Roberto Perez (C, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: With Yan Gomes sidelined for 6-8 weeks, Roberto Perez is now the primary backstop for the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland’s front office is high on Perez after his .305/.405/.517 slash line at Triple-A last season. The one word of caution I would have is that Perez may be a bit of a burden on fantasy managers’ batting average. His career AVG at .260 and is expected to drop now that he’s facing major league pitching.

Perez came out of the gates hot, going 2-4 with a two-run blast in his first game this season. Since then he’s gone 0-7 in his past three games, but an adjustment period is to be expected. Perez is not going to win owners their league’s this year, but he does make for a viable 6 week Band-Aid for Yan Gomes owners or others struggling at the position. And his double-digit walk rate in the minors should translate to the highest level to some regard, helping fantasy managers in OBP and walks.