We have made it through another week of action, and there continue to be endless injuries we need to account for on our rosters. Unfortunately, there have also been a lot of solid and slow starts from players that leave us wondering what to do with those roster spots.
No, this is not a drill; more prospects are called up this week that will go for a pretty penny in the FAAB street. Bryce Miller, Brendan Pfaadt, Gavin Stone and Matt Mervis are the latest set of prospects getting the call. Besides prospects, we will also have some bullpen changes and the usual streaming options, so do not go crazy with the bids, as we still have a long season ahead.
Each week, I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly FAAB process, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others that may be better fitting for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter (@bdentrek).
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire FAAB Report: Week 6
Each suggestion below was rostered in no more than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues at time of writing.
Hitters
Rostered: 48%
Suggested Bid: 13%
Playing time has not been as ideal as most would want, as he’s platooning with Eduardo Escobar at third base. However, Baty is at least on the strong side of the platoon, so that’s good.
Even in reduced playing time, Baty is producing very well. He entered the weekend hitting .311 over 49 plate appearances with two home runs and two doubles. He has a .187 ISO and decent .856 OPS with a 139 wRC+.
Baty was mashing in Triple-A, which has continued with the Mets as he showcased a 12.1% barrel rate and 57.6% hard-hit rate. If Baty keeps up that quality of contact, the production will follow. When the production follows, the playing time should eventually grow, and Baty will likely become the everyday third baseman for the Mets.
Rostered: 46%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Durran was called up on April 17 when Adam Duvall went on the IL. Duran has played in 17 games with the Red Sox and hit safely in 14 games. He has hit .417 with two home runs and ten doubles. The power has been impressive, with a .267 ISO and 1.139 OPS. Duran is barreling the ball 13.3% of the time with a 55.6% hard-hit rate.
The batting average will take a hit eventually, as a .535 BABIP is not sustainable, but the power should continue with his quality of contact metrics. Duran also runs with two stolen bases to help in all five ROTO categories.
Rostered: N/A%
Suggested Bid: 24%
Mervis broke out in 2022 with 36 home runs between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A while hitting .309 with a .984 OPS. Then, Mervis carried the success to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit six more home runs while hitting .262 with a .914 OPS.
With all that success, many thought Mervis would start the 2023 season with the Cubs. Sadly that did not happen after Eric Hosmer, Edwin Rios, and Trey Mancini were signed. So, Mervis started the season in Triple-A and continued to mash. He hit six home runs in the season’s first month with a .286 batting average and .962 OPS.
Mervis finally got the call to the bigs and debuted on Friday, collecting an RBI single off an LHP that was hit over 111 mph. Mervis is the real deal, and Cubs’ manager Dave Ross said Mervis would get regular playing time. With playing time on the table and all that power, Mervis becomes one of the best power bats on the waiver wire this season.
Pitchers
Rostered: 41%
Suggested Bid: 18%
Miller was dominant between Low-A, High-A, and Double-AA last season. He finished 2022 with a 3.16 ERA over 133.2 innings pitched with 11 K/9. Miller was promoted to the bigs this week and was outstanding versus the A’s. Miller went through six innings while allowing one run on two hits, without a walk, and struck out ten. He forced a 40.9% O-Swing and a 12.3% SwStr.
Miller has shown great strikeout stuff throughout the minors and is stretched out for 150 or so innings this season. There’s no reason why Chris Flexen should be starting over Miller, so hopefully, the Mariners do the right thing and keep him in the bigs. He’ll be the next best thing since Tanner Bibee and company if they do.
Rostered: 39%
Suggested Bid: 17%
Allen moved up the Guardians prospect rankings with a solid season between Double-A and Triple-A, but he took his most significant jump in AAA this season. Over three starts in AAA, Allen had a 1.26 ERA and 2.64 xFIP to go with a 25.9% K-BB.
The lefty was called on April 23 and made two excellent starts for the Guardians. He has thrown 11 innings while allowing three runs and striking out 16. He has a 28.9% K-BB in his first two starts, with a 36.4% O-Swing and 14.7% SwStr.
Allen has been great and should be rostered in many more leagues. However, the recent demotion of Zach Plesac helps clear the way for Allen and Bibee to stick in the bigs.
Rostered: 30%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Miller blew the doors off Triple-A to start the season and got a quick call to the bigs. He has made three starts, totaling 15.1 innings pitched with a 3.52 ERA and 18.3% K-BB. Miller throws 100 mph cheddar and has shown he can dominate a game. He had a no-hitter going into the seventh in his last start but could not hold it.
The concern with Miller is the overall workload, as his previous inning totals are meager, and he has battled a shoulder injury. He’s healthy now; maybe 100 or so innings are in store. He likely will not win many games with the A’s, but he should provide solid ratios and many strikeouts. So enjoy the innings we get from Miller, and we can adjust later.
Closers
Rostered: 51%
Suggested Bid: 12%
With the unfortunate injury to Pete Fairbanks, it is time to speculate on a new closer to the best team in baseball. First, we know the Rays love to play committee games, but if anyone should be in the committee’s lead, it is Adam.
Adam has picked up saves in his last two starts. He now has a 1.46 ERA and 20.8% K-BB. It appears Adam has the first chance at saves for the Rays, making him the target this week. Just be careful, as a committee could be in play, and we have yet to be given an exact timetable for Fairbanks.
Rostered: 43%
Suggested Bid: 9%
With the continued struggles from Clay Holmes, it is time to start stashing the next arm up in the Bronx. King appears to be that arm. King has picked up saves in his last two outings, but they were multiple-inning saves. That’s the kicker with King. He will likely get his fair share of save chances, but they will come over multiple innings. That’s fine, as King should supply strong ratios and plenty of strikeouts with the saves and occasional win. King may even be a better option than most SP streamers each week.
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