Waiver Wire: National League (Week 10)

Sorry if the player analysis isn’t as detailed as usual. I tried to get this out before midnight for those with deadlines, which I realize is cutting it very close. I’ll definitely have them up by Friday next week.

National League

Rafael Soriano | ATL | CL: With John Smoltz done for the year, Soriano becomes the closer in Atlanta. He has good skills and needs to be owned in all leagues. Just be aware that he has health issues himself.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Mike Gonzalez | ATL | CL: Smoltz going down brings Gonzalez one step closer to some save opportunities. He should be back very soon, and once he establishes himself would become next in line. With Soriano an injury risk, Gonzalez could have significant value this year.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all but shallow NL-only leagues.

Manny Acosta | ATL | RP: With Soriano ailing a little bit, Acosta could get some save opportunities over the next few days. He needs to be owned until Soriano is ready to go.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues, for now.

Taylor Buchholz | COL | RP – With the Rockies dwelling in last place, there’s a very good chance Brian Fuentes gets traded. With the way Manny Corpas has been pitching, it seems unlikely he’ll get his job back this year. If Fuentes is traded, Buchholz will likely step into the closer’s role. If you’re looking for a guy to speculate on, Buchholz is an excellent choice. He’s not a dominant pitcher, but his 3.51 LIPS ERA is certainly good enough to hold down a job.
Recommendation: Should be strongly considered in 12-team and owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all NL-only leagues.

Josh Banks | SD | SP: In two starts this year, Banks has posted two TQS “Good” starts. Not bad at all. He has good control, but he doesn’t strike a ton of batters out or induce many ground balls. He might be useful in some leagues, but he doesn’t have very much upside.
Recommendation: Should be owned in deep mixed leagues. Should be owned in 10-team NL-only leagues.

Paul Maholm | PIT | SP: 1 percent owned in ESPN leagues? Honestly? He doesn’t strike a ton of batters out, but he has good control and gets a bunch of ground balls. He currently has a 4.25 LIPS ERA and a 1.34 DIPS WHIP.
Recommendation: Can be considered in 12-team and should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all but shallow NL-only leagues.

Andy LaRoche | LAD | 3B/1B/2B: LaRoche could be getting called up any day now. That the Dodgers have him playing both first and second shows that when they do call him up, they want to find a way to get him in the lineup. He would gain a good amount of additional value if he gains second base eligibility. Time to add him if you’d like to pick him up.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all but shallow NL-only leagues.

Troy Tulowitzki | COL | SS: Tulo could be back by the All-Star break. It’s unlikely he was dropped in your league, but if he was, go grab him.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Brad Hawpe | COL | OF: Hawpe is back from the DL and has pounded two homers since he returned two days ago. He’s got good power and, like Tulowitzki, probably wasn’t dropped in your league. If he was, go get him.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

Aaron Boone | WAS | 1B/3B: Boone will be getting the majority of the playing time at third with Ryan Zimmerman out. He might hit only .260 or so, but he has some decent power and is batting cleanup. RBIs and runs value should benefit from hitting there. Recommendation reflects the short-term situation of him starting.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all but shallow NL-only leagues.

Chris Coste | PHI | C: Coste is getting some playing time, and his skills are pretty good. A batting average above .300 is a pretty good bet, and for a catcher, that is fantastic. Plus he’s hitting 45 percent fly balls, has a career 13 percent home run per fly ball, and HitTracker shows he’s hitting the ball a decent way. We’re not dealing with very large sample sizes here, but given what we have, 20-25 home runs over 500 at-bats would be a good guess. He’s splitting time with Carlos Ruiz and hitting in the bottom half of the order, but for a catcher, you could do worse.
Recommendation: Should be avoided in single-catcher mixed leagues. Should be considered in 12-team and owned in 14-team, two catcher mixed leagues. Should be owned in 12-team, single catcher NL-only leagues. Should be owned in all two-catcher NL-only leagues.

Chad Tracy | ARZ | 1B/3B: Tracy has decent skills, but playing time is a question. It’s hard to recommend picking him up with Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds manning the corners in Arizona.
Recommendation: Should not be owned in mixed leagues, for now. Should be owned in 12-team NL-only leagues.


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