good pitcher in a good pitching park on a good team, so I’ll be adding him in places.
Alex Cobb - SP, CLE: 14% rostered
Cobb didn’t have a great first start with Cleveland, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings while inducing just three whiffs on 82 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 23 percent. The veteran was effective in San Francisco, pitching to a 3.80 ERA in 301 innings across two seasons. He’s not going to rack up tons of strikeouts and has a tendency to give up a decent amount of hits which has hurt his WHIP, but he is a solid and dependable starter for most league types.
Jose Butto- SP/RP, NYM: 12% rostered
Sometimes, there is no better add for your team than a multi-inning reliever. Nick Martinez - SP/RP, CIN (9% rostered) was also in that boat but has seemingly emerged as the fifth starter in Cincinnati after Frankie Montas was traded.
David Festa - SP, MIN: 12% rostered
Oh yeah, we’re doing this again. Festa was great as a bulk reliever when he came back up from the minors and then looked good as a traditional starter this week. He filled the strike zone with sliders and was able to effectively elevate the four-seamer upstairs while mixing in some great changeups along the way. Even in his earlier starts where the surface-level stats were not promising, Festa displayed a true three-pitch arsenal and the potential for real swing-and-miss upside. With Chris Paddack on the IL, there could be room for Festa to slot back into the starting rotation provided the Twins don’t add a pitcher at the deadline. I’m willing to bet on the raw skills here.
Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 2% rostered
There’s a good chance that the Twins will call up Zebby Matthews to make his MLB debut next week. The 24-year-old right-hander was dominant to start the year in Double-A, posting a 1.95 ERA, and 0.76 WHIP with a 63:6 K:BB ratio. He can run it up to 98 mph and has an absurd 114 strikeouts to only seven walks on the season. He has been getting hit a little harder at Triple-A, so he’s not a slam dunk add, but he should provide a solid WHIP and has the upside to stick around in the rotation.
Matthew Boyd - SP, CLE: 2% rostered
It looks like Boyd will make his season debut with the Guardians next week. In his last rehab start, Boyd threw six scoreless innings for Triple-A Columbus, struck out seven, gave up one hit, and walked nobody. The veteran has looked great in his five rehab outings, posting an 0.83 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and 27:2 K:BB in 21.2 innings. He’s worth a gamble in deeper formats.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
Paul Blackburn (NYM) - at OAK, vs MIA
Ryne Nelson (ARI) - at TB
Jose Quintana (NYM) - at OAK
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) - vs CWS
Trevor Rogers (BAL) - vs WAS
Edward Cabrera (MIA) - at NYM
Bowden Francis (TOR) - at LAA, vs CHC
Tyler Mahle (TEX) - at BOS, vs MIN
Hayden Birdsong (SF) - at OAK
Tyler Phillips (PHI) - vs MIA
David Peterson (NYM) - at OAK
Jose Soriano (LAA) - vs TOR
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) - vs COL
Nick Martinez (CIN) - vs KC
Dean Kremer (BAL) - vs WAS
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) - vs COL
David Festa (MIN) - at TEX
Tobias Myers (MIL) - vs CLE
Mitch Spence (OAK) - at NYM
Joey Estes (OAK) - at NYM
Matthew Boyd (CLE) - vs CHC
Alex Cobb (CLE) - vs CHC
Roddery Munoz (MIA) - at NYM
Carson Spiers (CIN) - vs STL
Carson Fulmer (LAA) - vs TOR
Zebby Matthews (MIN) - vs KC