Ottoneu Waiver Wire: August 2016

We are officially in the dog days of ottoneu summer, with contending teams scrambling to plug leaks to keep their championship hopes alive and rebuilding teams sifting through the free agent wreckage to find something of value for next season and beyond. Let’s take a look at the players that have been most added across all ottoneu leagues over the past week and month.

Ryan Schimpf just keeps on hitting with a .367 wOBA, and even if his RoS projection calls for big regression (.312 wOBA), it doesn’t take much to be ottoneu relevant when you have 2B eligibility. He’s probably not a great pickup in 5×5 given the low batting average and lack of steals, but everywhere else he should definitely be owned.

Fellow Padre Alex Dickerson, like Schimpf, has seen his path to playing time open up due to injuries and trades and has been hitting very well himself (.340 wOBA). Again, the projections don’t expect that performance to continue, but if you’re desperate to fill OF games Dickerson might be your best available option in free agency.

Luke Weaver didn’t pitch well in his first start for the Cardinals, but he is being scooped up by rebuilding teams intrigued by a former first round draft pick in 2014 who plays for an organization known for identifying pitching talent. I’m not sure he’s going to contribute much in the short term, but he’s definitely worth an add in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle.

I suspect most of the adds for Cam Bedrosian happened before he hit the DL with finger tendinitis. He probably won’t be back with the Angels for a couple more weeks, but he could very well be their closer to finish out the year.

Hernan Perez is the first name on the list I’m tepid on, as he’s hitting for more power with the Brewers (.176 ISO) than he has at any point in his professional career. Perez is only 25, so maybe this is a breakout, but I’m betting against him being ottoneu relevant even with 2B eligibility.

Tyler Skaggs has had some very agressive projections from Steamer this year, but he’s had a rough go of it in five starts with the Angels over the past month. The bloom is very much off the rose, but I still believe he can be a start-able SP short term in all ottoneu formats.

Joe Musgrove, like Weaver, is another rookie SP who pitched very well in the minors this season before his callup. Musgrove has always been a pitcher that limits walks, and that has continued with the Astros, but he’s carried over most of his strikeout stuff as well. Musgrove could very well be what I always hoped Clayton Blackburn would become.

Mauricio Cabrera is getting save chances with the Braves right now, and that role is always going to be valuable in ottoneu (except in 4×4), but Arodys Vizcaino is back from the DL and should reclaim his job soon. Cabrera is also probably not a very good relief pitcher, with a 4.38 xFIP and projected for a 4.34 FIP rest of season.

The Yankees youth movement is officially underway, and Tyler Austin helped punctuate that shift with a homerun in his first career game, but has otherwise struggled since being called up. It’s only three games though, and Austin raked in AAA (.461 wOBA), so he’s worth a speculative add.

If you’re chasing saves, it’s probably too late to add Tyler Thornburg (92+% owned), which is a shame because he’s a much better option than Cabrera. Thornburg should be the Brewers closer the rest of the way (though he has some competition from Corey Knebel), and has been outstanding this season with 12.21 K/9 and a 2.82 FIP/ 3.10 xFIP.

 

Matt Strahm has been dealing out of the Royals bullpen, striking out 12 batters in 6.2 IP without giving up a HR and only 2 BB. Strahm was good in AA this season, but he wasn’t this good, so it’s dangerous to get too excited over this small sample. Of course, if you wait until the sample is no longer small, it will be too late to add Strahm, so better to jump in now knowing he could be a clear cut in a few more weeks.

I have nothing nice to say about Teoscar Hernandez, so I just won’t say anything at all. Okay I lied, Hernandez has hit very well in AA and AAA for the Astros this year, but he has a .285 wOBA through 20 PA in MLB so far, and has a RoS projection of .274. Pass.

Grant Dayton has been almost as good as Strahm since being called up, but is a bit more interesting to me based on his fantastic Steamer projection (2.75 FIP), which places him in some elite company among RP from a skills perspective. There is pretty much no chance Dayton pitches in high leverage situations for the Dodgers the rest of the year, but if you believe in the projections he’s a very sneaky target for contenders and rebuilders alike.

It’s Sandy Leon’s world, and we’re just living in it! The Red Sox catcher has been a revelation at the plate, with a .457 wOBA and a .272 ISO. This feels very much like a Wizard of Oz situation to me, your instinct may be to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain (namely Leon’s minor league track record and projections), but I think Leon owners should just enjoy the fun while it lasts.

Derek Law has been quietly steady in the Giants bullpen, and he’s gradually begun seeing higher leverage innings. Law is another favorite of the projections, and should probably be owned in all non-5×5 ottoneu leagues.

The days of being a starter are almost certainly over for Carl Edwards Jr, but he is throwing quality innings in the Cubs bullpen. The projections expect him to struggle with walks the rest of the way, and he’s had some meltdowns (five ER and four BB in .2 IP on 8/13), but he could be an option as a cheap RP flyer for 2017.

Travis Jankowski is purely a 5×5 play, as his speed gives him quite a bit of value in that format, while his lack of power and overall batting line makes him a fringe bench player in the points leagues and 4×4.

What other players are being added in your ottoneu leagues? Surprised by any names on these lists? Let me know in the comments!