Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 4

April 23, 2014

Aaron Schooler gives you a mixed bag of week 4 waiver wire pickups for your deeper league formats. These players should probably be owned or at least watched.

The Deep Depths of the Waiver Wire

This week I was really sifting through the bottom of the waiver wire.  In fact none of players in this article are owned in even 15% of Yahoo leagues. However, you may just find a useful piece to your fantasy puzzle in these "penny stocks" who can readily to help your team in a daily or weekly league format.  This is the latest addition of Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups.

Gerardo Parra (OF, ARZ) - 11% Owned

Always known as a defensive wizard, Gerardo Parra is getting a lot of at bats with regular playing time.  Over the last few years Parra has gradually won Arizona manager Kirk Gibson over (not an easy thing to do) convincing him that he should be a starter. The results are about what most would expect: decent but not overwhelming production.

Parra has the ability to generate hits, a few steals and runs at an adequate level. He has also had the opportunity to bat leadoff, which could boost his production by hitting ahead of Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo. Last year Parra hit over 40 doubles and scored nearly 80 runs.  I think he can increase his run totals from last year by seasons end.

Recommendation: Be patient until the average rises to his typical numbers before adding him for depth.

Raul Ibanez (OF, LAA) - 7% Owned

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Raul Ibanez.  Ibanez and I are in the over 40 club and yet he is still doing his thing in the big leagues. A sneaky play in daily leagues, Ibanez has shown a track record that can definitely exploit certain match ups. Last year he drilled 20 homeruns against right handed pitching and he's currently platooning against right handed pitching which will likely be his role for the rest of 2014. Yes, his average thus far has been brutal, but he has always been the type of hitter whose bat goes hot and cold. He is capable of racking up big homerun and RBI totals.  When you look beyond the low BA, Ibanez has driven in 15 runs in 62 at bats.

Recommendation: Wait until his role is more clearly defined, but be ready to take advantage if he catches fire.

Kurt Suzuki (C, MIN) - 5% Owned

Kurt Suzuki is a viable pickup at the catcher position in two catcher leagues. After smaller roles with other organizations, the Twins have had enough confidence in him early on to give the veteran an even share of the workload behind the plate, split with young masher Josmil Pinto.  To his credit, Suzuki has produced at a higher level than what you would expect based on his career numbers. Suzuki has developed a sudden knack for getting on base (.375 OBP), which I am sure manager Ron Gardenhire appreciates.  Could it be the right situation for him to have a career year in terms of average and runs scored? Possibly, but it would not take much production for him to exceed his modest career averages. Most Fantasy Baseball Owners would take a .294 BA and 14 RBI from their backup catcher at this point in the season. The biggest risk here is that Suzuki slumps and Pinto streaks and runs away with the majority of the playing time.

Recommendation:  If you’re in need of catcher depth right now, he might be worth a look.

Brandon Morrow (SP, TOR) - 9% Owned

Brandon Morrow is the ultimate enigma. He looks so tempting and dazzles you with an incredible array of electric pitches that many other guys that are more successful do not have at their disposal. However, Morrow is either hurt or on the verge of being hurt and cannot be counted on to go deep into games usually. That said, he is currently pitching and averaging more than a strikeout an inning.  The other numbers do not look good including an ERA over five, but you could do worse than having a healthy Morrow as the last pitcher on your bench.

Recommendation: If he looks good in his next start pick him up, but be ready to cut him at the first sign of implosion.

Adeiny Hechavarria (SS, MIA) - 13% Owned

Owned in 14% of Yahoo leagues

Adeiny Hechavarria. The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it is clear that the Marlin’s are in love with their young shortstop.  There probably has not been a lot of attention thrown his way because of Miami’s relatively weak status around the league. However the glove is solid at a premium position and he is entrenched as an everyday player. I am sure the club's mindset is that whatever Hechavarria could muster with the bat would be a bonus.  Well, although he has slumped recently, he is hitting close to .300 and has scored 11 runs.  It is too early to jump on his bandwagon, but Hechavarria is a player to keep on your radar.

Recommendation: Continue to monitor.