It really is fun to take the risk and pick players off of
waivers every now and then. You never know when you'll wind up finding a
diamond in the rough. Picking up players off of waivers is a good (and cheap,
as in, doesn't cost you players or picks) way to find players that can have an
impact on a fantasy team. This installment of
MLB Waiver Wire consists
of five players that are available in most leagues, and should give an added
boost to your team; especially if you need stats in a particular category.
Hopefully the listed players will help as the playoffs get closer.
Darin Erstad
Houston Astros - 1B/OF
Owned - 0.7%
Yes, he's totally still playing! He's actually found a
nice groove at the Astros' Center Fielder, solidifying a spot that was
previously very volatile. He's been on a bit of a roll of late, and
unfortunately no one cares, because the Astros are really bad. Erstad is
a nice energy player and, when hitting well like he is now, might be a decent
pickup if you're hurting for average.
Last Week: .400 (10/25) 1 HR, 1 RBI, 6 Runs Scored, 1 SB, 9
Ks, and an OPS of .983.
Ronnie Belliard
Washington Nationals - 1B/2B/3B
Owned - 2.8%
Ronnie Belliard has been on some kind of streak this month.
In 18 games in August, Belliard is hitting .452 (28-for-62) with six doubles,
two homers and nine RBIs. This coincides with him getting more playing time,
now at first base with 1B Kory Casto recently optioned to AAA. Belliard was
hitting .223 at the beginning of the month but has seen his average rise to
.278. If you're hurting anywhere, you might want to jump on the Belliard
train while it's still rolling.
Last Week: .500 (12/24) 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 Runs Scored, 6 Ks,
and an OPS of 1.27.
Rajai Davis
Oakland Athletics - OF (CF)
Owned - 1.4%
I have been touting Davis on MLB Free Agent Specialty for
months now, because he's a stolen base machine when he gets into the game.
Now that Jack Cust is dinged up, Davis has gotten more playing time; and while
he'll probably never win a batting title; he's certainly swiped some bags and
has hit with some somewhat decent power. Davis is no doubt available in
your league, and considering he's going to be getting playing time, he might be
worth a look.
Last Week: 333 (4/12) 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 Runs Scored, 3 SBs, 1
K, and an OPS of .968.
Ian Snell
Pittsburgh Pirates - SP
Owned - 21.0%
Coming off injury, Snell was been erratic at best all season
long. However, of late, he seems to be rounding back into form.
He's had three straight quality starts and while most Fantasy Owners are
rightly leery of filling a roster spot with someone like Snell; considering
that Snell is auditioning to a degree and the fact that he does seem to have
gotten it together a bit - it might be worth taking a gamble on him.
Last Start: 7.0 IP, 1 W, 0 L, 8 Ks, 0.00 ERA and a 0.71 WHIP
Luis Vizcaino
Colorado Rockies - RP
Owned - 0%
No one owns this guy, because clearly no one cares about
holds. But, YOU do, and Vizcaino has had more and more opportunities at
the set-up role, and, at least this past week; he did a really good job.
He even managed to get credit for a win, which is always a nice bonus for a
relief pitcher. If you need a reliever who has been putting up good
numbers; Vizcaino might be your guy.
Last Week: 4.0 IP, 1 W, 0 L, 9 Ks, 1 Holds, 4.50 ERA, and a
0.75 WHIP.