Post-Hype Sleeper Waiver Wire Pickups (AL Edition)

 

Week 9 Waiver Wire Recommendations

After a couple of weeks away, I bring you another installment of my deep league waiver wire pickups focusing AL-Only leagues. This week I will focus on a pair of post-hype sleepers, and I take a shot in the dark on someone who was once highly regarded as a minor leaguer, perhaps the uber post-hype sleeper. I will also revisit some players I brought to your attention a few weeks ago, and check in on how they've been doing.

 

Trevor Bauer (SP, Cleveland Indians)

80% CBS, 36% Yahoo

With the demotion of Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer has taken back a spot in the Indians rotation. He won his first start last night against Detroit, and looked pretty good doing it. Bauer will undoubtedly get gobbled up by your fellow owner's if he has not already, but this mention is more for the future. Bauer is/was on a 2 start week, so he was highly added over the weekend.

He will be dropped by streamers on Sunday night, and could get dropped by others if he struggles against the Orioles. If he gets dropped, I say he is worth using a waiver claim on, or a high bid at auction. That is how bold I am on Bauer and the success and improvements he has shown so far this season. This team was in a state of flux upon his re-arrival, and something like a prospect who some have forgotten about, coming up and injecting life into a floundering Terry Francona team makes recommending him seem the right thing to do.

Bauer can be dominant, and his time is now. He could end up being an SP3 by season's end, so if he's available go get him. If he is not, root like heck that the Orioles put together a big day on Sunday and make whomever added him panic. Highlights from Bauer's win against Justin Verlander and the Tigers below.

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Gordon Beckham (2B, Chicago White Sox)

33% CBS, 8% Yahoo

Gordon Beckham was once the talk of the town in fantasy baseball back in his rookie year, and had people thinking he could become a perennial all star. He has never quite lived up to that promise, as his best season as a big leaguer is still his rookie year. He started 2014 out on the DL, and came back to a team that had been playing a bit above expectations due to the emergence of Jose Abreu. The team was without a leadoff hitter with Adam Eaton on the DL so Beckham filled in and got off to a solid start. Eaton is back, and the Sox have slid Beckham down to the two hole.

This mention is strictly for run scoring purposes, as Beckham is in position to score a lot of runs with Jose Abreu, Dayan Viciedo, and Adam Dunn hitting behind him, as well as the still torrid Conor Gillaspie (.347). Beckham looks like he is going to be able to do just enough at the HR and SB spots to make up for what should be about a .265 average, to make it worth your while to roster him, and get plus production in the Runs category from a cheap option. He is not going to hit .330 like many thought he once could, and he is not going to hit 25 homers like many thought he once would, but a .265 BA, 15 HR, 10 SB, 75 R finish is not out of the question. He is off the radar right now in standard leagues, but in AL only and Deep leagues he has emerged as an option.

A big 3 run home run to the deepest part of the park against the Cubs last week by Beckham below:

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Grant Green  (3B/OF, Anaheim Angels)

7% CBS, 2% Yahoo

Grant Green, a former first round pick was a surefire stud for the Oakland A's during his days as a minor leaguer, but somehow along the way, he lost a bit of his luster. He was traded last year to the Angels for useful, but not spectacular Alberto Callaspo after the emergence of Eric Sogard. Even the Angels did not believe in him enough, as they went out and got David Freese in the offseason, when it was thought Green could be a fit at the hot corner. Green has hit at every level, but has not shown much of what he can in the big leagues yet.

With injuries derailing the Angels outfield, Green has earned steady playing time over the last 10 days in left field, and he has delivered with a .366 average,  a HR and SB over 44 at bats. Green will be the de facto odd man out once Josh Hamilton and the boys return, and C. J. Cron appears to have taken over the DH role. Green has a chance to earn a full time job the rest of the way if Freese continues to struggle, and Green shows he can continue to put together good at bats against big league pitching. My advice is to get Green while he's hot in deep leagues, and hope for the best long term. If he falls back into a bench role, hopefully you will have gotten some use out of him during this uptick in playing time.

Here is a clip from a few days ago of Green crushing a David Price offering with men in scoring position, one hopping the wall.

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Previous Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks Update

Vidal Nuno has brought home a couple of quality outings since taking over a spot in the Yankee rotation, and delivered a clunker against the Mets. He is mostly just an AL only fantasy player, but could be useful late in the week in a head to head battle if you are in need of wins. He is not delivering up strikeout totals, and he is not pitching too deep into ball games.

Colin McHugh has not really been all that great in the 3 starts since I mentioned him, but take note that he is still getting his strikeouts at a rate of over a strikeout per inning this deep into the season. I am still in on him, but if those walk totals don't change, I will move on.

I would love to say Roenis Elias was my number one add out of my last article, as he has gone on to strike out 25 in 25.1 IP since his mention, but I liked McHugh more. I did predict double digit strikeout totals could be coming, and he came through with 10 against the Yankees on May 1st. Elias is worth owning in deep mixed leagues, but be aware that Taijuan Walker, and James Paxton could be back before mid June. I own him in one standard league, but I am still holding my breathe.