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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds for Week 14

By Taylor Tarter
Jordan Westburg fantasy baseball second base sleepers

Here are some waiver wire targets ahead of Week 14 that you should consider adding. The following recommendations are organized as deep and shallow league targets. Of course, the players you choose to add and drop from your team should largely depend on your league size and the roster construction of your team.

More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Recommendations

Deep League Targets

C Yainer Diaz – HOU

Yainer Diaz should be rostered in more leagues at this point. He is up to seven homers, 16 runs, 16 RBI, and a .265 AVG on the season in 144 plate appearances.

The league average catcher strikes out 24% of the time and has a .233 AVG. Diaz strikes out just 18%. He does not have enough PAs to qualify, but if he did, Diaz’s 13.2% barrel rate and 44.7% HardHit rate would rank first and third among catchers respectively.

These skills have helped him to a 104 wRC+, which is 17 points higher than what catchers have averaged this season. His value relative to all players in the league is marginal, but his value among catchers is immense.

While Diaz does swing and miss about half the time on pitches outside of the zone, his aggressive nature at the plate actually helps him. It has led to a 77% contact rate, which would rank fifth among qualified catchers.

Diaz needs to be added from the waiver wire and should be rostered universally.

3B Eduardo Escobar – LAA

Eduardo Escobar struggled with the Mets, who wanted to get Brett Baty and Tommy Pham more at-bats. Moving to the Angels has already worked out for Escobar. In his first three games for his new squad, Escobar is 5-for-12 (.417) with five runs and an RBI.

Welcome to the Team Eduardo Escobar (Infielder)

Escobar has improved his strikeout rate from last season, taking it from 23% to 19%. His improvement at the plate may have to do with Escobar showing more patience at the plate. His swing rate, chase rate, swinging strike, and contact rates have all improved from last season.

Although his barrel and HardHit rates are a bit below league average, Escobar has been doing exactly what he should in order to get hits. He has a 26% line drive rate and a 53% pull rate – pulled line drives turn into hits more than any other type of batted ball. Those totals are the highest since his rookie season.

One issue for Escobar that has limited his power has been a low launch angle. That has resulted in just a 29% flyball rate and a 44% GB rate, his worst rates since 2012. Even though his HR/FB rate is higher than his career average, the low flyball rate has hurt his home run totals. If he can increase the launch angle with the Angles, we could see more homers in the rest of the season.

As long as Anthony Rendon and Gio Urshela are on the shelf, Escobar is a good bet for playing time. He is a great sneaky waiver wire add for the week ahead.

2B/3B Nick Madrigal – ChC

Patrick Wisdom’s wrist injury has allowed Nick Madrigal to earn more playing time at the hot corner. Although Wisdom likely is not far from returning, Madrigal may have the edge on him at this point.

Although Wisdom has more homers, runs, and RBI, Madrigal has more steals and a better AVG, plus a better OBP by nearly 60 points. While Madrigal does not have the best defensive numbers at third base, he is a major defensive upgrade over Wisdom. Those things could sway playing time in Madrigal’s favor.

Madrigal strikes out just 9% of the time and possesses an impressive 90% contact rate. If he qualified, he would be ranked fourth and second among all qualified hitters in baseball.

Power is not Madrigal’s strong suit – he has just one barreled ball in 154 PAs. But with his ability to get on base and steal, he presents excellent value.

Snag Madrigal off waivers for the week ahead and potentially beyond.

OF Will Benson – CIN

Will Benson has been incredible since being recalled in May, after a short rough stint in April. Since May 21, Benson has a .342 AVG with three homers, 17 runs, 7 RBI, and five steals. But because of his lousy April numbers, his season AVG is .278.

Although his HardHit rate is below average, Benson has barreled the ball at a 12.7% clip. He has avoided groundballs while launching fly balls 44% of the time. His 10% HR/FB rate seems reasonable, but with his 16-degree launch angle, his home park in Cincy, and his minor league HR/FB rates, that number could increase. We could see more home runs (like the one below) over the rest of the season than his 5-7 projected homers, especially if he continues to get playing time.

Benson has been great at the plate in his limited time this season. He has a 21.4% chase rate that would rank sixth in baseball if he qualified. He also has a 75% chase rate. That plate discipline could keep him in a now-crowded Reds lineup.

With the Reds’ offense surging, their players are major targets in fantasy. That being said, Benson should be among the top targets on the waiver wire.

SP Osvaldo Bido – PIT

With injuries opening up slots in the Pirates’ rotation, Osvaldo Bido has made his way into the rotation and has performed well. He has a 3.45 ERA with an 18:5 K:BB rotation in 15.2 IP.

Bido’s best K/9 rates have come in his last two stints in AAA this season and last, but his 10.3 K/9 rate and a 2.87 BB/9 rate for the Pirates are better than what he did in the highest level of the minors. They may be unsustainable long-term, but he has located the ball well this season. His 100 Location+ is fourth best on the team among all Pittsburgh pitchers and is exactly league average.

Bido has a five-pitch mix, featuring a fastball, sinker, slider, changeup, and cutter. All of his pitches except his slider have a putaway rate above 20%, including a 42% putaway rate for his changeup. His changeup also possesses a 33% whiff rate. He shows off his strikeout ability here:

Bido should continue to get starts in the rotation as long as he continues to perform well. His 3.75 xFIP and 3.83 SIERA suggest more good things are on the way. Add Bido from the waiver wire for the week ahead.

Shallow League Targets

C Danny Jansen – TOR

Alejandro Kirk hit the IL and that has allowed Danny Jansen to get the bulk of at-bats at catcher for the Jays recently. Since June 13, Jansen’s batting average has climbed about 20 points to .216. He is up to 10 homers, 22 runs, and 33 RBI. Here is his most recent home run:

Jansen’s AVG may be down thanks to a low BABIP. Although his line drive rate is just 15%, it is nearly identical to last season, as is his 51% pull rate, yet his BABIP is just .227 vs .255 last season and .234 for his career. Jansen’s 79% contact rate is also nearly identical to last season. Those stats do not typically equate to a low AVG, so some positive regression may be on the way.

Jansen has been excellent in terms of power. His 10.8% barrel rate is the second-highest of his career. His HardHit rate is down from last season but is still above league average and may continue to rise with more of a sample size.

Jansen is on pace for a career-high in homers, runs, and RBI. He projects for as high as 24 homers, 54 runs, and 72 RBI, which are all reasonable totals if he continues to get consistent time at the plate.

If you need help behind the plate, Jansen is a worthwhile fantasy waiver wire addition for the week ahead.

1B Garrett Cooper – MIA

Garrett Cooper has been limited by injuries this season but has not let that stop him from producing. He has 10 homers, 20 runs, 36 RBI, and a .253 AVG. Here is his latest bomb:

Cooper has a lot working in his favor. He has a 22% LD rate and a career-best 35% flyball rate. His 10 homers are the second-highest single-season total of his career and he has done it in just 239 PAs. His 18% HR/FB is slightly above his career average, but because he has put more balls in the air, his home run pace has increased. This is not a fluke.

Cooper has averaged a 10.6% barrel rate and a 45.4% HardHit rate since 2020. His 2023 numbers are a tick below both at 10.4% and 44.8% respectively, but still very good. His ability to hit the ball hard and barrel the ball well has also helped his home run power emerge this season.

The biggest concern for Cooper is his plate discipline, which could limit his batting average upside. He has a 41% chase rate and a 72% strikeout rate, which would be the worst and second-worst totals of his career respectively.

Do not worry too much about the plate discipline concerns, though, because the good will outweigh the bad for Cooper. Add him from your waiver wire as soon as possible.

2B/3B Jordan Westburg – BAL

Jordan Westburg earned the call after slashing .295/.372/.567, with 18 homers, 57 runs, 54 RBI, and six steals in 301 PAs in AAA. The Orioles did not get much out of Joey Ortiz at the major league level, and with Jorge Mateo struggling, Westburg should get a serious shot to lock down playing time whether it’s at second base or third.

Westburg has just 14 PAs for the O’s as of writing, tallying two runs and two RBI with a .417 AVG. Here is his first plate appearance, with a few buddies in the background:

He has struck out once and walked twice, showing an already advanced eye at the plate. He improved his K% moving from AA to AAA in 2022, and then again in AAA this season.

Westburg drove and pulled the ball well in the minors, two skills that should help him rack up the hits for the big league club.

He may have already been scooped up in deep leagues, but he is worth a waiver wire add in most formats.

OF TJ Friedl – CIN

Along with Will Benson, TJ Friedl is another Reds outfielder that needs to be on everyone’s fantasy radar. He has six homers, 31 runs, 31 RBI, 14 steals, and a .320 AVG in 232 PAs this season. Here is his most recent home run:

Despite not possessing strong hard contact data, Friedl projects to reach double-digit homers by the end of the season. He has managed to do this by having a 15-degree launch angle and hitting fly balls 38% of the time with a 10.9% HR/FB rate – all numbers that sit right around his career averages and his minor league data.

Friedl has driven and pulled the ball well this season – 23% and 42.9% respectively – which should help keep his average elevated.

Additionally, Friedl has shown excellent plate discipline, chasing the ball just 25% of the time, which would be top-25 if he qualified. He has an 82.1% contact rate that would rank 14th among qualified outfielders along with George Springer.

Friedl should be rostered significantly more and should be a waiver wire priority going forward.

SP Emmet Sheehan – LAD

The concern with Emmet Sheehan is not with his ability but with his playing time. The Dodgers have Julio Urias due back July 1, plus have Noah Syndergaard and Dustin May on the mend but farther off from a return. Michael Grove and Bobby Miller have also made their way into the Dodgers rotation, as has Gavin Stone. Sheehan has outperformed Stone and Grove, but his time may be limited with some veterans potentially returning soon.

Until that point, though Sheehan should be targeted from waivers considering what he has done in his first two starts.

In 12 IP, Sheehan has a 7:4 K:BB ratio with a 1.50 ERA. That ERA may be influenced by a small sample size and a minuscule .034 BABIP, but Sheehan has done well to limit line drives and induce a 30% whiff rate.

Sheehan throws a fastball, slider, and changeup combination. His fastball has yet to be hit, while his slider and changeup each have a .200 batting average against. Check out his fastball here:

His slider has been his best pitch in terms of getting batters to swing and miss. It has a 33% whiff rate so far. His best putaway pitch is his changeup, which he has mostly thrown to lefty batters. That pitch has a 25% putaway rate.

As long as Sheehan continues to pitch well, the Dodgers will likely keep him in the rotation. This makes him a prime waiver wire target for the week ahead.

Other Players to Add from Waivers

Here are a few other players available in a range of league sizes that you should consider adding if they are on your waiver wire.

  • C: Travis d’Arnaud, Patrick Bailey, Cal Raleigh, Henry Davis
  • CI: Brandon Drury (2B), Jeimer Candelario, Ezequiel Duran (SS/OF), Corey Julks (OF), J.D. Davis
  • MI: Ha-Seong Kim (3B), Maikel Garcia (3B), Royce Lewis (3B), Matt McLain, Ezequiel Tovar, Luis Garcia, Paul DeJong
  • OF: LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B), Willi Castro (3B), Luke Raley (1B), Eddie Rosario, Tommy Pham, Jake Fraley, Jake McCarthy, Leody Taveras, Mike Tauchman, Matt Vierling, Jose Siri, Jarren Duran, Marcell Ozuna, Mickey Moniak, Billy McKinney
  • SP: Dane Dunning, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Bradish, Griffin Canning, Brayan Bello, Johan Oviedo, Bryan Woo, Wade Miley, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, J.P. France, Kyle Hendricks, Ranger Suarez, Logan Allen, Julio Teheran, Aaron Civale, Tarik Skubal
  • RP: Jordan Hicks, Scott McGough, Evan Phillips, Will Smith, Craig Kimbrel, A.J. Puk, Pete Fairbanks, Hunter Harvey

Prospect Waiver Wire Watch

A number of prospects are worthy of consideration for waiver wire claims due to being called up or potentially being called up. Here are a few to consider adding.

  • MIL OF Sal Frelick – late start because of injury, but has looked good in the minors
  • MIA 2B Jacob Amaya – on the weak side of platoon, but could work his way into more time
  • KC 2B Samad Taylor – three runs, two RBI, .160 AVG; needs to carve out role, but could be cheap SB option
  • SF OF Luis Matos – 11 runs, 2 steals, and batting .244; power should come
  • CIN SS Elly De La Cruz – absolutely crushing it; he is who we thought he was
  • LAD SP Bobby Miller – hit some regression after two rough starts vs SF and HOU; 4.13 ERA
  • STL SP Matthew Liberatore – hard to count on in fantasy with a 5+ ERA
  • CIN SP Andrew Abbott – looking amazing; 30:12 K:BB across 29.2 IP with a 1.21 ERA
  • CIN SP Brandon Williamson – struggling so far with an ERA over 5
  • CIN 1B/3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand – .323 AVG and 17 homers in 54 games at AAA, played OF
  • BAL OF Colton Cowser – another BAL minor leaguer that should get the call soon; 9/49/37/6/.328 at AAA
  • NYM 3B Brett Baty – playing nearly every day; producing, but struggling with the AVG
  • ChC 1B Matt Mervis – AVG below the Mendoza Line
  • PIT SP Luis Ortiz – with injuries to the PIT pitching staff, Ortiz should get consistent starts for the foreseeable future
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