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The first full baseball week is underway, and if you already have an interest in tweaking with your team, then you came to the right place. This fantasy baseball FAAB waiver wire pickups series will be looking at Week 3 -- April 8 through April 14 -- and will point out free agents to target and how much FAAB you should allocate for them.
Baseball is a long season, and your FAAB budget has to last you an awfully long time. For the next 25 weeks, we must carefully place bids and target players who will fill holes in our team. Pay close attention to this in category leagues and spend big on a player if you need a specific category filled urgently.
Below are a few players with ownership percentages under 50% in most Yahoo leagues that could benefit your roster and provide you with an added boost in several categories. I will also include what percentage of your FAAB budget you should look to spend on each player. However, it is important not to get too excited over a small sample size. Let’s get it started!
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Garrett Whitlock, SP/RP, Boston Red Sox
41% rostered
FAAB Bid: > 5-8% if you have injuries to your rotation, 5% for other teams
The 27-year-old shined in his first start of the season against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander threw five innings of one-run ball with three hits, no walks, and eight punchouts.
Garrett Whitlock, K'ing the Side in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/Os60qnjTyU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2024
A primary reason for his success was his changeup which he relied on 30.9% of the time. Last season he added just under 2 mph to it, which was why the pitch was even more successful than it has been in the past. According to Baseball Savant, his new changeup has a run value of 0, while his changeup last season had a run value of -9. This is a major improvement and will help Whitlock raise his swing-and-miss potential and will be a good counter to his second-most used pitch, his sinker.
While I do not feel as confident in Whitlock as I do in other pitchers who have made this series, such as Garrett Crochet or Jack Flaherty, Whitlock is worth kicking the tires on, especially in deeper leagues or if you have several injuries to your rotation. Whitlock has a sure spot in the Boston rotation for the foreseeable future making him a safe investment.
Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals
47% rostered
FAAB Bid: 1-4%
Brendan Donovan has batted lead-off in the first six games of the season. The 27-year-old has been all over the scoresheet as of late, scoring six runs along with two doubles, one home run, and six RBI with a .292/.393/.500.
Donovan is an intriguing pickup in most formats due to his current role on the depth chart and his positional eligibility. In most leagues, he has second base and outfield but could easily pick up third base and shortstop by the end of the season.
While Donovan may not remain in the leadoff spot once Tommy Edman returns, he should be viewed as the primary second baseman, with Nolan Gorman serving as the team’s designated hitter. Even when the injured players return, starting every game so far is a good sign for Donovan in the long term.
If you lack middle infield help and need a boost to your counting stats, especially in runs, Donovan could be a solid addition to your team.
Note- Donovan was kept out of the lineup on Thursday but is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday. Monitor his status before you place any significant bid.
Bo Naylor, C, Cleveland Guardians
43% rostered
FAAB Bid: 10-15% for teams needing a catcher, < 10% for others
Bo Naylor is a target for shallow leagues as he is rostered in just under 50% in all formats. Naylor has been limited to an unfortunate platoon role, albeit on the strong side to open the campaign, sharing time with Austin Hedges. However, I am very confident in Naylor’s potential and could see him playing out of this limited role sooner rather than later. Naylor launched his first home run against Luis Castillo on Tuesday.
⚾Bo Naylor, @_BoNaylor_! HR (1)
4/2/24 @ SEA, ⬆️ 4th
vs RHP Luis Castillo97.9 MPH / 30° / 383 ft to RF
Off a 96.3 MPH four-seam fb▶️It's a home run in 30/30 parks.◀️
📺: https://t.co/EPh7TOHlUH pic.twitter.com/U7cz9Mc9Fg
— Home Run Report (@homerunreport) April 3, 2024
The young catcher has continued to mash fastballs in the young season with a .636 SLG against them compared to a .510 SLG last season. This is a positive sign and shows that Naylor has a lot of untapped power that could be unleashed with more at-bats over the course of the season.
Naylor should be rostered in all leagues and is a viable starting catcher going forward, even if he has limited playing time early. Do not panic; trust the talent. Naylor should be the primary backstop in Cleveland come the All-Star Break.
Brice Turang, 2B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers
47% rostered
FAAB Bid: 5-10% for teams needing speed, < 5% for others
Need some speed? Well, then, Brice Turang is the perfect addition for you. The 24-year-old has swiped six bags in his first four games to go along with a .500 batting average.
Brice Turang with two beautiful pieces of hitting so far.
A single to right-center and a double going the opposite way.
He has been quite hot to start the season.
pic.twitter.com/Dq0BdH0yaP— Hunter Baumgardt (@hunterbonair) April 2, 2024
A recurring theme for the next few weeks will be sample size. While it is expected that his average will drop into the mid-200s, the speed is harder to predict. Seeing that Turang will be the primary second baseman for the Brewers for the time being, and is willing to be a threat on the basepaths makes him an intriguing addition.
Teams that already have stolen base producers do not need to pay for Turang. However, if you drafted Estuary Ruiz to rack up numbers in that category, you are in big trouble and need someone who can make up some of that projected total you expected at the start of the season. Pay for Turang for the speed alone; he may provide you with solid enough batting stats not to hurt you.
As the season progresses, it will be much easier to analyze batters and pinpoint their improvements. In the meantime, target bats who have guaranteed playing time and who can fill a specific void on your roster, like speed or runs. Now that the season is just over its first week, you should be able to see what parts of your roster need work and target those needs first.
Reynaldo Lopez, RP/SP, Atlanta Braves
20% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 5%
Reynaldo Lopez is currently serving as the fifth starter in the Braves rotation, but with the recent news regarding ace Spencer Strider, he may have a much safer cushion.
Lopez looked sharp in his 2024 debut on April 2 against the Chicago White Sox. The right-handed pitcher tossed six innings of one-run ball with four hits, two walks, and five punchouts.
Reynaldo López, Dirty 80mph Curveball...and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/T8Cr8fHr7M
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 3, 2024
Lopez should be expected to sit at above a strikeout per inning throughout the campaign, as he tallied 83 punchouts in 66 innings last season. Lopez may not be a stable contributor in delivering pitching ratios but should be put in a solid position to win, thanks to his strong lineup and strong strikeout numbers. With the recent news regarding Spencer Strider, Lopez may have a safer cushion when it comes to a rotation spot.
Bryan Abreu, RP, Houston Astros
21% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 4-8% for teams needing holds, < 1% for others
Bryan Abreu finished just outside of the top 10 in holds leaders in 2023. The Astro posted a dominant 1.75 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 72 innings with 100 strikeouts. However, Abreu has been off to a frustrating start in 2024, so he could be on your waiver wire.
The 26-year-old currently sits with an 11.57 ERA and 2.57 WHIP. Do not be afraid to invest in Abreu if you are lacking holds. Abreu placed above 90% of all starting pitchers when it came to xBA, fastball velocity, whiff rate, and K rate in 2023.
Abreu should continue slotting in as a seventh and eighth-inning option for Houston and provide plenty of holds and dominant ratios throughout the summer.
Michael Busch, 1B/3B, Chicago Cubs
13% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 2-4%
The newly acquired Chicago Cub has started in all but one game so far to open the campaign, making him a sneaky addition this weekend. Over the opening week, Busch is riding a .304/.393/.478 stat line with one long ball. The former first-round selection has yet to truly stick in the majors, but his current playing time is a promising sign that the 26-year-old may finally have a starting role.
Michael Busch Hits His First Homer in a Cubs Uniform!https://t.co/7NQXglk75O pic.twitter.com/kRTZToKNtH
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) April 5, 2024
Busch’s positional flexibility will provide fantasy owners with the comfort of knowing that he will have several paths to being penciled in Craig Counsell's lineup card. Busch consistently put up strong numbers at the plate in the minor leagues, and more playing time could be the key to his development. Busch is worth looking at if you are concerned about your corner infield production.
Alex Kirilloff, 1B/OF, Minnesota Twins
12% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 2-6%
Alex Kirilloff has been off to a scorching start to the season. The left-handed bat has hit an incredible .417/.464/.750 with five extra-base hits.
What makes Kirilloff an intriguing pick-up is that he has batted second in the Twins lineup, usually between Edouard Julien and Byron Buxton, putting him in an ideal spot to not only score but bring in runs. The counting stats are already there, as he has scored four runs and brought in two across seven games and could slide in as a fifth outfielder in deeper leagues or a corner infielder.
Orlando Arcia, SS, Atlanta Braves
17% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 1-2%
Even though Orlando Arcia may consistently bat toward the back end of the Atlanta lineup, it does not mean he cannot be fantasy-relevant. Due to how well this lineup usually succeeds, Arcia could still see five plate appearances any given day.
The shortstop has been dominant at the plate in the first week with four multi-hit games and an overall .458/.500/.667 stat line.
ORLANDO ARCIA CANT BE STOPPED‼️‼️pic.twitter.com/TyRMpS6iiC
— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) April 1, 2024
While the shortstop's power production has not shown up yet this season, he hit 17 long balls last season, making him a viable middle infield option in mixed leagues.
Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles
8% rostered
FAAB Bid: < 1-2%
Colton Cowser has only started two games so far, but is worth considering, especially in deeper formats. The former fifth overall selection has posted strong numbers in all levels of the Baltimore system and earned a late-season promotion in 2023.
While he did disappoint with a .115 AVG, he displayed strong discipline at the plate with a 16.9% walk rate and 20.9% chase rate. In the young season, Cowser has five hits across 11 at-bats, two doubles.
What makes Cowser a difficult player to project this season is that he currently is serving as a backup outfielder on a very competitive Baltimore roster. Currently, the outfield spots are manned by Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander. Cowser would need to continue to perform in the limited starts he gets to earn a starting role or wait to be the replacement for an injury. If you have a bench spot, Cowser is worth a look, as he could become a viable starter if given the playing time.
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