Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 9 must-play players before the MLB trade deadline

The next few days will be tough times on fantasy baseball’s waiver limit, as the MLB trade deadline is sure to result in several players becoming coveted additions to the roster. But even before chaos ensues, there are plenty of men who should see their roster rate rise immediately.

Coaches should become more familiar with Fitzgerald, who put together a five-game winning streak that ended Wednesday. Of course, the 26-year-old is no Barry Bonds, who was the last Giants player to accomplish such a remarkable feat, but he plays for a team that ranks 23rd in home runs and should therefore find his name on the lineup card frequently. in the next days.

Fitzgerald hit .292 with 22 homers and 32 steals in 121 minor league games last year, which means he has the diverse skill set that fantasy managers covet. At the very least, it should be climbed for the next few days while we wait for it to cool down.

Edwards is the perfect choice for roto managers looking for help with steals or batting average. The 24-year-old is hitting .368 with very lucky BABIP (.438), but he has shown an elite level of control over the strike zone (BB:K ratio of 12:14) that should allow him to continue to hit for average. He also began running the bases more aggressively, collecting five bags in the last 11 games. Edwards hit .351 with 32 steals in 93 Triple-A games last year and hit .330 at that level this season.

Little has changed since I mentioned Mayo in last week’s article. He is an excellent prospect who should debut for the Orioles very soon and will be the most coveted young man to be recalled in the second half.

Hayden Birdsong (SP, San Francisco Giants, 13%)

Birdsong last turned heads when he entered Coors Field and recorded 12 punchouts and 27 swing strikes. The right-hander hasn’t accomplished anything notable in his first four major league starts, but his success last weekend makes him a must-have starting pitcher in most formats when he faces the same Rockies offense tomorrow.

A note: Officials shouldn’t be swayed by the fact that Birdsong was recently optioned to Single-A, as the plan is for him to be recalled on Saturday.

Max Meyer (SP, Miami Marlins, 31%)

Meyer is widely considered one of baseball’s greatest better sales pitch prospects, and he looked comfortable in the majors when he posted a 2.12 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in three April starts. Without saying so publicly, the Marlins appeared to keep the youngster in the younger age group in recent months due to service time considerations, but the important dates have passed, and Meyer should be back at the big club soon. This week could be the last chance to win the right wing without competition from league mates.

Phillips’ case is quite simple. In his first three major league starts, the rookie posted a 15:1 K:BB ratio while pitching in front of the team with the best record in baseball. Fantasy Baseball managers should be interested in any Phillies starter, which makes Phillips worth adding while we wait to see if the club will add rotation depth by the 30th MLB trade deadline. July.

In deeper leagues, adding Woods Richardson now should result in one of the preferred two-start pitchers next week. The right-hander has been an asset in fantasy leagues (3.27 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) with solid underlying skills (71:25 K:BB ratio) and next week will face an average Mets offense before enjoying a favorable confrontation against the last placed Meia Branca.

Marsh is a decent pitcher – a little better than his 4.75 ERA indicates (he has a solid 90:31 K:BB ratio), but I’m not going to say he’s anything special. However, like Woods Richardson, Marsh could have a big impact next week when he makes two starts, the first being against the White Sox.

Green has emerged as the Blue Jays’ likely closer for the remainder of the season. The right-hander had five saves in July and was effective all season (1.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP). Green’s only competitor in defense is Yimi García, who is almost certain to be negotiated until next Tuesday. Toronto’s subpar season makes Green a mediocre source of saves, but he’s also a safe source who hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of his 29 starts.