RADIO
The all-star break is almost here, which means we’re getting ever so close to the MLB trade deadline and, of course, the fantasy trade deadline.
The waiver wire can play just as important a role, too. Whether you’re unable to strike a deal or need to backfill your roster after completing a two-for-one trade, it’s critical to do your homework for potential options that you can pick up at a moment’s notice. And there’s no shortage of intriguing names out there.
Here is this week’s waiver wire watch list:
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Players to watch in 10-team leagues
Nathan Eovaldi (SP, TB) - 52% owned
Third time is almost the charm for Eovaldi, who has now made three appearances in this space. He’s right on the cusp of being rosterable in all formats. It’s understandable if owners have reservations based on his track record, but the underlying numbers back up his performance in 2018. His 3.35 ERA is virtually identical to his 3.37 xFIP and 3.31 SIERA and he’s inducing ground balls at a 48.8% clip. Pundits will point to his unsustainable .198 BABIP and they have a point, but batters have been regularly making subpar contact (23.1% soft and just 31.5% hard with an 18.8% infield fly ball rate). If he’s available in your league it’s officially decision-making time.
Stephen Piscotty (OF, OAK) - 27% owned
Now this is the Piscotty fantasy owners hoped for at the start of the season. After a slow start, Piscotty has turned things up a notch over the past month with a .302 average, 8 HR and 20 RBI with 17 runs scored. He’s lifted his OPS to .762 on the season and looks poised to continue the trend after the all-star break. A look at his Statcast data shows he’s underperformed based on his batted ball profile: his .276 xAVG is nearly 20 points higher than his actual average and his .503 xSLG is 50 points higher than his actual slugging percentage.
Carlos Gonzalez (OF, COL) - 36% owned
CarGo has been hanging around in waiver wire limbo for a large portion of the season and things are looking up once again after a red hot week. Gonzalez hit .364 with 3 HR and 10 RBI over the last seven days and his season numbers are starting to creep back up to fantasy relevancy.
Players to watch in 12-team leagues
Lou Trivino (RP, OAK) - 26% owned
Trivino has quietly put up some outstanding numbers in 2018 with a 1.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47 K in 41.1 IP. He’s not the closer in Oakland but he’s managed to vulture seven wins and four saves (plus 10 holds if your league counts those). He’s one injury away from being handed the reigns in the ninth inning.
Niko Goodrum (1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, DET) - 23% owned
Versatility is the name of the game for Goodrum but he’s becoming a legitimate fantasy option, and fast. Goodrum has hit .292 with 3 HR , 14 RBI and 2 SB in the past month and has hit .400 over the last seven days heading into Friday’s games. He should continue to get every opportunity to play down the stretch in yet another disappointing season for the Tigers.
Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - 19% owned
Kiermaier’s ownership has dropped since we last mentioned him in week 13’s watch list but he’s beginning to heat up. Over the past week the former Gold Glover has hit .280 with a homer, a steal and four runs scored and had a mini five-game hitting streak snapped on Thursday. We’ve said it before, but Kiermaier has significant power-speed potential. He got hot to finish 2017 and it’s possible he finds his stride again very soon.
Victor Arano (RP, PHI) - 26% owned
Arano is yet another Phillies reliever posting a breakout season and he clearly has manager Gabe Kapler’s trust as a late inning option. Arano has posted a 1.13 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over the past 14 days while averaging a strikeout per inning with three saves. He’s likely next in line should something happen to the also-unproven Seranthony Dominguez.
Players to watch in deeper leagues (14-team or AL/NL only)
Andrew Toles (OF, LAD) - 2% owned
Toles was recently summoned from Triple-A to fill in for the injured Yasiel Puig and he’s an interesting speculative play in deeper leagues. In 96 AB last season Toles posted a .772 OPS, and back in 2016 his triple-slash read .314/.365/.505. In four games since his promotion Toles has three hits in 10 ABs with 3 RBI. He still may not play every day right now, but he’s the type of player who could run with the job if he gets hot. If any team can turn a nobody into a star, it’s the Dodgers.
Ryan Borucki (SP, TOR) - 6% owned
The Blue Jays rotation has been a mess this year so it’s reasonable to gloss over an unheralded prospect in his first taste of the big leagues. Borucki, however, has been a pleasant surprise since making his debut on June 26 at Houston. The young lefty has recorded a quality start in all three of his outings and is coming off an impressive showing against the Yankees last Sunday in which he threw seven innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Borucki was slated to take the hill against the powerful Red Sox Friday - obviously a tough matchup for anyone let alone a first-year player - so take that result with a grain of salt depending on the outcome.
Nick Williams (OF, PHI) - 6% owned
It’s hard to believe Williams finds himself way down on this list following an impressive finish to his 2017 season. Williams was part of a crowded outfield situation to start the year in Philadelphia after the acquisition of Carlos Santana pushed Rhys Hoskins to the outfield, but Williams has been in the lineup more often than not the past month and he’s responded with a .314/.404/.512 line that includes four homers and 17 RBI. The former top prospect is still just 24 years old and has improved his plate approach significantly, cutting his strikeout rate from 28.3% to 24.7% and increasing his walk rate from 5.8% to a more respectable 7.8%. He’s just one homer shy of his 2017 total (12) in nearly 100 fewer plate appearances.
Adalberto Mondesi (2B/SS, KC) - 2% owned
Mondesi has been practically forgotten about in the Royals organization and he’s not doing a whole lot to get noticed right now either. That said, he’s got tools and he’s only 22 years old. He should get every chance to prove himself for the rest of the season as he’s done all that he can at the Triple-A level. Mondesi’s calling card is his wheels - he’s swiped five bags in his last 19 games - but he’s got some pop, too. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts, but then again, who doesn’t.
