Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Joe Boyle back in the rotation, Matt Shaw heating up

NBC Sports

12 hours ago

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.
The premise is pretty straightforward. I'll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I'll list the category where I think he'll be helpful or the quick reason he's listed. I hope it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs.
For a player to qualify for this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, 'These players aren't available in my league,' and I can't help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they're available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.
Matthew Pouliot,
Waiver Wire Hitters
Chandler Simpson - OF, TB: 40% rostered
(RETURN FROM MINORS, SPEED WINNER)
Since being recalled, Simpson is hitting .341/.384/.407 with 13 runs scored and 13 steals in 25 games. People will tell you that fantasy managers misunderstand Simpson's actual value, and it's not really that high, but his speed is a legit issue. He's going to hit for a strong batting average and post elite stolen base totals. If Tampa Bay keeps running struggling and they trade away guys like Yandy Diaz, they may even give Simpson a chance to hit leadoff, which would increase his run totals as well. Evan Carter - OF, TEX (13% rostered) also remains a good stolen base asset, totaling six in his last 20 games, which ranks tied for eighth in baseball over that stretch. He's going to sit against lefties, but this Rangers team is getting hot, and Carter has five-category upside when he's swinging it well.
Ryan McMahon - 3B, NYY: 39% rostered
(NEW TEAM, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE )
McMahon was traded to the Yankees over the weekend, and people are spending too much time looking at home/road splits. I understand the inclination, but we also have more than enough evidence that Rockies' hitters also have their road stats impacted by moving in and out of high altitude. On the other hand, we also can't just assume that McMahon is a lefty who pulls the ball, so he'll be great at Yankee Stadium. He's probably a .240-.250 hitter with 20-25 HR power over the full season, but now in a much better lineup with far more counting stat upside, so he's a solid corner infield option in most formats. McMahon's trade also means that Warming Bernabel - 1B/3B (1% rostered) is going to be the regular third baseman in Colorado for a while (or at least until Ryan Ritter comes back). Bernabel is a 23-year-old who was hitting .301/.356/.450 with eight homers and five steals in 75 games at Triple-A this season. Given that production and home games in Coors, he could be an add in really deep formats.
Sal Frelick - OF, MIL: 38% rostered
(RETURN FROM IL, SPEED UPSIDE)
Frelick came off the IL this weekend and immediately returned to his spot as the leadoff hitter in Milwaukee. He's hitting .293 on the season with 17 steals. He's going to help you in runs as well while hitting at the top of this Milwaukee lineup, so he's a strong add across the board. You could also look to his teammate. Isaac Collins - OF, MIL( 4% rostered) Collins has been an everyday player for the Brewers since June 1st, hitting .306/.408/.484 in 40 games with five home runs, 25 runs scored, 21 RBI, and four steals. He has good plate discipline overall and is pulling the ball near 50% of the time, mostly on the ground and on a line, which is good for his batting average but might cap the overall power upside. His average exit velocity is also only 88.8 mph over that span, so this is not a hitter you're adding for power, but he has a solid approach that should lead to plenty of doubles and decent counting stats, hitting fifth or sixth in Milwaukee.
Matt Shaw - 2B/3B/SS, CHC: 36% rostered
(APPROACH CHANGE, HOT STREAK)
Shaw has been on fire since the All-Star break, when he modified his stance and started pulling the ball in the air more. Since then, he has gone 11-for-23 with four home runs, six runs scored, nine RBI, and two steals. I recorded a video on him last week, and I think the next rookie hitter to start figuring it out. The only concern here would be the Cubs trading for Eugenio Suarez and making Shaw a super utility off the bench. Another multi-position eligible young hitter who is heating up is Miguel Vargas -1B/3B/OF, CWS (30% rostered). Vargas has gone 10-for-32 out of the break with two home runs, 10 runs scored, and six RBI. We've seen him put together strong stretches already this season due to his advanced approach at the plate, so maybe we're getting a hot streak here.
Tyler O'Neill - OF, BAL: 31% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK INCOMING)
Don't look now, but Tyler O'Neill is heating up, going 8-for-21 since the All-Star break with two home runs, six runs scored, and four RBI in six games. We know that O'Neill is capable of fantasy football when he's healthy, and so we might be getting a prolonged hot streak with the weather continuing to heat up on the East Coast. O'Neill's teammate Coby Mayo - 1B/3B (3% rostered) has also hit well out of the break, going 3-for-10 with three runs scored, three RBIs, and one home run. With Ryan O'Hearn likely traded this week, Mayo could step into the regular first base role in Baltimore for the remainder of the season.
Mickey Moniak - OF, COL: 23% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, HOT STREAK)
Moniak has been the Rockies' best outfielder for a while now, slashing .349/.393/.699 with seven home runs, 19 RBI, and two steals since he became a regular in the lineup 25 games ago. He's hitting like what we wanted Brenton Doyle to do with admittedly less speed. Still, the former number one overall pick may have found a home and a home environment that suits his skillset and covers up some of his contact issues. Another player who has benefited from a new home is Ramon Laureano - OF, BAL (20% rostered). He's been playing every day and slashing .278/.339/.503 with eight home runs, 26 runs scored, and 32 RBI in 41 games since June 1st. I'm not sure Laureano will be with the Orioles by the end of next week. He may also be traded somewhere where he's no longer in a full-time role, but as it stands, he's been playing great baseball for about two months and should be worth considering in most formats.
Victor Caratini - C/1B, HOU: 21% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME UPSIDE)
Caratini has continued to play regularly in Houston with Yordan Alvarez suffering a setback in his rehab from a hand fracture. In his last 25 games, Caratini has five home runs and 19 RBI to go along with a .275/.296/.484 slash line. I'm don't think he's going to keep up this production, but he has been a solid fantasy contributor in the past. He's making a lot of contact, and the home park can help, so I think he's a must-add in two-catcher formats right now. Another option is Adrian Del Castillo - C, ARI (2% rostered), who was called up last week after battling injuries earlier in the season. With Josh Naylor now in Seattle, Pavin Smith will be the regular first baseman for the Diamondbacks when he returns from the IL, and that means Del Castillo should be the DH the rest of the way. He hit .313/.368/.525 in 25 MLB games last year with four home runs and 19 RBI. Yes, there were some strikeout issues, but we love that offensive profile for a catcher and, for fantasy, we love catchers who don't catch.
Austin Hays - OF, CIN: 21% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)
Austin Hays continues to produce when healthy this season, hitting .253/.327/.448 in 24 games since coming off the IL with four home runs, 15 runs scored, and 16 RBI. He hits cleanup every day for a Reds team that is playing good baseball and plays in the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball. That's a combination we should want in most league types. I also continue to think we need to roster Tyler Freeman - SS/OF, COL (11% rostered), who has been dropped in a bunch of leagues since he's come out of the break slow. I think much of that has to do with the illness he was battling. This is still a guy who has hit .329/.418/.445 in 42 games since June 1st with 20 runs scored and nine steals. I wouldn't be rash and drop him yet.
Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B/SS, MIL: 19% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, HOT STRETCH)
Durbin has turned it on of late, hitting .308/.389/.446 over his last 41 games since June 1st with four home runs, 15 RBI, 23 runs scored, and four steals. As I mentioned with Shaw, it takes rookies some time to adjust to the big leagues, and we're now seeing Durbin start to get a bit more comfortable in the box. I would like to see more steals than the nine he has on the season right now, since that's been Durbin's calling card in the minors, but it's nice to see the rookie adjusting to MLB pitching and starting to get on base more often. I think the steals will come. A deeper league multi-position option is Mauricio Dubon - 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, HOU (4% rostered). Dubon can play pretty much anywhere, and with the injury to Isaac Paredes, it seems like Dubon is going to basically play every day for the Astros by shifting around the field. Since June 16th, Dubon has played in the same number of games as Jose Altuve and has hit .287/.347/.500 with five home runs, 15 runs scored, and eight RBI in 33 games. That's a little bit of production in four of the five offensive categories, and while he won't carry your team, he's a great bench piece to fill in anywhere you have a gap in your lineup.
Francisco Alvarez - C, NYM: 15% rostered
(CALL UP, POWER POTENTIAL)
The Mets called Alvarez back up last weekend after he hit .299 with 11 HRs and 24 RBI in 19 games at Triple-A. In four games since coming back, he's 4-for-13 with one home run, two RBI, and four runs scored. Who knows if he can carry this over, but he was pulling the ball in the air more in the minors, and he has the power to be a big-time fantasy asset if he can keep that approach.
Colson Montgomery - 3B/SS, CWS: 11% rostered
(HOT STREAK, PROSPECT GROWTH?)
I'm gonna preface this by saying I don't believe in Montgomery for the remainder of 2025. This is a guy who was hitting so poorly in Triple-A that he got sent back down to the complex to fix his stance and approach. When he came back, he hit marginally better at Triple-A, but nothing like what we're seeing at the MLB level right now. In fact, he hit .215 in 60 games at Triple-A this year and .214 in 130 games at Triple-A last year. I just can't connect that with a hitter who's hitting .276 in 18 MLB games with three home runs and 13 RBI. I can't see it lasting, but it's happening now, so maybe you want to take a gamble. I'd rather add Brett Baty - 2B/3B, NYM (7% rostered), who has been starting almost every day for the Mets and playing pretty well. He has the second-highest OPS on the team since he was recalled in May and has hit .273/.339/.473 in 19 games in July with three home runs, 10 runs scored, six RBI, and three steals. He's pulling the ball far more often right now, and I think the pulled line drive approach is working for him.
Andrew Vaughn - 1B, MIL: 8% rostered
(POTENTIAL STARTING JOB, APPROACH CHANGE?)
With Rhys Hoskins landing on the IL for the next four to six weeks, Andrew Vaughn is emerging as a starting option in Milwaukee, and I'm intrigued by an approach change he made in the minors since being traded. I recorded a video last week explaining why I think Vaughn might be a decent gamble in deeper formats. He's gone 12-for-37 with three home runs and 13 RBI in his last 12 games, and the Brewers are one of the better teams in baseball, so we want exposure to their lineup.
Josh Bell - 1B, WAS: 6% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATE)
Last week, I recorded a video on Josh Bell's decision to move to a more line-drive swing at the end of May. That decision has led to a .284/.361/.469 slash line in 46 games since making the shift. Yes, that has come with just even home runs and 24 RBI, but the numbers and approach will still work in deeper formats since Bell is striking out just 12% of the time and making a lot of contact. The Nationals could also ship him off at the trade deadline, and being a .280 hitter in a good lineup could help his counting stats too.
Brady House - 3B, WAS: 6% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, PROSPECT GROWTH)
Another prospect starting to figure it out a little bit is Brady House. The rookie has gone 19-for-66 (.288) in July with two home runs, 10 runs scored, and eight RBI. Since being promoted, he has 29 strikeouts in 30 games with a 16.3% swinging strike rate, so I'm a little concerned about the contact, but it hasn't bit him yet, and a 72.4% contact rate at the big league level isn't a dealbreaker. However, he also had 72% contact rates at Triple-A, so I expect this to dip below 70% at some point. I also think the power will tick up, though. He had 13 home runs in Triple-A this season with a 46% hard hit rate, so there is some power in that bat. I have liked his approach of late, and the results are solid for deeper formats. If we're just using Process+, we should note that House's teammate, Daylen Lile - OF, WAS (0% rostered), has a Process+ score of 112 since June 15th, which is pretty solid work from a young rookie. He has also started to run it on of late, hitting .271/.317/.407 in July with one home run, six runs scored, seven RBI, and two steals in 17 games. That's more of a deep league play, but he's making great swing decisions, and so the hits should continue to fall.
Joc Pederson - OF, TEX: 3% rostered
(COMING OFF THE IL, POWER UPSIDE)
Pederson is scheduled to be activated from the IL on Sunday and return to his regular DH role. He was having a poor season before getting hurt, but he has a long enough track record that we know what kind of hitter he is. He's also coming back right as this Texas team is catching fire, so we want pieces of this offense. He won't play versus lefties, and he's UTIL-only in most places, so he won't be for everybody. If you wanted somebody with far less track record, but the potential to be more well-rounded, you could take a shot on Taylor Trammell - OF, HOU (1% rostered). Trammell has been leading off against all righties and has hit .304/.389/.522 with two home runs, eight runs scored, eight RBI, and two steals in 19 games in July. The Astros may add an outfielder at the deadline, so this could be a one-week add, but it's worth taking note of, especially since Trammell was once a top prospect and is still just 27 years old.
Tommy Pham - OF, PIT: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
We all talked a lot about Max Muncy's glasses, but perhaps we need to pay attention to Tommy Pham's contacts. There is a great video from Logan Arblaster that shows Pham discussing a difficult situation with his contact lenses based on a rare eye condition that he has. The video was taken on June 23rd, and Pham mentions in the video that he has made contact lens changes throughout the year, but has 'felt better the last week.' If we take Pham's stats from June 16th, we see that he's hitting .375/.422/.625 in 25 games with four home runs, 11 runs scored, and 19 RBIs. That will play in any league type. A name to keep an eye on in deeper leagues is Nathan Lukes - OF, TOR (1% rostered). Lukes has recently moved into the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching and is hitting .295/.358/.525 in 19 games in July with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and 11 RBI. His role may change when Daulton Varsho comes back in a week, so I'm not saying this is a breakout for the 31-year-old, but his approach is great for a leadoff hitter, and the Blue Jays have been playing really good baseball lately, so perhaps this is a solid multi-week add.
Waiver Wire Pitchers
Robert Garcia - RP, TEX: 24% rostered
Garcia has been closing games for the Rangers for over a month now, but they haven't been winning any. Now they're one of the hotter teams in baseball, and the saves are starting to add up. Since May 21st, he has a 3.60 ERA and seven saves in 20 innings with a 30% strikeout rate. The issue is that it comes with a 1.55 WHIP because he has some command issues, and that could lead Texas to upgrade at the deadline now that they are firmly in the Wild Card mix.
Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 22% rostered
Last week, I urged you not to overreact to Zebby's mediocre first start off the IL in Coors. I hope you didn't because he was terrific on Friday, throwing six shutout innings against the Nationals, while striking out seven. I wrote about Zebby Matthews as a pitcher I think could end the season in the top 25 starting pitchers, so clearly I've been in the bag for him all season, but I think he could have a huge second half.
Bubba Chandler - SP, PIT: 20% rostered
This has to be it, right? Chandler just dealt in his last start at Triple-A, striking out seven in 5.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits. He has a 2.82 ERA in 122 innings at Triple-A between this year and last year. I mean, what are we doing here?
Blake Treinen - RP, LAD: 17% rostered
I mentioned stashing Treinen for the last two weeks, but now Tanner Scott is on the IL, and Treinen is coming back from his own forearm injury, and his roster rate is climbing. The Dodgers have already said Treinen is going to pitch in high-leverage innings, which means sometimes he'll be used in the eighth and sometimes he'll be held back for save opportunities. Given how impactful he's been when healthy and how good the Dodgers are, he needs to be added in most leagues.
Joey Cantillo - SP, CLE: 17% rostered
Cantillo was a pitcher I had mentioned in my article from last week detailing the hitters and pitchers I think will have more second-half value than first-half value. He seems to have a rotation spot locked up with Luis L. Ortiz undergoing an MLB investigation for a gambling infraction. Since coming back as a starter, Cantillo has a 4.08 ERA (3.80 SIERA, 3.28 xFIP) and 17% K-BB% in 17.2 innings. His changeup can be a truly dominant pitch, and he gets elite extension on his fastball, so there is enough here to tie up right-handed hitters and make Cantillo a good high-upside play for the second half.
Joe Boyle - SP, TB: 16% rostered
Taj Bradley is down at Triple-A, and Boyle is now in the rotation... one week after Tampa Bay bumped him from the rotation and said he'd pitch in relief. That's fun. As I said weeks ago when Boyle was entering the rotation, he has clear swing and miss upside, but remains inefficient with his pitches. That means that even if the walks are limited now, he still doesn't often pitch deep into games.
Nestor Cortes - SP, MIL: 13% rostered
Cortes has looked good on his rehab assignment and should be returning next week. Will Milwaukee piggyback him with Jacob Misoriowski, whose innings they clearly want to limit? Or will Milwaukee trade him? Either way, he should be in a rotation soon, and he's been a solid MLB starter for a few years now.
Michael McGreevy - SP, STL: 10% rostered
Erick Fedde is cut, so McGreevy now has a spot in the rotation. He's a command-first starter with a deep pitch mix who posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 78/15 K/BB ratio in 75 innings at Triple-A this season. He plays for a team that looks likely to sell at the deadline, so we don't know how many wins he'll post, but the Cardinals have a strong defense behind him, which would keep him as an option for deeper formats.
David Robertson - RP, PHI: 4% rostered
The Phillies signed Robertson last Sunday after he worked out for a few teams the last couple of weeks. They're also paying him $5.5 million on a prorated $16 million deal, which is basically closer's money. Robertson was good in Texas last year, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the late innings very soon after he comes up from Triple-A in about a week.
JT Ginn - SP, ATH: 2% rostered
One or more of Luis Severino, JP Sears, and Jeffrey Springs could be traded at the deadline. That would likely open up a spot in the rotation for Ginn, who allowed just one run on five hits in five innings against a good Rangers lineup on Tuesday. He's rocking a sinker, slider, cutter pitch mix that he can locate well, which leads to lots of weak contact. He also only needed 58 pitches to go five innings against Texas, so he could easily push to six innings or beyond with that kind of efficiency. The strikeouts aren't likely to be there, which limits his overall upside, but he seems likely to get the first crack at a rotation spot over fantasy darling Jack Perkins - SP/RP, ATH (1% rostered), who has more upside but may be kept in the bullpen.
Carson Whisenhunt - SP, SF: 1% rostered
Landen Roupp landed on the IL this weekend, and Hayden Birdsong remains in Triple-A. The Giants also scratched their top pitching prospect, Carson Whisenhunt, from his scheduled start on Saturday, so there is now a rumor that he will start on Monday since the Giants do not have a scheduled starter. The left-hander has a 4.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 21% strikeout rate in Triple-A in what has been a down year for him. Do we take the table that the 28.4% strikeout rate from last year returns? That also came with a 5.42 ERA in 104.2 innings at Triple-A, so it's hard to know what to expect here.
Anthony DeSclafani - SP/RP, ARI: 1% rostered
Tony Disco has been great in long relief for the Diamondbacks and has good numbers since his rough first appearance of the season. In his last 19 innings, DeSclafani has a 2.37 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 20% K-BB%. With one or both of Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen likely on the way out at the trade deadline, DeSclafani would likely be the man to enter the rotation, and that gives him value in deeper formats.
SAVE STASHES:
Some quick relievers who could be save stashes ahead of the trade deadline:
Cade Ssmith - RP, CLE: 27% rostered
Seranthony Dominguez - RP, BAL: 18% rostered
Phil Maton - RP, STL: 10% rostered
Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI: 9% rostered
Yennier Cano - RP, BAL: 3% rostered
Luis Garcia - RP, WAS: 0% rostered
Isaac Mattson - RP, PIT: 0% rostered
STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS
MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)
Week of 7/28
Strong Preference
Fairly Confident
Some Hesitation
Desperate / Uncertain Health or Role