It’s tough to recommend pick ups, as every league is different. In some leagues, these players are long gone, in others they might not even be worth adding. Whether deep or shallow, some of these guys should be available on the waiver wire and deserve consideration of a pick up.
Anthony Reyes – This one may only be short-term, but it now looks like Chris Carpenter is headed to the DL. Reyes will fill in for the meantime. He capably did so last week, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He followed that up with eight scoreless frames in Triple-A Friday. A teammate of Mark Prior at USC, Reyes is a bright prospect just waiting for his turn. Start him against the Astros this week and hope his latest stint in the majors turns into a permanent one.
Kendry Morales – Morales is almost certainly gone in most deep leagues at this point, but if not, make sure he is by claiming him yourself. Many leagues saw high FAAB bids on him, and the budget was probably well spent. While he got off to a slow start to the season in the minors, Morales has turned it on of late. The 22-year-old Cuban defector is 8-for-19 with two home runs and five RBI since being called up. The best part is that he’s being plugged into the middle of the order immediately. With the rest of their youngsters failing, the Angels might as well give Morales the chance to be a fixture in their lineup.
Jered Weaver – This is another fairly obvious claim, but is definitely worth mentioning. While I still like Cole Hamels’ prospects better for this year, Weaver is definitely the safer bet of the two. Even after Bartolo Colon returns from the DL, there is a strong possibility Jered replaces his brother Jeff in the rotation. Don’t expect miracles though, as his flyball tendencies will result in his fair share of long balls. A 4.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and solid strikeout rate sounds about right.
Jason Botts – Phil Nevin is terrible, and it’s only a matter of time before Botts gets all of the DH at-bats against right-handers. That time may have already arrived with Botts’ fast start after being called up. With the Rangers’ lineup and Ameriquest Field aiding him, Botts has quite a bit of upside moving forward. Pick him up five minutes ago.
Michael Cuddyer – Cuddyer is probably not available in most leagues, but even if he is taken, make an offer and see if his owner covets him. This rings especially true if he has 2B eligibility, like he does in Yahoo leagues. He’s now the Twins everyday right fielder and bats fifth in the lineup. He has 25-homer potential and has hit a scolding .333/.408/.595 in May. Go get him.
Rocco Baldelli/Jeremy Hermida – Just a reminder about these two, who have been out with injuries all year. Hermida is back and off to a slow start, while Baldelli is thriving in his rehab assignment and his return is imminent. Both have a power/speed combo that makes them worth owning in any league out there.
Reggie Sanders – He’s injury-prone and old. Oh yeah, he also plays for the hapless Royals. Still, Sanders shouldn’t be completely ignored despite his poor showing so far. As recent as last year, he had 21 homers and 14 steals in only 295 at-bats; now that is production. The year before, he went 20/20 in fewer than 450 at-bats. When he’s actually in the lineup, he’ll start producing.
Rondell White – White finds himself in a similar situation as Sanders, old, injury-prone and off to a slow start. Actually, calling it a slow start would be an insult to everyone off to a slow start out there. The Atlanta Braves’ pitchers have hit for a combined 521 OPS; Rondell White has a 439 OPS. White’s VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) is -17.2, which is the absolute worst in baseball. With zero home runs and only three walks, it’s safe to say he’s off to one of the worst starts to a baseball season ever. The guy hit .313 last year and is a career .286 hitter. Once he bounces back, he’ll reclaim the cleanup spot and be worth using. Of course, this is assuming he does bounce back.
Kenny Ray – Chris Reitsma’s most recent blown save makes Ray the current favorite in the Braves’ closer-by-committee. While there’s no chance his 1.44 ERA will last, the next save opportunity should be his.
Ryan Madson – NL-only leaguers will want to give Madson one more last chance. Admittedly, he has failed miserably in his bid to start. The fact that the league is hitting .337 off him is pretty boggling. With Gavin Floyd struggling even worse, it’s possible, however, that if Madson impresses, he’ll reclaim a permanent rotation spot when Hamels returns.
Juan Cruz – If you were one of the poor owners who had Cruz in your lineup for his start against the Padres (2/3 innings, nine runs) you are probably cursing me as you read this. If you take away that dreadful start, his ERA stands at 2.77. Although Chase Field limits his upside, the NL West division more than makes up for it. With 40 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings, Cruz should not be ignored in fantasy leagues.
Orlando Hernandez – El Duque is not very likely to last the year injury-free, but trading Chase Field for Shea Stadium gives his value quite a boost. While his ERA is an ugly 6.11, the 52 strikeouts in 45 innings suggests better outings are to come. The guy thrived in New York before; maybe he can make it happen again.
Joel Peralta – This is for deep leaguers looking for some cheap saves. Burgos and Dessens have both failed in the closers role. Friday saw manager Buddy Bell turn to Joe Nelson. How about using the clubs current best reliever, Joel Peralta?
Brad Halsey – This is for all you “spot starters” out there. Halsey faces the Royals Tuesday. The same Royals who are 3-22 on the road and also a remarkable 0-12 vs. left-handers. Halsey is a southpaw, and the A’s are at home (where Halsey has an ERA of 2.00 on the year). He’s worth a look.
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