FAAB & Waiver Wire Report (Week 24)
In the article, I cover the players using CBS’s (about 40% or less initial roster rate) and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both hosting sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. The players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference grouped by starters, relievers, and hitters.
Batters
Victor Robles: Currently dealing with an elbow issue. A plus source in steals (23 SB) and average (.284 AVG).
Lars Nootbaar: Starting with balanced production (.245 AVG, 9 HR, 7 SB in 337 PA).
Ty France: Since joining the Reds, he has started every game with them while hitting .302/.356/.481 and 4 HR.
Otto Lopez: Solid source of stolen bases (16 SB in 352 PA) while batting in the middle of Miami’s lineup.
Kyle Manzardo: Hitting better (1.139 OPS) this time with the major league club than the last time (.571 OPS). Started five straight times since being promoted.
José Tena: Hitting for average (.288 AVG) but not much else. In AAA this year, he had 17 HR and 14 SB so there is room for growth. Starts every game while batting near the top of the lineup.
Geraldo Perdomo: Decent source of batting average (.283) with just a bit of power (3 HR) and steals (7 SB).
Jordan Walker: Hitting for power (2 HR) this time in the majors but nothing else (36% K%).
Andrés Chaparro: Hitting for power (3 HR, .233 ISO) but not batting average (.233 AVG, .246 BABIP). One interesting note for 2025, he has 10 games at DH and first base. It’d suck if he was DH-only during draft season.
Paul DeJong: Just hits for power (24 HR). His playing time might take a hit with a couple teammates (Gurriel, Renfroe) healthy.
Anthony Rizzo: Since coming off the IL, he has started in five of six games. In 308 PA, he hits like a catcher with 8 HR, 0 SB, and a .225 AVG.
MJ Melendez: Nine starts in the last 10 games. Only hitting for power (17 HR) as a batting average drain (.212 AVG).
Trevor Story: Returned from the IL playing shortstop while batting seventh. The regular shortstop, Ceddanne Rafaela, is hitting .152/.152/.424 over the past two weeks.
Kyle Stowers: Six straight starts while hitting .262/.326/.500 over the past two weeks. Still, he just has a .601 OPS on the season.
Amed Rosario: Seven straight starts since joining the Reds. He’s not hitting much with a .566 OPS with 1 HR and 2 SB while batting ninth.
Santiago Espinal: Since Espinal is hitting (.262 AVG, 9 HR, 9 SB), he is starting at third base because Noelvi Marte is struggling (.536 OPS, 32% K%).
Mickey Moniak: Strong-side platoon bat (.674 OPS, 13 HR, 6 SB) with five righties on the schedule next week.
Will Wagner: Just six starts in the last 10 games. He’s struggled against lefties (.563 OPS, 31% K%) compared to righties (.890 OPS).
Luke Raley: Strong-side platoon bat (18 HR, 9 SB) with just four righties on the schedule next week.
Seth Brown: Brown is doing what he does best by hitting righties (.739 OPS) and sitting against lefties (just 24 PA of 339 PA vs LHP). He is scheduled to face four righties this upcoming week.
Addison Barger: Strong-side platoon bat (.701 OPS vs RHP, .438 vs LHP) who does have 7 HR in 171 PA. The Blue Jays face just four righties this upcoming week.
Jared Triolo: Starting at third base with Ke’Bryan Hayes on the IL. Triolo is only hitting .233/.283/.290 with 4 HR and 11 SB in 396 PA.
Zach McKinstry: He had a stretch of regular at-bats but has started in just one of the last five games. When playing, he can steal bases (14 SB in 285 PA).
Randal Grichuk: With Arizona facing seven lefties in the last 11 games, Grichuk got starts as a short-side platoon bat.
Catchers
Miguel Amaya: Hitting .287/.321/.475 over the season’s second half.
Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Change |
---|---|---|---|
Anthony Rizzo 1B NYY | 31% | 33% | 2% |
Geraldo Perdomo SS ARI | 28% | 31% | 3% |
Jordan Walker RF STL | 27% | 35% | 8% |
Paul DeJong 3B KC | 25% | 27% | 2% |
Lars Nootbaar RF STL | 24% | 26% | 2% |
Victor Robles CF SEA | 23% | 31% | 8% |
Miguel Amaya C CHC | 23% | 25% | 2% |
MJ Melendez LF KC | 20% | 23% | 3% |
Ty France 1B CIN | 20% | 22% | 2% |
Kyle Manzardo DH CLE | 17% | 25% | 8% |
Amed Rosario RF CIN | 17% | 18% | 1% |
Luke Raley LF SEA | 16% | 19% | 3% |
Trevor Story SS BOS | 15% | 17% | 2% |
Will Wagner 2B TOR | 9% | 12% | 3% |
Andres Chaparro 1B WAS | 8% | 9% | 1% |
Jared Triolo 2B PIT | 7% | 8% | 1% |
Jose Tena 3B WAS | 6% | 11% | 5% |
Seth Brown 1B OAK | 5% | 10% | 5% |
Santiago Espinal 3B CIN | 5% | 7% | 2% |
Otto Lopez 2B MIA | 5% | 6% | 1% |
Mickey Moniak CF LAA | 4% | 8% | 4% |
Addison Barger 3B TOR | 4% | 6% | 2% |
Zach McKinstry SS DET | 3% | 5% | 2% |
Kyle Stowers LF MIA | 3% | 5% | 2% |
Randal Grichuk RF ARI | 1% | 3% | 2% |
Starters
David Festa: Even though home runs remain an issue (1.5 HR/9, 35% GB%), he’s been elite with 11.0 K/9, 4.75 ERA (3.29 xFIP), and 1.20 WHIP.
Brant Hurter: While the 26-year-old doesn’t go long into games (over 5 IP just once, max 80 pitches), he’s been great (3.25 ERA, 3.05 xFIP, 0.94 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 53% GB%). Tough start next week at Baltimore.
Matthew Boyd: Possibly a lot of the demand might be from his upcoming start against the White Sox and a two-start week after that (vs MIN, at STL). The 2.20 ERA and 0.77 WHIP will regress upward as the .192 BABIP normalizes, but he’s looking to be around a 4.00 ERA talent.
J.T. Ginn: In 14 IP, Ginn has been solid (4.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 9.2 K/9) with his best results coming in last start (6 IP, 2 ER, 7 K, 1 BB, 88 pitches). I just wrote him up for this week’s Big Kid Adds. He is lined up to face the White Sox, Yankees, and Mariners over the next three weeks.
Landon Knack: If getting starts, Knack is a nice addition with reasonable matchups the next two weeks (CHC, ATL, MIA, COL at LAD). Besides being home run prone (1.7 HR/9, 32% GB%, 4.55 FIP), he has a solid profile (3.00 ERA, 4.20 xFIP, 0.96 WHIP, and 8.7 K/9).
Casey Mize: He hasn’t been horrible with a 4.30 ERA (4.08 xFIP), 1.41 WHIP (.320 BABIP), and 6.4 K/9. He gets the Rockies this week and possibly the White Sox for the season’s last series.
Reid Detmers: He looked great against the Dodgers in his second-half debut with 10 K and 2 ER in 6 IP. There were no major changes to this pitch velocity and usage so I don’t expect any breakout. Instead, I’d expect him to be ~4.00 ERA arm with lots of strikeouts (10.4 K/9) and walks (3.8 K/9).
Alex Cobb: Hurt, day-to-day, blister. In the 16 IP since coming off the IL, Cobb has utilized a low-walk (1.7 BB/9) high-groundball rate (61% GB%) approach leading to a 2.76 ERA (3.72 xFIP) and 1.04 WHIP. He’s leaning into his splitter at a career-high rate (44% usage) while its swinging-strike rate is about half of its career value (8% SwStr% in ’24, 15% for his career). With the injury, his matchups are unknown.
Albert Suárez 수아레즈: When in the rotation, he’s gotten it done this year with a 3.49 ERA (4.61 xFIP), 1.31 WHIP, and 6.9 K/9. Part his demand might have been from his matchup with the White Sox this past week. While he should be benched against the Rod Sox this week, he’s lined up for a two-start week against the Giants and Tigers the following week.
Patrick Corbin: Adding a cutter (Bid Kid Adds writeup) makes him a streaming option against Miami next week.
Luis Ortiz: He is sporting a 3.19 ERA (4.70 xFIP) with his .242 BABIP and 1.0 HR/9 (39% GB%) pointing to a mid to high-4.00’s ERA talent level. He’s producing at a best-case scenario and his production can only head down.
Cade Povich: He took advantage of a White Sox start (10 K, 0 ER, 7 IP). Since dropping his cutter to start August, he posted a 4.91 ERA (3.87 xFIP), 9.0 K/9, and 1.45 WHIP (.391 BABIP). His value comes down to how a manager values Povich’s walk rate which dropped from 12% in the first half to 7% in the second half.
Adam Oller: He is unrosterable with a 5.4 BB/9 but is saved by a .212 BABIP. If a manager is some combination of brave/desperate, they may roster him for his two starts next week against the Pirates and Nationals.
Cooper Criswell: Criswell has been all over the place this season with a three-game rolling average between 1.00 and 11.00.
Maybe he’ll have a couple more good games or it could be a struggle. It comes down to who is willing to roll the dice.
Rhett Lowder: I wrote up Lowder for this week’s Big Kid Adds and didn’t address some issues in his second start. While his 0.87 ERA is all shiny (93% LOB%, .222 BABIP), a 7.0 BB/9 (36% Ball%, 2.9 BB/9 equiv) won’t cut it.
Caden Dana: His second major league start will be on Sunday. In his first game, he walked as many batters (4) as he struck out. The only pitch he consistently got in the zone was his four-seamer.
After facing Texas on Sunday, he’s lined up to face the Astros in the next two games. Pass on him until 2025.
Ty Madden: In nine major league innings, the 24-year-old has the same number of walks (3) as strikeouts. He should be getting more strikeouts with three of his secondary pitches having at least a 17% SwStr%. The problem is that he’s thrown 69 94-mph four-seamers and not one generated a swing-and-miss. He might be tipping the fastball since its release point is a foot different than his other pitches.
While it’s nice to see the secondaries working, he needs to clean up his fastball.
Tyler Phillips: Got destroyed (6 ER in 0.2 IP) in his last start and demoted to the minors.
Pitching Prospects
Seth Johnson: Across two minor league levels, the 25-year-old posted a 2.33 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and 1.20 WHIP in 88 IP. Johnson is scheduled to start for the Phillies on Sunday.
Kumar Rocker: Across three minor league levels, the 24-year-old posted a 1.96 ERA, 13.5 K/9, and 0.79 WHIP in 36 IP.
Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Change |
---|---|---|---|
David Festa SP MIN | 36% | 45% | 9% |
Luis Ortiz RP PIT | 29% | 36% | 7% |
Albert Suarez SP BAL | 29% | 34% | 5% |
Matthew Boyd SP CLE | 27% | 33% | 6% |
Rhett Lowder SP CIN | 23% | 32% | 9% |
Reid Detmers SP LAA | 18% | 25% | 7% |
Casey Mize SP DET | 17% | 18% | 1% |
Alex Cobb SP CLE | 16% | 24% | 8% |
Tyler Phillips SP PHI | 13% | 17% | 4% |
Patrick Corbin SP WAS | 11% | 21% | 10% |
Kumar Rocker P TEX | 11% | 13% | 2% |
Caden Dana SP LAA | 10% | 16% | 6% |
Cade Povich SP BAL | 10% | 14% | 4% |
Brant Hurter P DET | 10% | 13% | 3% |
Landon Knack SP LAD | 8% | 11% | 3% |
Ty Madden SP DET | 6% | 7% | 1% |
Cooper Criswell SP BOS | 5% | 6% | 1% |
J.T. Ginn RP OAK | 2% | 4% | 2% |
Seth Johnson SP PHI | 1% | 3% | 2% |
Adam Oller RP MIA | 1% | 9% | 8% |
Relievers: Save-based ranks
Porter Hodge: Great reliever who is the closer.
Ben Joyce: Good reliever who is the closer.
Jason Foley: Average reliever who is the closer.
Tyler Holton: OK reliever who is the backup closer.
Aroldis Chapman: Great reliever who will get most of the Saves.
Dennis Santana: Decent reliever who will get some Saves.
Luke Weaver: Good reliever who got the first Save chance with Clay Holmes in the dog house.
Matt Strahm: Got two Saves this past week but isn’t the closer.
Calvin Faucher: On the IL. I’d bet on John McMillon being the closer.
Name | Previous Roster% | Current Roster% | Change |
---|---|---|---|
Jason Foley RP DET | 39% | 43% | 4% |
Ben Joyce RP LAA | 35% | 38% | 3% |
Aroldis Chapman RP PIT | 23% | 32% | 9% |
Porter Hodge RP CHC | 16% | 29% | 13% |
Luke Weaver RP NYY | 14% | 17% | 3% |
Tyler Holton RP DET | 12% | 15% | 3% |
Matt Strahm RP PHI | 12% | 14% | 2% |
Calvin Faucher RP MIA | 11% | 15% | 4% |
Dennis Santana RP PIT | 0% | 2% | 2% |
Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.
Is Chapman a “great reliever”?