Ty Buttrey (RP, LAA) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of Yahoo! leagues ANALYSIS: It may be hard to believe, but it appears that manager Brad Ausmus has actually learned from previous mistakes. Known for leaving closers in the ninth inning role for far too long, Ausmus pulled the plug on the struggling Cody Allen in late-April, giving the […]

Jon Duplantier Recalled on Sunday

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jon Duplantier has been recalled from Triple-A Reno on Sunday. Righty Matt Koch has been designated for assignment after an awful start to the season. Koch had a 9.15 ERA in a little over 20 innings of work. Duplantier has nasty stuff, so he could fit in the bullpen or rotation. He's […]

A.J. Minter Blows First Save Of The Season On Saturday

Atlanta Braves closer A.J. Minter blew his first save of the season during a 9-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. He allowed four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two batters. With Arodys Vizcaino (shoulder) sidelined for the foreseeable future, Minter was expected to be the frontrunner for […]

James Pazos Traded To Rockies

The Colorado Rockies acquired relief pitcher James Pazos in exchange for minor league infielder Hunter Stovall on Friday. Pazos has spent the entirety of this season in the Philly minor leagues due to control issues, but if he can get them ironed out with Colorado's Triple-A pitching staff, he could get some big league time […]

Bryan Shaw Picks Up Late Win Over Braves

Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Bryan Shaw was on the fortunate end of a blown save by the Braves on Saturday as Colorado posted a five-run ninth inning to win in a comeback. Shaw threw two flawless innings when the team was trailing by one run, and a big showing by the big bats landed him […]

Josh Hader Records Two Inning Save

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader recorded a perfect two inning save while striking out five batters in Saturday's win against the Mets. This was a great rebound for Hader as he had been bad in his previous three appearances. Also, Jeremy Jeffress allowed three base runners and a run to score without recording an out, […]

Jeremy Jeffress Doesn't Record An Out

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress came into the eighth inning with a three run lead and allowed two hits, a walk and a run before being pulled for Josh Hader without recording an out. This was the first time that Jeffress had given up a run this season and it was a bad time for […]

Taylor Rogers (RP, MIN) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 35% of leagues ANALYSIS: There are plenty of contenders coming out of the back end of the Minnesota Twins bullpen, and 28-year old fellow former Kentucky Wildcat Taylor Rogers is one of them. In a relief core featuring a slew of competitors for high leverage situations such as […]

Amir Garrett (RP, CIN) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: There are plenty of factors that make Amir Garrett appealing. There's his 6-5, 228 lbs. frame, his fantastic athleticism as demonstrated by his basketball history at St.Johns, and his aggressive and entertaining approach to baseball braggadocio. He has also gotten off to a Cincinnati […]

Anthony Swarzak Suffers Second Blown Save

Seattle Mariners reliever Anthony Swarzak was summoned to protect the team's one-run lead in the ninth inning Friday night but failed to do so. He gave up a solo shot to Shin-Soo Choo to send the game to extras, and he has now given up a solo home run in three straight appearances. Swarzak also […]

Justus Sheffield Struggles In Three Relief Innings

Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Justus Sheffield took over from Yusei Kikuchi in the second inning in Friday night's tilt versus the Rangers. He struggled with his command over three frames of work, throwing just 39 strikes in 75 pitches as he walked four and served up a two-run homer to Nomar Mazara. Sheffield struck out […]

Points Leagues Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 5

We march into Week 5 of the 2019 baseball season and vigilance of the waiver wire becomes increasingly important as we approach May. The impact of one awful or great game is starting to become less meaningful as players gradually approach steady state. One luxury of Statcast data is the ability to compare actual with […]

H2H Category Streamers - Week 5 Waiver Wire

There are plenty of strategies that fantasy managers explore in hopes to get an advantage over their opponent. Heavy lineup, heavy starting pitchers, no catcher, all (or mostly) reliever staff, no reliever staff, etc. Even if you play a balanced lineup, injuries can cause holes. A few weeks without a key player won’t kill a […]

Closers and Saves Report - Week 4 Waiver Wire

Hey, is there a way we can have the beginning of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" play when people open this article? No? Okay, never mind. Another one bit the dust this week, with the Angels taking Cody Allen out of his ninth-inning role. Other closers are struggling, but Allen is the one who […]

Brad Hand Saves Another Game on Friday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand saved his eighth game of the season on Friday, tossing a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-3 win. He walked one but struck out the other three batters he faced. Hand lowered his ERA to 1.42 and opposing batters are hitting just .178 off of him.

Dominic Leone Gets Destroyed on Friday

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Dominic Leone was hit hard on Friday, getting just two outs while allowing six runs on six hits and a walk. On a very very minor bright side, the two outs he got were strikeouts. So...yay? Leone's ERA shot up to 6.17.

David Hess Moving To Bullpen

Baltimore Orioles pitcher David Hess will head to the bullpen to clear space for John Means in the starting rotation, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Hess is 1-4 with an ugly 5.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 26 innings in his six appearances (five starts) for the O's so far this year. He […]

Lou Trivino Still Unavailable

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin said that relief pitcher Lou Trivino (thumb) is feeling better, but he's still unlikely to be available on Friday. However, the fact that he hasn't gone on the injured list yet is a good sign that he could return to action soon. The right-hander was one of the team's best […]

Cody Allen Lands on Injured List

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Cody Allen (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list. Allen was removed from the closer role earlier in the week. He will now get some rest and hopefully get back on track in a few days. The Angels may decide to go with a closer-by-committee, which is going […]

Raisel Iglesias Nails Down Sixth Save

Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias got the final five outs of a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday to earn his sixth save of the season. Iglesias struck out two and walked one in the scoreless outing. Iglesias got off to a rough start this season but hasn't allowed a run in his […]

Brad Hand Saves His Seventh Game With a Perfect Inning

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand picked up his seventh save of the season on Thursday night, tossing a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout. He needed 15 pitches to retire the side in order, lowering his ERA to 1.54. He's one of the better, more consistent closers in the American League.

Tyler Clippard Added to Indians Roster

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard has been recalled from Triple-A on Thursday. He suffered a pectoral strain in spring training, but appears ready to pitch now. Jefry Rodriguez has been sent down in a corresponding move. Rodriguez had a 2.13 ERA across 12 2/3 innings of work, so he shouldn't be in the minors […]

Aroldis Chapman Redeems Himself With Fourth Save

Just two days after blowing an extra-inning save against the Angels, New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman once again stepped on the mound in Anaheim to try and close out a win. Seeking his fourth save, Chapman once again made it slightly difficult for himself, putting the second batter he faced on base with a […]

Brandon Morrow Could Resume Throwing In A Few Weeks

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow), who is still in a diagnostic stage, could resume throwing in a few weeks. Morrow recently had a setback with his right elbow and has been shut down for the foreseeable future. He missed the entire second half last year and has no timetable for a return. As […]

Deeper AL-Only Waiver Wire Sleepers for Week 4

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Ty Buttrey Blows Save In Wednesday's Implosion

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ty Buttrey allowed an earned run and two hits with three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings in a blown save and loss on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, as the Angels blew a five-run lead to lose for the ninth time in 10 games. Buttrey is in the mix […]

Top 30 Impact Prospects for 2019 Redraft Leagues (Week 4)

The Top 30 list continues to evolve as prospects get closer to compiling meaningful amounts of at-bats. And we’re also gaining a better understanding of what big league performances are sustainable, and which ones were the result of small-sample noise. Jonathan Loaisiga and Jon Duplantier rejoin the list after demotions from their respective Major League […]

Deeper NL-Only Waiver Wire Sleepers for Week 4

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to […]

Mychal Givens Earns Ugly First Save Of Season Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Mychal Givens escaped with his first save of the season in Wednesday's 4-3 game against the White Sox. Givens pitched an uneventful eighth inning and stayed on to pitch the ninth with a two-run lead. He promptly gave up two doubles with an out in between, making it a one-run game. […]

John Means Earns Win In Start Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means pitched well and earned a win in Wednesday's 4-3 game against the White Sox. Means pitched five innings, allowing a single run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. The 26-year-old is not currently in the rotation, but based on manager Brandon Hyde's comments after Wednesday's game, it […]