RADIO
The first week of the season is in the books. There likely hasn't been too much roster upheaval in your league unless you play with some Chicken Little owners. Remember, folks: It's a long season. Resist the urge to mash the panic button. But by all means, tinker on the margins.
That's what we're here to do. As always, the players listed below can be found waiting on the wire in the majority of fantasy baseball leagues - with rare exceptions, the vast majority. Happy hunting.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for outfielders, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Waiver Wire Adds for Outfielders
Alejandro de Aza, Orioles (9% owned)
Alejandro de Aza was a useful player for the Sox in both 2012 and 2013. The latter campaign, in which he went 17/20 and scored 84 runs, garnered him some sleeper hype heading into last season. Unfortunately for those owners who bought in, de Aza saw his numbers decline across the board in spite of a late-season surge after being traded to the Orioles.
So far, Baltimore has suited him nicely. de Aza has an .899 OPS through his first five games, with a pair of homers and six runs scored. He'll serve as the O's primary leadoff hitter against righties. The upside here is 90 runs, 15/25 with a batting average that won't kill you. Basically, think Brett Gardner's 2014. Not bad for a guy you can get for free in nine out of 10 leagues.
Josh Reddick, Athletics (4% owned)
Back in 2012, Josh Reddick tallied 32 homers and 170 R+RBI for the Athletics. He also swiped 11 bags. It was the first full season of his career - still the only one, as he's missed significant time in each of the intervening two years. If Reddick can avoid another lengthy stint on the disabled list, however, he's a solid source of cheap power.
Consider that he's still only 28 years old, and posted a .299/337/.533 line after returning from injury last season. He did open this season on the DL with an oblique injury, but started in right field yesterday afternoon and went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Oswaldo Arcia, Twins (49% owned)
More than a few enterprising individuals have pointed to Oswaldo Arcia as an under the radar alternative to George Springer. Arcia doesn't have the speed or control of the strike zone that Springer does. What he does have is similarly gargantuan power and whiff rates. Arcia blasted 20 homers in just 410 PA as a rookie despite playing his home games at Target Field. He also had a 31.0% strikeout percentage.
Arcia will only be 24 next month, and his minor league resume offers some hope that the whiffs could come down a bit. If Twins manager Paul Molitor doesn't jack too much with his playing time, Arcia has 30 HR upside. The batting average will be a drag, but good luck finding another guy on the wire with that much pop.
Anthony Gose, Tigers (34% owned)
Anthony Gose was a second-round pick of the Phillies in the 2008 amateur draft. Like many of the organization's prospects, he was plucked out of high school with more athleticism than baseball skills. He was traded to Houston in the Roy Oswalt deal, then immediately flipped to Toronto. He shot up prospect lists after breaking out at Double-A in 2011 with a 16 HR/69 SB season.
In parts of three seasons, Gose never really hit enough to earn a full-time job. Now with the Tigers, Gose is the dominant half of a center field platoon. He's off to a strong start with a 1.25o OPS with a homer and steal in four games. You can safely shave at least 500 points off that current mark going forward, but Gose could justify a spot on your roster with his speed alone.
Dexter Fowler, Cubs (32% owned)
Dexter Fowler won the game for his new team yesterday, hitting a two-run shot off of LaTroy Hawkins in the ninth. He hasn't gotten much of the ample press bestowed on the Cubs over the last couple of months. It's easy to see why when you consider the bevy of young talent in the Windy City. But Fowler should probably be shown a little more love. He's a career .270/.366/.420 hitter, with double-digit HR and SB potential and a plum spot leading off in front of Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler and (eventually) Kris Bryant. That has value, especially in deeper leagues.
Injury Update
Michael Saunders, Jays (7% owned)
Michael Saunders has been aggressively rehabbing a knee injury suffered in spring training that initially was supposed to cost him the first half of the season. He was removed from a rehab game yesterday with hamstring tightness, likely scuttling any plans to reactivate him this week. Keep him on your watch list, though, as he still has double-digit HR and SB upside in what should be a pretty good Toronto lineup.
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