Weekly Waiver Wire – Week 8: May 28-June 3
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Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be even more closer changes… here’s some more new closers!  Aroldis Chapman and Addison Reed are now the official closers, though both are very likely owned already.  Ernesto Frieri will get the bulk of the save chances in LA, though Downs will also likely still get some occasionally as well for the time being.  Brandon League is out in Seattle, so Tom Wilhelmsen will likely get first crack at the closer’s gig there (though they say it’ll be a committee).  Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett are now sharing the job in Washington until Storen gets back, with Clippard getting the last 3 saves.  There was another changing of the guard in Chicago as Rafael Dolis was also removed from the closer’s role in favor of James Russell (who was supposed to share the job with Dolis initially) and Shawn Camp.  Russell should be the favorite to pick up saves there, though Marmol may be able to eventually reclaim it when he returns from the minors this week if he pitches well.  Heath Bell blew 2 more save opps and had to be replaced by Steve Cishek and Randy Choate.  If they remove him from the role again, Cishek remains the most likely candidate to get the bulk of the saves in his stead.  So with that, let’s look at who might be available on waivers this week: Shallow League Waivers RP Ernesto Frieri (LAA) – Will get the bulk of the saves in LA while Downs picks up some saves occasionally as well.  He should eventually become the sole closer there.  He’s lights-out. RP Tom Wilhelmsen (SEA) – He’s the favorite to take over the closer’s role from League, even though they say they will use a committee based on match-ups.  Wilhelmsen was … Click here to continue reading…

Weekly Waiver Wire – Week 7: May 21-27
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Thankfully there’s not any closer turmoil this week! Dave is out of town so I’ll be making an abbreviated post for him today. Shallow League Waivers OF Dayan Viciedo (CHW) – Viciedo has finally turned it on and is starting to realize his power potential. He’s routinely hitting fifth in the White Sox lineup, and he fits really well into yours now if he’s still on the wire. Deep League Waivers OF Xavier Avery (BAL) – With multiple injuries in the Baltimore outfield, Avery is getting valuable playing time. 2B Alexi Amarista (SD) – Orlando Hudson has been released, and Amarista is the new guaranteed starter for the Pads. C Welington Castillo (CHC) – Soto and Clevenger are now hurt, and Castillo has been hitting in his first couple starts. Two-catcher league owners may need a fill-in (especially Soto owners). SP Roy Oswalt (FA) – Oswalt has auditioned as a starter for the Phillies and Red Sox, and it is certain that some playoff-bound team will give him a shot. It could be in the next couple weeks, so owners with deep bench space would be wise to take a chance. SP Alex Cobb (TB) – Niemann is out a while, and Cobb has shown before that he can hang in the bigs. 1B Mitch Moreland (TEX) – The forgotten man on the Rangers has started hitting. Be forewarned, he’s still sharing time; don’t bet the farm.

Hold ‘Em or Fold ‘Em
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Now that we are midway through the second month of the season (about 1/4 of the way home!), it’s a good time to review your early and mid-round picks of the draft, evaluating whether or not you should wait for them to reach their potential or just cut bait.  While you don’t want to make any rash decisions, we’re reaching the point where you need to make some tough choices regarding players you may have been high on when you drafted them.  Obviously, you wouldn’t consider dropping guys like injured Evan Longoria, so we won’t cover players like that here.  All of the following players would have been drafted in the first 250 picks in an NFBC league. Carl Crawford – Hopefully you didn’t saddle yourself with Crawford (or at least draft him in the first ten rounds), as he is still dealing with multiple issues.  It is reported that his surgically-repaired wrist is doing well, but his sprained UCL in his left (throwing) elbow is holding back his rehab.  He’s not even swinging a bat yet, let alone being close to going on a rehab assignment.  The earliest he could be expected back is the All-Star break, and is it even worth waiting two months to see if he can regain his 2010 form?  You should be getting some production out of that roster spot by now; I would jettison him for guys like Bourjos and Dirks on the waiver wire.  Let someone else wait it out. Aramis Ramirez – He’s hitting .235 and has a just about career-low 77.8% contact rate.  Don’t panic yet, though; he’s only sporting a .269 BABIP and is swinging at 4% fewer pitches outside the zone than last year.  Plus, he’s still batting cleanup, driving in and scoring runs, and has no danger … Click here to continue reading…