Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Messick Arrives

The waiver wire is the gift that keeps on giving. It may seem as if the season is coming to a close and teams are playing out the string, but that doesn’t mean we are without ways to improve our teams. Let’s jump into some of the players I have my eye on for the waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Parker Messick, SP, Cleveland Guardians

On Wednesday, Parker Messick made his major league debut, and it came with success. The left-hander pitched deep into the game, allowing just one run in 6.2 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His control worked in his favor as he walked just one batter while striking out six.

Overall, it has been a strong 2024 for Messick, and at this point, there is nothing more he could do at Triple-A. In 20 starts, he had a 3.47 ERA to go along with a 1.22 WHIP and 10.85 strikeouts per nine innings. The one cause of concern is the walks, as Messick walked 3.83 per nine innings. Over his last five starts, though, Messick added another level to his performance. After pitching to a 2.93 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, the next step was a promotion to the big leagues. If Messick can limit the walks and pitch deep into games, he’ll be a legitimate fantasy option down the stretch.

Bubba Chandler, P, Pittsburgh Pirates

The talent and upside definitely work in Bubba Chandler’s favor. That part we can’t deny. While Chandler is being promoted to the big leagues, it’s going to be in a limited role. Well, at first that is. Chandler will be beginning his major league career in long relief, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore him on the waiver wire. His talent can’t be ignored, and you should beat the rush to add him to your bench.

In his last six starts, Chandler has struggled to the tune of a 7.42 ERA and 1.99 WHIP. Bad luck has been a factor, but lack of control and command is also an issue. On the season, Chandler has a 4.05 ERA with a 3.89 FIP, which certainly paints him in a better light. Additionally, his .343 BABIP has worked against him. However, until he can harness his 4.77 walks per nine innings, Chandler will continue to have issues. The quality of his stuff and his 10.89 strikeouts per nine innings are bound to get your attention, though.

Bryan Abreu, RP, Houston Astros

Don’t worry, we can take another ride on the closer carousel this week. This week’s contestant is Bryan Abreu. With Josh Hader sidelined, likely for the remainder of the regular season, Abreu now steps into the closer role.

The right-hander has consistently excelled in a high-leverage role with some experience in pitching the ninth inning. Abreu’s upside comes from his 13.26 strikeouts per nine innings, with the problem being his 3.95 BB/9. Limiting home runs, 0.47 per nine innings, helps as well. Ultimately, the good outweighs the bad here, and we can live with the walks.

Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles

As the Baltimore Orioles are certainly looking towards next season, it makes sense to give their top prospects a chance. Their latest promotion, Samuel Basallo, certainly deserves our attention via the waiver wire.

Prior to his promotion, Basallo hit .270 in 76 games at Triple-A with 23 home runs, 67 RBI, and 49 runs scored. Through his first 11 plate appearances with the Orioles, Basallo has three hits and five RBI in 11 plate appearances. Baltimore didn’t promote one of their top prospects for him to sit on the bench, and he deserves our attention.

Colin Rea, SP, Chicago Cubs

As you look to maximize innings towards the end of the season, boring veterans have value. In the case of Colin Rea, he takes the mound twice in the upcoming week, which should generate some attention on the waiver wire. Facing the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, albeit both on the road, offers up some optimism.

In his last three starts, Rea had a 2.30 ERA over 15.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and five walks going into Wednesday’s start. Against Milwaukee, Rea left the Cubs in position to pick up a victory as he allowed one run in five innings on just three hits. What limits his value to that of a streamer is that Rea walked four batters while just striking out three. That’s been a problem all season as the right-hander is striking out fewer than seven batters per nine innings. There certainly are more exciting pitching options out there, but this is a week in which Rea has value.

Jose Caballero, 2B/3B/SS/OF, New York Yankees

Here we go again chasing those stolen bases. In the case of Jose Caballero, we are going right to the source as he’s up to 40 on the season. From a waiver wire perspective, between the speed and the positional eligibility, Caballero is worth a look. The fact that he can fill just about every spot on your roster makes him a valuable waiver wire addition.

Caballero is benefiting from the Yankees taking advantage of his versatility and right-handed bat. The fact that Aaron Judge, and mostly Giancarlo Stanton, can’t play right field also helps here. Over the last seven days, entering play on Wednesday, Caballero is hitting .467 with two home runs, four RBI, six runs scored, and four stolen bases.

Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees

When we look to the waiver wire for pitching, matchups and multiple starts in the week always catch our attention. That’s the case for Cam Schittler this coming week as he faces the Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox in two favorable matchups.

Entering play on Wednesday, Schittler had a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts while striking out a batter per inning and walking five. On Wednesday, the right-hander built on that success with 6.2 shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. He did run into a little bit of trouble in the seventh inning, but it’s hard to argue with the results, as that was the only trouble all night. Schittler limited the Rays to just one hit and two walks while striking out eight. That brought his ERA down to 3.22 overall. If he can limit the walks and the home runs, there is a lot to like here.