Waiver Wire: National League

A few more trades today. I don’t see a ton of guys to jump on in the National League this week. When I look at all the trades tomorrow, many more names will be added to this list, though.

Kerry Wood | CHC | RP – Wood is a big name and thus a popular pickup, but I’d recommend you not be the one picking him up. Most leagues don’t value middlemen, but for those that do and are very deep, Wood might be worth a flier. I don’t think he’ll get many save chances with Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol, Angel Guzman, and Bob Howry all likely ahead of him. With some quality innings he could surpass a couple of these guys, but I think it’s a long shot for him to assume the closer’s role this season. There’s no way to tell how his injuries have affected him and whether he will even remain healthy.
Recommendation – Should only be owned in very deep leagues that value middlemen.

Yusmeiro Petit | ARZ | SP – 5 starts, 3.78 LIPS ERA. Not bad. I’d be careful though. In Triple A this year and last, his K/9 rested in the low 6s. It’s at 7.31 in the majors this year, leading me to believe that he is due for a decline, possibly to around 5.00. In addition, his fly ball tendencies mean he could get roughed up if his strikeout rate drops and guys start hitting the ball. While his 3.94 BB/9 in Triple A this year was terrible, it has always been good in the past. He might only see a small increase in his current, major league 2.86 BB/9.
Recommendation – Should be avoided in mixed leagues. Should be owned in 14-team NL-only leagues.

Scott Linebrink | MIL | RP – His drastically decreased strikeout rate this year and his lack of an opportunity for saves (Francisco Cordero leads closers in LIPS ERA and Derrick Turnbow is lurking) makes Linebrink a poor pickup in all but the deepest of deep leagues.
Recommendation – Should be avoided in all leagues.

Abraham Nunez | PHI | 2B/3B – Originally expected to take over second base for the Phils while Chase Utley is out, but with the acquisition of Tadahito Iguchi that won’t happen.
Recommendation – Should be avoided in all leagues.

J.D. Durbin | PHI | SP – There is absolutely no reason to own Durbin in any leagues. Pitched in AAA the past two years and was not impressive at all. His K/9 went above 8.00 last year, but his BB/9 was over 5.00. That does not translate into even a below average major league pitcher. Stay far, far away.
Recommendation – Should be avoided in all leagues.

Aaron Cook | COL | SP – A guy in the mold of Chien-Ming Wang and Fausto Carmona, Cook doesn’t get nearly the attention of those two. He strikes out less than these guys, but he still has good control and gets a lot of ground balls. His low strikeout rate kills his value in many leagues, but if we are using my strategy from the other day, some teams could reasonably pick up Cook. If you have a lot of high strikeout guys and you have strikeouts all but wrapped up, but you need a solid ERA, Cook could be alright. 4.71 LIPS ERA / 1.41 DIPS WHIP / 3.12 K/9. Remember that the recommendation below is his market value. If he fits into your scenario, he can be owned in leagues shallower than these.
Recommendation – Should be avoided in mixed leagues. Should be considered in 12 and owned in 14-team NL-only leagues.

Ryan Theriot | CHC | 2B/SS/3B – A 9% Walk and 23% Line Drive rate does not equate to a league average BABIP. Also considering his 90% Contact rate, I really have to believe that Theriot will hit over .300 from this point on. He’s gotten at least 3 at-bats in every game but one this month, and when he plays he normally bats second, giving him plenty of run scoring opportunities. He has very good speed (also helping with runs) and will steal a good amount of bases. Don’t expect much power, but Theriot is very underrated.
Recommendation – Should be owned in deep 10, 12, and 14-team mixed leagues. Should be owned in all NL-only leagues.

Jon Rauch | WAS | RP – With the potential trade of Chad Cordero, Rauch should be owned in all leagues at least until the deadline passes. He’s having a good enough year, so you can rest easily if you own him and he gets the job.
Recommendation – Should be owned in all leagues until the trade deadline passes.

Mark Loretta | HOU | 1B/2B/3B/SS – Great contact hitter without much power or speed. If he gets traded to a team like the New York Mets, though, where he would likely play everyday and get some RBI and run opportunities, his value could rise significantly. Watch the situation carefully. The recommendation is for right now, but I’ll reexamine him if he is traded.
Recommendation – Should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be considered in 10 and owned in 12 and 14-team NL-only leagues.

Andre Ethier | LAD | OF – I wish he had some regular playing time. He has plenty of talent. Contact rate is up to 88% this year and his Walk rate is at 10%. His Line Drive rate is down from 22% to 18%, but that is still decent. A .290-.295 batting average seems likely. He is also capable of stealing a handful of bases, although he doesn’t have any yet this year (caught 3 times). He only has a 34% fly ball rate, but he’s hit 4 of 8 home runs past 400 true feet, according to Hit Tracker.
Recommendation – Should be owned in 14-team mixed leagues. Should be strongly considered in 10 and owned in 12 and 14-team NL-only leagues.


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