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
Tyler Fitzgerald - SS/OF, SF (58% rostered) was at 42% when this was drafted
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
Will this last? No, probably not, but that doesn’t mean Fitzgerald can’t bring you fantasy goodness in the near term. The 26-year-old rookie has hit .438 (14-for-32) with seven homers and 12 RBI in nine games since the All-Star break. This level of home run production isn’t sustainable, but Fitzgerald has produced solid power/speed numbers in the minor leagues over the last two seasons and is getting an everyday opportunity with the Giants right now. He should be rostered in all fantasy formats until further notice.
Jeff McNeil - 2B/OF, NYM: 47% rostered
(PLAYING TIME, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
We wrote Jeff McNeil off for dead after his awful first three months of the season, but the 32-year-old has been on an unreal stretch since the All-Star break, going 12-for-31 (.387) with four homers and nine RBI in nine games. He continues to play every day for the Mets and that shouldn’t change with the trade for Jesse Winker, unless McNeil goes back into his tailspin. But you’d be cutting him if he does that anyway.
T.J. Friedl - OF, CIN: 38% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)
Friedl is back. Again. The Reds’ former leadoff hitter has been on and off the IL throughout the season, but he has been solid when healthy and could be a good source of speed from now on. Interestingly, he has hit clean-up in each of the two games since he returned, which should change some of his fantasy value because his run totals would be smaller than expected if he’s not leading off for the Reds. If you just wanted power upside instead, you could also look to add Matt Wallner- OF, MIN: 5% rostered. When Matt Wallner came back up, he started every game, including multiple 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.
Juan Yepez - 1B/OF, WAS: 36% 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. Now, he wasn’t crushing the ball at Triple-A, and might be more of a 20-25 home run bat, but he’s playing every day and hitting in the middle of a decent lineup, so he could be a good source of RBI with some chip-in power and a decent batting average from here on out. Just keep an eye on if the Nationals trade any more hitters which would make the lineup around him a little worse. A trade could actually help Josh Bell - 1B, MIA (24% rostered), who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late, going 12-for-34 (.353) with five home runs and 10 RBI in nine games since the All-Star break. The Marlins have said they’d be willing to eat some of his salary to facilitate a trade, so it might be time to add Bell and hope he lands in a much better lineup.
Eugenio Suarez - 3B, ARI (34% rostered).
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
In July, Suarez is hitting 22-for-75 (.293) with six home runs and 19 RBI in 21 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’m taking a gamble in deeper formats where I need power. If you need power in the short term, you can also add Michael Toglia - 1B/OF, COL (22% rostered), who has eight home runs in July. The Rockies are on the road all next week, so it’s not the ideal week to add Toglia, but he’s also hitting .281 in nine games since the All-Star break so maybe you just ride the hot bat.
Xavier Edwards - 2B/SS, MIA: 28% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, SPEED UPSIDE)
Edwards has stepped into an everyday role since the Marlins traded Tim Anderson, and while the lineup around him isn’t particularly good, Edwards is getting on base and running and that might be all you need him to do. The 24-year-old is hitting at the top of the lineup and batting .349 with a .434 on-base percentage on the season. He also has eight steals in July with five of them coming in eight games after the All-Star break. He’s kind of doing what David Hamilton did a couple of months ago. If you want another multi-position add in deeper formats, you can go with Max Schuemann- 2B/SS/OF, OAK (18% rostered) since the 27-year-old is hitting .353 in 21 games in July with three home runs, 19 runs, 11 RBI and five steals. He’s hitting ninth in a mediocre 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.
Heston Kjerstad - OF, BAL (27% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
With Austin Hays being shipped to the Phillies, one major obstacle in front of Kjerstad has been removed. He now seems likely to be a regular starter against right-handed pitching at the very least and could move into a bigger role if the team trades Ryan Mountcastle, which is being rumored. Kjerstad is hitting .283 in 25 games this year with three home runs and 12 RBI and could see those power numbers start to tick up if he begins to play more regularly and get his rhythm going. You could also add his teammate, Colton Cowser - OF, BAL (34% rostered), who is also back on the radar after a good month of July where he’s hitting .298/.389/.468 with two home runs, five runs, nine RBI, and two steals in 15 games. The strikeout rate is still a bit too high, but we know the offensive profile is a good one.
Jasson Dominguez - OF, NYY: 25% rostered
(INJURY STASH, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Now is the time to stash Dominguez if he’s available in your league. The budding star is off the IL after recovering from an oblique injury and is back in Triple-A for the Yankees. The team has said they envision Jazz Chisholm playing all over the field, including 2B and 3B, so trading for him doesn’t block Dominguez. With how poorly Alex Verdugo has been playing of late, it might not be long before the Yankees call up Dominguez to be the regular left fielder, so the time to add him is now. If you’re specifically after speed, it might be time to add Victor Robles - OF, SEA (9% rostered), who has taken an everyday job and quite literally run with it. Robles has gone 17-for-42 (.405) in 14 games in July with seven steals and two home runs. We always knew he had the athleticism and raw tools to be a useful fantasy player, so perhaps he just needed a change of scenery.
Spencer Horwitz - 1B/2B, TOR (20% rostered)
(CONSISTENT PLAYING TIME, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Horwitz has been on this list a bunch, but I still love him as a batting average add. I know the counting stats aren’t as gaudy as we’d like, but Horwitz 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 41 games in his MLB career, Horwitz is hitting .295 with four home runs, 17 runs scored, and 15 RBI. The Blue Jays hit him second in the lineup every time he plays which tells me that they like him and you should too. 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. If you wanted another MIF option that has been surging of late, you could take a look at Gavin Lux - 2B/OF, LAD (17% rostered), who has gone 12-for-26 (.462) in nine games since the All-Star break with two home runs 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.
Austin Wells - C, NYY (9% rostered)
(NEW LINEUP SPOT, POWER UPSIDE)
Meet the new clean-up hitter for the Yankees. With Jose Trevino on the IL, Wells was already the clear top catcher on the Yankees, but the slumping Bombers have also turned to Wells in the clean-up spot. Now, it may only last until Giancarlo Stanton comes off the IL, but Wells has been a solid offensive player in the past and is now in a prime spot in the lineup, which makes him a solid add in most formats. You could also turn to Alejandro Kirk - C, TOR: (4% rostered) who figures to be the everyday catcher in Toronto with Danny Jansen now on the Red Sox.
Austin Hays - OF, PHI (5% 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 have said Hays will be an everyday player and while he did hit ninth in his first game with them, he also stole a base after failing to steal a bag in 63 games for the Orioles before being traded. Hay is slashing .255/.315/.391 with only three homers and 14 RBI on the season, but there were rumblings that Hays was involved in some tension in the Orioles’ locker room so perhaps a change of scenery could help boost his fantasy production. I’m happy to take a gamble on a regular starter in that strong lineup.
Justyn-Henry Malloy - 3B/OF - DET: 4% rostered
(PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)
The stats haven’t been great for Malloy, but he is hitting .254 in 17 games in July with four home runs and 10 RBI. He has a solid 11% barrel rate this season and has settled in at the three-spot for the Tigers. His home park isn’t conducive to much power success; however, you have a young hitter with an everyday role who is making loud contact and that could lead to some solid production down the stretch. If you wanted to take a gamble on another young bat getting everyday playing time, you could also take a look at his teammate Wenceel Perez - 2B/OF - DET: 10% rostered. Perez is only hitting .233 over his last 25 games, but that comes with 16 runs scored, four home runs, nine RBI, and three runs. Perez consistently hits either first or fifth for the Tigers and is striking out just 20% of the time, which is nice to see from a rookie. He makes consistent contact and despite having just a 4% barrel rate, he can drive a gap, steal a base, and put together enough counting stats to be relevant in deeper formats.
Pitchers
Hunter Harvey - RP, KC: 45% rostered
Harvey was traded to the Royals 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. The team only generated one save chance this past week and James McArthur blew the save and took a loss, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Harvey ends the year as the closer.
Luis L. Ortiz - SP, PIT (42% rostered)
I really like Ortiz based on some changes he made this season, which you can read about in my Mixing It Up article from three weeks ago. I know he faded in the sixth inning against the Diamondbacks this weekend, but I think he needs to be rostered in all formats right now as a “team streamer,” meaning a player you keep on your roster, even if you bench him for certain starts.
Jeffrey Springs - SP, TB (36% rostered)
I mentioned Springs as a stash for the last three weeks, but he is finally making his season debut. His velocity has been up to his usual levels in his rehab assignments and with both Aaron Civale and Zach Eflin traded away, Springs should slide back into the rotation when I had previously worried he would be a multi-inning reliever with a full staff around him.
Andrew Heaney- SP, TEX (33% rostered)
Andrew Heaney has changed his slider shape/velocity over his last seven starts and caught fire. I covered it deeper in my Mixing It Up article here, so check it out.
Max Meyer – SP, MIA: 31% rostered
He’s finally back...and his start didn’t go so well. We’ve all been clamoring for Meyer to be called back up since the Marlins rotation is a mess and he’s looked good in Triple-A, but it’s also important to keep in mind that the 25-year-old has a career 4.00 ERA in six MLB starts with a below-average 21.6% strikeout rate. His 27% strikeout rate in Triple-A this year was obviously better, but I don’t think he’s going to be much of a strikeout pitcher in the majors, maybe hovering around 23-24%. That’s fine but he also pitches on a bad team which won’t get him wins, so you’re just hoping he helps your ratios at this point. It’s not a bad addition for your fantasy team, but I don’t think it’s a high-upside one.
Spencer Schwellenbach - SP, ATL: 30% rostered
I covered Schwellenbach a few weeks back in my Mixing It Up column and came away pretty impressed. I was obviously impressed by his 11-strikeout outing on Saturday as well. I’d encourage you to check out the article linked above to see my detailed thoughts, but I’d be adding Schwellenbach in most formats right now.
Tyler Phillips - SP, PHI: 17% rostered
Phillips was impressive on Saturday, throwing a complete game while giving up four hits, walking one, and striking out four in his third win of the season. The 26-year-old rookie has completed at least six innings in each of his last three starts and has a 1.80 ERA over that timeframe, so we need to start paying attention. As of right now, the sweeper may be his only plus pitch, but he’s going deep into games while pitching for a good team, so that’s going to be worth an add in most formats, even if it’s just a short-term one.
River Ryan – SP, LAD: 10% rostered
I still don’t fully know how fantasy-relevant Ryan will be since he never pitched deep into games in the minors, but he did go 5.1 in his first start. 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, but I do still have some questions about his usage. Do the Dodgers have space for him in the rotation? Will they make a trade? Clayton Kershaw is back. Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller could be close to a return. Ryan may just get a few turns in the rotation, but he may also be up to stay and that makes him worth a modest bid.
Ben Joyce - RP, LAA: 7% rostered
I had been trying to grab shares of Joyce as a young, high-upside reliever who could find himself in a closer job since Joyce has added a sinker this season and is pounding the strike zone with it, which has made him more confident overall. Now Estevez has been traded, which we long expected, and Joyce could be the closer for the Angels for the remainder of the season. 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.
Alex Cobb - SP, SF: 5% rostered
Cobb made his sixth rehab start on Friday and now appears set to make his season debut this week against Oakland. It’s a pretty soft landing spot, which is nice because it’s unclear how much the Giants will push Cobb in his debut. The veteran has been 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 he 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.
David Festa - SP, MIN: 1% rostered
Oh yeah, we’re doing this again. Festa was great as a bulk reliever last week, striking out seven in 4.1 innings against the Phillies. Even in his earlier starts where the surface-level stats were not promising, Festa displayed a deep arsenal of pitches 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.
Joey Cantillo - SP, CLE: 1% rostered
Another top prospect getting a shot is Joey Cantillo, who is being called up to make his season debut on Sunday. The upcoming schedule doesn’t look great for Cantillo, but it’s just nice to see the 24-year-old healthy and on the mound after battling a few injuries over the years. This season, Cantillo has posted a 2.79 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 39/19 K/BB ratio across 29 innings in eight appearances at Triple-A Columbus. The team context is really good for him, so I like taking gambles in deeper formats.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
KEEP IN MIND THAT AS TRADES ARE MADE, ROTATIONS WILL CHANGE AND SOME OF WHAT’S BELOW WILL NOT BE RELEVANT, BUT I’LL DO THE BEST I CAN RIGHT NOW.
Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) - vs MIA
Simeon Woods-Richardson (MIN) - at NYM, vs CWS
Alec Marsh (KC)- at CWS, at DET
Carson Spiers (CIN) - vs CHC, vs SF
River Ryan (LAD) - at OAK
Tobias Myers (MIL) - at WAS
Jeffrey Springs (TB) - vs MIA
Alex Cobb (SF) - at OAK
David Festa (MIN) - at NYM
Griffin Canning (LAA) - vs COL
Andrew Heaney (TEX) - at STL
Brayan Bello (BOS) - vs SEA
Drew Thorpe (CWS) - at KC
Andre Pallante (STL) - vs TEX, at CHC
Cal Quantrill (COL) - at LAA
Trevor Rogers (MIA) - at TB
David Peterson (NYM) - at LAA
Tyler Phillips (PHI) - at SEA
Yilber Diaz (ARI) - at PIT
Javier Assad (CHC) - vs STL
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) - at OAK
Randy Vasquez (SD) - vs COL
Edward Cabrera (MIA) - at TB
Carson Fulmer (LAA) - vs COL
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) - at KC
Kyle Freeland (COL) - at LAA
Players to Drop
Bo Bichette - SS, TOR: 81% rostered
Bichette was put on the IL last week 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.
Bryan Woo - SP, SEA: 78% rostered
I’m not dropping Woo, but I’m certainly trying to trade him. Between the elbow soreness and the lingering hamstring issues, it just seems like he’s never healthy enough to go deep into games. I have too many concerns about his body holding up over the rest of the season, so if I can get anything close to value for him, I’m taking it.
Jeff Hoffman - RP, PHI: 63% rostered
I get it if you don’t want to drop Hoffman right now, but the trade for Carlos Estevez was brutal for his fantasy value. It seemed like Hoffman was emerging as the preferred option in Philadelphia, but now he’s back in a cluttered timeshare, and so I can see moving on in shallower formats or if you’re desperate for saves and don’t really care that he’ll still give you good ratios.
Jordan Romano - RP, TOR: 54% rostered
Why are so many people still rostering Romano? The Blue Jays are sellers this year and Romano wouldn’t come back until late August even if things were going well. The team has no reason to rush him back, and I’d be shocked if he threw another pitch this season.