Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 9

No one was hotter in spring training than Nationals’ outfielder Michael Morse as he won a full time job and was placed fifth in the batting order to begin the season. Morse’s hot finish to the 2010 season, made me believe that his spring numbers were somewhat legit but the veteran disappointed me when he started the season ice cold.

In recent weeks Morse has filled in for Adam LaRoche (shoulder injury) and is now hitting the cover off the baseball as he hit a home run in four consecutive games this past week. Morse is getting regular time on the field again, and has picked up first base eligibility in Yahoo leagues and will get eligibility soon in ESPN leagues.

Currently Morse is owned in 21 percent of ESPN leagues and 23 percent of Yahoo leagues but he is flying off the waiver wire quick so if you need more power, give Morse a shot.

Catchers

J.P. Arencibia – Blue Jays

The Blue Jays young catcher was a deep sleeper of mine coming into the season but the main question mark for J.P. Arencibia was could he hit for a respectable batting average? We’ve known for some time now that Arencibia has power but two months into the season he’s only hitting .245 on the season, but in the past 15 days he’s at a .279 average.

If your in need of a catcher after Buster Posey went down, Arencibia is worth a look for the short term as he will continue to hit for power in an offensive ball park.

Ramon Hernandez – Reds

Ramon Hernandez is putting together a solid season but the main probably for this veteran is getting regular at bats. Age has limited Hernandez to taking on less work but his power numbers look to be for real in the first half of the season. Hernandez will continue to hit well when he’s on the field as the Reds are making sure to not over work him.

First Baseman

Juan Miranda – Diamondbacks

A hot weekend and the release of Russell Branyan means Juan Miranda will finally get regular playing time at first base for the Diamondbacks. This should be a breakout year for the youngster as Arizona is turning into a winning ball club, and Miranda should be right in the middle of the action.

I was impressed by his two home run game on Friday night, and it’s time to view Miranda as a player who can start on your team right away. Notice the percentage owned above and Miranda can be had in just about any league. Make sure to take a waiver pickup on this kid if you need some extra help at first base or utility.

Outfielder

Jon Jay – Cardinals

Cardinals’ outfielder Jon Jay has received regular playing time of late because Matt Holliday is banged up and the youngster is giving his coaches every reason to keep the veteran off the field until he’s fully healthy. Heading into the weekend, Jay had a .377 batting average over the past two weeks and should continue to play well in the short term.

Relief Pitchers

Jon Rauch – Blue Jays

Francisco and Dotel have failed to get much done in the late innings, and it looks likely that Jon Rauch will take over the closers role soon.  On Friday, the Blue Jays gave Rauch the call for a save opportunity, and he closed it out. On Saturday, both Francisco and Dotel pitched ineffective once again, so look for Rauch to continue getting chances.

Rubby De La Rosa – Dodgers

The Dodgers had Rubby De La Rosa working out as a starting pitcher in the minors, but they have him as a relief pitcher at the pro level. With a strong strikeout record and a need for someone to provide stability in the ninth inning, Coach Don Mattingly could turn to his youngster in the coming week.

Starting Pitchers

Scott Baker – Twins

The Twins are playing in some close ball games as Scott Baker is having a solid year with a 3.65 earn run average and 61 strikeouts in just under 62 innings of work. The Twins are struggling to find runs to help Baker win games, but I believe you will see this team play better as the summer moves along.

Doug Fister – Mariners

The Mariners seem to be hanging around in the West, and it is mainly because of their pitching staff and the success they are finding from top to bottom. Doug Fister is a two start pitcher this week and has been hot of late so give him a look, as it seems Seattle’s offense is actually scoring some runs of late.