The latest Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column sifts through the flotsam and jetsam lying around on the waiver wire, looking for potential impact contributors. This week’s crop includes veteran Chad Green likely to take over as Toronto’s temporary closer, an unexpected opportunity for Miguel Vargas in Los Angeles and a pair of interesting players with favorable upcoming matchups in José Soriano and Alec Marsh.
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Chad Green, RP, Blue Jays
Available in 83% of Yahoo! competitions
With Jordan Romano (elbow) still weeks away from returning, and temporary stop Yimi GarcÃa landing on the injured list earlier this week with a nerve problem in his right elbow, Green has an opportunity to take over as Toronto’s primary closer for at least a period. several weeks. The 33-year-old veteran has been one of the premier high-leverage specialists in the game for at least half a decade at this point, but has never been in a position to lock down long-term between the Yankees and Blue Jays. . He was excellent this season with a sparkling 1.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 12/4 K/BB ratio over 15 1/3 innings (15 appearances). There will undoubtedly be some Nate Pearson buzz, but Green is the much better potential fantasy manager pick in Toronto right now.
José Soriano, SP/RP, Engelen
Available in 77% of Yahoo! competitions
It’s worth noting that Soriano was scratched from Monday’s scheduled start against the Brewers due to abdominal pain, and Angels manager Ron Washington had no update on his status after the game. Assuming he doesn’t face a lengthy absence, the unheralded 25-year-old right-winger is worth considering in standard mixed competitions if he can get his hands on the ball early next week in a highly favorable match against the rebuilding Athletics, which are in 28th place. points scored this season. After making 38 relief appearances for the Angels last year, Soriano excelled in his first chance to start for Los Angeles this season, posting a respectable 3.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 60/28 K/BB ratio over 72 1/ 3 innings (14 appearances, 12 starts).
He has done a good job of working deep into matches in his last handful of starts, completing six frames in five straight appearances since May 19. The high strikeout totals haven’t exactly been there, as evidenced by a 20.3% strikeout rate, but he’s done a good job limiting free passes and keeping the ball in the yard, allowing him to make big bursts to avoid. He throws too many fastballs and still needs to make a change or refine an existing secondary offering to increase the effectiveness of his triple-digit heater. But if this is the premise, he will be an impactful fantasy contributor for years to come.
Miguel Vargas, 2B/OF, Dodgers
Available in 99% of Yahoo! competitions
There are no guarantees that the Dodgers will actually give him an extended opportunity given how they handled his playing time during a short stint with the club earlier this year. However, they may have no other alternative than tossing the metaphorical car keys to Vargas, at least for a few weeks, with Mookie Betts likely to miss at least six to eight weeks with a broken left hand after being hit by a pitch this weekend. .
The 24-year-old former top prospect was one of the most intriguing young hitters in the entire fantasy landscape when he entered spring training last year before completely flopping in his first taste of the majors. He has nothing left to prove in the upper minors at this point, and the unexpected injury to the franchise cornerstone in Los Angeles creates an immediate opportunity at the highest level to prove he belongs. We’ve believed in the attacking talent in the recent past, so there’s no reason to think Vargas can’t excel this time with another opportunity. Rolling the dice on a talented hitter finally getting a real chance is never a bad strategy, especially in deeper mixed leagues.
Alec Marsh, SP, Royals
Available in 67% of Yahoo! competitions
Marsh is quietly emerging as a relevant contributor for fantasy managers in the mixed-league and should benefit hugely from a tasty match against the Athletics on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old right-hander threw 67 innings (12 starts) to a strong 3.63 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 61/19 K/BB ratio. He made some interesting adjustments to his pitch mix in his last outing against the Yankees by scaling back his four-seam fastball usage, leaning more heavily on his sweeper/curveball combination, and showing off his changeup more often against left-handed hitters. He doesn’t profile as a potential fantasy star, but the fact that he’s gone from completely off the fantasy radar screens to a viable streaming option or back-end rotation stabilizer qualifies as a major development.
