RADIO
About a month ago, I was talking to another owner in my home league and mentioned that my team had been fairly fortunate on the injury front. Fast forward to last week: George Springer's broken wrist gave me a whopping eight players on the shelf, half of them outfielders. The others: Matt Holliday, Jorge Soler, and Byron Buxton. While I don't own Giancarlo Stanton, a lot of other people do, and his wrist injury has left a void on those rosters.
Are you one of those unfortunate souls? If so, you've come to the right place. None of these guys will make you forget Stanton, but they can ease the pain of losing him. And in the majority of fantasy baseball leagues, you won't need to give anything up to get 'em. Read on, and remember, you're gonna be okay (language NSFW).
Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options for the outfield, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Week 14 Waiver Wire Adds in the Outfield
Marlon Byrd, Cincinnati Reds (36 percent)
You don't need me to tell you how precious a commodity power has been in recent years. Byrd has shown no ill effects from a wrist fracture last month. Since returning from the disabled list, he's hit .333/.344/.533 with four home runs and 14 R+RBI in 14 games. With 14 homers on the year, Byrd remains on pace for his third consecutive 20 HR season. He has been a liability in batting average, but his BABIP sits 70 points below his career mark and roughly 100 points below where it's been the last two years. ZiPS likes him for a .785 OPS the rest of the way. That's good enough for a roster spot in plenty more leagues.
Chris Young, New York Yankees (21 percent)
Another flawed, decidedly unsexy veteran who offers cheap power. Young slumped badly in May after a hot start, but bounced back with an .858 OPS and four homers in June. He doesn't run much these days and still can't be trusted to not tank your average, but Young still has plenty of pop in his bat and a favorable home park to maximize it. Jacoby Ellsbury's return will make it harder to find at-bats for Young, but Ellsbury did just suffer a setback in his rehab.
Alejandro de Aza, Boston Red Sox (14 percent)
de Aza is the only player to appear on this list while with two different teams this season. Released by the Orioles and picked up by their division rivals, de Aza has taken a shine to Beantown. He's hitting .317/.364/.610 with three homers since switching clubs. The veteran is strictly a platoon bat due to his struggles against southpaws, but when he has played, he's hit. de Aza hasn't contributed much on the bases yet, but he did swipe 63 bags over the previous three seasons. Come for the hot streak, stay for the cheap speed. Try the veal, and so on.
Gerardo Parra, Milwaukee Brewers (12 percent)
Over the last two months, Parra has hit an impressive .333/.376/.505 with seven homers and six steals. He's likely to be a popular trade target as we approach the deadline, and he may see a reduction in playing time as a result. For now, though, he's hitting at the top of the order for the Brewers
Chris Coghlan, Chicago Cubs (4 percent)
In 2009, Chris Coghlan won NL Rookie of the Year honors. Then he forgot how to play baseball, possibly after aliens stole his abilities in order to win an intergalactic showdown with beloved cartoon characters. The Cubs took a flyer on him last season, and here's what he's done since:
621 AB, 82 R, 17 HR, 14 SB, .796 OPS
That there is a useful fantasy player. Coghlan has been virtually ignored by owners this year, but he's playing every day and contributing a solid power/speed combo. Deep leaguers especially should take note.
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