Z - MLB Waiver Wire

MLB Waiver Wire

August 6, 2007 @ 03:36:49

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Welcome to this week's edition of the Waiver Wire. On offer this week: two top outfield prospects being called up by their respective teams in the middle of pennant races, a top pitching prospect returning from injury, a former fantasy starter finding new life in a new city and one of the legends of the board game industry (in name only). Now that the dog days of August are upon us, picking up the right players on the waiver wire can be crucial to making that last push towards your championship. The players listed here can help with that final push so without further ado, here is this week's Waiver Wire.

Catchers

Ronny Paulino, Pittsburgh Pirates - Along with closers, the catcher position is one of the hardest to find worthy fantasy starters in. That is partially because of the emphasis but on defense and calling a good game that you don't get at the other positions. With that said, Paulino is a player you can take a flier on this week as he seems to be seeing the ball well recently. Ignore the .242 average, eight home runs and 32 RBI, over the past week he has been hitting .273 with three home runs, six RBI and six runs. In August so far, he is hitting .333 with three home runs, six RBI and six runs. He might not be an option for the rest of the way but provided he continues hitting well, he is worth taking a chance on. He should be available in around 99 percent of leagues.

First Basemen

Ryan Garko, Cleveland Indians - This is a player most should be familiar with as he is a regular on these kinds of lists. On the season, Garko is hitting .312 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 46 runs. He has kicked it up a notch in July and August. In July, he hit .375 with five home runs, 14 RBI and 14 runs. So far in August he is hitting .333 with one RBI. He need a boost in average, he is definitely worth picking up as he ranks 12th in the American League as of Monday, Aug. 5. Even if you need help in other areas, take a long look at him as the second-year player should be one of the key cogs in the Indians' run for the postseason. He should be available in 84 percent of leagues so it won't likely be a tough time picking him up.

Second Basemen

Mark Grudzielanek, Kansas City Royals - A player known more for his defense than offense, Grudzielanek has come alive on offense recently. He is hitting just .302 on the season, but in July, he hit .429 with one home run, 11 RBI and 16 runs. He also stole just his second base of the season. He won't win any awards for that offensive output, but if you are looking for a bump in average, he should be strongly considered. He should be available in around 98 percent of leagues.

Shortstops

Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies - Depending on what you are looking for, Tulowitzki could be worth taking a flier on. His average is sitting at .272 on the season (and just .262 in July) but the other areas of his game came alive last month. Tulowitzki's power was shown off over the last two months (June and July) when he hit 10 balls out of the park and drove in 25 runs. He also crossed the plate 31 times himself. If you need a boost in average, there are better options to consider. However, if you are looking for a player that is heating up, power-wise, and playing for a team looking to snag a postseason spot nonetheless, consider Tulowitzki. There is also the fact he plays his home games at Coors Field, arguably the top hitters' park in the league. He should be available in around 81 percent of leagues.

Third Basemen

Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers - Not the player he once was, Garciaparra can still be a solid fantasy option if you catch him at the right time. That time could be now as he seems to be seeing the ball well in July and August. Last month, Garciaparra hit .308 with two home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs. He has carried that good form into August and is hitting .333 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs in only 15 at-bats. Over his career, Garciaparra's power has been shown to come alive after the All-Star break. In roughly the same amount of games, he has hit 124 home runs after the break compared to just 93 before. If you are in need of a third baseman, Garciaparra is likely the top one still available (65 percent) so consider him strongly for a spot on your roster.

Morgan Ensberg, San Diego Padres - The Ensberg era in Houston finally came to an end with his trade to the Padres. That move could be what finally sparks Ensberg. In July he hit .319 with one home run, 10 RBI and four runs in 47 at-bats. He hasn't been as good in August, hitting just .214 with two home runs, four RBI and two runs. He is also still behind third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff at the position, however, Kouzmanoff will be part of his first pennant race, and the team could choose to go with experience down the stretch. If you do go with him, you will have to keep an eye on how often he actually plays at the position. He should be available in around 97 percent of leagues.

Outfielders

Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks - If you haven't heard of Upton's name yet, you will likely hear it often in the next couple months. The 2005 first overall draft pick, Upton was called up earlier last week to replace outfielder Carlos Quentin (hamstring) on the roster. He has played in just four games and is hitting .308 with one RBI and one run. However, he has the potential to be an impact player over the next month. In 70 games with Double-A Mobile this year, Upton hit .310 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI. Baseball also runs strong in his family as his brother, B.J., plays for the Devil Rays. It might take a few games for him to adjust to the bigs, but when he does, he has the potential to put up All-Star numbers. He should be available in almost every league.

Adam L. Jones, Seattle Mariners - Like Upton, Jones is another top prospect that got the call last week and was given his first start Friday, Aug. 3. He has played in just three games this season, hitting .250 with two runs and one stolen base. His potential, however, is much greater than that. With Triple-A Tacoma this season, Jones had been hitting .314 with 25 home runs and 84 RBI. Jones was unimpressive in a 32-game stint with the club last year (.216, one home run, eight RBI), which likely means it will take him a bit of time to adjust. However, based on potential alone, Jones would be worth taking a flier on. He should be available in around 97 percent of leagues.

Melky Cabrera, New York Yankees - Cabrera might have the name recognition that outfielder Johnny Damon or Bobby Abreu have, however, he has been hitting the ball just as well in the past month. In July, Cabrera hit .368 with three home runs, 17 RBI and 18 runs. It seems as though he is finally getting regular playing time (can Damon really be trusted to stay healthy?) and his numbers have responded. In 20 August at-bats he is hitting .300 with five RBI and one run. If you are interested in Cabrera, he should be available in around 93 percent of leagues.

Milton Bradley, San Diego Padres - Bradley seems to have found new life in San Diego, hitting .364 with four home runs, 12 RBI and 15 runs in 66 July at-bats. He has been just as good in August, hitting .333 with one home run, three RBI and two runs in nine at-bats. If those at-bats look a little low, there is a reason as he has been battling a strained hamstring. Bradley should definitely be considered, especially if you need a boost in average, but keep tabs on his injury situation as it wouldn't be his first trip to the disabled list this season. He should be available in 95 percent of leagues.

Starting Pitchers

Miguel Batista, Seattle Mariners - Batista has been a major reason why the Mariners are contending this year. After a 7.54 ERA in April, Batista has posted ERAs of 4.50, 3.03 and 3.06 in the following months. He has yet to pitch in August, but his post All-Star break numbers are impressive. In 30 2/3 innings pitched since the Midsummer Classic, Batista has gone 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and 21 strikeouts. He is not a high strikeout pitcher, but he could provide you with a decent bump in wins, ERA and WHIP should you pick him up. He is available in around 96 percent of leagues.

Philip Hughes, New York Yankees - After a three-month hiatus, Hughes finally made his long-awaited return to the Yankees' starting rotation in the past week. It did not go as expected (4 2/3 innings, six runs, seven hits), however, a little rust is understandable from a rookie pitcher. When Hughes made his first start of the season (and career) in April, he allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings. He followed that up by throwing 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball. As you can imagine, Yankees' fans are excited that he is back and hopefully the Kei Igawa experiment is done for the season. In the future, Hughes could very well be one of the top fantasy pitchers for your team. For now, he will likely need some time to acclimatize to the league. However, consider picking him up for your stretch run as he is available in 56 percent of leagues.

Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Saunders appears to finally have a regular spot in the Angels' starting rotation. He yo-yoed between Triple-A ball and the bigs earlier this season but has now made three consecutive starts and looks set to remain for the rest of the season. On the season, Saunders has posted a 5-0 record with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He has been strong so far in August, making one start where he lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up just two runs. If you are looking at him for your rotation, he should be available in 97 percent of leagues.

Relief Pitchers

C.J. Wilson/Joaquin Benoit, Texas Rangers - With the departure of closer Eric Gagne at the trade deadline, that opened the door for Wilson and Benoit to battle over who would be the team's new closer. Used mainly as a setup man or in earlier relief this season, Wilson has posted a 2-1 record with a 2.44 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched. He also has two saves since Gagne's departure. Benoit has one season on the season, although he blew his last opportunity. While Wilson has been getting the save opportunities for now, the team still plans on using Wilson and Benoit as closer until relief pitcher Akinori Otsuka (forearm) returns. Because of that, both should be looked at. Benoit should be available in 63 percent of leagues, while Wilson should be available in 59 percent of leagues.

Danys Baez, Baltimore Orioles - Because there are so few closers, it would be worth picking up Baez in your league. While he has a 0-5 record with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP this season, he has been named the team's new closer with Chris Ray (elbow) out. Baez wasn't the favorite to land the job, however, he does have 112 saves in his career. He picked up the 112th Friday, Aug. 5, in his first opportunity. As was said above, closers are a valuable commodity and Baez should be considered if you need a boost in the saves category. He should be available in 64 percent of leagues.

Bench Stashers

The following list is composed of players that have been dropped on a lot of waiver wires lately and that you should consider picking up. These players may not help you right away, but they have track records or specialties that can help you down the road.

Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle Mariners - Percent Available: 15

Matt Cain, SP, San Francisco Giants - Percent Available: 42

Johnny Damon, OF, New York Yankees - Percent Available: 10

Octavio Dotel, RP, Atlanta Braves - Percent Available: 40

Rich Hill, SP, Chicago Cubs - Percent Available: 10

Nick Markakis, OF, Baltimore Orioles - Percent Available: 15

Richie Sexson, 1B, Seattle Mariners - Percent Available: 64

Ian Snell, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates - Percent Available: 40

Willy Taveras, OF, Colorado Rockies - Percent Available: 23

Delmon Young, OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Percent Available: 40

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Author Bio

Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.