Joe Smith (RP, LAA) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

ANALYSIS: Since he came up in 2007, Smith has been a very reliable middle relief option for every team he has played on. In each of his final three seasons in Cleveland before signing with the Angels in 2014, he had a sub-3.00 ERA with 60+ IP. This year, he has a 10.02 K/9 ratio and a 4.50 K/BB ratio, both of which are far and away the best of his career. He has impressed in his six save opportunities, converting on all of them without surrendering a single run in the process. He has the talent, and with Ernesto Frieri struggling he now has a very nice opportunity. After being explicitly removed from the closer role by Mike Scioscia, Frieri was put into the 9th inning Thursday night in a non-save situation and promptly got shellacked, giving up 3 ER and leaving incumbent closer Joe Smith to mop up his mess and lock down the save. Still, chances are decent that Ernesto Frieri re-captures his job as closer at some point, thus sending Smith back into a set-up role, but right now there's no risks in picking him up, just make sure not to drop anybody valuable, since Smith is likely just a one or two month solution. If you're desperate for saves, he could be worth a pickup in all leagues, but don't rely on him for the long-term.