Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

NBC Sports

a day 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
Andrew Vaughn - 1B, MIL: 38% rostered
(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 two weeks ago 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.
Ramon Laureano - OF, BAL: 34% rostered
(STARTING JOB, BETTER TEAM CONTEXT)
Laureano got traded from the Orioles and still managed to land in a full-time role as the left fielder for the Padres. After hitting .290/.355/.529 with 15 homers, 46 RBI, and four steals in 290 plate appearances with the Orioles, it seemed likely Laureano would be dealt to a contender to be a small-side platoon. We don't know how long he can keep up this production, but he remains an everyday starter, which means he needs to remain in your lineups for now.
Warming Bernabel - 1B/3B, COL: 24 % rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
Bernabel 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. However, even with that production, I'm not sure anybody saw him going 14-for-28 in his first seven MLB games with three home runs and eight RBI. Coors Field will obviously help his numbers, and you can add him because of this hot streak, but I would be cautious about putting big bids on a player who is clearly going to regress.
Colson Montgomery - 3B/SS, CWS: 24% 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. You may also be tempted to add Liover Peguero - 2B/SS, PIT (1% rostered) because of his three home run game on Saturday, but I'd caution against that. He was hitting .251/.312/.373 in 72 games at Triple-A with five home runs and eight steals. His offensive profile is just not an exciting one.
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 Rockies hitter who is worth rostering is Jordan Beck - OF, COL (19% rostered), who has come out of the break on fire, hitting .373 with three home runs, nine RBI, and two steals. The Rockies will start off next week with a three-game set at home against the Blue Jays, so we can attack these two of those Coors Field games.
Francisco Alvarez - C, NYM: 16% rostered
(CALL UP, POWER POTENTIAL)
The Mets called Alvarez back up after a brief stint in Triple-A, where 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. There is also no catcher swinging a hotter bat than Kyle Higashioka - C, TEX (3% rostered). Higgy is 25-for-62 (.387) in his last 17 games with six home runs, 14 RBI, and three steals. He has started in four of the last five games because the Rangers aren't going to bench a hot bat, but just be prepared for this to go back to more of a committee when the production inevitably cools.
Lenyn Sosa- 1B/2B/3B - CWS: 15% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, QUALITY UNDERLYING METRICS)
I've had Sosa on here a few times now because he pops on Process+ leaderboards and has been making quality contact. In July, Sosa hit .294 with four home runs, 10 runs scored, and 19 RBI in 23 games. He's playing every day, and the White Sox lineup is starting to wake up a little bit. He's not a bad add in deeper formats. Neither is Luis Rengifo - 2B/3B, LAA (16% rostered), who struggled to start the season while playing through injuries but has settled back into a high batting average asset who will score runs in a decent Angels lineup. The issue is that his earlier injuries have impacted how often he's running, so he won't have the same steals upside he has in the past, but if you need a deep league MIF, he's not a bad option.
Kyle Manzardo - 1B, CLE: 13% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POWER UPSIDE)
Kyle Manzardo went through a really cold stretch earlier in the summer, but we now know that his mother was going through a heart transplant. These guys are human beings too, and it's only logical that stress and emotional turmoil off the field would impact their performance and preparation on the field. In July, Manzardo hit .295 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 20 games. I think it's time to buy back in. Another 1B option is Josh Bell - 1B, WAS (6% rostered). Two weeks ago, I recorded a video on his 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.
Coby Mayo - 1B/3B: 9% rostered
(STARTING ROLE, FORMER TOP PROSPECT)
Is it finally time for Mayo? With Ryan O'Hearn out of town, Mayo could get regular starts at first base or DH for the remainder of the season. The 23-year-old has started to come around after the All-Star break, but he has not been playing regularly. We saw what Kyle Stowers was able to do when he was given regular playing time, and Mayo is a better prospect than Stowers. I'd be adding Mayo everywhere, but be careful that Ryan Mountcastle - 1B, BAL (23% rostered) is expected to come off the IL next week, and so the Orioles could go right back to playing Mayo part-time. However, what SHOULD happen is that Mountcastle and Mayo should be the 1B/DH for the rest of the season, and that would make both worth adding.
Jordan Lawlar - SS, ARI: 8% rostered
(STASH PLAY, PROSPECT UPSIDE)
This is Lawlar's time, right? I mean, maybe not this very minute because he's on the IL with a hamstring injury, but his time is coming in a few weeks now that Josh Nalor and Eugenio Suarez are out of town. Lawlar has already started taking live at-bats in the Arizona complex and is hitting .319/.410/.583 at Triple-A with 10 home runs and 18 steals in 53 games. He has little left to prove there and should be the starting third baseman in Arizona by the middle of August. Another stash play is Dylan Beavers - OF, BAL (1% rostered). Trading Ramon Laureano also seemed to open up playing time for Dylan Beavers in Baltimore, but they have opted to go with Dylan Carlson there, for now. Beavers is a 2022 first-round pick who has been swinging a hot bat in July and is now hitting .306 on the season with 14 home runs, 21 steals, 42 RBI, and a .924 OPS. He would be an immediate add in most fantasy formats if he gets called up, and I expect that to happen in the middle of the month. I should also point out that Kristian Campbell - 2B/OF, BOS (16% rostered) is heating up in Triple-A and playing a lot of first base. The Red Sox did not trade for a first baseman at the deadline, and I think they plan to use Campbell there if/when he comes back up.
Tyler Locklear - 1B, ARI: 7% rostered
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)
Locklear came to Arizona as part of the return for Eugenio Suarez and will immediately slot in as the starting first baseman. The 24-year-old is hitting .316/.401/.542 in 98 games at Triple-A Reno with 19 home runs and 18 steals. Yes, some of that is influenced by the offensive-friendly environment of the PCL, but Locklear has a 44% hard hit rate and 90.2 mph average exit velocity while posting a respectable 13% swinging strike rate, so he has cleaned up his approach enough that he's not as big of a swing-and-miss risk as he seemed last year. He has a clear starting role in a ballpark that is the 2nd-best park for right-handed hitters, according to Statcast Park Factors, so Locklear is worth a gamble in 12-team and 15-team fantasy leagues for his potential five-category upside.
Brooks Lee - 2B/3B/SS, MIN: 6% rostered
(STARTING JOB, MODEST PRODUCTION)
The Twins traded away everybody at the deadline, or so it seemed. Lineup spots and bullpen spots are open everywhere, but we have a good sense of who will fill them in the infield. It seems like Brooks Lee will emerge as the everyday shortstop for the final two months, and Luke Keaschall - 1B/2B/OF, MIN (24% rostered) will be the primary second baseman when he comes off the IL (maybe next week). That should also open up first base for Kody Clemens - 1B/2B/3B/OF, MIN (2% rostered), who has produced this season when given any everyday job. None of these guys are must-adds in a 12-team format, and both Lee/Keaschall are better real-life players than fantasy players. However, they are talented enough and should get enough playing time to be strong adds in 15-team leagues.
Joey Loperfido - OF, TOR: 5% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
I assumed that Loperfido would lose his job when Daulton Varsho came off the IL, but then George Springer went on the IL with a concussion, and Loperfido now has a little extra time. Since being recalled in July, he's hitting .373 with three home runs and eight RBI in 21 games. In Triple-A, he was chasing less and being more aggressive in the zone; however, his contact rates were about the same as they were in Triple-A last year for the Astros, so I'm not sure if this is anything other than a hot stretch.
Tommy Pham - OF, PIT: 4% rostered
(STARTING JOB, HOT STREAK)
For some reason, Pham was not traded at the deadline. No idea what Pittsburgh is doing here, but we will continue to get regular playing time from Pham. 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 Alan Roden - OF, MIN (0% rostered), who was traded to the Twins at the deadline and is now one of FIVE left-handed outfielders on their active roster. Still, Roden has started the first two games after the deadline and figures to start against all right-handed pitchers from here on out. He hit .331/.423/.496 in 32 games at Triple-A this season, and while those numbers haven't carried over, he has tremendous plate discipline and contact ability, so it's a profile I'd bet on in deeper formats.
Wenceel Perez - OF, DET: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, COUNTING STAT UPSIDE)
With Parker Meadows on the IL, Perez has stepped in as the everyday center fielder in Detroit and has gone 9-for-19 in five games this week with seven runs scored, one home run, and two steals. He was productive in a stretch earlier in the season and should provide enough value across the board to be useful in 15-team leagues. Blake Perkins - OF, MIL (1% rostered) has also found himself in a starting spot with Jackson Chourio on the IL. We've seen that Perkis is more batting average than anything, but he's gone 6-for-14 in his three starts with four runs scored, two home runs, and four RBI. The Brewers are one of the better teams in baseball, and Perkins may have at least two more weeks as a regular starter for them.
Jakob Marsee- OF, MIA: 1% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, SPEED UPSIDE)
With Jesus Sanchez now in Houston, who is going to play right field in Miami? The easy answer is Heriberto Hernandez - OF, MIA (1% rostered), who has hit .311/.363/.505 in 38 games with five home runs. However, Hernandez is an average defender and also has a 27.4% strikeout rate and a 17.8% swinging strike rate, following a 35% strikeout rate in Triple-A. I think this all comes crashing down at some point, and I think the Marlins believe that too, which is why they called up Marsee, who was hitting .246/.379/.438 at Triple-A with 14 home runs and 47 steals in 98 games. He has a strong eye at the plate and good power/speed, which is what we love for fantasy production.
Robert Hassell III - OF, WAS: 1% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, PROSPECT GROWTH)
The Nationals traded Alex Call to the Dodgers and called up Hassell already, so now the only question is whether Hassell III can beat out Jacob Young for starts down the stretch. Considering the Nationals are not contending, they should see what the 24-year-old can do. Hassell III is a former first-round pick and top prospect, who is hitting .310/.383/.456 in 76 games at Triple-A with 10 home runs and 16 steals. He struggled in his first 79 MLB plate appearances, so he'd be more of a deeper league play, but he deserves another shot.. If we're just using Process+, we should note that Hassell'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.
Waiver Wire Pitchers
Shane Bieber - SP, TOR: 49% rostered
Bieber pitched on Sunday afternoon for Triple-A Buffalo, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings, while striking out six and walking one. He threw 62 pitches while posting an 18% whiff rate and 31% CSW. His fastball sat 91.5 mph, which is slightly down from what we'd want, but he's a 30-year-old on a rehab start in Triple-A, so he's not throwing at 100% speed. The Blue Jays could opt to bring him back this upcoming week or give him one more start to stretch out to 70+ pitches, but he's nearing a return, which means Eric Lauer would likely move back to the bullpen.
Spencer Arrighetti - SP, HOU: 34%
Arrighetti is set to come off the IL and open his season against the Marlins next week. It's been a really long layoff for Arrighetti, but I prefer him to Luis Gil, who is also set to come off the IL because Arrighetti was dealing with a broken thumb and not an arm/shoulder injury. I was high on Arrighetti coming into the season, and love the team context that he's coming back to, so I'd try to add him everywhere, even if you bench him next week. We should also note that his teammate, Cristian Javier, is making one more rehab start and then also coming off the IL, so he could be a stash play too.
Logan Henderson - SP, MIL: 32% rostered
With Jacob Misiorowski landing on the IL, it will be Logan Henderson getting the chance to take his place in the rotation for at least two weeks. Henderson had a 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 29/6 K/BB ratio in 21 innings for the Brewers earlier in the year. Keep in mind that 21 innings is a small sample size, and Henderson has pitched to a 4.34 ERA in 47.2 innings in Triple-A. He will likely be more of a high-3.00 ERA pitcher in the big leagues, but that's still worth rostering in most leagues.
Robert Garcia - RP, TEX: 30% rostered
Yes, Garcia has blown his last two saves and was diagnosed with back spasms, but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has insisted that he remains the closer. Remember that Aroldis Chapman had back spasms last week when his velocity was down 5 mph. He missed two games and then came back fine. We can expect the same outcome for Garcia, who has been solid this season for Texas after settling into the closer's role. Since May 21st (and discounting the last outing with the back spasms) 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.
JP Sears - SP, SD: 19% rostered
Sears was part of the Mason Miller trade and is now in a better spot. You may see his 4.97 ERA and 97/29 K/BB ratio in 111 innings and think he has no fantasy value anyway, but that would be a mistake. Yes, Sears is a left-handed pitcher who only throws 92 mph, but he's also an extreme fly ball pitcher with a career 49% flyball rate and a 52.3% rate this season. That has led to a 13% HR/FB rate, which is 1.86 HR/9. As we just discussed with Miller, he's moving out of a minor bandbox where the ball flies and moving to a stadium that suppresses power. He's not going to become a fantasy stud, but it wouldn't surprise me if he becomes more of a 4.20 ERA pitcher on a better team, which has value in deeper formats.
Jack Perkins - SP/RP, ATH: 18% rostered)
With JP Sears traded at the deadline, both Perkins and JT Ginn - SP, ATH (16% rostered) are now in the Athletics' rotation. The 25-year-old Perkins has good stats as a starter in Triple-A this season and has also posted a 2.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 19/7 K/BB ratio in 19.2 MLB innings out of the bullpen. He might have the highest upside of any A's start or the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Ginn had a great outing before the deadline against the Rangers, allowing just one run on five hits in five innings, but then got hit hard against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. 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, and that will also lead to some starts where the hits fall in, like against Arizona.
Blake Treinen - RP, LAD: 15% rostered
The Dodgers were thought to be seeking a huge upgrade to the back-end of their bullpen. In the end, they wound up only adding Brock Stewart. While Stewart is a solid reliever, I don't think he pushes Treinen out of the primary save share in Los Angeles. This should be a committee with Treinen and Alex Vesia (27% rostered) until Tanner Scott returns, so that's a win for Treinen in fantasy.
Calvin Faucher - RP, MIA: 14% rostered
Faucher seems to have settled into the closer role on a feisty Miami team that is winning a lot of games of late. Ronny Henriquez will mix in from time to time as well, but Faucher is scoreless in his last five outings and could pick up a handful of saves the rest of the way. Miami does like to mix and match though, so if he goes cold for a bit, they may try Henriquez or Anthony Bender at the end of games.
Nestor Cortes - SP, SD: 13% rostered
Cortes now has a locked-in rotation spot on a playoff contender, so that's a win for him. This past weekend, he struck out nine while allowing one earned run in 5 2/3 innings in what was scheduled to be his final rehab start with the Brewers, so perhaps the Padres will activate him this weekend to take Randy Vasquez's spot in the rotation. PetCo will be a good ballpark upgrade for Cortes, who should be added in all 15-team leagues and treated as a streamer for now in 12-team leagues until we see him back on the mound in a big league game.
Bailey Falter - SP, KC: 11% rostered
With Kris Bubic and Michael Lorenzen on the IL, it seems that both Falter and Ryan Bergert (2% rostered) should join the rotation in Kansas City. At least until Cole Ragans comes back; if he comes back. That's a win for both of them, just because Falter gets a team context and park upgrade, and Bergert moves from being a part-time starter to a full-time starter. I would treat them both as streamers in 12-team leagues but solid options in 15-team leagues.
Cade Cavalli - SP, WAS: 1% rostered
The Nationals traded Michael Soroka to the Cubs a couple of days before the deadline, and Soroka's next spot in the rotation lines up with when Cavalli would be starting at Triple-A. Even though Cavalli is not a lock for that rotation spot, he's the most intriguing option. The former top prospect is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and his Triple-A results have been inconsistent, but he has flashed that same upside we saw before the injury, so it would be nice to see what he looks like against MLB arms.
Johan Oviedo - SP, PIT: 0% rostered
Oviedo struck out five and didn't walk anybody for Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday while throwing 42 of 62 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old was placed on the 60-day IL back in March after battling both lat and elbow issues in the spring. He has a 3.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with a 21/4 K/BB ratio across 17 1/3 innings during his rehab and could be activated this week, possibly for a two-start week. Oviedo is not overly exciting, but a pitcher with a career 4.32 ERA in 320.2 MLB innings is certainly usable in deeper formats.
Kevin Ginkel - RP, ARI: 9% rostered
JJ Romero - RP, STL: 21% rostered
Kyle Leahy, RP, STL: 3% rostered
Jose A. Ferrer - RP, WAS: 7% rostered
Dennis Santana - RP, PIT: 36% rostered
Cole Sands - RP, MIN: 7% rostered
Keegan Akin - RP, BAL: 3% rostered
Yennier Cano - RP, BAL: 3% rostered
Michael Kelly - RP, ATH: 1% rostered
All of these guys may now be their team's closer or in part of a closer committee. These situations are all fluid until we see for sure how bullpen usage plays out, but if I was ranking them for waiver adds tonight, I'd rank them as: Santana, Ginkel, Ferrer, Romero, Faucher, Sands, Akin, Cano, Kelly, Leahy (and I'd have Blake Treinen and Randy Rodriguez above all of them).
STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS
MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)
Week of 8/4
Strong Preference
Fairly Confident
Some Hesitation
Desperate / Uncertain Health or Role