Waiver Wire: May 12
While looking through the Yahoo player listings, I came across some interesting names that are available in many leagues.
Mat Latos | RHP | San Diego (11% owned)
I have to admit that I am a little surprised to see Latos available as much as he is. The sophomore hurler has the stuff to be a No. 1 or 2 starter, he’s had success at a young age, and he plays half his games in the best pitcher’s park in baseball. The right-hander got off to a bit of a slow start to the season by allowing seven runs in his first two games, but he’s come into his own since hitting rock bottom on April 26 when he gave up seven runs in 2.2 innings. In his next start at home against Milwaukee, Latos gave up just two runs in six innings. He then pitched in Houston and dominated the lackluster club with eight shutout innings, which included nine strikeouts. You definitely want to own Latos in NL-only leagues and you certainly want to consider using him at home in mixed leagues. There will be some inconsistency in his performances due to his age, but Latos is a respectable option.
Fred Lewis | OF | Toronto (5%)
I’ve never been a huge fan of Lewis but he’s really upped his game since taking over the full-time left-field job in Toronto. The former Giant currently has a triple-slash line of .309/.347/.500 in 101 at-bats. Lewis’ strikeout rate is alarming at 29.8% but he’s hitting with some power (.191 ISO). He’s definitely not an ideal lead-off candidate (5.0 BB%) but Toronto doesn’t have a lot of options right now. If he eventually moves down in the order, it could further help his value by giving him more opportunities to drive in runs. Despite his place in the order, he does have 13 RBI in 23 games, to go along with 14 runs scored. Although he’s not a speed burner, Lewis is quick enough to steal double-digit bases. You could certainly do worse in AL-only leagues.
Ryan Hanigan | C | Cincinnati (3%)
This past off-season, it was certainly disappointing to see the Reds bring back veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez for another season. Back-up catcher Ryan Hanigan certainly deserved a shot to play every day thanks to a solid all-around skill set. The catching job has been split between the two players in 2010, which has hurt Hanigan’s fantasy value; but if you’re simply looking to fill a catcher slot on your roster with someone that won’t hurt you (and has the potential to add a little value), then Hanigan is your man. The catcher is currently hitting .380/.492/.600 in 50 at-bats and he has a career line of .280/.380/.374 in parts of four seasons. Unfortunately, the split role is serving Hernandez well, too, as he’s currently having one of his best offensive (and defensive) seasons in recent memory. If you’re not ready to pounce on Hanigan now, keep him in mind if Hernandez’ playing time diminishes at any point.
*Ownership numbers based on Yahoo Fantasy Baseball
Marc Hulet has been writing at FanGraphs since 2008. His work focuses on prospects and fantasy. Follow him on Twitter @marchulet.
I agree that Latos should be more widely owned and could be a great pick up. Another Toronto guy to watch for is Travis Snider. Not sure if you have mentioned him previously, but he just hit his 5th homer and is a possible break out candidate.
I had this idea to start a dynasty league mid-season, say at the all-star break. we’d have an auction draft.
I wonder, to what extent do you draft for this season or future years? How would you evaluate prospects vs. current stars? It would be an interesting draft because we would have the first half of the season to evaluate players. It would, admittedly, take a good core of players to pull off well.
What are your thoughts on starting a mid-season dynasty league?
My thoughts are I’d join if you are going to do it :p
To be honest I’m not sure there is a “best” strategy. In leagues like that that I’ve played in before, there’s always a wide range on how different people value certain players. A lot of older guys get devalued a TON despite being likely bets to perform well for this season and even a few more after that, and you could probably win by simply going after those types.
The rules you use will have a great effect on how things work, too. How many years you get to keep them, if the price increases yearly, etc. etc. would all affect how you bid.
I’m a big fan of the daily Waiver Wire reports, but here’s a suggestion based on something I saw a basketball website do this year: after the write-up, close with “I’d rather have Mat Latos than Players X, Y, Z”, where X, Y, and Z have higher ownership %’s, or were recommended in previous WW reports.
That’s a good suggestion, Vida. Thanks.
Hanigan is hitting well, but also deserves big props for the way he handled Bailey yesterday. This aspect of the game is usually overlooked in roto/fantasy, but after watching the crappy game that Hernandez called against the Cubs on Friday when Homer got blasted and then the solid handling by Hanigan yesterday, I’m really beginning to appreciate the guy. As a Homer owner/supporter, I really hope he’s behind the plate for the next start.
Thanks. Great article as usual. I do like Vida’s suggestion as well. That would help out a ton.