Trevor Plouffe and Moises Sierra: Waiver Wire

Wow. You look at that calendar and it just hits you like a ton of bricks. With only about a dozen games to go for each team, this is it. We’ve basically got one more scoring period to go in roto leagues and this is likely it for most head to head championships. It’s crazy how quickly this season seems to have slipped by. But if you’re still looking for that quick fix, that body to fill that roster hole with a splash of productivity, well, we’ll just keep throwing stuff against the wall and see what sticks for you. For my final waiver wire piece of the 2013 regular season I give you a pair of dynamic superstars who could very well be available in your not-so-deep-leagues.

Trevor Plouffe, MIN |3B|  Ownership: ESPN – 14.9%  Yahoo – 17.0%

Those of us who have been doing fantasy baseball for a while have a pretty good idea as to who Plouffe is as a player. You’re looking at decent power with a mediocre average from a player who is a fairly streaky player. We’ve seen his home runs come in bunches and we’ve seen dry spells that would have made you think he was married to a base hit (get it?). But if you’re catching him at the right time, Plouffe can be a huge asset to you in fantasy. Right now, September seems to be that right time. So far, this month, Plouffe is batting .381 with two home runs and nine RBI. He’s being aided by a ridiculous .449 BABIP, but he’s also cut down on his strikeout rate this month by nearly six percent. His ground ball rate for the month may be at a season-high 2.00, but it has been offset by a 29.4-percent line drive rate. While we could never expect Plouffe to carry these types of numbers over the course of a few months, it’s very easy to see him do it for at least the next week. If you need help at the corner infield (or even the outfield as he qualifies in many leagues), then you should give him a look for the end.

Moises Sierra, TOR |OF| Ownership: ESPN – 4.9% Yahoo – 4.0%

So here’s a name from off the beaten path and based on his ownership percentages, there’s more than just a good chance that he’s available on your waiver wire. Sierra looked just ok in his 50 game run in the bigs last season, but he comes to you now as a more experienced and, based on the numbers, improved player. He seems to be an every-day fixture in the Blue Jays lineup these days and has improved both his walk and strikeout rates from the last time he was in The Show as well as a showing of a bit more developed power.Through 13 September games, he is batting .362 with one home run and nine RBI but he also has 11 doubles. Eleven in just 47 at-bats. Now that’s a hot streak and that’s the kind of hitting you want over this final week or so of the season. We’re not looking at any sort of “wow. I’m going to keep this guy for next year too,” but for a strong finish and a quick boost in the counting stats, he’s worth using for the home stretch.