RADIO
Still In The Beginning
How have the first few weeks gone for you? Not exactly confident in the catcher you drafted? Looking for a reliable backup? Need to replace Yan Gomes, Jonathan Lucroy, or Travis d’Arnaud?
RotoBaller has got you covered with analysis on three catchers who may be free agents in your league who you can target off the waiver wire.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for catchers, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Waiver Wire Adds for Catchers
Derek Norris, San Diego Padres
Owned in 69% of Yahoo, 29% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Formats
ANALYSIS: Derek Norris is coming off of an efficient 2014 season when he was sharing time behind the plate in Oakland. He finished with 10 HR, 55 RBI, and a .270 AVG in 385 PA last year. He will be getting more reps this season with Wil Nieves as his backup. He’s not going to finish the year as a top five backstop, but is more than a proverbial band-aid for owners in need at the position. I could easily see him finishing in the top 10 with a line somewhere around 15 HR, 60 RBI, 50 R, and a .270 AVG.
After a rough spring, Norris has been off to a pretty good start this season with a .317/.339/.450 line. More recently he's gone 11 for 31 since mid-April, and now has 10 runs, 8 RBI, and 2 walks on the season. He's been batting second the majority of the time, and is slotted cleanup in the rare occasions he's not. His power hasn't shown through quite yet - he's without a homerun so far - but he does have 8 doubles in the early going. The RBI and runs should continue to roll in for Norris as the Padres have the 2nd most runs in the league and are leading the league in hits.
Caleb Joseph, Baltimore Orioles
Owned in 42% of Yahoo, 22% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats
ANALYSIS: Matt Wieters’ original timetable suggested that he would be back around May 1st, but the latest reports that have surfaced suggest that may be aggressive. This situation looks like it may wind up with Joseph still getting a good bit of playing time even when Wieters returns, as he just might not be able to catch all the time coming off of Tommy John surgery. All that being said, Joseph is not the solution for fantasy managers for the entire season, but is more than a viable stop-gap solution for those in need at the position.
Since early April, Joseph has gotten at least one hit in eight of his last ten games, going 12 for 32. In that span, he's racked up one double, one triple, one home run, 6 walks, 4 RBI, and 6 runs. That nice little stretch brings his season slash line to .333/.447/.513. The Orioles are in the top third of nearly every offensive category, so the opportunities should continue to roll in for Joseph to keep raking.
Kevin Plawecki, New York Mets
Owned in 13% of Yahoo, 5% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats, Most Two-Catcher Leagues
ANALYSIS: The Mets are the hottest team in baseball currently, racking up 11 straight wins and having the league's best record before losing to the Yankees last night. They're doing it on both sides of the field, ranking in the top third of most offensive categories. As well as making some really nice defensive plays, such as Juan Lagares' amazing catch and Bartolo Colon's unassisted pickoff.
With Travis d'Arnaud sidelined until at least the end of May, Met's prospect Plawecki brings an interesting mix of power and average to the position. The 35th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Plawecki has some of that prospect luster that fantasy owners love so much. He had two nice seasons across four levels in the minors, and has shown quality plate discipline with his 11% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate in 940 PA.
His approach yielded a .307 AVG and .833 OPS with 19 bombs and 144 RBI in those two seasons. He wasted little time showing his skill set at the highest level, going 2-4 with 2 runs in his debut. And following that up with a less impressive 0-3 night that included one walk. I think he could be one of the sneakier pickups for those ailing behind the dish.While he could be a target for owners in deeper leagues or two catcher formats, he probably shouldn’t be on the radar for players in standard formats quite yet.
