RADIO
RotoBallers... assemmmmblleeeeeeeeee! It's time for your Week 3 waiver wire pickups in the outfield. As always, the players we'll cover today can be added free of charge in the majority of Yahoo leagues. Let's get to getting.
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
Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Rays (27% owned)
Did you know that Kiermaier was a four-win player last season, per Fangraphs? Much of that value came from his stellar work in the field, but Kiermaier had a solid year at the dish as well. As a rookie, he slashed .263/.315/.450 with 10 homers and five steals in only 364 trips to the batter's box. While he never showed much power in the minors, he did flash solid plate discipline and some speed. He turns 25 this week, so it's not crazy to believe he's made some strides. Kiermaier also made a mechanical adjustment and reincorporated a leg kick that could explain the power spike. We shouldn't be too quick to dismiss his hot start as complete noise, either. Maybe it's just a continuation of the steady improvement he showed while progressing through the Rays system. Now he's the starter in center field and has a shot at establishing himself in the leadoff spot. Given a full season's worth of plate appearances, Kiermaier has 15/20 upside with a batting average that won't hurt you.
Alex Guerrero, Los Angeles Dodgers (11% owned)
Let's start with the obvious - Guerrero doesn't really have a clear path to playing time. He was primarily a middle infielder in Cuba, but the Dodgers imported Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, two vets with long track records of success. He can play the hot corner, but Juan Uribe simply refuses to die. And even after working a minor miracle and shedding Matt Kemp's onerous contract, the outfield is still a logjam. On the other hand, Guerrero's contract mandates that he remain on the 25-man roster, and if he hits, L.A. will find ways to get him into the lineup. Carl Crawford and Uribe have each averaged fewer than 100 games played over the last four seasons. And while Rollins and Kendrick have been durable throughout their careers, they're also on the wrong side of 30. Rollins in particular, at 36 and with over 2,000 games in his career, seems a decent bet to miss time. So Guerrero has obstacles in his path, but it's not hard to see him piecing together consistent playing time as a super utility and injury fill-in. Power is scarce at the MI positions, and Guerrero has 15 to 20 homers in his bat if he makes it onto the lineup card enough times.
Dalton Pompey, Toronto Jays (29% owned)
Though the numbers came almost entirely in the low minors, a glance at Pompey's performance reveals a lot to like. The 22 year old has shown impressive plate discipline, the ability to hit for average, and excellent speed. It's primarily for the latter that many owners took a late-round flier on him, but hitting in what figures to be a high-scoring Toronto lineup should boost his runs scored as well. ZiPS forecasts Pompey for a .638 OPS, but also 10 homers and 27 steals in 574 PA. The steals seem a bit low, given that he swiped 90 bags over the previous two seasons. He's scuffled a bit so far with a .231/.310/.423 through games, albeit with two homers and four doubles to his credit.
Nori Aoki, San Francisco Giants (25% owned)
It's an odd-numbered year, so of course the Giants are struggling. Most of them, anyway. Aoki's doing quite well for himself in the early going, hitting .344/.408/.438 with four stolen bases. He's only scored seven runs as San Francisco has been held to two runs or fewer in games, but hitting leadoff still means more opportunities than anyone else. If Aoki continues to make the most of those opportunities, the runs will come. He's always been good for a high average, sitting at .288 for his career. And he averaged 22 steals in his first three seasons. If power's what you seek, move along, but Aoki should be an asset in other categories.
Jake Marisnick, Houston Astros (4% owned)
Marisnick is already on his third organization, though he turned just 24 a few weeks ago. He was part of that mammoth Blue Jays-Marlins trade that broke the Internet back in 2012. Miami is known for aggressively promoting their top prospects, and Marisnick was atrocious in his first cup of coffee. When he picked up where'd he left off last year, the Marlins shipped him to Houston. He didn't set the world on fire, but he finally looked like a legitimate major-league player. He beat out Robbie Grossman for the starting job in center field this spring and is one of the few Astros hitting in the early going, slashing .361/.415/.556 with a homer and four steals through 13 games. Marisnick's stuck hitting ninth right now but you have to figure he'll move up if he keeps raking, especially if his teammates continue to scuffle. A glance at his minor league performance suggests potential for double-digit homers and 20 - 25 steals. If nothing else, keep an eye on him.
