Leaky Boat

The possibility wold have been unthinable when Mike Leake was sporting a sterling 1.91 ERA through his first nine starts this season, but the Cardinals traded him to the Mariners on Wednesday in what was essentially a salary dump. The veteran right-hander has been awful for a while now, posting a 5.73 ERA over his final 17 starts in a Cardinals uniform. There was some chatter about prospect right-hander Jack Flaherty possibly replacing Leake in the rotation last weekend, which is why he was featured in the last edition of Waiver Wired, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak indicated that they resisted the idea due to concerns about Flaherty's workload. Flaherty has already logged 143 2/3 innings this year after throwing 134 innings last year. It didn’t take Mozeliak long to change his mind on the situation.

With Leake out of the picture, Flaherty is slated to make his major league debut Friday against the light-hitting Giants in San Francisco. Selected No. 34 overall back in 2014, Flaherty has posted a 2.18 ERA and 147/35 K/BB ratio over 25 starts this season between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He's made some nice strides with his control and has bounced back nicely after getting off to a bit of a shaky start upon his promotion to Triple-A in June. Who knows how much further the Cardinals will push him this year, but he’s an exciting lottery ticket in mixed leagues for the stretch run. You have to dig the introductory match up.

Tyler Glasnow SP, Pirates
If there’s any September call-up among pitchers who could make a big impact, it’s probably Glasnow. I know that sounds funny to say about someone who has a 6.49 ERA through his first 19 appearances (including 16 starts) in the majors, but the 24-year-old has been flat-out amazing since his demotion to Triple-A in mid-June, posting a 2.06 ERA with 131 strikeouts and 31 walks in 87 1/3 innings over 14 starts. Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Glasnow has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all of his starts and has walked two batters or fewer in each of his last six outings. I’m really interested to see how this version of Glasnow translates in the majors. With his strikeout upside, I think he’s worth stashing in all formats.

Kolten Wong 2B/OF, Cardinals
After saying during spring training that he would rather be traded than platooned at second base, Wong has quietly enjoyed the best season of his career. I say quietly because there hasn’t been much to get excited about from a fantasy perspective. While Wong has compiled a quality .305/.388/.446 batting line through 90 games, he has just four homers and six steals to show for it. Three of his four homers and half of his steals have come in 26 games this month. Still, his recent hot hitting has seen him get moved up in the Cardinals’ order in recent days. He deserves to be back on the mixed league radar.

Blake Parker RP, Angels
Welcome to this week’s episode of “As the Scioscia Turns.” When we last left you, Bud Norris randomly received a save chance, adding more uncertainty to a wild closer situation with the Angels. Norris has since gone down with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Parker has picked up three saves in recent days. Cam Bedrosian still looks like the closer of the future here, but Parker has been the team’s best reliever all season, posting a 2.14 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 75/16 K/BB ratio over 59 innings. Scioscia could easily change his mind again, but Parker might just run away with the gig at this point. He’s a must-own in all formats.

Aaron Altherr OF, Phillies
Altherr has been limited to just eight games during the second half due to hamstring issues, but he should be picked up in leagues where he was dropped in anticipation of his return on Friday. Rhys Hoskins has mostly been starting in the outfield since his call-up, but he’ll presumably move to his natural position at first base while Tommy Joseph will shift into a part-time role. Altherr has been excellent when healthy this year, batting .285/.357/.536 with 16 homers, 49 RBI, five steals, and 47 runs scored over 87 games. He could come in handy for those who have been shuffling through options due to injury.

Jake McGee RP, Rockies
I wrote in last week’s column that Pat Neshek was the likely fallback to Greg Holland at closer in Colorado, but it looks like Rockies manager Bud Black prefers McGee. The southpaw notched a pair of saves against the Braves over the weekend. After a shaky first season with the Rockies, McGee has bounced back this year with a 3.26 ERA and 53/13 K/BB ratio over 49 2/3 innings. He’s actually been better against right-handed hitters (.590 OPS against) than left-handed hitters (.641 OPS against), which isn’t unusual if you remember him when he was at his best with the Rays. Holland has really dropped off recently, which shouldn’t be shocking given that it’s first season back from Tommy John surgery. It’s probably fair to expect McGee to get some more chances down the stretch.

Scott Schebler OF, Reds
Schebler has returned with a vengeance since missing a month with a strained rotator cuff, batting .353/.425/.765 with three homers, three doubles, one triple, and 11 RBI over 11 games. He’s now up to 26 homers through 112 games on the year to go along with an .814 OPS. The Reds have some moving pieces with their outfield right now, as manager Bryan Price will surely look for chances to play Phillip Ervin and Jesse Winker in September, but I love the power and the home ballpark. 

Luis Castillo SP, Reds
I keep looking every week to see if Castillo finally made it over the 50-percent mark and it hasn’t happened yet. I really don’t get it. Sure, he’s 2-7 and hasn’t won since July 30, but we know better than to evaluate pitcher based on that. Acquired from the Marlins in the Dan Straily deal over the winter, Castillo has posted a 3.26 ERA and 83/31 K/BB ratio in 77 1/3 innings through his first 13 starts in the majors. He boasts a ground ball rate of 57 percent (a good thing in Great American Ball Park) and his average fastball velocity (97.5 mph) is tied with Luis Severino for tops in the majors among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched. Perhaps the Reds will shut him down a start or two early, but he’s someone who should be owned in most formats. Look for him to be a popular breakout pick in drafts next spring.

Justin Bour 1B, Marlins
The timeline for Bour’s return is rather vague at the moment, but he took some swings in batting practice on Monday and is reportedly closing in on a minor league rehab assignment. It sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll be able to help the Marlins for most of September as they attempt to hang around in the National League Wild Card race. The 29-year-old was enjoying a breakout year prior to his oblique strain in late July, batting .289/.366/.548 with 21 home runs and 63 RBI through 87 games. Stash if you need a power boost. If you need someone who is active right now, young Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (Yahoo: 2 percent owned) has provided some sneaky value this month.

Marcus Semien SS, Athletics
I mentioned Semien in the All-Star break edition of Waiver Wired on July 13. He was batting just .173/.328/.288 at the time and had missed significant time with a fractured right wrist. Fortunately, he has turned things around nicely during the second half, batting .283/.351/.416 with four homers, 21 RBI, four steals, and 26 runs scored across 43 games. Perhaps the wrist has sapped the power somewhat, but Semien is contributing across the board while showing more patience than ever before. He’s a solid middle infield option.

Blake Snell SP, Rays
Are we finally seeing progress from Snell? There’s reason to be encouraged, at least. The 24-year-old has put up a 2.97 ERA through five starts in August. He’s amassed 32 swinging strikes over his last two starts while allowing just two runs in 14 innings. Control has been his big issue in the majors, but Snell has only walked only 12 batters in 42 2/3 innings over his last seven starts dating back to July 24. I understand he doesn’t feel especially safe if you are fighting to keep your season alive, but I’d take my chances in a matchup against the White Sox on Friday. 

Jayson Werth OF, Nationals
I don’t expect the Nationals to push Werth much in September. Clinching the NL East crown is a forgone conclusion, so the 38-year-old should get plenty of time to rest up in preparation for the postseason. As such, I’d probably skip Werth outside of deeper mixed formats, but he was off to a resurgent start at the plate (.262/.367/.446 with eight homers in 47 games) prior to going down with a bone bruise in his foot in early June. Worthy of consideration if you are in a league which allows for daily lineup changes.

Andrew Heaney SP, Angels
After getting knocked around for nine runs on 15 hits (including seven homers) in 10 innings through his first two starts after coming back from Tommy John surgery, Heaney fanned a career-high 10 batters over six innings of one-run ball in Sunday’s win over the Athletics. The southpaw induced 19 swinging strikes and averaged 93.4 mph on his fastball, according to Brooks Baseball. He’s throwing harder than he did before the surgery, so I’m intrigued to see where this goes. I understand if the first two starts scared you away — there’s definitely blow-up potential here — but similar to guys like Flaherty and Glasnow, you have to look for upside where you can. And Heaney has it.

Jarrod Dyson OF, Mariners
After missing two weeks with a right groin strain, Dyson is reportedly expected to be activated from the disabled list when rosters expand on Friday. You know the drill with Dyson by now. One of the most consistent speed options out there, the 33-year-old is tied for sixth in the majors with 28 steals. Assuming the groin doesn’t impact his speed, I like his chances of adding to his total when the Mariners take on the Astros next week. Indians rookie outfielder Bradley Zimmer is another speedster to consider with a four-game series against the White Sox coming up.



Teoscar Hernandez OF, Blue Jays
I made my case for Hernandez in this week’s Rotoworld Roundtable, but here’s another reminder as we get closer to September 1. Part of the Francisco Liriano deal with the Astros on July 31, Hernandez has shown some interesting pop and speed in the minors. The 24-year-old got off to a slow start with his new organization, but he has slugged five homers over his last eight games in Triple-A. The Blue Jays have some options in their outfield, but they should absolutely give Hernandez a look as they evaluate things for 2018.

Renato Nunez UTIL, Athletics
Nunez is expected to be rewarded with a call-up for his bounce-back season with Triple-A Nashville. After disappointing with a .690 OPS last year, the 23-year-old has a share of the minor league lead with 32 homers while batting .253/.314/.523 over 122 games. Finding at-bats will be tricky, as the A’s have Matt Chapman at third base, Matt Olson at first, and Khris Davis in left field, so the most likely scenario is that he sees time out of the DH spot. He’ll enter next spring out of options, so it’s time to see what they have here.



Luke Voit 1B, Cardinals
With Jedd Gyorko on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury, the Cardinals have used Matt Carpenter at third base over the past two days with Voit handling first base duties. The 26-year-old Voit has never found himself on any top prospect lists, but he has progressed nicely with the bat over the past couple of seasons in the minors. He hasn’t done anything to stand out in the majors so far (.247/.311/.433 with three homers in 46 games), but there’s opportunity in this lineup right now.

Travis Taijeron OF, Mets
It’s unfair to describe Taijeron as a prospect at this point. He’s 28 years old and has played seven seasons in the minors. He’s only up with the big club due to the recent trades of Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce and the injuries to Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes. Still, at-bats are there for the taking in this outfield right now. Taijeron is rather strikeout-prone, but at least he has some pop in his bat. Juan Lagares  should already be owned in this sort of format, but if not, he’d be my preference over Taijeron.