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
Eugenio Suarez - 3B, ARI (51% rostered). Was 43% rostered when this was drafted
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
I had Suarez in here for three weeks because he was in the midst of yet another summer surge. In July, Suarez hit 30-for-90 (.333) with 10 home runs and 27 RBI in 25 games. 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 need to acknowledge that he 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, so I’d be looking to add him in leagues where I need power.
Juan Yepez - 1B/OF, WAS: 42% rostered
(EVERY DAY PLAYER, RBI UPSIDE)
When the Nationals moved on from Joey Meneses, they installed Yepez as their starting first baseman and clean-up hitter. He’s responded by hitting .333 in 24 games with two home runs, 15 runs, and 14 RBI. The power won’t be tremendous, but he’s playing every day and hitting in the middle the lineup, so he could be a good source of RBI with some chip-in power and a decent batting average from here on out. If you need power in the short term, you can also add Michael Toglia - 1B/OF, COL (37% rostered), who has 10 home runs since July 1st. The Rockies are at home all week, so it’s the right time to take a gamble on Toglia, who will likely never hit for a really high batting average.
Coby Mayo - 3B, BAL (34% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
It finally happened. Coby Mayo got the call. He was 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 will now likely be the everyday third baseman for one of the best offenses in baseball. He’ll likely hit in the bottom third of the lineup and we’ve seen rookie hitters struggle in their first big league stint, but Mayo deserves to be given a shot in any league where you need a third baseman.
Austin Wells - C, NYY (32% rostered)
(NEW LINEUP SPOT, POWER UPSIDE)
Even with Giancarlo Stanton back, Wells has remained the clean-up hitter for the Yankees. With Jose Trevino on the IL, Wells was already the clear top catcher on the Yankees, but 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 Dillon Dingler - C, DET: (2% rostered), who is one of the Tigers’ top prospects and now getting a shot in the big leagues. The 25-year-old slashed .308/.379/.559 for Triple-A Toledo with 17 home runs in 71 games, so even though he hasn’t started many games since being promoted, he has the offensive profile to push for more playing time down the stretch.
Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY: 26% rostered
(INJURY STASH, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I know The Yankees don’t seem to have space for Dominguez in their MLB roster, but I just can’t see them allowing Alex Verdugo to hold off Dominguez if the young prospect continues to rake after recovering from an oblique injury. The 21-year-old has elite power and would be playing in the perfect park for his offensive profile. It’s a risky stash because there’s no clear timeline for his return, but the upside is immense. It might also not be a bad idea to stash Deyvison De Los Santos - 3B, MIA (5% rostered) who could emerge as a first base or DH option for the Marlins down the stretch. De Los Santos is a clear upgrade on Jonah Bride and has hit over 30 home runs in the minors this season. However, the risk is clear. He plays for the Marlins, who don’t seem to have the incentive to want to win games at the end of the season, and he’s not on the 40-man roster, so the Marlins would need to cut somebody to make room for De Los Santos. They could/should but we’re just not sure if they will.
Nolan Schanuel - 1B, LAA: 18% 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 14-for-40 (.350) over the last two weeks with seven home runs and 11 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.
Hunter Renfroe -1B/OF, KC (10% rostered)
(HOT STREAK, POWER UPSIDE)
Renfroe has been heating up in an offense that is pretty solid overall. Since July 1st, Renfroe is hitting .307 in 26 games with three home runs and 16 RBI. Over that stretch, he has just a 13% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate, so the swing decisions have been much better. He has the power to hit it out of any stadium, so Kauffman Stadium shouldn’t be a major concern, and I’d be looking to grab Renfroe in deeper leagues where I need power or RBI. Another option if you’re looking for a middle-of-the-order hitter is Harold Ramirez - OF, WAS (3% rostered) who is now in an everyday role after Jesse Winker was traded to the Mets. He’s responded by hitting 10-for-30 (.333) in eight games since the All-Star break with one home run and nine RBI. We’ve seen Ramirez post high-barrel rates and be a solid source of batting average before, so there’s no reason he can’t do it again in deeper formats.
Austin Hays - OF, PHI (7% rostered)
(NEW TEAM, EVERYDAY JOB)
It’s not often that being traded away from the Orioles is a benefit, but that’s certainly the case for Hays who landed with an elite offense in Philadelphia and a much better ballpark. The Phillies said Hays will be an everyday player and he sat just one game since coming over to his new team. He also has stolen two bases with the Phillies after not stealing any in Baltimore. Now, I don’t suddenly think he’s an elite hitter, but he’s an everyday player in a good lineup and that should give him some value in deeper formats.
Marco Luciano - SS, San Francisco Giants (4% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
The Giants called up Luciano and then gave him four straight starts before resting him on Sunday. The 22-year-old was hitting .243/.384/.371 slash line with eight homers at Triple-A this year, so the stats aren’t elite, but he has clear power upside, and the Giants are going to give him a chance to be the regular DH for the remainder of the year. If you need help in the middle infield, you could also turn to Jorge Polanco - 2B, SEA (27% rostered), who has been on fire, going 14-for-48 (.292) in 13 games since the All-Star break with five home runs, 10 RBI, and 11 runs scored. He has been fantasy-relevant before, and we know this Mariners offense has the talent to wake up and succeed down the stretch. However, it should be noted that Polanco is managing a knee issue and has had knee issues in the past, so that is a bit concerning.
Joey Loperfido - OF - Toronto Blue Jays: 3% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Joey Loperfido appears to be the starting left fielder for the Blue Jays. I know that people soured on Loperfido after the Astros wouldn’t play him regularly, but I firmly believe he can be an MLB regular. He had 13 home runs and nine stolen bases in just 36 games in Triple-A with above-average contact rates and elite barrel rates. He has some swing-and-miss in his game, but he doesn’t expand the zone often, and I’m willing to bet on a player who makes good swing decisions and hits the ball hard.
Miguel Vargas - 2B/OF, CWS (2% rostered)
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, MODEST POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Another winner at the trade deadline from a playing time perspective was Vargas, who is now getting a chance to be the everyday leadoff hitter for the White Sox. Before getting a look as a left fielder against left-handers for the Dodgers, he was hitting .290/.440/.566 in 41 games at Triple-A 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. If you wanted another MIF option that has been surging of late, you could take a look at Vargas’ former teammate Gavin Lux - 2B/OF, LAD (29% rostered), who has gone 17-for-42 (.405) in 14 games since the All-Star break with three home runs, eight runs, 12 RBI and one steal. He won’t run much or hit for much power, but the Dodgers have played him against a few lefties recently as well, which means he could be emerging as an everyday player in a good lineup and that’s worth something.
Kyle Stowers - OF, MIA (1% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)
The Marlins traded for two of the Orioles’ top prospects at the deadline, but only Stowers made it to the active roster. He’s also just 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts since coming to Miami, but he’s going to play every day and 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. If you want power upside with a little better team context, you could also look to add Matt Wallner- OF, MIN: 4% rostered. When Matt Wallner came back up, he started every game, including multiple starts against left-handed pitching. That has changed in this last week, but Wallner should continue to play every day against righties, and 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 since he’s gone 16-for-47 (.340) with five home runs since coming back up.
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 39 strikeouts in his last 35 2/3 innings. There’s a storm a-brewin’.
River Ryan – SP, LAD: 41% rostered
When Ryan was called up, I didn’t know how fantasy-relevant he would be since he never pitched deep into games in the minors, but he went 5.1 innings in his first start and then over 90 pitches in his next. I covered Ryan’s arsenal in detail in my Mixing It Up column here, so you should check that out to see why I like him as a pitcher. There remain some questions about what will happen now that Jack Flaherty is in town if/when the Dodgers decide to bring back Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller. However, neither seems close to a return, so Ryan may get at least a few turns in the rotation.
Eduardo Rodriguez - SP, ARI: 37% rostered
Rodriguez rejoined Arizona on Friday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and appears poised to make his Diamondbacks debut next week when they travel to Cleveland. The 31-year-old southpaw has been out since spring training due to a lingering shoulder ailment. He always figured to be a regression candidate after he way out-pitched his peripherals last year, but he’s been a rock-solid starter who is now pitching for a good team, so there will be some fantasy value here, even if the ceiling isn’t too high. I might not start him right away, but he’s worth a stash on your bench.
Hayden Birdsong - SP, SF (32% rostered)
With the Giants trading away Alex Cobb, they opened up a spot in the rotation for Birdsong to slide back in. The rookie has a 2.97 ERA in six big league starts but also an 11.9% walk rate. His four-seam fastball is a below-average pitch, so he needs to stop relying on it so much, but the slider and changeup appear to be legit. There could be something intriguing here with Birdsong, but I’d like to see improved command and a slight pitch mix change.
Ben Joyce - RP, LAA: 31% rostered
I know Hunter Strickland has gotten the first few 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. If you wanted another possible closer stash, you could look to add Tyler Ferguson - RP, OAK (2% rostered) who has emerged as the closer in Oakland with Mason Miller on the IL. The unheralded 30-year-old rookie has reeled off seven consecutive scoreless appearances since July 13 and appears primed for a high-leverage role in Oakland the rest of the way. There won’t be a ton of save chances for him, but he’s looked extremely sharp since the All-Star break.
Jose Quintana - SP, NYM: 30% rostered and JP Sears - SP, OAK: 11% rostered
I wanted to lump these two in together because both lefties are streamers who are in the midst of strong streaks right now. Quintana has a 2.05 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in his last 30 2.3 innings while Sears, who switched up his release point and his pitch mix of late has a 3.07 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. They should be viewed as priority streamers while they are running hot like this.
Ryne Nelson - SP, ARI: 30% 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 four of his last six starts and has posted a 2.51 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 32 1/3 innings while striking out 30. Some smart people were in on him earlier in the season and while the strikeout rates will never be elite, Nelson has solid stuff and should be a good long-term bet to remain in the Diamondbacks rotation.
Alex Cobb - SP, CLE: 7% rostered
Cobb seemed likely to make his season debut this week following offseason hip and shoulder injuries but he popped a blister in his last start and had his rehab assignment pushed back. Then he was traded to Cleveland on Tuesday. His new organization will give him one more rehab start this weekend and then could activate him next week. 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.
Tyler Mahle - SP, TEX (5% rostered)
Mahle finished his minor league rehab outings and will make his debut for the Rangers on Tuesday against the Astros. The 29-year-old righty, who is coming off last year’s Tommy John surgery, has been a personal favorite because of his ability to miss bats. He has struggled to provide consistency in the past, but he’s now in a great pitcher’s park and should be a high-upside stash; although, I probably wouldn’t start him next week.
David Festa - SP, MIN: 3% 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.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
Hayden Birdsong (SF) - at WAS, vs DET
Nick Martinez (CIN) - at MIA, at MIL
River Ryan (LAD) - vs PIT
Brayan Bello (BOS) - at KC
Andre Pallante (STL) - vs NYM, at KC
David Festa (MIN) - at CHC, vs CLE
JP Sears (OAK) - vs CWS, at TOR
Sean Manaea (NYM) - at STL, at SEA
Jose Soriano (LAA) - at WAS
Michael Lorenzen (KC) - vs STL
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) - at OAK
Luis L Ortiz (PIT) - vs SD
Yariel Rodriguez (TOR) - vs OAK
Joey Estes (OAK) - vs CWS
Dean Kremer (BAL) - at TOR
Javier Assad (CHC) - vs MIN
Martin Perez (PIT) - at MIA
Edward Cabrera (MIA) - vs SD
Griffin Canning (LAA) - at WAS
Alex Cobb (CLE) - at MIN
Tobias Myers (MIL) - vs CIN
Ross Stripling (OAK) - vs CWS
Drew Thorpe (CWS) - at OAK
Joey Cantillo (CLE) - at MIN
Players to Drop
Bo Bichette - SS, TOR: 79% rostered
Bichette remains on the IL with a calf injury (again), and I think that may have helped seal the deal for fantasy managers. The Blue Jays said Bichette would be out for “multiple weeks,” which is a vague timeline that likely puts him back sometime in August. When you factor in that he’s been on the IL multiple times this season with the same injury, that the Blue Jays are not in playoff contention, and that Bichette himself is having a poor season, I see no reason the team will rush him back. If you have the IL spot, go ahead and hold him, but you might get one month of Bichette this season, and the production hasn’t been there to warrant holding him on your bench if you’re contending for a title in your league.
Jake Cronenworth - 1B/2B, SD: 77% rostered
Cronenworth got off to a strong start to the season, but he’s been bad for months now. He hasn’t hit over .250 in a month since May, has just eight RBI since July 1st, and is hitting just .180 since the All-Star break. In 10 and 12-team leagues, I just don’t think you have to hold onto Cronenworth. I know he’s playing every day in a good lineup, but I think there is better production out there.
Mike Trout - OF, LAA: 60% rostered
It’s just sad at this point that Mike Trout’s body can’t hold up. He was close to returning from injury before suffering another meniscus injury that will sideline him for the rest of the year. Unless you’re in a dynasty league, it’s time to drop Trout.
Nolan Gorman - 2B, STL: 54% rostered
Yes, I know Gorman has clear power, but he is a batting average liability, and the Cardinals may have finally had enough. Gorman has now been in the lineup just three times in the Cardinals’ last 10 games. He’s losing playing time to Brendan Donovan and is no longer a player you need to hold onto, especially if your team has enough power.