Time for another rousing round of “Is this guy any good?”, as we comb the waiver wire. We’re seeking players that are turning the corner in May, whether with a hot bat or a strong arm. Sometimes, that takes a little sifting through the castaways, but it must be done. Injuries to some key players are setting in, and preparation is key.
You can check out our past weekly waiver wire articles here to see the names we have recommended so far. Settle in, grab a drink, open up that roster and find some diamonds in the rough.
All ownership percentages listed are taken from Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball.
Cole Irvin (SP – OAK) 53% owned
The Athletics starter pitched on Sunday, allowing three earned runs over six innings. Despite not factoring into the decision today as he left during a tie game, Irvin’s earned run average and WHIP barely budged. With today’s numbers factored in, Irvin sits on a solid 3.29 ERA and a WHIP (decreased today, in fact) sits at 1.09.
Prior to the three runs allowed today, Irvin had rattled off four straight starts of two runs or less since mid-April. At 53 percent owned, there is a good chance he’s available in one of your leagues. You can do far worse than snatching up a solid lefty hurler in a pitcher-friendly ballpark with a backing lineup that’s mashed the third-most homers in baseball this season. Go grab Irvin.
Wade Miley (SP – CIN) 46% owned
Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than Miley currently is. In all seriousness, what more does a guy have to do to eclipse even the 50 percent ownership mark? All he’s done so far this season is pitch to a very clean 2.00 ERA (eight earned runs total over six starts) and a sparking 0.75 WHIP, one of the best in baseball. Oh, and they guy just tossed a no-no on Friday. Miley had a resurgence and went 14-6 in Houston in 2019 before injury issues slowed him in 2020’s shortened season, and he is fully capable of matching those numbers again.
Cincinnati’s bullpen has been up-and-down at protecting leads, but there is little doubt that the offense can explode in any game. Just like Oakland, the Reds can put the ball out of the park in a hurry and that’s the sort of firepower that makes you feel good rolling into any matchup with this southpaw.
Adolis Garcia (OF – TEX) 56% owned
There really is not much to say anymore. This is the last time you’ll see Garcia’s name in a waiver wire article, because he will be gone in no time. His ownership climb is matching the torrid pace of his numbers at the plate.
Garcia hit another home run on Sunday, bringing his total to nine on the season. He is working with a huge 18.5 barrel percentage and a hard hit percentage of 53.8 The result is a .297/.339/.604 triple-slash (that’s a .943 OPS for those who don’t math good). Along with the aforementioned nine dingers, Garcia has stuffed the stat sheet: 16 runs, 26 runs batted in, six walks and a pair of stolen bases in 101 at bats. Last chance to snatch him up.
Josh Rojas (2B, SS, OF – ARI) 63% owned
As injuries pile up and veterans take more days off as the season gets into full swing, it becomes more and more valuable to have a versatile plug-and-play man. Here is where we look for upside, and guys like Chris Taylor, Jeff McNeil, and probably even Jean Segura are likely already rostered. Rojas is eligible at both middle-infield positions and can shift to the outfield. While he may not immediately be a starter over someone on your team currently, he is trending in the right direction (that means UP).
Rojas is currently batting over .400 in his last two weeks of games at 17-for-42 headed into Sunday’s game. He offers more power at from the middle of the infield. Nothing eye-popping, but he has put 5 longballs well over the fence. After Rojas’ latest tear at the dish, he is sitting on a .279 average with a .872 OPS. The left-handed batting infielder can hit the ball to all fields, has scored 16 runs and offers stolen base potential at the top of the D-backs’ lineup.
Jordan Romano (RP – TOR) 47% owned
The back end of the Blue Jays bullpen rollercoaster just took another hard turn. At the beginning of the season, the closing duties fell to Julian Merryweather. There was also promise that Romano would be worked in occasionally, as well. However, Rafael Dolis was the preferred replacement when Merryweather went down with injury. And then, on Friday Dolis was removed from the game with injury. By Sunday afternoon he was placed on the IL with a calf injury.
That means, by default, Romano should be the guy to get the chances. Merryweather is out for at least a few weeks after suffering a setback and Dolis at least 10 days. Assuming he handles the duties without incident, he should remain in the role when they return. Romano can touch triple-digits on the gun and is currently holding a 3.12 ERA and a .227 xBAA while pitching in in a tough spot in the lineup before this potential opportunity. The veteran righty is a great choice if you’re short on save chances.
Broken Record Take of the Week
Wander Franco (SS? – TB) 52% owned
I don’t typically mention players in this article twice, but this one bears repeating. Franco’s ownership has increased 16% since I mentioned stashing him back on April 25. In his first two games in Double-A, the can’t-miss prospect had a three-hit game, and followed it up the next day with a double and a moonshot from the boomstick. Below is what I said two weeks ago:
There simply is no way that Tampa Bay can continue letting the 20-year-old No. 1 prospect in baseball wallow in the minors. The expectations continue to build for the five-tool player ever since he was on the taxi squad for the 2020 World Series roster. Although last year’s minor league season was canceled, last time we saw Franco he was ripping up High-A ball in 2019 to the tune of .318/.390/.506 in 233 at bats.
There are questions of whether he will step right in and play shortstop but make no mistake: When they call him up, he’s going to play. Tampa Bay’s offense is still up-and-down and there are plenty of moving parts that Franco will have regular playing time. Go get him and stash him for two weeks before someone else does.
Moral of the story: If Franco is still available in your leagues, it’s now or never to grab and stash. If you are playing a budget, you are going to need to bid pretty high for the top prospect.
Best of luck to everyone walking the waiver wire tonight. May all your claims and bids be successful. Stay diligent.
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