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You’ve almost certainly seen or heard countless sportswriters and broadcasters use the term “quarter pole” to denote when the first 25 percent of the regular season has been played. If you’re like me and have zero interest in horse racing, you’ve probably never thought anything of it. I recently learned, however, that the quarter pole is actually placed at the beginning of the final quarter of the track. Cue shooting star “The More You Know” graphic.
Anyway, we’ve basically got a quarter of the season in the books. Based on personal experience in fantasy leagues, this is when a sense of urgency creeps into the proceedings. Transaction activity increases as roles become more defined and samples grow large enough to start drawing some conclusions other than, “It’s early.” Paradoxically, this often causes us to start deliberately looking at smaller samples as we scour the wire in search of reinforcements. A career minor leaguer is hitting .520 over the last week? That guy who was only really any good for two months back in 2011 just pitched a shutout? Come on down!
Without any further television references, here are your outfielders to target on the wire as we enter Week 7. For the first time this year, I’m spotlighting a player whose ownership level is above the usual 50 percent cutoff and another who might be above that mark before I finish writing this column.
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 7 Outfield Waiver Wire Adds
Steven Souza, Tampa Rays (51 percent owned)
Souza was blocked in Washington, so the Nationals flipped him to the Rays over the winter. With this new lease on life and playing time came a fair amount of sleeper buzz. So far, Souza’s been basically as advertised, a three true outcomes machine with speed. He’s hit half a dozen homers, stolen five bases, and either walked or struck out in exactly half of his plate appearances. If you can stomach a batting average in the .230s – or if you play in a league that uses OBP, as nature intended – Souza can be a serious asset to your roster.
Marlon Byrd, Cincinnati Reds (49 percent owned)
He’s far from a spring chicken or a trendy fantasy player, but Byrd’s strange late-career renaissance refuses to end. Since the start of the 2013 season, Byrd’s 57 home runs are 20th in all of baseball. A putrid April has yielded to a torrid May, as Byrd has hit .342/.500/.895 with six homers through the first half of the month. The Barry Bonds impression obviously won’t hold up, but Byrd’s earned some respect with his performance in recent years. If nothing else, ride the hot hand here.
Khris Davis, Milwaukee Brewers (33 percent owned)
Davis garnered considerable hype headed into last season after posting a .279/.353/.596 line with 11 homers in a limited 2013 run. The sequel was a bit disappointing, though his 22 bombs placed him just outside the top 30 in MLB and made him useful in some formats. He’s only left the yard three times so far this season, but two of those have come in the last week and his walk rate has doubled from a year ago. Available in two-thirds of leagues, the man they call Khrush remains a source of cheap pop.
Delino DeShields Jr., Texas Rangers (10 percent owned)
DeShields isn’t going to maintain an average around .300 or a .400+ OBP for much longer. That said, he’s filling up the box score on a nightly basis for the Rangers, who quite frankly deserve a positive fluke with how the last couple of years have gone for them. DeShields has only 50 plate appearances, but has stolen nine bases in 10 tries and tallied 21 R+RBI. With Leonys Martin’s ongoing struggles, more playing time could be on the horizon. As a bonus, DeShields is 2B eligible. He’s basically a poor man’s Billy Hamilton at this point.
Logan Morrison, Seattle Mariners (9 percent owned)
Morrison has had a tough time sticking in the lineup in his career, mostly due to injuries and defense that can charitably be referred to as a traveshamockery. In his lone season with at least 500 plate appearances, however, he hit 23 homers. Like Byrd, he stumbled out of the gate but has raked this month to the tune of a .310/.431/.762 line, with five of his six homers coming in that span. The Mariners are hiding his lead glove at first base, where they don’t really have anyone else to trot out. If LoMo can avoid his usual lengthy DL stint, he’ll be a sneaky power source.
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