Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: This Blue Jays' youngster is making noise in a prominent lineup spot
This week's Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column is a mixture of players who could provide long-term contributions and those who may be helpful for next week only. Managers who are looking for a short-term boost this weekend can check out this article.
[Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all]
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Addison Barger, Blue Jays, 41%
Barger is the most under-rostered player in this article. The youngster checks all the boxes to get onto the roster in every 12-team league and most 10-team formats. He is playing great, having posted a .928 OPS in June that follows up an .887 OPS in May. The left-handed hitter is also playing well enough against same-sided hurlers (.723 OPS) to get into the lineup for virtually every game. Barger has also recently found a prominent new home in the batting order, hitting second, in between Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The icing on top is multi-position eligibility (3B/OF), which makes Barger easy to fit into a lineup.
Evan Carter, Rangers, 34%
There is one number that makes me a big proponent of adding Carter right now – 15.0%. That's the strikeout rate for the outfielder this year, which is a vastly superior mark to his strikeout rate in 2024 (26.5%) and 2023 (32.0%). Sure, this year's rate was achieved across a small sample of 80 plate appearances, but fantasy managers need to take calculated risks when adding young players; otherwise, they will always be a day late and a dollar short. Still just 22 years old, Carter has the power-speed blend that fantasy managers covet, and he should be a big part of a Rangers lineup that has been looking for a spark all season.
Pavin Smith, Diamondbacks, 7%
Smith has some of the largest splits in baseball, thriving against right-handers (.881 OPS) and having virtually no success vs. southpaws (.511 OPS). The Diamondbacks, who sit 4th in baseball in runs scored, are in great position for a high-scoring run. Over the next nine games, the D-backs face three teams who rank among the bottom-10 in ERA. The final seven games are scheduled to take place against right-handed starters, which makes Smith and left-swinging outfielder Alek Thomas (1%) great short-term additions in deeper formats.
Mike Yastrzemski, Giants, 7%
Yastrzemski has maintained massive platoon splits throughout his career. True to form this year, the lefty slugger with a lifetime .811 OPS against right-handers has posted an .828 OPS in those matchups this season. The Giants will face a pair of bottom-10 pitching staffs next week, and all six games are scheduled to be started by a righty.
Danny Palencia, Cubs, 43%
I'm perplexed by the lack of interest in Palencia, who is clearly the Cubs closer. The right-hander has earned seven of the team's past eight saves, with the lone exception being a June 12 game in which he worked the eighth inning against the heart of the Pirates lineup. The Cubs rank 2nd in baseball in winning percentage, and Palencia has pitched well this year (1.67 ERA, 0.96 WHIP). He's easily a top-15 saves option.
Chad Patrick, Brewers, 28%
Patrick is the best streamer in baseball by a country mile next week. Not only has he pitched well this year (3.50 ERA, 76:26 K:BB ratio), but he is scheduled to make home starts next week against the Pirates (29th in runs scored on the road) and Rockies (27th in runs scored on the road). He will be a one-week asset in the shallowest leagues, and then he can return to waivers in 10-team formats.
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays, 36%
This is the time to stash Scherzer in deeper formats, as he should return from the injured list next week. The 41-year-old fared well in nine starts last year (3.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) and in 27 starts the previous year (3.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP). Toronto is sitting in a AL wild-card spot and has a solid relief corps, which means that Scherzer should have the support he needs to pick up some wins this summer.
Lucas Giolito, Red Sox, 21%
I'm not sure if Giolito is all the way back, but this may be the last window to add him in many leagues. The 30-year-old has had a pair of clunkers in nine starts since returning from the IL, but he has also allowed one run or fewer in four of his past five outings. And his last start was his best one, as he struck out 10 Mariners across six shutout innings. His next start is lined up to take place at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park on Sunday.
Advertisement
Hunter Dobbins, Red Sox, 8%
Two Boston pitchers in this article? Maybe this team can continue to win without Rafael Devers! Dobbins has the potential to be a big part of the club's success, as he has logged solid ratios (3.74 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) while working primarily as a starter. The righty has made two starts since rejoining the rotation, allowing three runs across 11 innings despite having both outings against the high-scoring Yankees. He could succeed at Oracle Park on Friday before racking up plenty of whiffs when he faces the AL leaders in team strikeouts (Angels) next Wednesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rangers Believe Drafting Malcolm Spence Was A Steal
GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The New York Rangers may have not had a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but the team was able to get first-round talent with the 43rd overall pick. Many NHL analysts predicted Malcolm Spence would be selected in the first round, but he slid all the way to the 43rd pick where the New York Rangers sat and they did not hesitate to draft him. Advertisement 'Malcolm is an excellent winger, power play, PK (penalty kill), plays the game the right way,' Rangers director of player personnel John Lilley said. 'He doesn't cheat the game. We've valued him for a few years now… I think he was projected to go quite a bit higher, so when the opportunity presented itself, we were thrilled to get him in that spot, and we think he's got a lot of potential and a high character player.' The 18-year-old has made a name for himself playing for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League over the past two seasons. This past season, Spence served as the team's assistant captain and had an impressive statistical season, recording 32 goals, 41 assists, and 73 points in 65 games. Despite the high speculation that Spence would be drafted in the first round, teams passed up on him for whatever reason. Advertisement However, his fall out of the draft's opening round did not discourage him and he's excited to prove the Rangers right instead of proving other teams wrong. 'I think kind of when you have expectations for yourself, and obviously there's expectations from the media and whatnot of where I was going to get picked, but for me, obviously I believe in myself, and just really I didn't get picked yesterday, I kind of changed my mindset right after and said, 'well, tomorrow's a new day, and you're in a situation that not a lot of people are in.' So for me, it was New York's first pick, and I have some family out there, and it worked out really well,' said Spence. 'I'm really excited that they took a chance on me and believed in me when a lot of the other people didn't. So I'm really excited to get to New York City and get to work.' The next stop for Spence will be at the University of Michigan where he'll play at one of the best collegiate hockey programs in the country. Rangers Select Forward Malcolm Spence In Second Round With 43rd Pick Rangers Select Forward Malcolm Spence In Second Round With 43rd Pick The New York Advertisement Rangers have selected left winger Malcolm Spence with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft. While Spence has a lot of natural skill sets, he knows that there's still a long way to go before he gets to an NHL level both in terms of his body development and transformation as a player. He strongly believes he'll be able to accomplish all of his development goals at Michigan in order to be properly prepared for the NHL and the challenges that come with being a professional hockey player. 'I know to play in the NHL, you have to be physically ready,' Spence said. 'Maybe there are parts of my game skill-wise that may be ready, but physically I'm not. I know going to Michigan is going to give me more runway time. For me to jump in as an impact player, that's what I want to do.' Spence is likely a couple of years away before he could possibly crack the Rangers' roster, but the potential is certainly there and he has a chance to make a major impact in the future.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Cubs' trade deadline checklist will include adding a hitter, too
In the final month before the July 31 trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs will be all over the pitching market. Jed Hoyer, the club's president of baseball operations, and general manager Carter Hawkins are planning to check on virtually every major-league pitcher who is expected to be traded or could become available under certain circumstances. In fact, that process is already underway. Advertisement Casting a wide net for pitching, however, would not preclude the Cubs from upgrading their offense, either incrementally with a reconfigured bench or substantially via a larger trade. Hoyer is in the final year of his contract and in his 14th season as a high-ranking executive at Wrigley Field. The track record shows that he will be aggressive and open-minded. It's all right there in Jed-speak. In justifying the massive sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline, Hoyer expressed his fundamental belief in making sound decisions for the organization, over and over again, no matter how uncomfortable or unpopular those may be at the moment: 'You don't let a crisis go to waste.' After an incremental and measured rebuild, the Cubs are now approaching the inverse of that situation. When a team begins July performing at this level — 14 games over .500, in first place, with a plus-104 run differential — there is no room for half measures. Undeniably, Hoyer operates with conviction. When the Cubs put together a July hot streak to avoid another sell-off in 2023, not only did Hoyer retain Cody Bellinger, he also acquired Jeimer Candelario from the Washington Nationals, adding perhaps the best major-league hitter traded during that cycle. That reinvestment was for a team hovering around .500, trying to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot. In assessing the overall trade market and the increasing degree of difficulty in the National League Central, the Cubs will be highly motivated buyers. Paraphrasing Ferris Bueller became a thing during that summer of 2021, when the onset of an 11-game losing streak forced Hoyer's group to shift from preparing to buy to scrambling to move veteran players wholesale. Stuff happens. Contending teams no longer have the same August waiver period to make post-deadline trades. (In hindsight, the Cubs clearly shouldn't have passed on Justin Verlander before the Detroit Tigers executed that Aug. 31, 2017, deal with the Houston Astros.) That systemic change means the Cubs will have to make extensive preparations for August, September and October by 5 p.m. CT on July 31. Advertisement What if someone gets hurt? The Cubs don't have to go down every injury rabbit hole, but their core group of position players has remained largely healthy. Combined, Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner have played in 96 percent of the club's games this year. One errant fastball, an awkward slide or a diving catch at the wall could change this season's trajectory. The cost to acquire a rental hitter shouldn't be prohibitive. That was part of Hoyer's challenge in breaking up the 2016 World Series legends. Yes, Crow-Armstrong is becoming the kind of star that Javier Báez was at his peak. But that was not the obvious outcome four years ago, when 'PCA' was just a minor-leaguer recovering from shoulder surgery, and the Cubs were initially more focused on pitching prospect Matt Allan in their negotiations with the New York Mets. Otherwise, the Kris Bryant trade with the San Francisco Giants yielded two prospects who did not stick at Wrigley Field (Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario). The Anthony Rizzo trade is more open-ended — Kevin Alcántara will turn 23 in July and remains a well-regarded prospect — but it's not like the New York Yankees are haunted by that deal. What the Arizona Diamondbacks gave up to get J.D. Martinez ahead of the 2017 trade deadline is another historical reference point. The Tigers received three players who did not make an impact in Detroit — Sergio Alcántara, Dawel Lugo and Jose King — while Martinez launched 29 homers in 62 games with the Diamondbacks before cashing in as a free agent. This line does not ring true annually, but the 2025 Cubs are a well-prepared, tight-knit group that plays with confidence. This first-place team has hit the top end of projections while cycling through closers and getting minimal contributions from All-Star pitchers Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. The serene clubhouse features a nice balance of grizzled players and young talent. Advertisement The win-now mode puts Matt Shaw under the microscope at third base, where his defense has been spectacular and his offensive production has been lacking. Looking ahead to potential October matchups, it would make sense to add another right-handed hitter to pair with first baseman Michael Busch. Justin Turner's postseason experience brings a lot of intangible value, but he's 40 years old, and he hasn't gotten into an offensive rhythm as a Cub yet. As the Cubs think about how to diversify their lineup, Eugenio Suárez, Taylor Ward and Ryan McMahon are among the names to monitor on The Athletic's trade deadline Big Board. In many ways, this year was set up to be a reckoning for Hoyer's front office. Tucker's looming free agency means the Cubs have to maximize his time in Chicago. Perhaps Crow-Armstrong is the sport's next superstar, but anyone who's followed Báez and Bryant knows how difficult it is to sustain that level for an entire career. These moments can be fleeting. (Top photo of Jed Hoyer: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Rangers' Metinho chances rise after Basel bid blow'
Rangers hope to beat Basel to the signature of Brazilian midfielder Metinho after the Swiss club had an offer for the 22-year-old rejected following his loan spell from Troyes. (Scottish Sun) Former Rangers striker Jermain Defoe says Leicester City centre-half Conor Coady's "eyes lit up" over the prospect of signing for the Ibrox club and the 32-year-old is eager to complete the transfer. (Daily Record) Advertisement Ecuador midfielder Jose Cifuentes has confirmed he has returned to Rangers after Aris Thessaloniki could not raise the money needed to make the 26-year-old a permanent signing despite the Ibrox club extending the deadline and reducing the £3m fee following his loan spell in Greece. (The National) With no transfer agreed for Rangers 30-year-old Cyriel Dessers, AEK Athens head coach Marko Nikolic has insisted he is not worried about signing delays, telling Gazzetta that he still has plenty of forward options and that his priority is a left-back. (Gazzetta via The Scottish Sun) While AEK Athens are very keen on Cyriel Dessers - with the Nigeria striker having shook hands on a £30,000-per-week contract - a transfer fee has yet to be agreed, with Rangers hoping to make a profit on the £4.5m they paid for the 30-year-old in 2023. (Daily Record) Queens Park Rangers aimed a cheeky dig at Rangers following the Championship club's capture of 23-year-old Ghana midfielder Kwame Poku from Peterborough United for around £300,000 in compensation, the London club's X account announcing that: "Kwame Poku signs for THE Rangers", followed by a winking face emoji. (Glasgow Times) Advertisement Romania legend Ilie Dumitrescu has revealed that Ianis Hagi told him he had turned down an offer with Legia Warsaw but is in advanced discussions with clubs in the top five European leagues following the 26-year-old midfielder's exit from Rangers. (Spotmedia) Newcastle United beat several Premier League rivals to the signature of 16-year-old Rangers striker Alfie Hutchison. (Fabrizio Romano on X) Brighton & Hove Albion forward Zebedee Lawson's agent has taken to Instagram to hint that the 16-year-old's transfer to Rangers is imminent. (Daily Record) Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.
