Waiver Watch: Wednesday Edition
Here are three players to target on waivers in season-long fantasy leagues:
RP Seung Hwan Oh, St. Louis Cardinals
Most are adding The Final Boss are a preventative measure in case current Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal gets demoted. After two apocalyptic appearances against the Texas Rangers, Rosenthal recorded back-to-back scoreless saves, but they weren't without concern. He allowed two baserunners in each, but salvaged them with timely strikeouts.
Oh is obviously a must-own in leagues that count holds as he doesn't have any saves. But, he's also viable in standard mixed leagues to boost total strikeouts and ERA. Oh has 50 Ks in 37 innings and has posted a near-spotless 1.70 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. Even if Rosenthal keeps his closer's job, Oh should see his ownership trend upward.
2B Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
Phillips had a difficult May, batting only .233. He did manage five long balls in that time, good for sixth among major league second basemen. While June has not seen the power stick around - zero homers in 18 games - Phillips is hitting .276 on the month and has scored 12 times.
A contact hitter who doesn't strike out or walk prolifically, Phillips is at the mercy of BABIP and opponent's defense much of the time. Still, seeing him owned in fewer than half of all leagues is baffling. He will not be a big time producer, but he has been steadier than Yankees 2B Starlin Castro, who is owned in a larger share of fantasy leagues.
SS Marcus Semien, Oakland Athletics
Like Phillips, Semien has his deficiencies. His .238 batting average leaves a lot to be desired, but it's the only total stat category where he's a total loss at his position. His 12 home runs rank him fifth among all shortstops, and he's done it in only 259 plate appearances. His 31 RBIs and five stolen bases aren't flashy, but they also aren't worthless.
Reds SS Eugenio Suarez is owned in more leagues, buoyed by his hot start. But Suarez has only one more home run and four more RBIs while actually posting a worse batting average than Semien and one fewer stolen base. Once again, we can look at the aforementioned Castro, who also has SS-eligibility, and Semien has been better in power and run production.