Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9

Which players should fantasy baseball owners target on the waiver wire this week? Here are 10 names to consider.

As we near the one-third mark of the 2016 season, fantasy baseball owners – like their MLB counterparts – are likely getting a sense of whether or not they can compete for a postseason spot in their respective leagues. If you’re not all that inspired by your roster’s performance to this point, don’t worry. There is still time and useful players available to help you turn things around.

There is a definite American League bent to this week’s list, with several players from the AL East in particular. Waiver pickups are often about catching lightning in a bottle with players on hot streaks, or identifying ones that could pay dividends down the road. There are currently a variety of options that fit either bill.

Julio Urias was scooped up by more than a few owners this week, and it’s hard to blame them given his talent and top prospect status. He received a rather rude welcome in his first career start on Friday night against the Mets, however. The 19-year-old lefty allowed three runs on five hits while walking four in only 2.2 innings.

Despite the rough debut, the young phenom would probably have earned a recommendation this week on upside alone, but the Dodgers promptly sent him back down to Triple-A yesterday. He’ll be back, but it’s hard to say when.

There is still talent to be found on most waiver wires, so if you’re looking to gain an edge and boost your squad before Week 9, here are some other names to consider.

Honorable Mentions: Jose Ramirez (CLE), Chris Herrmann (ARI)

Next: Matt Adams

Matt Adams

15% owned in Yahoo, 13% in ESPN

Last season was a definite disappointment for Matt Adams, who missed over 100 games with a torn quad. 2016 has been a very different story however, with the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman slashing a buoyant .327/.382/.574 with six home runs and 23 RBI.

Adams has been particularly dangerous at the plate over the last week or so, slashing .542/.577/1.083 with three homers and 11 RBI in 26 plate appearances since May 19. Back stiffness kept him out of a game on Friday but the issue is not believed to be serious.

If you’re lacking production at first base and missed the Chris Carter train, Adams is a decent alternative. While his power potential isn’t much to write home about in spite of his recent surge, he’s hitting for a high average and getting on base frequently. And at 27 years old, he could put together a solid year if he stays healthy.

Next: Cameron Maybin

Cameron Maybin

60% owned in Yahoo, 57% in ESPN

If Cameron Maybin has not already been snatched up in your league, you might want to hitch a ride on his current hot streak. The Detroit Tigers outfielder didn’t make his season debut until May 16 due to a broken wrist, but since then he’s been racking up the hits.

The 29-year-old has hit safely in 10 of 11 games since his return, seven of them multi-hit performances. In 45 plate appearances he is slashing .475/.523/.575 with a home run and seven RBI. Those numbers obviously won’t last, but it’s worth seeing how long he can keep it up.

Last year Maybin posted a .267/.327/.370 line with 10 homers and 59 RBI in 141 games for the Atlanta Braves, which should give you a better idea of what to expect long-term. He doesn’t bring much power to the table (only two of his 19 hits this season have gone for extra bases) but Maybin does enhance his value with some speed. He stole 23 bases last year, 26 in 2012 and 40 in 2011. He may not reach that territory again, but it’s still part of his game, as he swiped a bag in each of his first four appearances this year.

Injuries have obviously been a concern for Maybin throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy he could be a useful outfielder.

Next: Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran

59% owned in Yahoo, 59% in ESPN

Carlos Beltran is a recommendation that comes with a caveat. The 39-year-old has been swinging a hot bat of late, but his uptick in production has primarily come while occupying the DH spot vacated by an injured Alex Rodriguez. Since May 9, he is slashing .304/.347/.754 with eight homers and 19 RBI, fueling the New York Yankees offense.

However, A-Rod returned to the Yankees lineup on Thursday, and Beltran promptly struck out four times (for only the third time in his 19-year career, no less). He responded by swatting a home run in each of the following two games, but fans and media will probably continue to debate whether the veteran is more productive in the DH role for the next week or two.

Regardless of whether playing the field has a negative effect on Beltran’s performance at the plate, his numbers are still surprisingly solid so far this season. He owns a .263/.290/.537 slash line on the year and has shown that he still has power at his age, belting 12 round-trippers while driving in 31 runs.

If you need help in one of your outfield or utility slots, Beltran could be an appealing option. While it’s sometimes hard to trust older players, remember that he was arguably the Yankees’ most consistent hitter last year, slashing .295/.357/.505 from May 1 onward.

Next: Steve Pearce

Steve Pearce

45% owned in Yahoo, 50% in ESPN

Steve Pearce is proving to be a surprisingly good offseason investment for the Tampa Bay Rays, and he could be a similarly underrated addition to your fantasy squad. The immediate appeal of Pearce is that he likely has multiple position eligibility in your league. In most Yahoo and ESPN formats he can be slotted in at 1B, 2B and OF. Flexibility is, of course, always nice to have in fantasy baseball.

Aside from that, he’s just plain having a good year at the plate thus far. He is slashing a hearty .324/.407/.662 in May, lifting his overall line to .302/.388/.552. Pearce has also collected eight homers and 20 RBI.

As with many of these players, fantasy owners should temper their expectations for the long term. Pearce wasn’t nearly as successful a year ago for the Orioles, posting a .218/.289/.422 line in an injury-abbreviated season. Health issues also limited him to 102 games in 2014, but he slashed .293/.373/.556 with 21 home runs and 49 RBI.

If he can stay on the field, will this season’s version of Pearce be closer to the 2014 edition? If so, he can be a difference maker for your team, wherever you decide to place him in your lineup.

Next: Matt Wieters

Matt Wieters

75% in Yahoo, 58% in ESPN

Matt Wieters entered the month of May hitting .217, and it seemed to most observers that he may never quite regain his former prowess. He’s reversed course over the past few weeks, though, batting .361/.371/.590 with three home runs and nine RBI since the first of the month.

Overall, the 30-year-old Baltimore Orioles catcher has bolstered his season slash line to .291/.331/.453 to go along with four long balls and 17 RBI. Wieters, of course, was limited to a total of 101 games over the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

From 2011 to 2013, Wieters slashed .249/.315/.434 while averaging 22 homers and 77 RBI per season. Even if he can stay healthy, that level of production may be somewhat optimistic, but his performance in May has certainly been encouraging.

Catchers can be tricky in fantasy baseball, but if you’re unsatisfied with your current backstop or are interested in an alternate, you might want to ride the hot hand with Wieters.

Next: CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia

11% owned in Yahoo, 13% in ESPN

It wasn’t very long ago that CC Sabathia seemed destined to never again approach fantasy relevance, and yet here he is. The big lefty has strung together a series of impressive starts, causing fans to wonder if he has finally figured out how to pitch with diminished velocity.

Over his last three starts, Sabathia has surrendered only one earned run in 20 innings. He has also given up just 11 hits while striking out 21 over that span, stifling opposing hitters to a .157 batting average. It’s a somewhat small sample size, but those numbers are reminiscent of Sabathia’s prime.

Expecting a full-time return to his glory days would be foolhardy, but the nice job CC has done so far this season is hard to ignore. He boasts a 2.83 ERA, and his 2.97 FIP and .292 BABIP suggest he hasn’t really benefited from undue good fortune either.

The thing that has made a big difference for Sabathia, though, is that he has served up only one home run in his 41.1 innings of work. That probably won’t hold up, especially pitching half his games in Yankee Stadium, but if your rotation needs a boost, you could do worse than picking up CC and hoping that he truly has reinvented himself.

Next: Michael Saunders

Michael Saunders

46% owned in Yahoo, 43% in ESPN

The Toronto Blue Jays offense, which looked absolutely merciless in 2015, has largely stalled through the first two months of 2016. One player who has been doing his part and then some, however, is outfielder Michael Saunders.

The 29-year-old owns a .295/.387/.536 slash line on the season with nine homers and 17 RBI. He has remained fairly steady throughout the year while bigger names have slumped. It’s a resounding comeback for Saunders, who played in only 87 games the last two years due to injury.

Leaner days are likely coming: he’s working a .381 BABIP right now and his career 98 OPS+ suggests he’s been an average hitter at best even when healthy. But if you could use a boost in batting average or on-base percentage at the moment, Saunders is someone to consider.

Next: Junior Guerra

Junior Guerra

12% owned in Yahoo, 18% in ESPN

You could say Junior Guerra has taken an unconventional route to the major leagues, debuting last year at age 30 for the Chicago White Sox. Now pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers, Guerra still has his rookie status intact at 31 years old.

Guerra made his first start of the season on May 3 and in five outings since then he has acquitted himself well. He has earned victories in three of those starts, noteworthy on a team that has struggled to win games this year. Guerra carries a 3.30 ERA (3.15 FIP) and has allowed just 22 hits in 30 frames.

Strikeouts have also been on the rise for Guerra, who has fanned 30 batters in his 30 innings of work. However, 17 of those have come in his last 12 innings, including 11 Ks in his seven-inning performance against the Cubs on May 19.

If you need strikeouts in the short term, Guerra could be an interesting place to turn. He posted a 9.9 K/9 rate across four minor league campaigns. If Guerra’s rotation mate Jimmy Nelson (2.92 ERA) is already owned in your league, it might not be a bad idea to take a chance on the right-hander.

Next: Sam Dyson

Devon Travis

43% in Yahoo, 32% in ESPN

If you’re in the mood for buying a lottery ticket, Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis is one with a potentially high payoff. Left shoulder surgery limited Travis to 62 games in 2015 and wiped out nearly the first two months of this season. The 25-year-old was recently activated from the DL ahead of schedule.

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However, when he was on the field last year Travis looked like a frontrunner for the AL Rookie of the Year award. Over 239 plate appearances he slashed .304/.361/.498 with eight home runs and 35 RBI. His injury was a significant one, so there’s no telling exactly how it will affect him moving forward. But if he can approach the level of production he maintained a year ago, he would become an appealing option at a relatively weak position.

The Toronto offense isn’t quite humming yet, but with the talent in that lineup you would have to think they’re due for some better days ahead. And once they start clicking, Travis could be a major beneficiary. If he starts swinging the bat well, manager John Gibbons could put him in the leadoff spot, moving Jose Bautista back to his customary place in the heart of the order. Travis would then stand to score some runs with the sluggers hitting behind him.

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This is all contingent on the young infielder re-establishing himself, however. He made progress on that front yesterday, delivering a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth of a win over the Red Sox. At his age you have to like his odds, so if you’re looking for an upgrade at second base you may want to take a flyer on Travis.