As we are deep into the first week of the season it is that time to start talking about waiver pick-ups and drops that could save your fantasy baseball team from a disastrous start.
With opening day trades and early season injuries, some fantasy owners were sent scrabbling the waiver wire much earlier that they expected this season.
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Lets look at who you should pick-up to plug the hole or drop to cut the dead weight.
Pick-Ups
Joakim Soria – Closer -Detroit
The Detroit Tigers incumbant closer Joe Nathan was already on thin ice and hitting the DL with a right flexor strain in his throwing arm isn’t going to help his status. That means Joakim Soria will become closer during Nathan’s stint on the DL. It’s a pretty safe bet Soria will be the closer for the rest of the season which mean you should pikc him up if he is available.
Jason Grilli – Closer – Atlanta
Jason Grilli had success while serving as Pittsburgh’s closer and apparently that gave the Braves enough confidence to trade Craig Kimbrel to San Diego to close for the Padres. Grilli is by no means a top tier closer but he could put up some decent numbers as the Ace of the Braves bullpen.
Jacob deGrom – Starting Pitcher – Mets
Taking a Mets pitcher is always a risk but deGrom might be worth a spot on your roster in case you are trying to cover an early season injury. He is off to a nice start this year and is worth picking up now before he blows up or gets injured like all Mets pitchers seem destined to do.
Matt Joyce – OF – Los Angeles Angels
Joyce could rack up some decent numbers as the replacement clean-up hitter for Josh Hamilton. Joyce has big power and in the Halos line-up will have plenty of opportunity to drive in runs. If your team is light in the power statistics Joyce might be the guy you are looking for.
Friars on Base
Cody Ross – OF – Oakland A’s
The D-backs had enough of Cody Ross’ big salary and diminishing power so they decided to release him and eat $10 million. Instead of opting to go on vacation for a year, Ross signed a deal with the Oakland A’s and began wearing the green and yellow on Wednesday night. Sometimes a chip on the shoulder brings out the best in a player. Could be the case for Ross and is worth a short term gamble as an injury replacement.
Drops
Joe Nathan – Closer – Detroit
It was already speculated that Nathan would not be the Tigers closer beyong the all-star break. Now that he has hit the Disabled List with a strained flexor in his pitching arm the question marks surrounding Nathan during the offseason just multiplied like Rabbits in the spring. If I were betting, i would bet Nathan will not close for the Tigers again this season.
Joaquin Benoit – Closer – San Diego
Why doesn’t anyone trust Benoit to close games? With his track record of success in the role one would think a team would be comfortable with him the role. Apparently you can put the Padres on the list of teams that are skiddish about trusting Benoit with the job after an opening day trade for Craig Kimbrel. Unless your team scores the hold category Benoit isn’t worth a post on your roster.
Help out your fellow fantasy players and comment on your teams roster moves.