Jonathan Lucroy and Melky Cabrera – Waiver Wire for April 27

In all honesty, virtually all of the legitimate talent has likely already been plucked from your league’s waiver wire by now.  Everyone gets so transaction crazy early on, that it’s hard to believe there are still some stones left unturned.  And yet, there always seems to be a player or two that slips through the cracks for a variety of reasons.  Here’s a look at two that might interest you…

Jonathan Lucroy |C|  Ownership:  ESPN – 2.3%  Yahoo – 3%

After missing half the month of April due to a fractured pinkie he suffered in spring training, Lucroy hasn’t been on anyone’s radar despite being handed the starting job upon his return.  Good news for those looking for a full time starter behind the dish.  Through 38 at bats, Lucroy is hitting .342 with one home run and four RBI and had a nine game hit streak in play heading into Tuesday night’s game.

Lucroy has mid-level power according to his minor league ISO numbers, so you shouldn’t expect a barrage of home runs, maybe a dozen for the season.  However, his minor league batting average indicates that he is still capable of hitting .285 or better this year which is a huge bonus for your backstop.  The .400 BABIP will come back to earth soon, but it’s good to see that he doesn’t strike out a lot.  His 18.4 K% is 2.5 points lower than the league average.  With continued playing time, Lucroy should blossom this season, and hitting in the Brewers potent lineup, he should continue to throw you some very nice numbers this year.

Melky Cabrera |OF|  Ownership:  ESPN – 20.3%  Yahoo – 13%

While Royals manager Ned Yost claimed that Jarrod Dyson was going to see more playing time in center field, Cabrera has been doing everything he can to prevent that from happening.  After a 3-for-4 Tuesday night in which he hit his second home run of the season, Cabrera is now hitting .301 with two home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases on the season.  He’s also got eight doubles and has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games with nine multi-hit games this year.

Given his history, it’s hard to believe that Cabrera isn’t benefiting from a favorable .341 BABIP, and therefore a regression should be expected.  The only question is when.  He isn’t drawing any walks (3.7 BB%) and there’s nothing in his history to indicate that he is about to break out right now.  But like any great streak, you have to ride it out for as long as you can.  So for as  long as Cabrera continues to hit like this, he should remain in the Royals every day lineup and could be extremely helpful if you’re in need of an outfielder.

Watch List

And as a quick heads up, you might want to add Brandon Wood to your watch list.  I know it sounds silly given his inability to hit major league pitching, but perhaps the change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered.  If he can hit, then I can see him muscling his way into a starting job in Pittsburgh.  He won’t supplant Pedro Alvarez at third or Neil Walker at second, but if he can provide some offensive punch to that lineup, then I could see him getting the starting nod over Ronny Cedeno at short or even Lyle Overbay at first.  Just food for thought right now…