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We’re closing in on August, which means that both real and fake baseball teams are looking for every little edge to catapult themselves to the promised land. As time grows shorter to make headway in the standings, fantasy owners need to take more chances and focus on the short-term more than the big picture.
This week’s corner infield pickup list is by no means sexy. If we’re not scraping the bottom of the barrel, we’re pretty close. Still, there’s viable production to be had here.
Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options for first base and third base, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Corner Infield Pickups
Billy Butler, 1B, Oakland Athletics (38 percent owned)
Since his career year in 2012, the man they call Country Breakfast has been more like a crappy hotel continental. Butler’s numbers have dropped pretty much across the board every season. Given that, it’s sort of surprising he’s owned in as many leagues as he is. That said, he’s approached his previous level of production over the past month, with four homers, 24 R+RBI and an .808 OPS. The .291 career hitter continues to post a middling batting average, but may be worth a rebound bet in deeper leagues.
Jung Ho Kang, 3B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (20 percent)
While Kang’s power hasn’t translated to the majors as much as the Pirates probably hoped, he’s having a fine rookie season. A barrage of hits since the break has lifted his overall slash line to a tidy .285/.363/.418. Even with the return of prodigal son Aramis Ramirez in a trade this week, Kang will continue to play every day as long as Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison are out. Even after they return, he’s unlikely to lose much playing time – especially if he can keep up the hot hitting. He’s also eligible at shortstop, making him an even more useful fantasy asset.
Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers (17 percent)
Losing Miguel Cabrera was a huge blow to the Tigers’ precarious playoff hopes. While they remain on the edge of the bubble, Castellanos has improbably stepped up to help fill the void. He’s hit .292/.356/.523 in July with four homers and 26 R+RBI. As middling as the former top prospect has been to this point in his career, he’s still only 23 years old. You can gamble on his upside for free in over 80 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Kelly Johnson, 1B/3B/OF, New York Mets (12 percent)
With a new ball club, it's unclear exactly how the Mets plan to deploy Johnon. He’s done what he can to prove he shouldn’t be relegated to the bench, though. With a .925 OPS this month, he’s raised his season line to .275/.321/.451. Johnson doesn’t carry eligibility at second base anymore, but he is OF eligible. Deep league owners looking for a short-term source of pop could do worse…
C.J. Cron, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (11 percent)
…Though they might be able to do better. Cron struggled badly for most of the first half, but has turned a corner in July. Since the calendar flipped, he’s exploded for a .447/.460/.723 line. While that obviously isn’t going to continue, Cron definitely has playable power – he’s hit 16 homers in 404 career MLB at-bats. He’s also a former first round pick and only 25, so there’s at least a little room in which to dream. That’s all big-picture stuff, though. Right now, he’s swinging a hot bat – hop on and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
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