Selecting the starting lineup for the 2015 All-Star game in Cincinnati has drawn down. Organizational PR arms can now pull back on the battering ram of promo's telling us to 'vote 35 times per e-mail address,' or 'get our hometown guy into the game!' The silliness that is All-Star voting certainly raises the dander of many. My outrage is mostly muted. When it's all said and done, 95% of the players that make up the two rosters will be deserving. I don't know about you, but life doesn't allow for time to be spent on such an insignificant percentage of guys who 'shouldn't be there.'
Instead, I'm more interested in the fantasy waiver All-Stars for 2015! Not only is the Mid-Summer Classic in the news this weekend, but as teams take to the diamond over Independence Day, we've also reached the mid-way point of the season (81 games) for nearly every squad.
Waiver diamond discoveries are a big part of nearly every single winning fantasy team. Whether you snagged them post-draft, mid-April, or even just a month ago, the players listed below have provided the biggest payoff.
C - Francisco Cervelli - Preseason ADP - 26th at C
We knew coming into the year that Cervelli was expected to see most of the workload following the offseason departure of Russell Martin to Toronto. But, Cervelli's early MLB work showed nothing very promising ... maybe some average, but no pop. He hasn't provided a big lift in homers this year (4), but his OPS is nearly .800. He also sports an average that has been above-.300 all year. If he reaches 60+ RBIs (28, as of now), he should end up as a top-12 backstop.
Odds of continued production - 40%
Catchers drafted ahead of Cervelli - Kurt Suzuki, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Chris Iannetta
1B - Kendrys Morales - Preseason ADP - 31st at 1B
Back in March it was tough to recall the true glory days of Morales. Now, in July, we're seeing those glory days take another stroll around the ballpark. Morales already has driven in 50 for the Royals and tacked on 10 HRs, while providing a very good average of .283. Putting those three marks together has been a challenge for any other 1B outside the top-5.
Odds of continued production - 60%
1st Basemen drafted ahead of Morales - C.J. Cron, Kennys Vargas, Michael Morse
2B - Jimmy Paredes - Preseason ADP - 56th at 2B
Admittedly, he was nowhere near my radar coming into the season. But, as June turns to July, Paredes is still enjoying playing time and the boost from a powerful first six weeks to 2015. Even with a slight downturn in the past month, we're still talking about a guy hitting a truly robust, .315, with double-digit homers (10) and a total near 80 when you combine his runs and RBIs. He's been a huge 2B asset this year.
Odds of continued production - 25%
2nd Basemen drafted ahead of Paredes - Darwin Barney, Dan Uggla, Phil Gosselin
3B - Justin Turner - Preseason ADP - 37th at 3B
Even a month ago, fantasy players weren't giving Turner any respect. They wanted Alex Guerrero to be out there every day. But, to the Dodgers credit, they've made the bearded, red-hair wonder their everyday guy at the hot corner. And, he just keeps hitting. His numbers are a near-match with Paredes and he appears to be the regular number-3 hitter right now for L-A. He's been hitting for more than a year now, so perhaps he has the best chance to be the waiver steal of the season.
Odds of continued production - 70%
3rd Basemen drafted ahead of Turner - Matt Dominguez, Juan Uribe, Cody Asche
SS - Carlos Correa - Preseason ADP - 40th at SS
Obviously, Correa only went undrafted in non-Dynasty/keeper leagues. In a typical re-draft league, it was just tough to see the 20-year old getting called up before the All-Star break. But, as we have seen throughout the first few months, major league front offices are fast-forwarding high-end prospects to The Show. Correa has shined in the spotlight and should close out his first season with 15/15 numbers and an average over .260. And, that's if we keep expectations in check. A surprisingly strong effort could make him a top-5 SS overall by the end of the summer.
Odds of continued production - 55%
Shortstops drafted ahead of Correa - Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Mike Aviles
OF - Billy Burns - Preseason ADP - 116th at OF
Oakland grows these guys like bacteria. But, hey, just like your morning yogurt, it's 'the good kind of bacteria.' Burns hitting skill is still a question in my mind (a lot of slap in his work), but if he gets on-base he'll continue to make a difference. 30+ steals is absolutely in play and that alone lifts him into the top 40 among outfielders by years' end.
Odds of continued production - 35%
Outfielders drafted ahead of Burns - James Jones, Will Venable, Craig Gentry
Kevin Pillar - Preseason ADP - 126th at OF
Pillar is a rarity on this list. Even if he was drafted in your league, he was probably sent packing to the waiver wire after a rough May. But, eventually, the rookie came alive and his June was just massive (.365/4/18/13/5). He's locked up his spot in the Toronto outfield and, as so many of us have benefitted from this year, when the Jays' offense is locked-in, everyone wins in that lineup.
Odds of continued production - 40%
Outfielders drafted ahead of Pillar - Ichiro Suzuki, Darin Ruf, Rickie Weeks
Cameron Maybin - Preseason ADP - 137th at OF
So many of us had been burned before with Maybin that even his eve-of-the-season trade to Atlanta failed to create much of a buzz. Even beyond the new digs, playing time was still a concern, too. But, eventually, a healthy Maybin has won out and is turning in a very solid campaign. The huge bonus has been his RBI and R combo ... he's sitting at an eye-catching 68 there. And, of course, a legitimate shot at 30 steals is hanging around, too.
Odds of continued production - 50%
Outfielders drafted ahead of Maybin - Rymer Liriano, Steven Moya, Robbie Grossman
SP - Yovani Gallardo - Preseason ADP - 93rd at SP
Back from the dead! An offseason move to Texas and the American League was supposed to hinder Gallardo, not turn back the clock five years. Admittedly, his strikeouts aren't back to his prime years, but for a guy who rarely excelled on the ERA and WHIP-fronts, you'll take the trade-off. As we hit the mid-point of the year, Gallardo is one of the best shut-down pitchers going. Heck, he has allowed just two runs in his past 40 innings!
Odds of continued production - 40%
Starting Pitchers drafted ahead of Gallardo - Shane Greene, Jake Peavy, Matt Garza
Brett Anderson - Preseason ADP - 106th at SP
We just keep waiting and waiting and waiting for the INJURED Brett Anderson to show up. Thus far, the wait has been fruitless; the results have been fruitful. Anderson is a solid bet every time out and seems to be toying with opposing hitters at times. The wins total has been underwhelming because of offensive issues behind him, but if somehow, someway, Anderson reaches 200 innings, you're going to be very proud of your 'What the Hell' grab back in May.
Odds of continued production - 45%
Starting Pitchers drafted ahead of Anderson - Bud Norris, Wade Miley, CC Sabathia
Ubaldo Jimenez - Preseason ADP - 163rd at SP
This one is even more of a surprise than a guy like Gallardo. Jimenez has about one-half of one season that was really good. The other nine-and-a-half years were middling. Well, check that. The past half-season has been a shock. Jimenez has a K-rate back over 1-per-inning with seven victories and a better-than-league average ERA and WHIP. Still, blow-up potential lurks.
Odds of continued production - 30%
Starting Pitchers drafted ahead of Jimenez - Jeff Locke, Patrick Corbin, Jeremy Guthrie
RP - Jeurys Familia - Preseason ADP - 57th at RP
We see it every season. An injury opens a door to the 9th inning. Familia is the beneficiary of set-up's to a couple of arms in the Mets' bullpen back-end. He's taken total advantage of the chance, coming up with 21 saves, plus a spectacular ERA/WHIP/K-combo (1.19/0.93/9.3). No reason to expect much of a pull-back.
Odds of continued production - 85%
Relief Pitchers drafted ahead of Familia - Dylan Bundy, Danny Farqhar, Edward Mujica
Jason Grilli - Preseason ADP - 67th at RP
So, the Braves provide us with two of our waiver wire All-Stars. And, remarkably, both players can thank the same trade for their lift. Once Craig Kimbrel was jettisoned to San Diego, Grilli was the next guy up for saves. He's been shaky on occasion, but overall, the first half numbers are as good as you could really ask for. The biggest hurdle in the 2nd-half will be if he stays with the Braves. He appears to be logical trade option for a contender ... a contender that would likely make him an 8th inning guy.
Odds of continued production - 40%
Relief Pitchers drafted ahead of Grilli - Junichi Tazawa, Rafael Montero, Zach MacAllister
So, moving away from that list, are there anymore Waiver All-Star's to be found? Let's check in on this week's list.
(Note: To make the list, I'll apply a loose definition that says you have to likely be unowned in a vast majority of 12-team mixed leagues. At the end of each player note, I'll also provide a suggested bid for those that use FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) for their waiver process (based on a $100 budget). Understand that this is only a suggestion ... if you just lost you're a starting outfielder to injury and you have an immediate need or gaping hole in your lineup, you will find it necessary to bid more in order to get that week's top available outfielder.)
Hitters
Alejandro De Aza, OF, Boston
De Aza's start to '15 was slow enough that Baltimore released him just about a month ago. And, with that decision, many fantasy owners went ahead and erased him from the memory banks. But, Boston swooped in and gave the outfielder another shot ... I suppose having a half-dozen options for three spots just wasn't enough for the BoSox. To his credit De Aza has found a groove with 25 hits in his first 74 at-bats. Included in that welcome basket has been a remarkable 16 RBIs. It goes without saying that you may have already missed the best (plus, Shane Victorino is now back), but considering how Boston's season has gone, it wouldn't be shocking if De Aza ends up as one of their top three statistical outfielders by seasons' end.
Suggested FAAB bid - $4
Cesar Hernandez, 2B/SS/3B, Philadelphia
Philadelphia is in much the same (sinking) boat as Boston. The team is struggling most every day and opportunities for unheralded bats pops up daily. Hernandez has stepped in during Chase Utley's journey to the DL and he may just stay even when/if the former All-Star returns to full-health. After two seasons of rudimentary work as a back-up, Hernandez has answered the bell this year with a solid batting mark and a .371 OBP supporting nine stolen bases. He's slotted, at best, as a decent batting average guy who can get you 25 steals. It's nothing overwhelming, but it helps those in a tight roto race for SB positioning.
Suggested FAAB bid - $4
Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota
This serves as a quick run-through, just in case Sano is still available in your league. We've discussed in earlier versions of this column and all stated there still holds steady now. He's got a great power bat that should lead to a healthy amount of jogs around all four bases. He's got enough bat control and contact ability so that he won't go all 'Gallo' on us, either. The best news is that with the call-up, the Twins are handing him the DH job which whites out any fear that playing time may be fleeting. Go in with gusto.
Suggested FAAB bid - $15
Grady Sizemore, OF, Tampa Bay
Sizemore scoots into our run-down in much the same way as De Aza, mentioned above. After being cut loose by Philly, Sizemore's career was considered over. Sure, it was nice to see him battle all the way back onto a major league roster after multiple, prolonged knee issues, but there just did not seem to be much fuel left in the tank. Seriously, even the Phillies let him go! That didn't dissuade the nearly-as-feable Rays from giving him a shot. Desmond Jennings is still a ways off and Tampa needs some kind of cheap pick-up that comes up spades if they're going to battle atop the AL East all summer. Sizemore's early results have been encouraging, but it has been way too long since he was last consistently hitting, to think there's anything more than a last grasp at relevance.
Suggested FAAB bid - $3
Pitchers
Mark Buehrle, SP, Toronto
No, I'm not kidding. In addition to a two-start week (against teams he can totally handle in Chicago and Kansas City), Buehrle has been his most boring and best over the past seven weeks or so. Just take a look ... he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a game since the end of May. That six-start span three wins, a 1.67 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP and even a slightly-OK K-rate. He's worth a cheap bid for the pair of starts this week and there's very little to lose with him.
Suggested FAAB bid - $2
Kevin Gausman, SP, Baltimore
Nobody in baseball seems to get yo-yo'd more than Gausman. He's got future ace stuff, but the O's continue to tie him down to long-relief appearances or fill-in emergency starts. But, now, perhaps the team has finally seen the error of their ways. After a positive outing on Thursday against Texas, Gausman actually got to stay with the team and take a road trip to Chicago. Which, considering the way that things usually work, means that he may just stick in the rotation this time. He's gotta be eons better than Bud Norris, right?? Getting him a starting-five slot would be worthy of some fantasy excitement for the second half of the season.
Suggested FAAB bid - $8
Sergio Romo, RP, San Francisco
Santiago Casilla had a major flub the other day in Miami and he's shown some fraying over the past few weeks. Following his fire show against the Marlins, manager Bruce Bochy told the beat writers that Casilla would get some time off, trying to re-focus and re-ignite heading into July. In the game, we call this a 'crack,' as in, Sergio Romo needs just a 'crack' to snag the 9th inning role. Romo, of course, has been dominant in this spot before and has looked like 90% of his best self ever since he was demoted out of the 9th inning last season. He could find his way into may saves over the final three months. Get him now.
Suggested FAAB bid - $10
You can hear Kyle each weeknight on 'The SiriusXM Fantasy Drive' from 7-10 ET, Sirius 210, XM 87.
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