Waiver Wire: AL

Miguel Olivo plays for KC, not Chicago.

I know people have said this before, and I’d like to reiterate: last year’s waiver wire was better. I know that the new format is probably because the people who compile them have changed but I haven’t really gained any useful information from any of this year’s posts (except the RPs). I think it’s because the players here are all mediocre at best…

It’s true that we’re applying a stricter definition of “waiver wire” this year; that’s why you’re not seeing recommendations like “should be owned in all leagues.”

That said, it’s also clear that many readers don’t want a “waiver wire” column; they want something with more gems. That’s understandable; all I can say again is, hold tight.

Why do you say there is a 1 in 3 chance Frasor gets the majority of saves even after Downs returns?  Are you anticipating Downs not remaining healthy?  There is no reason I can see that Downs will struggle performance wise upon his return.  His peripherals have been terrific for the last couple of years.  There should be no doubt who the closer is when he returns.

re: Downs -  I agree, he’s been fantastic.  But closers get “inertia”, righty closers have an advantage - both real and in terms of managerial preferences, and Downs’ injury really does sound like something where he’ll need to prove he’s healthy.  Considering Frasor’s performance yesterday, it’s likely a lot less than 1-in-3 already, but the thinking was that if he’d racked up 5-6 strong saves in a row, there would be no reason for Cito to prefer Downs over him.  And Frasor’s skill level is high enough that this was certainly possible.

re: Lugo - good point about his defense.  Defense has “inertia” too, obviously - and Boston fans can be particularly harsh on poor shortstop defense.  I have been attributing his shaky defense this year to his injuries, but maybe his problems aren’t going away. 

re: Lowrie - Yes, he was “flat” in the minors, so maybe his struggles vsR were entirely based on his injuries.  I still wouldn’t bank on him for a lot in 2009, but it’s possible (likely?) that Green comes back to earth in a hurry, and Lugo’s defense prevents him being used much.

I’ll second Joe D’s comments.  In fact, in my league (10 team AL, 33 man roster), many of the players noted here have already been picked up, so I vote to go even deeper.  Michael Kelley may be correct that many of the players listed are “mediocre at best,” but deeper leagues mean that every team will have at least a couple of such non-entities.  So I appreciate any and all information about these types of players.

I’m in a mixed league and read the other sites for who to pick up in mixed leagues, however, I find they recommend every hitter that’s hot.  This site does a good job at suggesting who may not be such a good pick up, despite their stats.  I’d like to see more of this for mixed league waiver wire guys. 

Everyone knows about Jimmy Rollins and such, but what about guys who have put up great stats to date such as Luke Scott and Jason Kubel, are they really worth playing in a mixed league, or will they come back down to earth.  My own opinion is start Kubel against RHP and expect Scott to come back down to earth.