Fantasy Baseball Catcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8 (2024)

May 12, 2024

Joey Pollizze's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for catchers in Week 8 of the 2024 MLB season. Consider adding and streaming these free-agent hitters.

Welcome RotoBallers to our catcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 8 (May 13 - May 19). It's crazy to think that we are almost seven full weeks through the 2024 season. It has surely been a wild ride so far with injuries continuing to pile up fantasy managers, especially at the catcher position. 

Sean Murphy (oblique) has practically been out the entire season, and Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is still not close to a return. Now, Willson Contreras (forearm) is set to miss around 10 weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured forearm. In what is already a thin position has gotten even thinner with all these injuries taking place.

As a result, fantasy managers might be looking to the waiver wire to add a catcher replacement. Here are four options that fantasy managers should consider on waivers heading into Week 8. All four of these catchers below are rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

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Catcher Waiver Wire Adds

Mitch Garver, Seattle Mariners (38% Rostered) 

Seattle Mariners catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver continues to see an everyday role in the team's lineup, which makes him an appealing fantasy option for Week 8. Garver has appeared in seven straight contests and 15 of the last 16 games for the Mariners. The right-handed slugger has also been heating up at the plate recently, totaling seven hits, one home run, and three RBI over the past week.

Oppo-tacos are delicious any day of the week 🌮 #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/fNPehEITbU

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 9, 2024

Despite not seeing any action behind the plate in 2024, Garver's eligibility as a catcher is a huge advantage for him because it's hard to find "catchers" who play almost every day. That's why he should be a target for fantasy managers this upcoming week. The  slugger has played in 32 of 38 games this season.

The playing time has been great to see from Garver, but the results surely need to improve. He is hitting just .176 with four HRs and 10 RBI on the year. Still, he has been heating up at the plate and has a hit in six of the past seven contests. With six games on the schedule in Week 8, fantasy managers are guaranteed to see the veteran in Seattle's lineup in at least five of those games -- if not all six.

Shea Langeliers, Oakland Athletics (20% Rostered)

No catcher had a better week than Oakland A's youngster Shea Langeliers. On May 4 against the Miami Marlins, Langeliers went 3-for-5 at the plate with one home run and three RBI. Then, in Wednesday's doubleheader against the Texans Rangers, the 26-year-old catcher went 5-for-9 with two HRs, one double, and eight RBI across those two games.

Weirdly enough, those are all the counting stats that Langeliers had over the past week. He sat out two games and went 0-for-7 combined in two other starts. However, the former 2019 first-round pick put up more fantasy points (107) across the last seven games than any other catcher. That's why he was the most added catcher this past week.

Shea Langeliers' 3 ABs today: home run, double, triple.

He is a single shy of the cycle! pic.twitter.com/KKMwSus2rl

— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024

Langeliers has struggled at the plate so far in his career, and he is hitting just .209 this year. Nonetheless, it's interesting to note that his nine HRs are tied for the most among all catchers in 2024, and his 24 RBI currently ranks fifth. That power should make him a solid add in most 12-plus team leagues. The A's also have seven games on the schedule in Week 8, so fantasy managers should expect plenty of starts from him behind the dish.

Danny Jansen, Toronto Blue Jays (15% Rostered)

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen was on this exact list one week ago. However, there was some skepticism about adding him, considering he was sitting almost every other game. Now, it's pretty apparent that Jansen deserves to be rostered in more leagues moving forward.

This is a Danny Jansen appreciation post. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WpeFX3CAFo

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 10, 2024

Not only is he batting .311 with three HRs, seven doubles, and four RBI across 15 games in 2024, but he also continues to see extended playing time. The 29-year-old catcher has started six of the past seven games for the Blue Jays with seven total hits over that span.

With the way Jansen is hitting right now at the plate, he appears to have an everyday role locked up in Toronto. He has passed Alejandro Kirk on the depth chart and that shouldn't change anytime soon. His recent playing time has made him a nice target in 12-plus team leagues heading into Week 8.

Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals (5% Rostered)

The last waiver wire target to add on this list is St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera. Herrera has done well in a small sample size this season, but the biggest knock on him was his playing time. Well, with Contreras now out for at least 10 weeks, the 23-year-old should see almost every day reps at the catcher position. That makes him a potential add in 12-plus team leagues.

Herrera is currently hitting .232 at the plate with three HRs, one double, and 11 RBI across 24 games this season. The Cardinals catcher has been better than his numbers suggest, and his average is that low because of a 3-for-28 stretch he went on from April 16 to May 5. However, before that, he had a .294 average, three HRs, and seven RBI in his first 10 games of the season.

For a player like Herrera -- who sits almost every other game -- it's hard to get in a rhythm at the plate. However, he should see more consistent playing time in St. Louis, which should help his overall numbers. The 23-year-old is worth a look on waivers before Week 8 begins.

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