RADIO
Your draft is over, the season has begun and it's time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. WRONG! With each team now having played at least two or three games, it's the perfect time to overreact to that 3-for-3 performance on Opening Day or that spot start given to an unheralded prospect. Well, maybe that's not the best way to go, but in fact there may be some valuable players sitting in the free agent pool just waiting to be snatched up by a savvy owner. If you drafted an injured player to stash on your DL spot for later, you may also find yourself with an open slot on your roster. Why let it go to waste?
AL-only leagues provide an extra challenge by shrinking that pool significantly. So, who do you take with your precious first pick-up of the year? Each week you will see a list of names here that could be viable options for AL owners.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily. Prefer using your phone? Our free waiver wire app is available for download in the Apple & Android Stores.
American League Waiver Wire Pickups
Jarrod Dyson (KC, OF) - 16% owned - An important role player on the champion Royals, Dyson is worth starting for his speed alone. He stole 26 bases last year in only 90 games and had stolen 30 or more in each of the previous three seasons, also in a part-time role. With the losses of Alex Rios and Ben Zobrist, the path is paved for Dyson to finally take on a full-time role. He won't be a factor in any other category, but if he keeps the right field job on a regular basis as expected, he could easily surpass 50 SB. Dyson is lightly owned because he is starting the season on the disabled list, but he is already scheduled to return early next week. Some owners have even dropped him because of his DL tag in order to pursue other free agents. Smart owners will grab him now before anyone else realizes what they're missing.
Eduardo Escobar (MIN, 2B/3B/SS/OF) - 16% owned - Just looking at all the positions Escobar is eligible for in Yahoo leagues might be enough to make you salivate. Much like in real life, fantasy owners know the value of having a player on your bench that you can plug in at multiple positions in case of injury. AL-only owners should especially appreciate this flexibility as positional scarcity often rears its ugly head. Although he has been considered a light-hitting utility infielder up until now, Escobar produced 12 HR and 58 RBI last year and is currently the starting shortstop for Minnesota. A wise man once said, "consistent mediocrity is far better than a year of Dan Uggla in your lineup."
Avisail Garcia (CHI, OF) - 10% owned - Once the White Sox acquired Austin Jackson to be their everyday center fielder, many fantasy pundits, including your's truly, were calling Garcia undraftable because he appeared slated for the bench. Then the whole LaRoche thing happened (let's not get into that) and the DH position suddenly became available. Garcia is only 24 and has loads of talent. As an impending free agent, this would be the perfect opportunity to prove his worth. After putting up monster numbers in the Cactus League (5 HR, 19 RBI, 1.114 OPS) he is certainly worth taking a chance on.
C.J. Cron (LAA, 1B) - 7% owned - This pick is all about opportunity. With Pujols at DH full-time, Cron gets the chance to play first base every day. He has put up decent slugging percentages of .450 and .439 the past two years and hit 16 HRs last year in limited time. Take a chance on Cron and see if he can maintain that type of power production over a whole season.
Cameron Maybin (DET, OF) - 6% owned - Like Dyson, Cameron Maybin is another speedy outfielder who has gone largely undrafted because of his DL status. He also should see the field early next week and hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera, well, it doesn't hurt. Maybin has had an up-and-down career and never quite fulfilled his potential, but he is not too far removed from a 40-steal season and had 23 last year. Think cheap steals and a fair amount of runs scored.
Desmond Jennings (TB, OF) - 5% owned - Jennings' star has fallen fast after a couple of sub-par and injury plagued seasons. Despite being a .250 career hitter, the Rays continue to insist on making him their starting left fielder. He actually offers a nice power-speed combo when he is productive, he just hasn't done it consistently yet. If you're looking just at talent, Jennings should top this list. Now that expectations are lower for him and his team, will this be the year he puts it all together?
Leonys Martin (SEA, OF) - 3% owned - Moving from Texas to Seattle would normally damage a hitter's value, but not in Martin's case. His game is speed - he's had seasons of 36 and 31 SB with the Rangers. He is off to a hot start by scorching his former club with four hits, a homer and three RBI in 10 at-bats. After falling off big-time last year, Martin could be a hidden gem for owners.
Joey Rickard (BAL, OF) - 3% owned - You may have heard how Rickard, a Rule 5 pick, unseated famed Korean slugger Hyun Soo Kim in spring training. Kim remains on the roster, but Rickard continues to rake. Rickard is already off to a 4-for-7 start with an RBI and run scored in two games. Time for the fantasy world to start taking this kid seriously.
Chris Iannetta (SEA, C) - 2% owned - Once Mike Zunino was demoted in the spring, that cleared the way for Iannetta to reclaim a starting job. He still fits the bill as a low-average, slugging catcher who will notch over 100 games played and manage 12-15 HR and 50-60 RBI. If you missed out on the top tier of catchers or need a backup that you know will get playing time, he may be your man.
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