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Welcome back to Streaming Wars, your one-stop shop for streaming the waiver wire. This article, which began last season, runs seven days a week. We are always ready to stream.
For those who are newcomers to this feature - use this column on a daily basis to improve upon your neediest categories, and target players who may be available on your waiver wire.
Below are your pitcher and hitter streaming targets for Monday, June 12. Let's get to it.
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Agenda
- Pitchers Vs. Bullpen
- Today's Weather and Updates
- Tomorrow's Picks
1. Pitchers Vs. Bullpen
Several teams have yet to announce their pitchers. We're entering the time of year when everybody is scraping the bottom of the barrel. The trend is made worse by the habit of pushing starting pitchers into the bullpen before they're finished developing. It's tempting to turn a future starting pitcher into a reliever for two reasons. There is more scope for instant gratification. It can often take a bullpen-ready pitcher over a year to learn how to effectively pitch as a starter. For some guys, it's half a decade. Incidentally, some pitchers only figure out how to start after spending some time in relief. Carlos Carrasco is the most cited example; Ross Stripling the most recent.
These same pitchers typically become mid-tier or worse starters. In the bullpen, they can be star-quality talents. However, when a team is tapping its 10th starter of the season, a slightly below average pitcher would be highly welcome. Bullpens are increasing flooded with talent, leading me to wonder if more players will be asked to follow the Stripling path.
2. Today's Weather and Updates - Monday, June 11
There is a small threat of storms in St. Louis tonight, the kind that could force a delay but not a postponement. Pay attention if you're thinking about using Jordan Lyles or Jack Flaherty.
3. Streamer Picks - Tuesday, June 12
Pitchers to Use
Tomorrow features a bunch of decent pitchers with tough matchups. Or bad pitchers with easy matchups. In any case, most everybody is either highly owned or in some kind if middle ground where they're neither streamable nor easily exploited. Chris Stratton versus Trevor Richards may be an exception. It may not. They're both pretty middling talents, even with Stratton facing the terrible Marlins offense. As for Richards, you have to buy into his minor league numbers (39.1 innings, 8.47 K/9, 0.92 BB/9, 11.8 percent SwStr%, 2.06 ERA). He hasn't put it together in the majors just yet.
Other Targets: no
Pitchers to Exploit
It's going to take Jason Vargas a long time to shake his current 7.71 ERA. However, he's not this bad. In fact, he has a luck neutral 3.50 ERA over his last four starts including a five inning shutout of the Braves. He'll face the selfsame Bravos tomorrow. While we could easily dismiss the "hot streak" as a small sample, the same can be done with his entire seasonal performance. Moreover, he showed unusual command issues through his first three starts. These seem to have ameliorated. In retrospect, this paragraph reads more like a recommendation to use him. I still expect over a 4.50 ERA tomorrow.
Other Targets: Blaine Hardy, Jaime Garcia, James Shields, Sal Romano, Ian Kennedy
Homers on the Wire
Dial in on Lonnie Chisenhall and Yonder Alonso. They find themselves opposite a homer prone righty at Guaranteed Rate Park. The "guarantee" is for home runs. Shields is a fly ball pitcher, making this a better match for Chisenhall.
Mac Williamson annihilated minor league pitching after working on some mechanical changes over the winter. Through 71 major league plate appearances, he's been modestly above average. He's a ground ball hitter. It's unclear if his opponent, Richards, has a ground ball or fly ball tendency. In the minors, he skewed towards an even distribution. These types of balanced-contact pitchers often struggle to transition to the majors. Hunter Pence might be a smarter pick. He also made some mechanical changes.
Other Targets: Danny Valencia, Aaron Hicks, Nick Williams, JaCoby Jones, Robbie Grossman, Derek Dietrich, C.J. Cron, Willy Adames, Carlos Gomez, Matt Duffy, Yolmer Sanchez, Daniel Palka, Brad Miller, Hunter Dozier, Dexter Fowler, Chase Owings, Luis Valbuena
Steals on the Wire
A recent slump has Delino DeShields on the waiver wire in most 12 team and shallower formats. He's up against an unnamed Dodgers pitcher. Yasmani Grandal has been stolen base prone this season. Runners have taken notice.
Other Targets: Greg Allen, Jose Peraza, Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot, Jarrod Dyson, Tony Kemp
