Those that punted catcher during drafts this spring are wise, avoiding the most injury prone and volatile of fantasy hitting positions. Nobody is going to win their league because they drafted a stud catcher early, and yes you can win with two scrubs at the position. Today we’re going to search for the best scrubs from the waiver refuse. It’s not pretty, but is a necessary evil the fantasy grinder must endure.
It may be too soon to call him Mr. Glass, but ‘flat tire’ seems a fitting moniker for the most talented pure hitter in baseball. Scheduled to come off of the disabled list Friday, fantasy owners have to wonder how long will the slugger both stay on the field and healthy. Miguel Cabrera’s return to the lineup will likely lead to diminished AB’s in the short term for John Hicks. The Tigers backup catcher is still available in a few 15 team leagues and will probably(and understandably) be dropped by many this weekend. Hicks needs merely two more games behind the plate to qualify at this scarce position. If you have the roster space, Hicks is not a bad stash and hold until Miggy’s next DL stint, which may not be that far in the future. A mediocre hitter playing everyday is plenty valuable fantasy commodity when slotted at catcher.
Another Nick Hundley-esque flash in the pan? Or something more? John Ray Murphy has been tearing the cover off of the ball, leading all major league hitters with 15.2 barrels per plate appearance. To give that statistic some perspective, Mookie Betts rings in at 14.6 Brls/PA, and JD Martinez comes in at 14.3. Obviously it’s a small sample size, but that’s all we ever have to go on trolling the wire. The Diamondbacks visit Coors Field next weekend, once more in July, and have a third series in September. Arizona has grown weary of Alex Avila’s .131 BA and decided to give more playing time to the hot hand.
That’s about it in terms of what I’d recommend in the Main Event. Ok, if all you need are AB’s: Omar Narvaez(has a good eye), Pedro Severino, and Mitch Garver(at least he gets four games against the White Sox staff this week) will get you those, but don’t expect much. Switching our focus to the Rotowire Championship…
With Brian McCann hitting the shelf, Max Stassi should receive regular playing time for at least the next week. You’ll get an acceptable batting average with a little pop in a great lineup, allowing you to kick the can down the road one more lineup period. The Houston Astros are lined up for four tasty games at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Devin Mesoraco showed that he was finally healthy in the Cactus league, hitting the ball with authority and power. I even drafted the frequent DL visitor as a third catcher in the 30th round of the Main Event this year, but I had to drop him to plug another hole. There’s 30 Homers here if the Mets give the former Red playing time.
Kurt Suzuki and Tyler Flowers are both available in a few leagues, and Martin Maldinado is serviceable and has a series against Kansas City to kick off the week.
Switching gears, here are two pitchers to consider this week:
Ryan Yarbrough has struck out 52 in just 53 IP while posting a 1.13 WHIP. He could steal a win or two as a ‘middle reliever’ coming in after the ‘opener’ in Tampa Bay’s new pitching paradigm.
Dellin Betances got off to a bumpy start but has been effective the last three weeks. Ideally you want all closers and starters, but it’s better to plug in a quality setup man than to stream ERA and WHIP bombs.
Follow Greg @liquidhippo.
