I think the title says it all, right? It’s an odd time for baseball right now. For fantasy managers still in the race (due congrats, of course) looking to improve or maintain, the waiver wire is naturally the first (often only) place to look. But in late-August – with September call-ups right around the corner – there’s not a whole lot to be had on waivers.
But fret not, because while they may perhaps be even more under-the-radar than usual, there’s always gold to be found on the wire. Without further ado, four red-hot and virtually unrostered players (one pitcher, three hitters) that are quietly dominating right now. Let’s get into it.
Four Scorching & Available Waiver Wire Adds
Osvaldo Bido, SP, OAK
3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5 W, 51 K over 50 IP (7 starts, 13 appearances)
Some context for Bido: Last offseason he is released by the Pirates and signs with Oakland in November for just over league minimum. He then starts this season in the minor leagues until he’s called up for a spot start on May 8th vs. Texas. 2.2 IP and 4 ER later (albeit, 4 K), Bido is sent back down. Then after a stint in Triple-A he returns to the show on June 22nd in a bulk relief role. And he does really, really well. Over six appearances he pitches to the tune of a 1.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, .170 AVG and 12 K over 15.2 IP. Until finally, on July 23rd, his big moment comes and he gets another shot to start. And certainly he has capitalized.
- July 23rd: 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K vs. HOU (W)
- July 28th: 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 6 K @ LAA (L)
- August 4th: 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 6 K vs. LAD (L)
- August 10th: 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K @ TOR (W)
- August 17th: 6 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 6 K vs. SF (W)
- August 22nd: 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K vs. TB (W)
I count an impressive four wins (in spite of playing on a last-place team) and a mere five hits allowed in his last 17 IP. Wow indeed. There are, of course, sustainability questions given how Bido was released from the Pirates less than a year ago and didn’t fare particularly well in the minors this year. But right now Bido is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, and he’s virtually unrostered. Besides, any potential downside went away with his third W in a row. Add him off the wire now.
Santiago Espinal, 2B, 3B, CIN
.261/.302/.390, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 8 SB, 26 R over 264 AB (89 G)
Once an all-star for the Blue Jays, consistent playing time was never quite there for Espinal, and with an abundance of infielders Toronto dealt the 29-year-old infielder to the Reds in Spring Training. And there Espinal went, struggling out of the gate and failing to return to all-star form by mid-July. But over the last month that’s all begun to change.
Through August Espinal is slashing an impressive .347/.385/.469 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, and 2 steals (14 G). That only builds off a July that saw the young infielder hit .432 with 3 HR. And his hot streak couldn’t come at a better time, because fellow third baseman Jeimer Candelario just hit the IL. In all likelihood, this assures a hot-hitting Espinal much more playing time down the stretch, and fantasy managers should be ready for the ride. A solid, no-risk option off the waiver wire right now for skippers in the market for his specific skill set.
Will Wagner, 2B, 3B, TOR
.314/.351/.400, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 4 R over 35 AB (11 G)
The son of MLB legend Billy Wagner, Will Wagner has had a career relatively out of the spotlight. Drafted in the 18th Round by the Astros in 2021, he hit well and turned heads in the minor leagues. Then all of a sudden his quiet ascent culminated when he was included as a surprise addition in the Yusei Kikuchi trade at this past deadline. Barely spending a week in Triple-A Buffalo for Toronto, he hit .400 and got the call-up on August 12th.
Since then he has been a sensation in Toronto, claiming the role of ‘this year’s’ Davis Schneider (if you know, you know). Currently red-hot (as evidenced above), the Jays even toyed with Wagner at the cleanup spot back on August 20th against the Reds. Naturally, there’s a lot to like, and off the waiver wire Wagner is as solid of an option as any right now. He could go very quickly if he hits well this weekend.
EDIT: Fellow Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement (3 HR this week) has also been extremely hot. Skippers can also consider him an option (*he is playing more consistently*) and should monitor the Jays’ infield playing closely with respect to Wagner.
Dairon Blanco, OF, KC
.268/.308/.402, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 23 SB, 31 R over 112 AB (74 G)
All season Royals back-up outfielder Dairon Blanco has been an interesting piece. While he never saw consistent enough playing time to become a viable option, his exceptional speed and the Royals propensity for using him as a pinch-runner would still net him a solid amount of stolen bases. So in certain leagues – specifically AL-only, or daily lineup re-draft – Blanco still found his way into moderate fantasy relevance. But last week that all changed on August 17th.
Against the Reds in Cincinnati, he went a whopping 3/5 with 2 R, 2 HR and 7 RBI. The next day he went 2/3 with 2 R, 1 HR, and 1 SB, and suddenly Blanco had broken out. It’s absolutely worth noting that we’re talking about a 31-year-old backup outfielder who still isn’t getting everyday playing time (when he does, I will jump for joy), but it’s important to consider this recent stretch (.533/.563/.1.133, 3 HR, 2 SB over his last 7 G – 15 AB*) a demonstration of his ability.
With game-changing speed and a recent surge at the plate, watch out. This isn’t the first time Blanco has erupted offensively, and I am suspect to the idea that it won’t be the last. And if not, the worst case is he nets gutsy fantasy skippers pinch-run steals off the bench. A can’t lose bet. Be cautious of his playing time because he still isn’t playing every day (and who knows when/if that will come), but fantasy managers trying to bolster total steals should consider adding Blanco off the waiver wire as a multi-faceted, red-hot option.