Ty Wigginton and Freddy Sanchez: Waiver Wire Help for the Middle Infield

With players like Dan Uggla and Chone Figgins stinking up the joint and others like Brian Roberts and Mark Ellis banged up, there is a dire need to patch up some roster holes at both second base and the middle infield position.  Sometimes, though, filling in the holes can be rough.  When you’re fishing near the bottom of the waiver wire barrel, the production expectations are usually pretty low, however, here are a pair of guys who just might exceed your expectations.

Ty Wigginton |1B, 2B, 3B|  Ownership:  ESPN – 20.9%  Yahoo – 17%

Every year this guy fights for a job and ends up platooning to start the season and yet somehow, some way, he always seems to find his way into the lineup on a fairly regular basis.  This year looks to be no different as Ian Stewart continues to languish in the minors while Jose Lopez finds himself on the dole.  For now, it appears as if Wigginton is the primary for Colorado’s hot corner.

Given what it usually costs to obtain Wigginton’s services, he turns in a pretty solid value in fantasy.  He topped 20 home runs in four of the last five seasons, and while the batting average took a hit last year, you can still probably expect something in the low to mid .260’s these days.  Overall, it’s pretty safe to say that he is in a decline, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze just one more season out of him.  His OBP is  right on par with what it was over his last two seasons, but he’s hot right now, having hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games.  ZiPS ROS has him down for another 11 HR and 36 RBI, but I don’t see why those numbers can’t be a little higher.

Freddy Sanchez |2B|  Ownership:  ESPN – 37.9%  Yahoo – 25%

If power is not your immediate need, but help with the batting average and OBP is, then Sanchez makes for a solid pick up right now.  The one time NL batting champion has kept his average in the .290 range, and with just a 15.2 K%, an above average Contact%, and sound plate discipline, it’s hard to see him bucking the trend.  He’s recently put together hitting streaks of 6 and 8 games and has hit safely in 14 of his last 16.  Again, you won’t see very much in the way of power, but you should see some decent runs scored and RBI as he works it well as the Giants number two hitter.

The one knock on Sanchez though has been his health, so there’s a bit of a risk involved.  He’s had problems with both shoulders and both knees in the past and could miss a few games here and there if he pushes himself too hard.  However, if you’re sitting with someone like Uggla in your second base slot, hoping for him to come around, then it’s certainly in your best interest to bench him in favor of someone like Sanchez right now.