With your drafts in the books, and the regular season underway, the best way to improve your team, and possibly find that one player to help win your league is on the waiver wire.
Whether it is a free agent pool, a budget-budget based system, or weekly waivers, playing the wire is a key element to winning your fantasy baseball leagues.
Each week, XN Sports will present an option at each position, and why to add them.
Without further ado, let’s play the waiver wire:
Catcher
Dioner Navarro, Toronto Blue Jays
If you need a catcher off the wire, Navarro should be available in most leagues. Last season he hit for a .300 average with 13 home runs and 34 runs batted in in just 240 at-bats. That pace cannot be expected again, but it proves what he can do. In Toronto, he will see the majority of the starts behind the plate and should see 400 at-bats.
First Base
Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox
I know the look on your face, we all have it. But where else can you find 30 home runs and close to 100 runs batted in? Dunn will not help you in terms of batting average, but in some leagues where on-base percentage is used rather than average, he is almost a must-start in deeper leagues if you waited on a first baseman. Every year he goes undrafted, every year he ends up on a team. This year, make it yours.
Second Base
Emilio Bonifacio, Chicago Cubs
Keep an eye on the speedster because he is the leadoff hitter on Opening Day. Does this mean he will get consistent plate appearances? If he plays throughout the week, he is a must-add for those who need stolen bases.
Third Base
Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota Twins
Last season, Plouffe hit .254 with 14 home runs and 52 runs batted in. He will once again be the full-time starter for the Twins at the hot corner and can provide some power for you at the third base position. He can be a fill-in for Machado if you need one.
Shortstop
Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs
If you have room on your bench for someone to stash, make sure you can get Baez on your roster. Especially if you have a weaker player at the shortstop position. Once Baez comes up (likely in May or June) he will instantly be a favorite for most fantasy baseball players at shortstop. Baez has the potential to hit 25 home runs as a shortstop, so keep him in mind.
Outfield
Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox
In case you missed this, Garcia is due for a big season. Garcia was thought to be drafted in many leagues, but somehow he is available in 80 percent of ESPN leagues. Add him now and reap the benefits later. Garcia has the potential to hit .275 with 25 home runs and 65 runs batted in while stealing 10 or more bases this season.
Rajai Davis, Detroit Tigers
Get Davis while you can, because in a month or two he may have a reduced role with Andy Dirks and Don Kelly returning from injury. In the Tigers’ lineup, Davis will be a great source of runs scored and stolen bases. Get him to replace Matt Kemp or even as a fifth outfielder for a month.
Starting Pitcher
Jorge De La Rosa, Colorado Rockies
Not often is an ace on the waiver wire, but De La Rosa starts on Opening Day for the Rockies and will get at least 30 starts this season. Last year, De La Rosa won 16 games on a bad team with a 3.49 ERA. Get him onto your teams and into you starting lineups.
Relief Pitcher
Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres
You may be thinking “Ross is a starting pitcher” and yes that is true. But he is eligible as a relief pitcher. For those who waited on relievers, maybe not even drafting them at all, this is the guy for you. Last season Ross had 119 strikeouts and a 3.17 ERA to go along with a 1.15 WHIP in 125 innings. The Padres will be a better team than expected this season, so the wins will come.
Stay tuned for next week’s edition of the Waiver Wire
