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With a 60-game slate, deft work on the waiver wire is even more crucial than it is in a full season. Injuries and ineffectiveness will be that much more challenging to overcome, so every decision takes on added importance.
As in prior seasons, our focus will be on those players who are rostered in under 50% of Yahoo leagues. Your mileage may vary depending on a variety of factors. We'll run down options for various league depths in an effort to provide as many fantasy baseball managers as possible with viable pickup options. Despite best efforts and intentions, however, it really do be like that sometimes.
Without further ado, here are your waiver wire targets for the middle infield in week 4.
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Shallow Leagues (50-30% Rostered)
Cesar Hernandez (2B, CLE) — 46% rostered
Hernandez may no longer ply his trade for my beloved Phillies, but I maintain my appreciation for him as an underrated player. The category juice hasn't been there yet, as he has yet to hit a home run or steal a base. But it was just two years ago that he put up 15 HR/19 SB and scored 91 runs, and he's excelled out of the leadoff spot so far with a .305 average and .414 on-base percentage.
Starlin Castro (2B/3B, WAS) — 43% rostered
Speaking of missing category juice, Castro had no homers, no steals, and just one RBI entering play on Sunday. The game was suspended in the sixth, but the veteran connected for a two-run bomb before that happened. He's also hitting .357/.386/.548 even without crooked numbers in the counting stats. That comes on the heels of a 2019 second half where he slashed .302/.334/.558. The long layoff due to COVID hasn't kept Castro from picking up right where he left off last fall.
Deeper Leagues (30-10% Rostered)
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) — 29% rostered
Crawford doesn't have a home run to his credit, and it would be silly to expect many of those going forward. What he does have are a very particular set of skills is a firm grip on the leadoff spot in Seattle and three stolen bases. His lineup role has allowed him to rack up 13 runs in 16 games. The former first-round pick makes up for his lack of pop with excellent plate discipline, so he's a good bet to stick around at the top of the order.
Dylan Moore (2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA) — 28% rostered
Prior to this summer, the only memory I had of Dylan Moore was an unfortunate game last March in which he made three run-scoring errors in the ninth inning. The Mariners managed to win that game anyway, and while they're not winning many so far this season, that's despite Moore's best efforts. The 28-year-old has been one of the most popular waiver adds in recent days thanks to an unexpected surge at the plate. After another home run on Sunday, his season line now stands at .293/.326/.610 with three homers and three steals.
Super Deep Leagues (< 10% Rostered)
Joey Wendle (2B/3B/SS, TBR) — 5% rostered
After a sneaky-useful 2018 in which he hit .300 and swiped 16 bags, Wendle dealt with numerous injuries in 2019 and never really got on track. He's healthy now and, though it's a small sample, is basically hitting at the same level he did two years ago. Wendle doesn't have an everyday role locked up - not many Rays do - but with eligibility at three infield positions, he's a decent guy to have on your bench to plug any holes.
The Watch List
Jake Cronenwerth (1B/2B/SS, SEA) — 6% rostered
Cronenwerth's two-way ability (he has a mid-90s fastball and a fringe-y slider) made him somewhat noteworthy as a prospect, but it was last year's production at the plate (.949 OPS, 10 HR, 12 SB in 406 plate appearances at Triple-A) that really stood out. He's been filling in for Eric Hosmer lately and has hit .357/.379/.821 with seven extra-base hits - including a pair of homers - in 29 plate appearances. Hosmer is due back soon, but with Jurickson Profar scuffling, Cronenwerth could see time at second base moving forward.
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