Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Marsee Finding His Groove

The dust has settled from the Trade Deadline, and we are now making our way through August. There are still opportunities to improve your team via the waiver wire, but we’re at the point in the season where it gets a little more difficult. We also have to be realistic about the impacts that will be made. Let’s jump right into some waiver wire options that I have my eye on.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Jakob Marsee, OF, Miami Marlins

The former prospect seems to be finding his groove with the Miami Marlins. Jakob Marsee is taking advantage of his recent promotion, hitting .450 in seven games. That has come with one home run, four RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Prior to his promotion, Marsee was having a solid season in Triple-A at age 24. In 98 games, Marsee hit .246 with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, and 56 runs. Perhaps most notably, Marsee stole 48 bases. With the Marlins, and in regular playing time, Marsee is in the position to ride the hot hand and truly make an impact.

Warming Bernabel, 1B/3B, Colorado Rockies

There’s nothing wrong with targeting a hot hitter who’s taking advantage of Coors Field. That’s currently the case with Warming Bernabel. Over the last 14 days, since his promotion, Bernabel is hitting .364 with three home runs and nine RBI. While his .394 BABIP raises some flares, it’s important to remember that he does call Coors Field home, and he does have a .303 xBA.

Bernabel has consistently been a solid hitter in the minor leagues, but his power doesn’t stand out. In 75 games at Triple-A, Bernabel hit .301 with eight home runs, 45 RBI, and 46 runs scored. Strikeouts are at a minimum, so that also helps. The infielder, his flexibility also helps here, doesn’t strike out at a particularly high level, which helps make him a solid option.

Bryce Teodosio, OF, Los Angeles Angels

The waiver wire is all about improving your team, and Bryce Teodosio is a targeted addition. He has five hits in 13 at-bats this week after being promoted, but that’s burying the lead. In that stretch, Teodosio has three stolen bases.

Prior to that, the outfielder did hit .321 in 58 plate appearances at Triple-A so he’s continuing the positive momentum. Last year is when we really see what he was capable of. in 114 games at Triple-A, Teodosio stole 40 bases. This likely doesn’t warrant a large investment, but Teodosio is worth a look if you need to add stolen bases.

Otto Kemp, 1B/2B/3B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies

When it comes to Otto Kemp, versatility is key here. Kemp is in a utility role with the Phillies, and he can do the same for your fantasy team, especially in daily leagues. In 42 games with the Phillies, Kemp is hitting .243 with four home runs, 17 RBI, and 16 runs scored. That came after Kemp hit .313 with 14 home runs in 58 games at Triple-A.

Kemp also hit .285 with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 123 games in 2024. It’s solid minor league production, and Kemp can help in the right situations.

Luis Gil, SP, New York Yankees

After a lat injury early in Spring Training, Luis Gil missed the majority of the season. That came after a strong rookie season, but it made it difficult to roster the right-hander. Last year, Gil was 15-7 over 29 starts in 151.2 innings. Gil finished with a 3.50 ERA (3.80 xERA) while striking out 10 batters per nine innings. There were some issues with walks, 4.57 per nine innings, but overall, it was a strong body of work.

All it did was generate optimism for Gil heading into 2025. Now that the right-hander is healthy and ready for the season, nothing really has changed from last year. The benefit from a fantasy baseball perspective, though, is that Gil could have been available in the majority of leagues.

In his return to action, Gil pitched to mixed results. The good news is that the health and velocity were there, but he only had eight of 19 first pitch strikes. Things should only get better from here.

Chris Paddack, SP, Detroit Tigers

It’s been an up-and-down season for Chris Paddack, but following his trade to Detroit, the right-hander has found a groove. Granted, it’s just three starts, but Paddack has a 3.38 ERA over 16 innings. Perhaps more importantly, he has struck out 13 batters without a walk.

This week, things should continue on the same trajectory. Not only does Paddack provide a fantasy advantage by making two starts, but they come against the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. That should allow him to continue his recent success.

Overall, Paddack’s ERA still sits at 4.91, but his 4.44 FIP does provide some optimism. What we really need, though, and what will limit his upside, is more than 6.55 strikeouts per nine innings. For this week, though, there shouldn’t be any concerns.

Cade Cavalli, SP, Washington Nationals

Due to injury, the former first-round pick hadn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2022, but you would have known it earlier in the week. Cade Cavalli made his return and threw 4.1 scoreless innings against the Athletics.

Cavalli struck six batters while walking just one. He averaged 96.9 miles per hour with his fastball, so there are no concerns from that perspective. The Athletics failed to barrel up any balls against Cavalli, while only two out of 12 were hard hit. He also had a 66.7% ground ball rate, so hitters were never really comfortable against Cavalli. This week, he makes two starts; at Kansas City and against Philadelphia. Facing the Phillies could be tough, but the overall week and the performance the rest of the season should be strong.

Phil Maton, RP, Texas Rangers

There were a few hours in which it seemed Phil Maton might inherit the closer’s role in St. Louis. Instead, Maton was traded to Texas, and it appears it might happen for him with the Rangers.

Earlier this week, Maton picked up his first save with the Rangers, third of the season, and there should be more where that came from. The incumbent closer, Robert Garcia, is left-handed and also dealing with some injuries. That’s not to say that Maton will become the undisputed closer, but he’ll certainly be used in high-leverage situations.

With a 2.18 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, it’s been a successful season for Maton. Offseason adjustments added about two miles per hour to his fastball, which has contributed to his success. Opposing hitters have just a 4.2% barrel rate against Maton as he continues to keep hitters off balance.