There's a commercial that's on the verge of ruining baseball for me. This:
There are a thousand things wrong with this commercial: the strange porno soundtrack, the way the blind guy fondles his walking stick while talking, and the way nobody punches him for just shouting out what he hears are three that come to mind. The most obvious, though, is the fact that blind people's functioning senses are supposed to be elevated, and yet, this guy is all giddy about Miller Lite? That shows a disturbing lack of both taste buds and nostril ability. The only thing that could make this commercial worse is if it was Peyton Manning playing the blind guy. Fortunately, Miller decided to go with that guy who was in a Budweiser commercial recently. Epic fail.
Here are some waiver options:
American LeagueSports
1. Frank Francisco - RP - TEX - This one is straight from the obvious file. With Eddie Guardado in Minnesota and C.J. Wilson sidelined for the rest of the year, Francisco is in line to pick up most of the Rangers' saves over the final month of the season.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.
2. Dana Eveland - SP - OAK - In his last start two starts of July and his first start of August, Eveland was absolutely shellacked: he gave up 18 runs in 11 2/3 innings. The outings raised his ERA almost a full point,, from 3.49 to 4.46. He's since recovered, allowing just three runs in his last 14 innings. His schedule to end the season: KC, DET, TEX, SEA, SEA.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.
3. Adam Jones - OF - BAL - Jones was placed on the disabled list on August 3 with a fractured right foot, but he could be back early next week. Before going on the disabled list the young outfielder had started to enjoy success in the majors, hitting .301 since June 1. Jones has 20-homer potential in the majors, and had started to hint at it by hitting five homers in 210 at-bats over that span. There's a chance his foot injury could hamper him for the rest of the season, but he's worth a gamble.
Recommendation: Worth a flier in mixed leagues.
4. Nelson Cruz - OF - TEX - Nelson has always done well in the minors, and this year is no exception. He was hitting .342 with 39 homers and 24 stolen bases in just 102 games at Triple-A. He went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in his first game, but is hitless in six at-bats since. There are concerns that his swing might be too long for the majors, but Cruz should see significant playing time down the stretch, making him a fin AL-only grab.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues.
5. David Purcey - SP - TOR - Purcey got off to a tough start after being promoted, going 2-4 with a 6.55 ERA in his first seven starts. The main problem was that his K/BB ratio suffered immensely in the major leagues. On Wednesday night he allowed just one run in eight innings, striking out 11 and not issuing a walk. Perhaps something has clicked, or perhaps he just had a lucky game, but Purcey could definitely wind up with AL-only value down the stretch.
Recommendation: Worth a flier in AL-only leagues.
6. Nick Punto - SS/2B - MIN - Dating back to the beginning of July, Punto has gone 53-for-175 (.303) in 44 games with 24 runs scored and 16 driven in. It's a far cry from last year, when he was basically the worst offensive regular in baseball. Punto's a career .251 hitter, but he sustained a .290 average over 459 at-bats back in 2006. He's not going to supply much power, but he's scoring plenty of runs.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues.
7. Marco Scutaro - 2B - TOR - Scutaro is 32 and he has a lifetime batting average of .260 with 37 homers in over 2000 at-bats. He hasn't suddenly taken his game to the next level, but he is hitting .310 so far in August, making him a nice stopgap that won't hurt your AL-only team if you're looking for a Howie Kendrick replacement.
Recommendation: Use while hot in AL-only leagues.
8. Joaquin Arias - 2B - TEX - Go ahead and click on Arias' name over there on the left and admire his mustache. He's supposedly 23, but he doesn't look a day under 50. Arias will see most of the time at second base until Ian Kinsler returns, but despite the hot start (.344 average, 875 OPS), he's unlikely to maintain much fantasy value. He has a career .280/.310/.387 line in 231 Triple-A games.
Recommendation: Only worth a flier in mixed leagues.
1. Josh Johnson - SP - FLA - Since coming off the disabled list, Josh Johnson has compiled a very solid 3.12 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings. His velocity also appears to have increased since before he underwent Tommy John surgery. Johnson is still owned in less than half of all fantasy leagues, which he clearly shouldn't be. He has a decent schedule to finish out the season, too: ATL, STL, WSH, PHI and WSH.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.
2. Hiroki Kuroda - SP - LAD - Kuroda has had a solid first season in America, posting a 3.87 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His record 7-9 record is certainly the fault of Los Angeles' anemic offense, but things should get easier down the stretch: Kuroda is scheduled to face SD, SD, PIT, SF, SF to finish the season. It'd be hard to draw up a better schedule.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues
3. Elijah Dukes - OF - WAS - Despite his .270 average and 835 OPS this season, Elijah Dukes is owned in just one out of every 100 fantasy leagues. And people said fantasy players had no morals. Dukes has only managed to stay healthy enough for 189 at-bats this season, but he has 8 homers and 11 stolen bases. If he can reach 80-90 at-bats over the rest of the season, he should have at least five more dingers and five more swipes. He says he wants to hit 12 more before the season ends, so you know he'll be trying.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.
4. Luis Ayala - RP - NYM - Jerry Manuel basically named Ayala the Mets' closer on Wednesday by saying that he gives the team "the best chance right now to close the game out." So far, he's 2-for-3 in save opportunities since Friday, but he appears poised to keep the closing job if he can maintain success. He's has a career ERA of 3.30 with a WHIP of 1.23, so he could stick for the next month.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.
5. Paul Maholm - SP - PIT - We mentioned Maholm here a few weeks ago, but he's still owned in just one of every ten fantasy leagues. He had a disastrous start against the Cubs this month, but he's still managed a 2.91 ERA in August, giving him a 3.62 ERA on the season. He'll face MIL, SF, HOU, LAD, HOU, SD to finish out the season.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues
6. Pablo Sandoval - C - SF - Since being called up a couple weeks ago, Sandoval has posted a very solid .372/.378/.535 line in 43 at-bats. The 22-year-old had only logged 117 at-bats at Double-A before being promoted, but he posted a .333 average and six homers after hitting .359 with 12 homers in 273 at-bats at Single-A this season. The kid isn't going to sustain his early totals, but he's eligible at catcher, making him someone fantasy owners should be following.
Recommendation: Should be grabbed in NL-only leagues.
7. Manny Corpas - RP - COL - If you're desperate for saves over the next few days, Corpas could help with Brian Fuentes on the bereavement list. Fuentes could come off as soon as today, making Corpas the ultimate in short-term adds.
Recommendation: Worth grabbing in mixed leagues for now.
8. Ronnie Belliard - 2B - WAS - Belliard has enjoyed a great August, hitting .403 with a 997 OPS. He's been starting consistently at first base, and should continue to do so until Dmitri Young comes back, but his eligibility at second is what makes him a nice source of fantasy value. Don't expect him to continue at his current pace - it's way above his career norms - but he's a decent short-term replacement for Howie Kendrick.
Recommendation: Use while hot in NL-only leagues.
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