Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire guide. We'll be doing things a little differently this season, with Eric Samulski publishing the initial waiver-wire article on Friday afternoon. Then James Schiano updates it every Sunday to make sure you get the most up-to-date information.
The premise of the article is pretty straightforward. We'll give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When we list a player, we'll list the category where we think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. We hope this helps you determine whether the player fits your team's needs. Not every "trending" player will be a good addition to your specific roster.
To qualify for this list, a player needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. We understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and we 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.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters
Caleb Durbin - 2B/3B, BOS (40% rostered)
(HOT STRETCH, STOLEN BASE UPSIDE)
Durbin is still technically right at 40%, so he's going to remain on this list. The narrative around Durbin at the beginning of the season was so toxic that we're not sure people realize how good he's been. When he started off the year poorly and Kyle Harrison, the pitcher he was traded for, dominated in Milwaukee, there was this pervasive idea that Durbin was a bust. However, it appears that he just needed to find his footing. In 42 games since June 1st, Durbin is hitting .297/.356/.527 with nine home runs, 29 runs scored, 22 RBI, and seven steals. That's a 141 wRC+ and is exactly what people envisioned from the second-year hitter when moving into a park like Fenway. Perhaps it took Durbin a bit longer to adjust his approach. His pull rate is 51% during this stretch, but was just around 43% in Milwaukee last year. The Green Monster has come calling and more people need to be adding him. Brett Baty - 1B/2B/3B/OF, NYM (5% rostered) is another play we've had on here a bunch, but he is producing lately, and the Mets are going to keep playing him. Defense aside, Baty is hitting .281/.300/.491 over his last 15 games with three home runs, 11 runs scored, six RBI, and two steals. That has come with an 11.6% barrel rate and 46.5% hard-hit rate. We've seen Baty end the season on strong stretches before and he has the tools to do so again.
Ryan Jeffers - C, MIN (40% rostered)
(ONE-CATCHER LEAGUE, POWER UPSIDE)
Jeffers has played seven games in July after having surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone, and while he may be hitting just .231 in those seven games, he has two home runs, which is nice to see. He has just a 30% hard-hit rate, so we're not yet willing to say he's all the way back, but Jeffers was having a tremendous year and is worthy of an add in most formats. Francisco Alvarez - C, NYM (23% rostered) is another option for many of the same reasons. He is a bit of a streaky hitter, but he's batting .286/.375/.429 in 12 games in July with two home runs and a 40% hard-hit rate. He's just a fringe one-catcher league option right now, but he might be better than what some people are rolling out there.
Brayan Rocchio - 2B/SS - CLE (38% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, AVERAGE/SPEED UPSIDE)
Rocchio went through a cold stretch in June that saw him get dropped in a lot of places, but he's back to producing again. In 18 games in July, he's hitting .278/.297/.472 with four home runs, 10 runs scored, 14 RBI, and one steal. He has nine home runs and a career-high 15 steals on the season and continues to make more contact than he has before. He's just 25 years old, so there is reason to believe he will continue to make strides.
Tommy Edman - 2B/3B/OF, LAD (32% rostered)
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, GREAT LINEUP)
This is now our third week with Edman on this list. As we mentioned before, you're probably not getting the same amount of speed from Edman anymore due to his myriad lower-body injuries, but he does have two steals in 17 games in July, so it's not nothing. However, he is also hitting .333/.429/.4500 in those 17 games with nine RBI and 13 runs scored because he hits in the Dodgers' lineup. That's going to be production that helps if you need average and counting stats. Jim Jarvis - SS, ATL (2% rostered) could be a play in deeper formats. He has emerged as the starting shortstop in Atlanta, and while they may replace him at the trade deadline, right now, he's hitting .300/.340/.480 in 15 games in July with seven runs, seven RBI, and a league-average 39% hard-hit rate. Much like Edman, this is about getting an everyday player with batting average upside in a good lineup.
A.J. Ewing - 2B/OF, NYM (29% rostered)
(POWER SURGE, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)
Perhaps we forgot about Ewing, but the rookie is hitting .297/.361/.495 in his last 30 games with five home runs, 13 runs scored, 16 RBI, and four steals. He has started to lift the ball a touch more, which has led to more barrels. We know that the Mets are going to trade away players at the deadline, but Ewing won't be one of them. He will play pretty much every day and continue to bat leadoff against righties, which gives him a safe floor and value in all five categories.
Ty France - 1B, Padres (28% rostered)
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
Eric had an article about players who could see a second-half surgeand mentioned that France was already surging.We also recorded a video this week on how France has become a key part of this lineup since Nick Castellanos was released, so that's worth checking out to see why we're into France. Another deeper league corner infield target who is playing well enough right now to get a shot in shallower formats is Nolan Arenado - 3B, ARI (25% rostered), who Eric recorded a video on this week after Arenado’s 2,000th career hit. There is some fantasy value here too in deeper formats.
Nasim Nunez - 2B/SS, WAS (27% rostered)
(STOLEN BASE UPSIDE, HOT STREAK)
We're keeping Nunez on here for his stolen base upside and because he keeps hitting. In 14 games in July, he's hitting .362/.412/.426 with 11 runs and five steals. Yes, this is mainly a speed play, but if he can even keep a .270 average, that's going to be incredibly valuable to your fantasy teams.
Garrett Mitchell - OF, MIL (22% rostered)
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, STREAKY PLAYER ON HOT STREAK)
We featured Mitchell a bunch earlier in the season, and he's back to putting up really solid numbers, but nobody wants to add him. Over his last 30 games, he has a .327/.389/.520 slash line with three home runs, 15 runs scored, and 14 RBI. That's with a 13% barrel rate and a 49.3% hard-hit rate. The tools have always been loud, but the plate approach has been the question. Over this stretch, he has a 13.8% swinging strike rate, which is continuing to go down, and a 28% chase rate and 87.1% zone contact rate, which are clear improvements from what we've seen before. It seems like he is improving his approach after all. Another young outfielder add could be Ryan Waldschmit - OF, ARI (3% rostered). He seems to be back up in a full-time role in Arizona, and while the numbers haven't been great overall, he is a highly regarded prospect who has gone 5-for-21 over his last five games with one home run, three runs scored, and three RBI. If Arizona gives him consistent at-bats, he may start to put it together.
Bryce Eldridge - 1B, SF (22% rostered)
(POWER UPSIDE, EVERY DAY ROLE)
Clearly, people have tired of Eldridge and the Giants, so his roster rate has fallen pretty far. However, Eldridge is still hitting for power. He has four home runs and a .460 slugging percentage in 17 games in July with a 15.8% barrel rate and 55.2% hard-hit rate. The batting average may fluctuate, but the power should always be there, which will always make him an attractive option. Another option for power, more for deeper formats, is Andres Chaparro - 1B, WAS (1% rostered), who has four home runs and 13 RBI in 10 games in July while hitting .333/.391/.905. That comes with a 60% hard-hit rate. Now, his most recent torrid stretch was because the Nationals were facing lots of lefties, but if the team trades Luis Garcia Jr., then Chaparro could get a shot at an everyday job. He won't keep up this level of production, but maybe the power will remain.
Sunday update: the Nationals traded Curtis Mead to the Red Sox for starting pitcher Connelly Early on Saturday night. Mead heading out somewhat frees up the log-jam between the corners and DH spot in Washington and Chaparro will likely see more playing time because of it.
Cole Carrigg - OF, COL (22% rostered)
(COORS FIELD, POWER UPSIDE)
Eric featured Cole Carrigg as a player who could gain fantasy value after the deadline since both Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy are allegedly on the trade block. In that article, Eric mentioned that, even though Carrigg isn't crushing the ball, he has good bat speed and is making better-than-league-average zone contact, which is a nice profile in Coors Field. He just needs to play more consistently. Braden Montgomery - OF, CWS (11% rostered) is another young outfielder who could take a step forward in the second half. Over his last 10 games, he's hitting .263/.317/.447 with one home run, seven runs scored, 10 RBI, and one steal. That has come with a 38.2% hard-hit rate that is starting to creep up. He began the year in Double-A, so this is a big jump for him, but more at-bats will likely lead to a better plan and more success.
Lane Thomas - OF, KC (9% rostered)
(SAFE FLOOR FOR DEEPER FORMATS, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)
Thomas is a "boring" veteran outfielder who is producing and is a solid add in the short-term. He may not remain a starter after the trade deadline but, for now, he has emerged as an everyday player for the Royals and, over the last 40 games, is hitting .257/.333/.493 with seven home runs, 19 runs scored, and 20 RBI. That comes with a 9.7% barrel rate and 50.5% hard-hit rate, the latter of which would be a career high. Thomas’ exit velocities are the highest they’ve been since 2021, and he’s making more consistent contact than he ever has. Yohendrick Pinango - OF, TOR (0% rostered) is in the opposite situation from Thomas because he might become an everyday player AFTER the deadline. He has hit .267/.313/.413 in 160 plate appearances with five home runs and 20 RBI. His 7.1% barrel rate and 45.1% hard-hit rate, plus his 75.7 mph bat speed, suggest that there could be more in the tank here. With the Blue Jays looking like sellers at the deadline, Pinango could get regular playing time through the end of the season.
Heriberto Hernandez - OF, MIA (9% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)
An injury to Owen Caissie has allowed Hernandez to play against more right-handed pitchers, and he has responded by hitting .322/.385/.695 in 17 games in July with five home runs, eight RBI, and two steals. On the season, he has a 13.3% barrel rate and 51.8% hard-hit rate, so the loud contact has always been there, but he has been playing mainly against lefties. The batting average will fall a bit against righties, but he has still been slugging well, so this could hold up if he continues to get a chance to play even when Caissie is back. His teammate, Griffin Conine - OF, MIA (2% rostered) is a good option if you're in a daily moves league or a mid-week lineup change league since he won't play against lefties. Conine is hitting .250/.333/.542 in 17 games in July with four home runs, so there is some power in his bat as well.
Sunday update: Hernández slugged another home run on Friday and now has six in July. He's also hit second or third in their order against six straight right-handed pitchers as the Marlins' faith in him grows.
Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN (6% rostered)
(FRINGE ONE-CATCHER LEAGUE OPTION, UPSIDE BET)
Stephenson is another hitter that was featured in Eric's second-half surgers article. In 12 games in July, he's hitting .333/.349/.548 with two home runs and just three RBI but a 12.1% barrel rate and 40% hard-hit rate. There are some rumors he could be on the move to a team like the Red Sox or Yankees, which would improve those counting stats as well, and Boston might also use him as a regular DH. He could be an interesting name at the trade deadline. Joe Mack - C, MIA (5% rostered) is another catcher option in deeper formats. We know the defense will keep him in the lineup, and he has four home runs and a .537 slugging percentage in 16 games in July, so he's not only a defensive player.
Joey Ortiz - 3B/SS, MIL (6% rostered)
(SWING CHANGE, HOT STREAK)
Heading into the All-Star break, we had a blurb about Joey Ortiz’s new batting stance where we said, "What’s notable about this is that the shortstop has narrowed his stance. According to Statcast, in July, his feet have been a little over 26 inches apart with a stance that’s three degrees open. In the first two months of the season, his stance had his feet 29 inches apart and was nine degrees open. Narrowing and closing off the stance slightly is also the change that the Brewers made with Brice Turang to help fuel his breakout, so it’s something to watch in the second half of the season." So far, the change has paid off. Tommy White - 3B, ATH (5% rostered) is not somebody we necessarily think will stick around long-term, but he has gone 7-for-19 in his brief stint with the A's. He wasn't hitting the ball hard in the minors and has no RBI on those seven hits, but the A's play seven games at home next week and face four lefties, so maybe White can do some damage there.
Victor Mesa Jr. OF, TB (5% rostered)
(POWER/SPEED UPSIDE, INTRIGUING METRICS)
Last week, we had Mesa on here and simply said, "Eric recently mentioned Mesa in hissecond half breakouts article because of his surprisingly solid underlying power metrics, good swing decisions, and near elite bat speed. He keeps working his way into the Rays’ lineup too, plays elite defense, and homered on Saturday. Stranger things have happened, right?" Well, those strange things are happening. In July, he is hitting .261/.327/.609 with five home runs, nine RBI, and three steals in 16 games. Maybe this sticks? Another potential outfielder to ride the hot streak on is Petey Halpin - OF, CLE (0% rostered). He's played only nine games in July but has hit .276/.290/.552 with two home runs and three steals. He has started the last six games for the Guardians in center field, even against a lefty, and may play regularly until Angel Martinez is back from the IL.
Sunday update: the Rays faced two left-handed pitchers this weekend against the Guardians and Mesa Jr. sat in both of those games. Keep that platoon in mind when looking at him on the wire.
Jacob Gonzalez - 1B/2B/SS, PIT (3% rostered)
(PLAYING TIME? POWER UPSIDE)
We had Gonzalez in here back when he was traded to the Pirates because we figured he would become their shortstop, and that's what has happened. While he will sit against some lefties, Gonzalez should be a regular against righties. In seven games with the Pirates, he's hitting .294 with two home runs and five RBI. He's more of a deeper league option, but he had a really good year in Triple-A and was a high draft pick, so this may turn into a solid MLB regular profile. Another multi-position option in Eric's second-half breakouts article was Colt Keith - 1B/2B/3B, DET (8% rostered). We acknowledge that you've probably bought into Keith's quality of contact before and nothing has come of it. Maybe that happens here too; however, Keith is hitting .263/.310/.526 with three home runs, six RBI, and 1 41.4% hard-hit rate in 16 games in July. Maybe you can take the plunge in deeper formats again.
Sunday update: the Pirates are in a remarkable run in terms of facing left-handed pitchers. Since they acquired Gonzalez on June 10th, they've played 13 games and a lefty started nine of those. In turn, he's only started four times. They have two more lefties on the scheduled in a seven-game week coming up, so keep that in mind when evaluating Gonzalez.
Brady House - 3B, WSN (2% rostered)
(POSSIBLE EVERYDAY JOB)
The Nationals traded third baseman Curtis Mead to the Red Sox late Saturday night for left-handed pitcher Connelly Early. With Mead gone, they called House back up and he's starting at third base for them on Sunday. Still just 23 years old, House showed decent raw power with regular playing time early this season. His 73.5 mph bat speed is similar to players like Seiya Suzuki and Brandon Lowe, he hit a ball 113.4 mph, and both his barrel and hard-hit rates were above league average. Too many grounders and not enough pulled fly balls held him back though and he's never shown a knack for taking a walk. Those are the types of things that normally improve with age though, so don't overlook House.
Tyler Locklear - 1B, ARI (1% rostered)
(EVERYDAY JOB, POWER UPSIDE)
The Diamondbacks recalled Locklear last week and he's gone 6-for-16 with one home run, five RBI, one stolen base, three walks, and three strikeouts since. They've gotten historically bad production from the first base and would love for Locklear — who they acquired at the deadline last year for Eugenio Suárez — to run with this job. His batted ball metrics have always popped in Triple-A and he showed some added passivity this season at that level.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Roki Sasaki - SP, LAD (41% rostered)
We're breaking the 40% rule (by one measly percentage point) to highlight Sasaki here. He tossed another gem on Friday against the Mets striking out nine batters over seven strong innings and it was one of those starts where you could see how sky-high Sasaki’s potential still is. He was back to buzzing 99 and 100 mph fastballs over the first few innings and commanded it exceptionally well on the edges of the plate. That set up his splitter to terrorize the Mets hitters. In total, it forced 15 whiffs – by far the most it has in a single game so far this season – and a nearly 50% chase rate. It was simply diabolical and so effective that it morphed into his primary pitch during his second and third trips around the Mets’ lineup. It was also the first time in his career that he completed seven innings against a team that isn’t the Angels. If this newfound command can hold — and that's a huge, massive question mark — he could turn into a monster down the stretch.
Shane Drohan - SP/RP, MIL (39% rostered)
Drohan continues to pitch often and well for the Brewers with a 3.51 ERA over nine starts since June 1st. That comes with a 1.23 WHIP and a 23.5% strikeout rate, so he's not setting the world on fire, but he has been really solid on one of the best teams in baseball. He may not keep his rotation spot after the trade deadline, but he has earned fantasy spots for now.
Sunday update: Drohan very frustratingly laid his first egg in a while on Friday against the Rockies at home. Many of us streamed him into our lineups and were rewarded with five earned runs over six innings. At the same time, he's now completed six innings in four straight starts and we expect him to remain reliable for the rest of the season.
Yoendrys Gómez - RP, MIN (31% rostered)
We've had Gómez here a few times. He has nine saves since June 1st and a 2.37 ERA in 19 innings over that stretch. Yes, he doesn't strike people out, but he also doesn't walk guys, and so he seems like a safe option if you just want a few saves to help you in that category without crushing your ratios.
Christian Scott - SP, NYM (28% rostered)
Scott's defense did him no favors in his last start against the Brewers, but we remain very much in on him for the second half. Eric had a detailed write-up in this week’s streaming starting pitcher column, so check that out.
Keider Montero - SP/RP, DET (28% rostered)
The injury to Jack Flaherty may mean that Montero is getting another shot in the Tigers' rotation. Eric discussed his potential fantasy value in this video after Flaherty’s injury.
Zac Thornton - SP, NYM (27% rostered)
Thornton has been great for the Mets over the last three starts, allowing one run on 10 hits in 19 innings. He has a quality start in each of those. However, he also has 14 strikeouts in those 19 innings. Nothing he throws is truly a plus pitch, but he throws plenty of strikes with a deep pitch mix, which has worked in the past. I would rather a lefty have an elite changeup, but Thornton can be a solid deep league streamer while he's throwing well.
Grant Taylor - RP/SP, CWS (27% rostered)
Over the last 30 days, Taylor has a .138 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts in 13 innings with two wins and three saves. We're not sure what more he needs to do to be added. Mason Montgomery - RP, PIT (4% rostered) could be another option to take on high-leverage innings, as Taylor did. But we expect the Pirates to add a closer at the deadline. Still, if you wanted to add Montgomery for cheap this week in the hopes that the Pirates remain cheap at the deadline, we like the move.
Brandon Pfaadt - SP, ARI (18% rostered)
Look, do we trust this? Not really, but it is happening. Eric covered Pfaadt’s pitch mix changes in detail in his streamer column this week, and the right-hander is clearly trading strikeouts for weak contact, which could work if you want solid ratios in a deeper format.
Jacob Webb - RP, CHC (17% rostered)
Cubs' closer Daniel Palencia is out with another arm injury, and the Cubs are trying to piece together something at the back end of their bullpen. They could make a trade at the deadline, but if they don't because they think Palencia will be back, then it's likely that Webb will continue to be their primary closer until then. He has three saves in his last 10 appearances and hasn't allowed a single run in those 10 innings while giving up six hits and posting a 10/5 K/BB ratio.
Sunday update: Webb pitched the eighth inning of a tie game on Friday against the heart of the Pirates' order. He is currently the most trusted reliever in the Cubs' bullpen.
AJ Smith-Shawver - SP, ATL (16% rostered)
If you're looking for a starting pitcher injury stash, it might be time to add Smith-Shawver, who should be with Atlanta next week. He has not only looked good in his rehab starts, but his velocity is up about two mph across the board. Maybe that's juiced minor league guns, but it's intriguing. The 23-year-old is an intriguing young arm, but he had a 3.86 ERA in 44.1 innings for the Braves last year with a 22% strikeout rate, so this isn't a high-end pitching prospect that you need to stash. Could he be a valuable arm for a good team? Yes, he could, but you don't need to drop a pitcher who is helping your team right now just to get Smith-Shawver on your squad.
Sunday update: Smith-Shawver threw 86 pitches in his latest rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Gwinnett and struck out five batters over four innings. His velocity was way up as his fastball flirted with triple digits and sat close to 98 mph. His slider each jumped up a few ticks too and it feels like he'll be back in the majors soon.
Michael Petersen - RP, MIA (9% rostered)
This is the closer stash part of the season with the trade deadline approaching. I'm not sure the Marlins can get anything for Pete Fairbanks right now, but they should probably try. It just hasn't been a free agent signing that worked. Meanwhile, Petersen has a 2.91 ERA and 0.99 WHIP on the season with 51 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings. He has been increasingly pitching in high-leverage innings and might be a nice low-cost add right now for some end-of-season saves.
Ben Joyce - RP, LAA (3% rostered)
Similarly to Petersen, Joyce has moved up to Triple-A as he rehabs his way back from a shoulder injury. He threw a scoreless inning in his first appearance there and his sizzling fastball sat over 101 mph. The Angels don't create many save opportunities, but Joyce could wind up as their primary closer down the stretch.
