Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where we review the top 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 try to list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. My hope is that it will help you to determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.
For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 50% 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 50% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds
We’ll start by just looking at the teams with the best overall schedule in the next week. It’s just a part of the equation but it’s good to know which hitters will face an easier road.
Hitters
Jose Miranda - 3B, MIN (61% rostered) Was 36% rostered on Friday when I started writing this
(PLAYING TIME, POWER UPSIDE)
Miranda almost doubled his roster rate in just two days, but that happens when you tie an MLB record for consecutive hits in and go on an absolute heater. I’ve had Miranda on here a few times thanks to a strong June that saw him hit .329 with three home runs, eight runs scored, and 18 RBI so I hope you were able to grab him before this stretch. I also had him as my add in this week’s Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Add/Drop, so make sure to check that out for a detailed breakdown of my thoughts on why we should be adding Miranda, if there’s still time in your league.
Ben Rice - C/1B, NYY: 41% rostered (Rice was 17% rostered on Friday, but this shows you what one tremendous game will do)
(NEW LINEUP SPOT, POWER UPSIDE)
Ben Rice led off on Thursday, which is a big development because hitting in front of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto would be a major boost for his fantasy value. Anthony Volpe simply hasn’t been hitting well enough to cement his spot at the top of the lineup, so Rice could hold onto this if he plays well enough. His plate discipline and on-base percentage skills have been strong throughout the minors and have shown up at the major league level too. Given his left-handed pull power, if he’s also the lead-off hitter, it’s a huge boost to his fantasy value. I wrote all of that on Friday, and then we saw that power upside come into full bloom on Saturday with three home runs and seven RBI. Now, Rice was hitting .260 coming into that game, so I don’t think you’re getting some breakout star here, but he’s a smart hitter in a good park and a good lineup spot, and I love using him as a catcher. You could also take a gamble on Kyle Higashioka - C, SD (15% rostered), who was in this column three times before when he experienced a bit of a power spike. Back then, we said Higgy was worth an add because Luis Campusano was struggling, but now Campusano is on the IL and Higgy is the starter for the Padres. Over his last 18 games, Higashioka is 16-for-58 (.276) with seven home runs, 11 runs scored, and 20 RBI. He’s a career .210 hitter so that average is going to come down, but his power is legit and he’s going to play regularly in the near future.
Heston Kjerstad - OF, BAL (40% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
I put Kjerstad on here last week and mentioned that I understood being gun-shy if you were burned by Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers, or Kjerstad himself earlier in the year. It’s just hard to know what the Orioles are thinking. Kjerstad then started four of the five games for the Orioles, including one against a lefty, and it seemed like he was emerging into a key role. However, two of those starts were when Ryan Mountcastle was out of the lineup with an illness and then Kjerstad sat on Friday and Saturday with Cowser and Austin Hays both getting a start. This outfield is just too crowded right now to count on Kjerstad much in fantasy. However, he can clearly play at this level, and the trade deadline is rapidly approaching, so there’s logic to holding onto Kjerstad and hoping that he gets traded into a fulltime role or the Orioles make a trade that frees one up for him.
Brooks Lee - SS, MIN: 31% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, BATTING AVERAGE/ POWER UPSIDE)
Brooks Lee was listed as a stash in that same Rotoworld Add/Drop video this week and then the Twins went ahead and promoted him on Wednesday after the Royce Lewis injury. You can watch the full video in the link above, but my general thoughts on Lee were that the batting average should be solid right away, and given how he’s already been hitting in the early going, it wouldn’t surprise me if he moves up into a prime spot in the Twins’ lineup, which will help with counting stats. He won’t run much and his minor league home runs totals this year were influenced by an inflated 30% HR/FB rate that won’t carry over. However, Lee will hit some out of the park and swipe a bag here or there, so he should be a solid contributor in four of the five categories with chip-in steals. That’s valuable in almost all leagues.
Luis Garcia Jr. - 2B, WAS: 31% rostered
(MILD POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I had Garcia on here a few times earlier in the season when we talked about the new level the young middle infielder seemed to be finding. After a brief slump near the start of the summer, Garcia has found his groove again, hitting 15-for-45 (.333) over his last 12 games with three home runs, 11 RBI, and two steals. He will sit against most left-handed pitchers, so you need to plan around that, but he’s a solid add in all formats. In deeper formats, you could also look to add Keston Hiura - 2B, LAA (1% rostered). I know we’ve done this dance with Hiura before, but he also hit .270 with 18 home runs in 43 games in Triple-A this season. It should be noted that 12 of those home runs have come in 19 games with Salt Lake in what is an extremely hitter-friendly environment. We also need to acknowledge that Hiura has had multiple chances before and failed to deliver, but he’s getting yet another shot with the Angels and is 3-for-8 with one run and one RBI in his first two games.
Zach Neto - SS, LAA: 31% rostered
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
I’ll keep putting Neto on here, and I know it’s not always pretty, but even though he’s hitting just 9-for-44 over his last 12 games, Neto also has five steals over that span, which is tied for second-most in baseball. He has 11 home runs and 14 steals on the season, which gives you solid contributions across five categories. With Mike Trout also a couple weeks away from returning, there’s a chance this Angels lineup will become a touch better which will help with counting stats. Neto’s mediocre batting average and team context may keep him a fringe option in 12-team leagues, but he’s a must-roster in 15-team formats.
Spencer Horwitz - 2B, TOR (22% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
So why did Horwitz’s roster rate go DOWN this week? Let’s review what I said last week: “I know the playing time hasn’t been as consistent as we’d like, but I’m taking my chances with Horwitz. He was a plus contact hitter in the minors and has carried that over into his MLB debut, showcasing a good feel for the strike zone and the ability to hit for a high batting average. In 25 games in his MLB career, Horwitz is hitting .311 with three home runs, 11 runs scored, and nine RBI. Even though the Blue Jays aren’t playing Horwitz every day, they hit him second in the lineup every time he plays which tells me that they like him. With the way the offense has been struggling lately, I think he’ll be even more of a fixture in their lineup.” Horwitz started every single game this week. I also think Lenyn Sosa - 2B/3B, CWS (9% rostered) might be worth an add in AL-only and super deep leagues. He’s playing third base every day for the White Sox and is streaking of late, hitting 14-for-44 (.311) over his last 12 games with two home runs and six RBI.
Colt Keith - 2B/3B, DET: 18% rostered
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
It’s been quite a week for Colt Keith, who went 7-for-20 (.350) with three home runs, five runs, and four RBI. It’s just another example of how rookie hitters are going to ride a rollercoaster all season. Keith has had some cold weeks recently, but he’s also hitting .286 over his last 23 games with five home runs, 11 runs scored, and nine RBI. The team context isn’t great for his counting stats, but Keith is a good hitter and should conceivably be better in the second half as he continues to get more comfortable at this level. If you wanted power or to ride a hot bat, you can add Brandon Lowe - 2B, TB (24% rostered). Over the last two weeks, Lowe is hitting .273 with three home runs and eight runs scored. I don’t love Lowe, but it’s worth noting that the Rays continue to start him and bat him second or third, including allowing him to make a few starts against left-handed pitching. Given that the Rays had always platooned Lowe before, this is good news for his playing time. He still won’t give you much in the way of batting average, but the power is real, and the lineup spot will help with counting stats, as evidenced by the fact that he has 18 RBI in his last 23 games. If you have speed and batting average covered elsewhere, Lowe could be a decent fit for your roster.
Harrison Bader - OF, NYM 15% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME, SPEED UPSIDE)
Harrison Bader can never seem to stay healthy and he battled a head injury at the end of last week; however, he returned on Friday and should be good to go. He has always had a decent power/speed combination when he plays and should continue to play every day with Starling Marte out for a month with a hamstring injury. Over his last 21 games, Bader is 17-for-66 (.258) with three home runs, 12 runs scored, 10 RBI, and five steals. Another potential waiver add if you’re looking for speed is Stuart Fairchild - OF, CIN (3% rostered). He’s been playing center field every day since TJ Friedl went down and while he’s not leading off like Friedl did, he’s giving you enough speed for fantasy success with four steals over his last 13 games. He’s not going to give you much else, but if you need speed in deeper formats, he’s a name to consider.
Garrett Mitchell - OF, MIL: 5% rostered
(PLAYING TIME, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
Mitchell was activated off the IL last week and should eventually work his way back into a full-time role. The Brewers wanted him as their everyday centerfielder until he broke his hand in the spring. In 12 games at Triple-A while rehabbing, Mitchell hit .313 with four home runs and four steals. He has a fantasy-friendly game that will lead to solid five-category upside, even if he doesn’t have one elite carrying tool. His home park and solid lineup should also boost his fantasy value a little, and I’m interested in adding Mitchell in deeper formats right now, anticipating he’ll carve out a full-time role, but I can see waiting in 12-team leagues.
Parker Meadows - OF, DET: 3% rostered
(ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, POWER/SPEED UPSIDE)
MEADOWS WAS INJURED DURING SUNDAY’S GAME AND IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE GREAT NEWS. MANAGER A.J. HINCH SAID “I don’t love what I heard from the get-go in talking to him and our trainers...It’s something with the hamstring. That’s always alarming.” PROBABLY BEST TO DELETE ALL YOUR MEADOWS BIDS IN REDRAFT LEAGUES
I was in on Meadows in the pre-season, naming him as my pick to be the 2024 version of Josh Lowe. That certainly did not happen. However, Meadows is hitting .298/.394/.511 in 47 games at Triple-A with eight home runs and 19 steals. He got called up again and went 3-for-8 with a home run, two runs, scored, and one RBI in his first two games back. He should find himself in a full-time job, and if I was willing to bet on his talent before, I’m not going to let a struggle at the start of the year deter me. Now, I may not go out and add him in 12-team leagues right away, but he’s on my radar in all formats. In deeper formats where I need speed, I could see taking a gamble on Leody Taveras - OF, TEX 6% rostered). Over his last two weeks, Taveras is 13-for-34 (.382) with five RBI and four steals. He was pretty solid in 143 games last year as a 24-year-old, so maybe he’s on the verge of heating up this summer. He’s really just a speed play in a solid lineup, but I can see it in deep formats. James Outman - OF, LAD (23% rostered) is also getting another chance with the Dodgers after Jason Heyward landed on the IL. Outman is hitting .285/.396/.556 in Triple-A with 10 home runs and 22 RBI, and we’ve seen him produce before. We’ve also seen high strikeout rates and we know he’ll sit versus lefties, so keep your bids in check.
Rowdy Tellez - 1B, PIT: 5% rostered
(HOT STRETCH, POWER UPSIDE)
I had Tellez on here last week as a deeper league-only play, and he had another good week, so I’ll keep my write-up from last week here and just update the stats: “The fantasy community has dreamed about Rowdy Tellez in a way that has probably built him up to be something he’s not. However, he continues to play against right-handed pitchers and hit in the middle of the lineup for the Pirates. In June, Tellez played 19 games and hit .344 with two home runs, seven runs, and 12 RBI. He struck out just 21% of the time but isn’t hitting the ball as hard as he has in years past. He’s not going to put up huge numbers in a mediocre offense, but he’s doing fine right now and sometimes that’s enough.” Meanwhile, Tellez has kept it going and is hitting .324 over his last 12 games with five home runs and 10 RBI. Obviously, 10 RBI on five home runs isn’t a huge total and that highlights a bit of the issue with his team context, but he’s worth adding in deeper formats right now.
Pitchers
Reese Olson - SP, DET 45% rostered
Olson’s last four starts have clearly righted the ship, but his roster rates are not going up. His changeup and slider have come back around a bit and that’s crucial for him since his fastball is fairly mediocre. If he can keep his four-seam and sinker on the edges of the strike zone and then pound the zone with his slider and changeup, he should continue to be a solid fantasy starter. He did it for almost two months to start the season and is doing it again, so I’m not sure why we’re not more interested in a pitcher with a 3.22 ERA who has a 1.88 ERA with 28 strikeouts across his last 24 innings.
Jameson Taillon – SP, CHC: 39% rostered
I was a big fan of Taillon’s coming into the season and wrote him up as one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers. So far it’s worked out with the veteran posting a 2.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts in 81.1 innings. Now, obviously, you’re not getting tons of strikeouts with Taillon, but ratios like that with a deep pitch mix on a good team are qualities that we love to find in 15-team leagues and puts him firmly on the radar in 12-team leagues.
Ryne Stanek – RP, SEA 30% rostered
Yes, Andres Munoz is still the closer, but the Mariners like to use him in high-leverage situations, even if that’s not in a closing situation. That leaves saves for Stanek, who has four over the last month. His command is iffy, so there will be some rough outings, but if you need a spare save here and there, Stanek is a solid reliever on a good team who will get you a few. If you’re also looking for save stashes, I kind of like grabbing shares of Ben Joyce - RP, LAA (1% rostered) as a young, high-upside reliever who could find himself in a closer job if Carlos Estevez gets traded. You could also add Yimi Garcia - RP, TOR (30% rostered), who should close in the short-term for Toronto, but I think he’ll also get traded, so this could just be a 2-3 week add.
Dean Kremer – SP, BAL: 29% rostered
Kremer has been interesting to me since mid-season when he made a pitch mix change that unlocked another level. So far in 2024, he has a 3.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts in 55 innings. We love his home park and his team context, which adds even more value to his profile. I think he’s a streamer in 12-team leagues but a must add in 15-team leagues.
Christian Scott – SP, NYM: 23% rostered
When Christian Scott was sent down, we knew he would eventually get called back up when the Mets needed rotation depth. It took a little bit more time than we expected, but he’s back now. I know the first start wasn’t great, but the Nationals were swinging some hot bats this week. We’ve seen what Scott is capable of, and while it won’t always be pretty because he’s a rookie, he has the type of upside we look for on the wire. He’ll start on Monday against the Pirates and I’m happy to take that gamble.
Robbie Ray - SP, SF (24% rostered)
I had Ray on here the last two weeks, so I’ll just repeat what I wrote then: “Now is the time to stash Robbie Ray since he just moved his rehab assignment up to Triple-A. He’s still only at about three innings of work (or that’s the plan for this upcoming week) so he’s maybe three weeks away from making his season debut, but I think we’re forgetting the ceiling that Ray has. There are some command concerns with Ray since he’s always had some control issues and command is the last thing to come back after Tommy John surgery. However, his overall talent level and strikeout upside make him worth a stash.” Another injury stash is Jeffrey Springs - SP, TB (20% rostered), who threw four shutout innings in his last rehab start at Triple-A. He’s now up to 62 pitches and with the Rays trading Aaron Civale away, it looks like they’ll be sellers who could also deal Zach Eflin or Zack Littell. I wouldn’t expect Springs up until after the trade deadline, but I think he could slide back into the rotation when I had previously worried he would be a multi-inning reliever with a full staff around him.
Yariel Rodriguez - SP, TOR (8% rostered)
I will admit that I remain skeptical about Rodriguez. He was a multi-inning reliever in Japan when he caught the eye of MLB scouts, but he has never really produced when asked to be a full-time starter. In his first six MLB starts, he never made it past four innings; however, he has come back on fire over the last two starts, pitching 12.2 innings and allowing just one run while striking out 12. I’m not sure he can keep this up, but it’s hard to ignore that performance.
A.J. Puk – RP, MIA: 5 % rostered
Are we going to do this again? Tanner Scott is one of the likeliest relievers to be traded and Puk has been solid over the last month with a 2.30 ERA or 0.77 WHIP in 15 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. The Marlins won’t be good, so I don’t know how many saves you could get, but if you need some, Puk could be an option. However, Craig Mish has also reported that Andrew Nardi - RP, MIA (3% rostered) could get the chance to close once Tanner Scott is dealt.
STREAMING STARTER OPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK (ranked in loose order)
Christian Scott (NYM) - at PIT, vs COL
Brayan Bello (BOS) - vs OAK, vs KC
Miles Mikolas (STL) - at WAS, vs CHC
Michael Lorenzen (TEX) - at LAA
Dean Kremer (BAL) - vs CHC
Carson Spiers (CIN) - vs COL
Drew Thorpe (CWS) - vs PIT
Jose Quintana (NYM) - vs WAS, vs COL
Colin Rea (MIL) - vs PIT, vs WAS
Michael Mercado (PHI) - vs OAK
Ben Lively (CLE) - at DET, at TB
Luis L. Ortiz (PIT) - vs CWS
Frankie Montas (CIN) - vs COL
David Peterson (NYM) - vs WAS
Jameson Taillon (CHC) - at BAL, at STL
Reese Olson (DET) - vs CLE
Jose Soriano (LAA) - vs SEA
Cal Quantrill (COL) - at CIN, at NYM
Javier Assad (CHC) - at STL
Ryne Nelson (ARI) - vs TOR
Chris Paddack (MIN) - at CWS, at SF
Quinn Priester (PIT) - at CWS
Players to Drop
David Fry - C/1B/OF, CLE: 69% rostered
I get why people want to hold onto Fry. He was a great find at the start of the season and is a really good story. However, he is hitting just .257 over the last 23 games with no home runs, two runs scored, and six RBI. That’s the 798th-ranked player in 5x5 scoring. Even with catcher eligibility, he’s not producing well enough across the categories for me to want to hold onto him right now.
Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 61% rostered
I’ve been debating cutting Hoskins in some of my own leagues for a few weeks now, and now that he’s in this article he’ll probably have a huge hot stretch, but I have to mention my concerns here. For starters, Hoskins is hitting .186 over his last 25 games with three home runs. He also has a 34% strikeout rate in the month and, as I covered in my article last week, his bat speed is actually getting slower as the season goes on. He could certainly still rebound, and his home park is great for power, but I can understand moving on from him in shallower formats. For example, I dropped him for Mark Vientos in a league two weeks ago, and I’m not mad about it so far.
Alex Verdugo - OF, NYY: 60% rostered
I really don’t think Verdugo needs to be rostered in this many places. He’s a fine hitter, and the move to Yankee Stadium has helped his power a bit, but he’s not that much different of a player. He’s hitting .246 with 10 home runs on the season but is batting just .229 over his last 26 games with two home runs. In deeper formats, I know his everyday role is valuable, but outside of 15-team leagues, I can’t see needing him on your roster unless he’s in the middle of a hot stretch, which is decidedly not now.
Nolan Gorman- 2B/3B, STL: 60% rostered
If you really need power, I can see holding Gorman, since he is giving you that. However, he’s also hitting .143 over his last 28 games and continues to strike out nearly 40% of the time of late. With Tommy Edman nearing a return and Lars Nootbaar on his way back and Jordan Walker also producing in Triple-A, this Cardinals lineup could get crowded soon, and I’m not sure Gorman is hitting well enough overall to hold all of those guys off.