The fantasy baseball waiver wire will be a bit of a crapshoot this week with the MLB trade deadline date approaching, but here it goes. I’ve included two potential save candidates this week, even though their respective clubs could add someone in the coming days, removing their prospective role. That said, they are still worth adding as they could snag you some much-needed saves.
There’s also a catcher worth considering, a few position players and plenty of pitchers. There should be something for everyone this week, but it’s slim pickings on what’s likely available, so I encourage you to be aggressive with your free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bid. That’s enough blabbing for now, let’s get to the pickups.
All players listed are rostered in 50% or fewer (or close to it) of Yahoo leagues and can help you right away. Happy bidding.
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Rest-of-Season Projections
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets
Edward Cabrera (SP – MIA): 41%
Edward Cabrera has been a man among boys lately, posting a 2.18 ERA over his last 10 starts. He’s been as consistent as they come, producing his best season to date. Cabrera has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, effortlessly mowing down batters, but his lack of control is often what gets in the way. This season, however, Cabrera has cut his walk rate down from a career 4.66/9 to 3.06/9. He’s also posting a career low in homers allowed at just 0.92 per nine innings. And it’s not as if the 27-year-old is just getting lucky.
This season, Cabrera has registered a career-high .300 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), so there may even be room for improvement. There’s also a very good chance he gets traded to a contender in the coming days, furthering his value. Cabrera has turned into a must-start with the way he’s been pitching.
Victor Caratini (C, 1B – HOU): 22%
With the Astros dealing with so many injuries, including the recently hurt Isaac Paredes (hamstring), Victor Caratini has morphed into an everyday player. Batting regularly out of the three-hole, the veteran backstop has taken his opportunity and run with it.
The switch-hitting Caratini is hitting .333 for the month while launching four home runs and knocking in an impressive 17 RBI. His barrel rate is up to nearly 9%, which has helped lead to a near career best .434 slugging rate. Caratini has always been a slightly better-than-average hitting catcher, and now with an everyday opportunity to start, the 31-year-old is a nice addition if you need some steady output at catcher.
Matt Shaw (2B, 3B, SS – CHC): 32%
Matt Shaw makes this list again after flashing some big league power recently. The Cubs’ future star clubbed three homers this week while knocking in six runs. He also stole twice and had three multi-hit games.
The youthful 23-year-old has been streaky in his rookie campaign, but he does qualify all over the diamond and has racked up 13 steals. With the recent power barrage, Shaw is worth considering in most leagues.
Royce Lewis (3B – MIN): 52%
Royce Lewis was slow off the blocks, registering a .130 average in May. He then struggled to remain on the field, participating in just 10 games in June. Finally back healthy in July, Lewis seems to have found his stroke. After a much-needed day off last Saturday, the former top prospect has gone 7-for-14 with three homers, six RBI and snagged a stolen base. He’s also only struck out seven times in 62 plate appearances this month.
Lewis has been a bust for most of the season, but with his talent, a breakout was only a matter of time. He’s worth adding immediately to see if he can keep it going.
Josh Bell (1B – WSH): 6%
Josh Bell has been breaking hearts since his massive juiced ball season back in 2019. Bell has had some decent success since, but nothing has come close to his output from six years ago. However, now with expectations at an all-time low, Bell may have made the adjustment fantasy managers have been waiting for. According to reports, Bell has admitted his recent success is due to the adjustment he made to “stop trying to do too much.” It’s working so far.
After a dismal first half of the season, Bell is hitting .358 in July with a .452 on-base percentage (OBP) and a .566 slugging rate. He’s increased his hard hit rate along with his line drive rate while keeping his strikeouts consistently low.
Bell’s recent output could make him an interesting choice for a few contenders, which would immediately up his stock. There’s still a chance he continues to sit against left-handed starters, but he could be a solid four-category contributor over the final two months of the season. He’s worth considering if you need a corner infielder or a depth piece for your bench.
Eric Lauer (SP, RP – TOR): 49%
Eric Lauer won’t light up the radar gun, but his six-pitch repertoire collects plenty of whiffs and consistently gets the job done. Every time I pass on adding him, the former Padre leaves me kicking myself as he fires another gem.
Lauer hasn’t surrendered more than three runs in a single outing so far this year and has assembled nine starts with two runs allowed or fewer. The southpaw from Ohio has been especially good of late, holding the American League-leading Tigers to just one run over eight innings and the Giants to two hits and no walks over six. The Blue Jays have been rolling, and Lauer’s been a big reason why. He’s worth adding in the majority of league types.
Joe Boyle (SP – TB): 16%
I wrote about Joe Boyle a few weeks ago as a stash candidate, but now with Taj Bradley‘s demotion, Boyle becomes a must-add. With his control issues seemingly behind him (he’ll still walk a few guys but within reason), Boyle could put up ace-like stats over the final two months of the season. The 6-foot-8 righty was arguably the best pitcher in Triple-A this season, striking out 32.9% of the batters he faced while posting a 1.85 ERA over 15 games (14 starts). He also held opposing batters to a .160 batting average.
In his short stint in the Majors this year, he’s producing similar numbers. Over 19 innings, Boyd has allowed just six hits, three walks and three runs. The future stud will take his 1.42 ERA on the road against the Yankees this week, where he’ll truly be tested.
Seranthony Dominguez (RP – BAL): 17%
Seranthony Dominguez is the likely candidate to pick up save opportunities in Baltimore with Felix Bautista hitting the shelf and Gregory Soto shipped off to Queens. The O’s also have former standout Yennier Cano, but he’s been unreliable this season and has been hit hard. Dominguez can still reach the upper 90s with his fastball and has seen prior success in the role. He performed admirably while saving 10 games for the club last year while Bautista was on the mend.
That all said, Dominguez could also be traded, which would likely place him back in a set-up role. But with the Orioles holding on to so few bullpen options, they may elect to keep Seranthony into the later months. He’s worth taking a stab at while he remains in Baltimore.
Alex Vesia (RP – LAD): 23%
With Tanner Scott going down with an elbow injury, the Dodgers’ closer role is up for grabs. While a committee is likely, and Kirby Yates or possibly Alexis Diaz could be a candidate to close against right-handed heavy lineups, it’s been Alex Vesia who’s arguably been Los Angeles’ best reliever.
Vesia has registered a massive 35.1% strikeout rate and already has three saves to his credit this year (he snagged five last year as well). The Dodgers could make a move for an established ninth-inning guy with the deadline approaching, but for now, Vesia is a solid add in most leagues.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.
