X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Probing the Waiver Wire Deep for Starting Pitchers (AL Edition)

 

American League Waiver Wire - Deep Leagues

This is the third installment of my weekly deeper league waiver wire pickups and sleepers from the American League. To clarify, these players are not just AL-Only pickups, but they are more for the deep crowd: 14 teams and over, or the deep roster leagues. Sometimes there will be a player in here who can make in impact in your 12-team leagues as well, just read carefully and make decisions based on your team’s needs.

 

Vidal Nuno, SP - Yankees (LHP)

CBS 7% Yahoo 1%

Nuno has taken two turns in the rotation since Ivan Nova went down with Tommy John surgery, pitched well in the first start, and did not impress in the second one. His first start was 5 shutout innings against the Rays, while striking out 6. In the second start, he went 4.1 innings and gave up 3 runs, but had 4 punch outs. Nuno is not overpowering, but he hides the ball well, and throws all of his pitches effectively on both sides of the plate. He showed a lot of command in his breaking ball his last trip around the big league rotation in 2013 when he made 3 starts and posted a sub 2.5 ERA.

Nuno is a cheap source of wins, as well as whip, and if he can roll over his strikeout rate improvement thus far in 2014, Nuno could be a fine SP5/SP6 option, as it does not appear that the Yankees have any help coming for the rotation. Nuno is a pitcher Joe Girardi trusts a lot, so once he gets his pitch count up, he will get a fair crack at this 5th starter job in the Bronx.

Here is a clip of Nuno's start vs the Rays:

[iframe width="100%" height="280" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BLs6SdkvGC8"]

 

Collin McHugh, SP - Astros

CBS 40% Yahoo 22%

The former sinker baller from the Mets farm system is thriving in Houston pitching in the top of the zone and working off his big breaking curveball as well as his cutter, and mixing in a straight change. McHugh has thrown 15.1 innings so far in 2014 and has racked up 17 strikeouts, against only 3 walks and 1 run.

He is riding his 4 seamer up and under the hands of hitters, forcing them to commit early, and then is putting them away with his breaking ball that comes out of the same slot as his 4 seamer, and has shown good enough command to repeatedly get it to the back foot of left handed hitters. When he falls behind, he goes to his cutter, which again comes out of the same plan as his fastball, so it really does not allow the hitter to feel like they have an advantage against him even though they are ahead in the count.

He also featured great command of a down and away fastball in his second start against Oakland. He showed great poise in mixing up his game plan from the start before, as he took advantage of Oakland looking to turn and burn, and got a lot of called strikes on the outer half. If McHugh can go into any given start with a unique gameplan, and can command all parts of the zone, he certainly has a good enough mix of pitches to have a successful major league season.

Command is going to be key with McHugh going forward, as he leaves himself little room for error. If he continues to put the ball where he wants, he will continue to eat up left handed hitters (12.1, 16K), and produce quality starts. Grab him before it's too late, and just monitor his walk totals. This is a guy you need to watch pitch if you plan on owning, as he could lose that command at any moment, and that would be the time to cut bait.

Take a peek at McHugh's last start:

[iframe height="280" width="100%" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hZCZjg8BwWM"]

 

Roenis Elias, SP - Mariners (LHP)

By Sam Dykstra via MiLB.comElias is making his second appearance on this list, albeit after a mildly effective outing on paper in his last start, and a start to forget in the one previous to that. Elias is very green when it comes to knowing how to pitch, but has a very nice arsenal and a competitive spirit. He features a sweeping slider, a nice fading change, and a mix of fastballs between 87-94 mph.

In his last start, he was charged with 3 earned runs in 5.2 innings. but he came out with only 2 runs on the board, and bullpen gave up his third run. He continues to get a strikeout per inning over his last 3 starts, and I believe that the more experience he gains, the better pitcher he will become. Elias has at least 5 more turns around the rotation, and could turn into a 7-10 strikeouts per night type of pitcher if he continues to harness his stuff and get a better command of the strike zone.

His high pitch counts are the only thing holding him back at the present time. I still do not recommend Elias in 12 team standard formats, but he is worth stashing in deeper leagues, and streaming, against left handed dominant lineups. Take a look at his stuff in his last start versus Texas.

[iframe width="100%" height="280" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5nEFAO6gglM"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Seattle Seahawks32 mins ago

Saints Give Seahawks Permission To Interview Rick Dennison
NFL37 mins ago

Shedeur Sanders To Visit With Browns, Giants
Ryan Walker40 mins ago

To Be Giants Closer
Cincinnati Bengals44 mins ago

Germaine Pratt Requests Trade Out Of Cincinnati
James McArthur49 mins ago

To Be Delayed In Camp After Elbow Surgery
Alec Marsh59 mins ago

Might Be Delayed Due To Shoulder Tightness
Shane McClanahan1 hour ago

100% With No Restrictions
Drew Smith1 hour ago

Re-Signs With Mets
Cal Quantrill1 hour ago

Marlins Agree To One-Year Deal With Cal Quantrill
Sandy Alcantara2 hours ago

Throws Live Batting Practice On Wednesday
Freddy Peralta2 hours ago

Brewers Name Freddy Peralta As Opening Day Starter
Michael Kopech2 hours ago

Behind Schedule, Could Open Season On Injured List
Yoshinobu Yamamoto2 hours ago

Dodgers Plan To Use Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki In Tokyo Series
Shohei Ohtani2 hours ago

Won't Pitch In Cactus League Games
Robert Stephenson2 hours ago

To Throw Off Mound On Wednesday
Anthony Rendon3 hours ago

To Have Hip Surgery
Ben Joyce3 hours ago

To Get Another Year To Grow Into Closer Role
Zach Neto3 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Gary Woodland3 hours ago

In Great Form Heading Into Genesis Invitational
Cameron Young3 hours ago

Is An Interesting Play At Torrey Pines
Austin Riley3 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice On Wednesday
Akshay Bhatia3 hours ago

A Strong Value Play At Genesis Invitational
Brandon Woodruff3 hours ago

A Full Participant At Spring Training, To Face Hitters On Friday
Ke'Bryan Hayes3 hours ago

Feeling Good
Sahith Theegala3 hours ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Torrey Pines
DJ Stewart3 hours ago

Jared Triolo, DJ Stewart, Darick Hall All Options At First Base
Justin Rose3 hours ago

Looks For Redemption At Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark3 hours ago

Searching For Consistency At Torrey Pines
Nolan Arenado3 hours ago

Cardinals Talking To Five Teams About Nolan Arenado
Travis Kelce4 hours ago

To Take His Time On Retirement Decision
Sam Stevens4 hours ago

Aims To Repeat Success At Torrey Pines
Harris English4 hours ago

Looking To Repeat At Torrey Pines
Max Strus6 hours ago

May Miss Another Game On Wednesday
Ty Jerome6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Wednesday
Collin Sexton6 hours ago

Remains Out Wednesday
P.J. Washington6 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Nicolas Claxton6 hours ago

Carries A Questionable Tag Wednesday
Michael Porter Jr.7 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Spencer Horwitz7 hours ago

To Miss 6-8 Weeks
Jamal Murray7 hours ago

Probable For Wednesday's Matchup
Trae Young7 hours ago

Likely To Play Against Knicks
Damian Lillard7 hours ago

Probable Wednesday
Boone Jenner8 hours ago

Expected To Return After International Break
Gustav Forsling8 hours ago

Moves Past Illness, Expected To Play On Wednesday
Sidney Crosby8 hours ago

Practicing With Team Canada
Mikko Rantanen8 hours ago

Cleared To Play For Team Finland
Quinn Hughes8 hours ago

Sitting Out Of 4 Nations Face-Off
Travis Konecny8 hours ago

Returns To Practice, Expected To Play On Wednesday
New England Patriots17 hours ago

Patriots Have League-High $110 Million In Salary Cap Space
Tee Higgins17 hours ago

Franchise Tag Could Be In Play For Tee Higgins
Miami Dolphins17 hours ago

Dolphins Hire Bobby Slowik As Senior Pass-Game Coordinator
Tyler Lockett17 hours ago

Seahawks Still Deciding On Tyler Lockett's Future
Jonathon Brooks17 hours ago

Could Miss All Of 2025
Aaron Rodgers17 hours ago

Jets Were Willing To Stick With Aaron Rodgers Under Certain Stipulations
Austin Reaves18 hours ago

Should Play On Wednesday
LeBron James18 hours ago

Expected To Play On Wednesday
Jusuf Nurkić18 hours ago

Jusuf Nurkic Will Have Minutes Limit On Wednesday
Ben Simmons18 hours ago

Won't Suit Up On Wednesday
Bogdan Bogdanović18 hours ago

Bogdan Bogdanovic Cleared For Wednesday
Jalen Suggs18 hours ago

Doubtful To Play Against Hornets
Drew Eubanks18 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Dorian Finney-Smith18 hours ago

Unavailable On Wednesday
Vasilije Micić18 hours ago

Vasilije Micic Ruled Out Tuesday
Grayson Allen19 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Maverick McNealy19 hours ago

A Volatile Play At Genesis Invitational
Scoot Henderson19 hours ago

Out On Wednesday
Dalton Knecht19 hours ago

Removed From Injury Report
Min Woo Lee19 hours ago

In Great Form Ahead Of Genesis Invitational
Viktor Hovland19 hours ago

A Solid Value Play At Torrey Pines
Rasmus Hojgaard20 hours ago

A Strong Play At Genesis Invitational
Scottie Scheffler21 hours ago

Aims For A Strong Rebound At Torrey Pines
Collin Morikawa1 day ago

An Excellent Play At Genesis Invitational
Matthew Wright1 day ago

 Signs Reserve/Future Contract With Panthers
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Could Be Ready For Week 1
Shane Lowry1 day ago

Back In Action At Torrey Pines
Derek Carr1 day ago

Likely To Remain Saints Starter In 2025
PGA1 day ago

Sungjae Im Is A Highly Volatile Play With Persuasive Upside
Brock Purdy1 day ago

49ers Committed To Brock Purdy
NFL1 day ago

Kyle McCord A Potential Late-Round NFL Draft Sleeper
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Brandon Staley The Leading Candidate To Become Saints Defensive Coordinator
Russell Henley1 day ago

Torrey Pines May Be A Place To Avoid Russell Henley
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Saints Finalizing Deal With Kellen Moore For Head-Coaching Position
Nick Taylor1 day ago

Might Not Thrive At Torrey Pines
Adam Scott1 day ago

Is A Fun Long Shot At Genesis Invitational
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Repeat Torrey Pines Success
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

Could Be Intriguing At Genesis Invitational
Kansas City Chiefs2 days ago

Nick Bolton Wants To Stay With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Saints Expected To Have Interest In Brandon Staley For Defensive-Coordinator Role
Kirk Cousins2 days ago

Browns To Look At Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones?
Deebo Samuel Sr.2 days ago

Bills, Chargers Among Teams That Could Be In Play For Deebo Samuel Sr.
MMA2 days ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez2 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Justin Tafa2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Tallison Teixeira2 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Francisco Prado2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Jake Matthews3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato3 days ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute3 days ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland3 days ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis3 days ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
Drew Doughty3 days ago

Joins Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Rasmus Ristolainen3 days ago

To Sit Out 4 Nations Face-Off
Jakub Dobes3 days ago

Starts On Sunday
Matias Maccelli3 days ago

Heads Back To Press Box Sunday
Connor Ingram3 days ago

Takes On Capitals Sunday
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Faces Utah On Sunday
Mathew Barzal3 days ago

To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Lukas Dostal3 days ago

Stops 43 Shots In Victory
Thomas Harley3 days ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Matt Boldy3 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Saturday
Samuel Ersson3 days ago

Stands Tall Against Pittsburgh
Matthew Tkachuk3 days ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Thatcher Demko3 days ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Igor Shesterkin4 days ago

Out For 1-2 Weeks With An Upper-Body Injury
Pyotr Kochetkov4 days ago

Takes On Utah Saturday
MMA5 days ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez5 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira5 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jake Matthews6 days ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato6 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland6 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis6 days ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF