Week 19 Waivers - Goodbye Mr Kate Upton

TRADE!!!!!
MBHB gets 1b Anthony Rizzo
Bobs ATers get OF Jason Heyward

On the surface, this looks like the Bastards got one hell of a deal on a great 1b to fill the spot left empty by the errant Ernesto Tire Firei pitch (arent they all errant?).  But Bob had Rizzo rotting behind Cuban Missle Launcher Jose Abreu on the ATers bench and was starting Billy Hamilton, Corey Dickerson and Alex Rios in the OF.  Hamilton and Dickerson are solid players who have their specialized areas (speed for Hamilton, hitting for Dickerson), but Rios isnt above average anywhere but in SBs (and Heyward is almost his equal there).  In the last 30 days, Rios is hitting 246/277/295 while Heyward is hitting 343/416/463.  Listen, the last thing that I want to do is make Bob's team better than it was, but sometimes you gotta look out for #1.  The appeal of Rizzo is obvious.  He is a big power hitting 1b with a 278/378/495 season line and is as close as one can get to replacing Paul Goldschmidt this late in the season...and he is a Cub (my first one other than Emilio, who I dont count as an actual Cub).  It sets up a internal struggle for me when keeper time comes.  Do I keep Goldschmidt, one of the top offensive players in all of basball but at a $60 price tag?  Or do I keep Rizzo, who is not quite as good (and sometimes swings at pitches that hit him), but is a Cub and only costs $20?  I am not looking forward to that decision.

SP/RP Wade Davis - $5 - UCCMA - No Drop
There was a collective hardon for Davis this week, as in addition to Jimmy, both John and I put in claims on Wade.  To be honest, I am surprised it took this long for him to be claimed.  Davis is putting up flat silly numbers this year...78 strikeouts in 51.1 innings, 0.88 ERA., 0.88 WHIP, opponents are hitting .141 against him and he has given up 5 total runs all season (1 run since April 23rd) and had a 23 inning scoreless streak in which he gave up only 6 hits. Domination.  He might never be a starter in MLB, but it might be time to give up that dream and embrace what he is, a lights out lock down closer type who happens to be pitching in the 8th inning in front of another lock down closer type.  Between Davis and Greg Holland, the Royals turn every game into a 6 or 7 inning contest.





OF Austin Jackson - $2 - Les Moles - Drop OF Leonys Martin
Jackson has gotten off to a decent enough start in his new Safeco Field home and he is lightyears better than James Jones and his .286 OBP and 9 RBI in 307 plate appearances.  As a backup fantasy OFer, Jackson is decent, and if you can catch him in the right week, he can be a great fantasy asset.  Martin has speed...and thats about it.  His 249/307/349 slash line leaves a lot to be desired and now that it has been exposed that he cant hit for shit against lefties, it isnt going to get better.

RP Andrew Miller - $2 - KIODL - Drop 2b Howie Kendrick

Fear the beard.  No really..fear him, he kinda
resembles a homeless serial killer.

John and I must have been drinking the same Kool-Aide.  We both tried to nab Davis (darn you Uncle Jim!), we both put in claims on Porcello (more on that in a bit) and we both had claims on Miller (mine got invalidated with I got Porcello).  Miller has basically been the left handed version of Wade Davis with a slightly higher ERA.  Miller has 76 Ks in 47.1 innings, a 2.28 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .164 against him so far this year.   Miller, like Davis, experienced a career renaissance when he stopped being given the ball at the start of games.  Also like Davis, Miller is part of a dynamic bullpen (Baltimore) which features Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day and Zach Britton...unlike Davis, Miller now plays for a manager that actually understands bullpen useage.




SP Rick Porcello - $2 - MBHB - Drop SP Justin Verlander

Porcello likes fishing.

That line was tough to type.  I have owned Verlander in another league since 2007 or so.  I have ridden the horse through the good times, but even I have to admit, he doesnt look like the same pitcher.  Last night's implosion was the final straw for me.  1 inning pitched, 3 strikeouts, 4 earned runs, 6 baserunners, an possibly injured shoulder...and a partridge in a pear tree.  It is hard to look at the $35 price tag he had as a sunk cost, but sometimes you need to cut off the arm to save the body...and it was time to cut off Verlander before he did any more damage to my team's ratios.  I dont think that Porcello is anything spectacular.  He has Ks in over 150 innings pitched, but he doesnt walk many which keeps his WHIP down and doesnt give up many HRs, which keeps his ERA down, and he is tied to an offense that features Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, which means he should have a decent opportunity to win ball games every time out.  At this point in the year, there isnt much starting pitching sitting on the waiver wire.  There is so little that I wouldnt be surprised to see someone take a $1 or $2 stab at Verlander to see if he can put it back together for the stretch run.