The fantasy waiver wire's busiest weekend of the year is here
After a busy pre-deadline week, the trades came fast and furious on the final day. And as a result, AL- and NL-only leagues have a bunch of new players to choose from. Since there are so many, we're going to alter our format this week to group all the league-switchers together. After that, we'll get to the prospects and other pickups. Buckle your seat belt, it's one FAABulously wild ride.
Suggested Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) bids are based on a season-long cap of $100. If your team has a specific positional need -- especially this week -- feel free to bid even higher.
DOUBLE CHECK: Last week's waiver wire suggestions
(Statistics through Thursday’s games except where noted.)
NEW TO AL
C Jonathan Lucroy, Texas Rangers
(AL: $90)
Bid whatever it takes to land Lucroy, who immediately becomes the best fantasy catcher in the AL. The hitter-friendly landing spot and great supporting cast (the Rangers also added Carlos Beltran at the deadline) combine to make Lucroy a potential game-changer for AL-only owners.
SP Francisco Liriano, Toronto Blue Jays
(AL: $20)
The Jays picked up the left-hander from Pittsburgh and will move to a six-man rotation, primarily to ease the workload on emerging ace Aaron Sanchez (11-1, 2.71 ERA). Liriano, 31, has seen his ERA jump more than two full runs this season to 5.46. If there's a sliver of hope he can turn things around, it's because he'll be throwing to a familiar target in Toronto.
3B Matt Duffy, Tampa Bay Rays (injured)
(AL: $20, when eligible)
He probably isn't as good as he was last season, but he's also better than he's been this season. With third base already occupied in Tampa Bay, Duffy will see most of his action at shortstop once he's activated from the disabled list next week. He can provide a little power and some speed (12 HR, 12 SB in 2015). The extra position eligibility will be a bonus.
RP Jeremy Jeffress, Texas Rangers
(AL: $10)
His first season as a closer may end with a thud since Sam Dyson looks like he'll retain ninth-inning duties in Texas. Jeffress was effective in Milwaukee (2.17 ERA, 27-for-28 in save chances), so he could still pick up a few saves if Dyson needs a break.
NEW TO NL
SP Matt Moore, San Francisco Giants
(NL: $40)
There's still the possibility of additional waiver trades bringing players over from the AL, but Moore is about as good as it gets for NL-only owners. He's been up and down this season as a member of the Rays -- and he walked a season-high six batters in his Giants debut. However, he gets a fantasy boost by changing leagues and AT&T Park isn't a bad place to pitch.
SP Rich Hill, Los Angeles Dodgers
(NL: $35)
The lefty can be dominant when he's healthy -- and he's scheduled to come off the disabled list on Sunday to face the Red Sox. It's not a bad start to skip for fantasy purposes, so feel free to add him as long as he makes it through without any further blister issues. After all, he was 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA and a 10.7 K/9 rate this season with Oakland.
OF Josh Reddick, Los Angeles Dodgers
(NL: $25)
Reddick's arrival is as much about his talent as it is the Dodgers' need for someone to replace the enigmatic Yasiel Puig. L.A.'s new right fielder spent five weeks on the disabled list with a broken hand and hasn't really lit it up since returning on June 28, hitting .229/.302/.385 with three home runs. But he was cheap and available. That pretty much describes him in fantasy terms as well.
SP Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh Pirates
(NL: $10)
Paging Ray Searage. Dr. Searage, please report to the bullpen area. Your next patient is here to see you. Nova showed promise in 2013, but hasn't been very good since. This season, he's sporting a 4.90 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. If your pitching staff is in critical condition, offer up a nominal copay and hope the doctor finds a miracle cure for Nova's ills.
PROSPECTS
OF Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox
(AL: $25, Mixed $15)
Looking for a spark in left field, the Red Sox promoted their top prospect from Class AA, where he was hitting .295/.357/.515 with eight homers and eight steals. The 22-year-old lefty hitter will likely platoon with Bryce Brentz and will gain some extra value hitting in such a potent offense.
SP Joe Musgrove, Houston Astros
(AL: $25, Mixed $15)
Musgrove, 23, was one of five prospects who stood out at the All-Star Futures Game (Beinitendi was another). He started for the U.S. team and tossed a scoreless inning, but his MLB debut was even more impressive, entering in relief and tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings against the Blue Jays with eight strikeouts. With Lance McCullers likely to spend a month on the disabled list, Musgrove moves into the rotation.
SS Orlando Arcia, Milwaukee Brewers
(NL: $20, Mixed $12)
The Brewers shortstop of the future made his MLB debut two days before he turned 22. He's had a rapid rise through the minors, but his numbers this year at Class AAA Colorado Springs don't jump off the page: .267/.320/.403 with eight homers and 15 steals in 23 attempts. Still, he should see regular playing time and bump Jonathan Villar to third base. Expect a bit of a learning curve at the major league level; he's experience that at just about every level in the minors before successfully making the adjustment.
C/DH Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees
(AL: $15; Mixed: $5)
Check your league's eligibility rules before adding Sanchez. He appeared in two games as a pinch-hitter for the Yankees last year, but has played catcher exclusively in the minors. He hit .282 with 10 homers and 51 RBI at Class AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre this season and could see semi-regular duty at catcher and DH with Carlos Beltran now in Texas.
OTHER PICKUPS
I went through all the closer changes elsewhere, but don't want fantasy owners to forget about including them in weekly claims.
RP Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners
(AL: $45; Mixed: $35)
RP Tyler Thornburg, Milwaukee Brewers
(NL: $35; Mixed: $25)
RP Ken Giles, Houston Astros
(AL: $30; Mixed: $20)
RP Cam Bedrosian, Los Angeles Angels
(AL: $15; Mixed: $8)
RP Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals
(Mixed: $8)
RP Tony Watson, Pittsburgh Pirates
(NL: $15; Mixed: $7)
RP Jake Barrett, Arizona Diamondbacks
(NL: $8; Mixed: $5)
All of these guys took over closing duties this past week because of trades or injuries. Most, if not all, of them should be available in mixed leagues and can provide a nice boost in saves the rest of the way. Diaz, Thornburg and Giles seem particularly safe bets to hold onto the job the rest of the season.