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Getting Into the Thick of Things
How have the first few weeks gone for you? Need to replace an injured catcher? Looking for a reliable backup?
RotoBaller has you covered with analysis on four catchers who may be free agents in your league who you can target off the waiver wire.
Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options for catchers, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Waiver Wire Adds for Catchers
Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays - Owned in 83% of Yahoo, 32% of FleaFlicker Leagues
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Martin has now hit safely in 10 of the last 12 games for the Blue Jays, increasing his season average to a "blistering" .197. Since dropping to the sixth spot in the order, Martin has slashed .276/.488/.690 with three home runs, eight RBI, and 10 runs scored. The move in the lineup has clearly sparked a fire under the Jays back-stop, and has put fantasy managers at ease since his disastrous start to the season.
Toronto gave up on Martin hitting in the two spot after only a week into the season, but is clearly looking more like the number two hitter that they were looking for. The Blue Jays are one of the league's hottest offenses so far in the young season, so the RBI and run opportunities should continue to roll in for Martin no matter where he ends up settling into this lineup.
AJ Pierzynski, Atlanta Braves - Owned in 45% of Yahoo, 23% of FleaFlicker Leagues
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Pierzynski is off to a scorching start, with an impressive .408/.442/.653 slash line. When Braves Country found out about the Pierzynski signing, I'm sure they did not envision the 38-year old catcher having this much of an offensive impact for the Braves. Pierzynski came to the Braves to help tutor Christian Bethancourt on what is required to make it as a successful Major League backstop. While Bethancourt’s cannon of an arm got him to the highest level, his offensive game remains a work in progress.
After a couple of spot starts for Pierzynski, it became apparent that the veteran's bat still had some juice left in it. The two-time AL All-Star is a career .282 hitter, mostly notably for the Twins and the White Sox. He's produced a hit in all of the 13 games he's appeared in so far, including four multi-hit games. He's now got three home runs on the year to go with his three doubles and 32 total bases. One of the major rules as a fantasy owner is to ride the hot hand. Just rememberthat Pierzynski is an average hitter and his numbers will eventually return to his career averages.
Miguel Montero, Chicago Cubs - Owned in 30% of Yahoo, 21% of FleaFlicker Leagues
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I still maintain that the Cubs' acquisition of Montero was one of the offseason's most underrated moves. A career .262 hitter who is good for 10-15 bombs per year to go with his 50+ RBI was a much needed upgrade for the new-look Cubbies. Montero came out of the gate slow to start the season, but has started to heat up going 7-for-16 in the last four games in which he has started.
He doesn't get the start when Jon Lester is on the mound, but should get the lion's share of all other starts. His season slash line now sits at .261/.333/.478. After his slow start, Montero now has three home runs, 10 RBI, and four runs scored on the year. And while the Cubs are hovering in the middle of almost all offensive categories compared to the rest of the league, Montero's opportunities should continue to arise as all of their prospects come into their own.
Blake Swihart, Boston Red Sox - Owned in 13% of Yahoo, 5% of FleaFlicker Leagues
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Blake Swihart’s callup is sooner than originally expected due to injuries. Already without one starting catcher (Christian Vasquez), replacement Ryan Hanigan went down for what looks to be an extended period of time due to a fractured knuckle on his right pinky finger. The 26th overall pick in 2011 clearly has some of that prospect luster that fantasy managers crave, but I would advise against counting on him as an every day back-stop out of the gates.
Swihart racked up 13 home runs last season across two levels in the minors, but only one of those came in Triple-A. So far this year in Triple-A he is without a home run, but he has upped his batting average by 77 points in almost the exact same amount of plate appearances. He has nearly tripled his walk rate bringing it up to 8.1% and has cut down on his strikeout rate significantly as well. Swihart has significant fantasy potential in the long term, but owners should expect a longer than average adjustment period after being rushed through the minors so quickly.
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