Waiver Wire Walk of Shame: 2 Friars & a pair of White Sox

It’s Father’s Day folks, have a drink. Or 2. I don’t know about y’all but if there’s one Father’s Day baseball memory that will likely be etched into my brain until I grow old, it’s John McDonald’s home run on June 20^th, 2010. For those not familiar with the situation, Johnny Mac was a glove first infielder who played from 1999-2014. He was not known for his power stroke as he hit a grand total of 28 HRs over 2434 ABs. His career slugging % was a modest .323.

But somehow on that fateful mid-June day, against all odds, we witnessed one of those rare moments seemingly out of a Hollywood movie.

Johnny Mac was in the midst of his 5^th season with the Blue Jays back in 2010. On Tuesday, June 15^th he lost his father Jack after a battle with liver cancer. He attended his funeral on the Friday and was back at the ballpark in Toronto on Saturday. With the Blue Jays trailing the Giants 9-3 on the Sunday, Jays manager Cito Gaston put Johnny Mac in at the keystone for some defensive reps at the top of the ninth. Well, his name came up in the batting order in the bottom of the ninth and what did the light hitting utility infielder do? He drove a Jeremy Affeldt breaking ball just over the left field wall. Trotting around the bases, he pointed skywards as a gesture to his late father, a promise he had made just a few days beforehand. To hit one of his 28 career homers in the first AB he got after his father’s passing is just incredible. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the Skydome that day.

Here’s a clip of the play, featuring recently retired Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez with his iconic southern twang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fANOQNo4E_4

In the vein of Johnny Mac, every add doesn’t need to be of hero caliber (but it sure is nice if they are). Sometimes you just need a hole plugged with a perfectly average bat who has regular playing time. Because at this stage, fantasy baseball is more a game of attrition than pure knowledge and skill. If you happen to be losing the war of attrition, you’ve come to the right place – here are a few guys to help plug the holes you and your roster may have.

All roster rates are from Yahoo as of Sunday evening

SAM ANTONACCI (2B/3B/OF, CWS – 31% rostered)

The South Side ‘Snacci is a speedy middle infielder who also happens to be OF eligible. He had a bit of a slow start after getting called up to the Bigs, but he’s settled in nicely. He often leads off, but sometimes finds himself at the bottom of the order against lefties. Over the last month he’s the 59^th ranked player in my H2H 5x5 categories league, on the strength of 19 runs, 10 RBI, 3 dingers, 5 swipes, and a .292 average. He’s in the top 2% for expected BA and top 7% for xwOBA. His actual batting average lags his xBA by a bit so perhaps he’s due for a bit of positive regression. He’s also a burner with a sprint speed in the top quartile. He swiped 48 bags over 3 levels last year and I do think he’s capable of 30+ SBs over a full season. Add to that double digit HR power and you can see why this is the last call before his ownership rises to >40%. Count me in for 12+ team leagues.

SAMAD TAYLOR (2B/OF, SD - 18% rostered)

SaMad Dash Taylor is just that – a speedy middle infield/outfielder with low power numbers who has moved to the top of the order 4 games ago. What’s he done with the lineup promotion you ask? 5 runs,  6 hits & 1 steal. Sounds like he has been setting the table well to me. Not to mention he’s stolen 44 and 50 bases the last 2 years in AAA. Does this have the feeling of something that may not be sustainable in the long run? Perhaps, but those in 14+ mixed leagues or NL only formats may need to juice whatever orange they can. Ride the wave while it’s there my guys.

WALKER BUEHLER (SP, SD - 25% rostered)

Now it’s been a hot minute since Walker was fantasy relevant. 5 years to be exact. He underwent his 2^nd Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has been recovering/rehabbing/ineffective ever since. Now on the Friars, he gets to call the friendly confines of Petco home, which rates as the 4^th best pitcher’s park in the major leagues. He’s also found a time machine since the start of June; over his 4 starts this month he’s pitched 21 innings, allowed 4 earned runs and racked up 22Ks. Ever since his 2^nd surgery he’s been a little heavy on the WHIP for my liking, which holds true this year (1.32). However, if he can keep it around a strikeout an inning coupled with his home park, he could be a good speculative add. Now you may want to wait and see how his next start goes – against the mighty Dodgers (2^nd in the league with 405 runs) – but it could be a redemption game of sorts against his old team. Either way, I’m interested in 12+ team leagues with a need for some starting pitching depth. Buehler? Buehler? Buehler?

KYLE TEEL (C, CWS – 11% rostered)

Nothing too earth-shattering here. Just about using your IL spaces to their maximum utility. If you have an empty IL spot and/or a need for catching help, stop reading and go add the Teel Deal. He sustained a hamstring injury at the WBC and has yet to take a major league AB. He’s on a rehab assignment at AAA Charlotte and has had some noteworthy games (2/3 with a HR and a 5/6 with a 2B). He’s the 14^th overall pick from the 2023 draft who had 8HRs, 11 2B and 3 SBs in 78 games last season. He likely profiles as the 10^th-12^th overall catcher in standard leagues once he’s back at his full powers. With Murakami still out, they will likely get Teel’s bat in the lineup with some time at DH, further increasing his appeal as a catcher. Especially when you consider he’s missed time with not 1, but 2 lower body injuries so far.

Onto the roster review. For those unfamiliar this is the review of my lineup in a 12 team mixed league with 5x5 category scoring.

The offensive hero is none other than my boy SALLY STEWART, with an absurd 11 RBIs on the week including a 6 RBI performance against the Yanks this weekend. The pitching hero? Same guy who’s been carrying my rotation all year, CAM SCHLITTLER with a nice 13K performance.

The zero of the week is FREDDY PERALTA who’s starting to make me think I should have asked for a mulligan after making this 6^th round pick.

As always thanks for reading. While I hope all of my readers emerge from their leagues victorious, the fact is only 1 person can win your league. I will do all in my power to hopefully bring you to the promise land. But it’s my hope to try and make the grind a bit more enjoyable at the very least. Make the time in the trenches a bit livelier. After all, this is a made-up game we play. But that fantasy baseball championship trophy couldn’t be more real my friends. If you’ve liked this content drop me a follow or an upvote. Cheers