Brad Miller and Chris Getz: MI Waiver Wire Help
Let’s face it, even in leagues of 10 to 12 teams, the waiver wire is looking pretty bleak. Every once in a while you get to fight for some hit, young rookie like we all did for Christian Yelich the other day, but beyond that, it’s about fill-ins and stopgaps as opposed to long-term solutions. The middle infield is particularly ugly on this front so you have to dig deep. You still won’t find that perfect guy you’re looking for, but you might find someone who will stick for the duration of the season such as…
Brad Miller, SEA |SS| Ownership: ESPN – 20.9% Yahoo – 13.0% CBS – 40.0%
It only took the Mariners a couple of years, but they finally rid themselves of Brendan Ryan at shortstop and found a fairly stable replacement in Miller. I won’t sit here and try to make Miller into something that he isn’t, but if you’re in need of some middle infield help, particularly in an AL-only league, then at least he’s going to play regularly and won’t kill you in batting average. And if you don’t use batting average and use on-base percentage instead, well then he’s actually an even better fill-in than originally thought. Miller does have a little bit of power and could hit you a few home runs along the way, but with a 12-percent walk rate and a strikeout rate under 20-percent, his biggest asset is his ability to get on base and score runs. Currently he has a .337 OBP and the Mariners have him batting in the leadoff spot where he actually has a slash line of .262/.357/.475 in 61 at-bats this season. The sample size is small and the numbers are by no means eye-popping, but he’s just 23-years old and in his first major league stint. With a full opportunity here, he is definitely capable of improving.
Chris Getz, KC |2B| Ownership: ESPN – 0.6% Yahoo – 1.0% CBS – 3.0%
Getz is one of those guys we’ve seen for a few years now and has left us fairly unimpressed. But with the Royals second base situation looking so darn awful, Getz looks like he’ll play regularly for the duration of the season unless something cataclysmic happens in Kansas City. He’ll give way, at times, to Elliot Johnson and even Miguel Tejada, but if the Royals play six games in a week, Getz should be the starter for four or five of them. With a career slash line of .252/.310/.312, we have a pretty good idea as to what Getz is all about, but from 2009 through 2011, he also averaged just over 20 stolen bases per year, so he is capable of contributing to your fantasy needs. He just missed two games with a slight knee sprain and returned to the lineup Tuesday to steal two bases and he now has four over his last three games. He’ll see nearly all of his time at the bottom of the lineup, so runs scored might not be too abundant either, but he does appear to have the green light once he finds his way on-base. If he can find his way to 12 or 15 steals here in the second half, then he’ll be a serious help to you in the category and to your overall place in the standings.
Howard Bender has been covering fantasy sports for over 10 years on a variety of websites. In addition to his work here, you can also find him at his site, RotobuzzGuy.com, Fantasy Alarm, RotoWire and Mock Draft Central. Follow him on Twitter at @rotobuzzguy or for more direct questions or comments, email him at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com
I miss Kicking Rocks.
Soon, my friend. Soon.
If anyone is desperate enough to add Chris Getz to their fantasy lineup, you might as well give up on your season now.
If you’re talking mixed leagues, then yes, probably not the best guy to have to starts, but in a 12-team AL-only he has value. I just picked him up in one for lack of better alternatives and am currently in third and just moved up a point in SB with two more points well within reach.
But if he’s in DFA limbo or back in AAA, how does that help you? Ned Yost brought him back up because he gave Giavotella something like four whole games, then brought back the “hot hand.” Have to take into account team management in these marginal moves, and the Royals FA is so schizo you just never know what the hell they will do from one day to the next.
Excellent point, Paul. Thanks you. Yes, figuring out what Yost is going to do can be an absolute nightmare. But we do know that he tends to favor his veterans more often than not; at least until they burn him for so long (like Francoeur). I think he sticks with Getz at least until September when rosters expand or until they fall so far out of the race (division or wild card). That gives him about a month’s worth of games, at minimum, to throw in some cheap steals.
I can add Brad Miller. Which middle infielder would you cut from this group in a 12 team mixed league?
Neil Walker
Jed Lowrie
Jose Altuve
None of them actually. All three will likely contribute more than Miller for the rest of the season.
But there is reason to be more bullish on Miller. His BABIP is far lower than at any MiLB stop, which is not unusual. Except that teasing out the batted ball numbers and comparing what’s listed at minorleaguecentral where IFFB% is split out differently, it looks like he’s hit a ton of line drives right at infielders. He could be legitimately unlucky to this point.
Also, his P/PA at the MLB level is better than at any point in the upper minors. If you’ve watched him this confirms what you see that he is quite comfortable and confident. He has good speed and goes 100% at all times, so he’ll beat out some infield hits.
Certainly he’s a gamble over a known quantity, but I’d bet on Miller over a lot of other rookies, possibly even including Wil Myers (not sure why they ever throw him a fastball).
I’d value Altuve over Miller because of the steals, I’d say Miller will perform about the same as Walker, and I would keep Lowrie and wait until he hits himself out of his present slump.
Of course this is all predicated on Miller remaining the starting shortstop the rest of the year. He doesn’t have as much job security as the three you mention.
Regarding Brad Miller’s PT, scrivenergm, you’re mistaken. The Mariners are all in on him getting ready for next year, and Ryan has hardly started a game since Miller came up—and when Ryan has, Miller has played at 3b. Miller will play in, I would guess, 95% of the Mariners’ remaining games, and in most of those he’ll start.
Miller is an excellent percentage base stealer as well, and is _very_ fast on the base paths in general. And he has more than ‘a little bit of power,’ he legitimately slugs and ISO near .200, and puts a solid share of balls in the seats. The thing is, we’re not likely to see Miller get a green light to steal, and the league will adjust to Miller who’ll have to adjust as well. His stats for fantasy shouldn’t be expected to take off over the rest of this year—but they could. It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to have a booming good September after rosters expand and he has more inexperienced pitchers to pound. And he will play.
Brad Miller has gotten better at every level he’s been promoted to; he’s an excellent player. If he played anywhere else he’d be a sensation, and by next year we won’t need to be talking about whether it’s a good idea to own him.
Big time sleeper for next year. I love Brad Miller.
I have Profar (keeper) as my 2B but he’s just not cutting the mustard yet, so which Mariners MI would you rather have ROS: Miller or Franklin?
Thanks HB.
They’re actually pretty close in my rankings for middle infielders and I like them both for different reasons. I’d say for runs scored and on-base percentage I would go with Miller but if you’re looking for a little bit more power and RBI then Franklin would be the way to go based on where they hit in the order. In truth though, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them both have very similar ROS numbers across the board.
Thanks! I’ve been rolling w Franklin the past couple weeks and think I’ll stick with him.
Franklin’s better than Miller, but I like them both.