NL Waiver Wire: Week 14
Ross Detwiler | Washington | SP | 0 percent Yahoo ownership
YTD (AAA): 4.53 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 6.49 K/9, 1.97 K/BB
Oliver ROS: 5.03 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, 1.42 K/BB
Detwiler was recalled from Triple-A this week, and in his first start in the majors this season came away with the win. Holding the Cubs to four hits in five-and-one-third innings with one strikeout was enough to make his record 1-0. However, Detwiler, a former sixth overall pick, will likely spend the rest of the season in the bullpen.
This year in Triple-A he took a major step back, seeing his strikeout rate drop from the 8.0-9.0 range into the 6.0s and his hitability increase. Still, it was not long ago Detwiler was tearing up the lower levels of the minors, and while he’s never had the same success against Triple-A or major league hitters, his new-found bullpen role may help him develop the ability to do so.
Recommendation: Should be avoided in all leagues but watched in NL-onlys if he succeeds as a reliever.
Bobby Parnell | New York (NL) | RP | 1 percent Yahoo ownership
YTD: 2.66 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 11.03 K/9, 3.22 K/BB
Oliver ROS: 4.59 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 1.94 K/BB
Parnell is currently mowing down batters like a Husqvarna does to overgrown shrubs and has replaced the resurrected Jason Isringhausen as the Mets’ set-up man. Closer Francisco Rodriguez is no guarantee to be traded, but the rumors have been swirling, and if a trade were to be realized, owning Parnell beforehand would be ideal.
Recommendation: Should be owned in NL-only and deep mixed leagues if you have an available roster spot. Can be owned in any league in which you are saves-desperate with no better options.
Mat Gamel | Milwaukee | 3B | 0 percent Yahoo owned
YTD (AAA): .321/.380/.577
Oliver ROS: .267/.332/.444
Gamel has an impressive minor league career to his name, one he improved upon this year in 321 Triple-A plate appearances, most notably by crushing 18 homers and dropping his strikeout rate to 16.4 percent. In spite of these minor league numbers, Gamel has nothing to show for it in the majors, or at least nothing worth showing.
Now enter Casey McGehee into the picture, the man who never posted an OPS over .776 in the minors but, despite that, has been miraculously productive as the Brewers’ starting third baseman the past two years. Finally, in his third year in the bigs, though, McGehee seems to have lost his “Like Mike” shoes and looks like the player we thought he would be.
As a result, Gamel has been getting at-bats recently at third (and first during interleague play) but has done nothing to shake his Quad-A label, collecting a mere three hits in 22 at-bats. Because of his notorious bad defense, Gamel will have to overperform at the plate to eventually steal regular playing time in the field.
So the landing strip is quite narrow for Gamel but—air traffic controllers forbid—if he ever figures it out at the plate, he could be a nice option at a position worn thin by injury.
Recommendation: Should be rostered but not started in NL-only and mid-to-deep mixed leagues.
Zack Cozart | Cincinnati | SS | 1 percent Yahoo ownership
YTD (AAA): .313/.361/.463
Oliver ROS: .249/.298/.389
Jeff Gross profiled Cozart two weeks ago in this column, and I’m merely highlighting him again since he got the call to the majors yesterday. Word on on the street is he is likely in line for regular playing time over Edgar Renteria and the rest of the Reds’ shortstop motley crew.
Recommendation: Should be owned in deep mixed leagues and NL-only leagues. Can be owned in shallower mixed leagues in which you are weak at SS.
Mike Cameron | Florida | OF | 0 percent Yahoo ownership
YTD: .147/.210/.263
Oliver ROS: .243/.319/.424
Florida is a good place to spend the twilight of your life I’ve been told, and maybe it can be a good place for Cameron to spend the twilight of his career. Or at least better than Boston was. He figures to get playing time while Chris Coghlan is out for another couple weeks and then to settle into some sort of platoon role. There is some pop left in his bat, and he could be a better add than some of the fringe prospects people will get more excited about.
Recommendation: Can be owned in NL-only leagues and ignored in all but the deepest mixed leagues.
Editor’s pick of the week:
John Buck | Florida | C | 36 percent Yahoo ownership
YTD: .213/.292/.366
Oliver ROS: .252/.303/.440
The player the frugal Marlins lavished with an $18 million contract over three years has disappointed so far in the first of those years, but who’s to say he can’t be a .260 hitter with double-digit homers the rest of the way? He could be a top-five catcher going forward, and if you are looking for someone who can make an impact from a boring spot, Buck is a good player to take a shot on.
Recommendation In shallower leagues where he is unowned and you are not rocking one of the elite options, he could be worth an add.