Waiver Wire: PICK ‘EM UP!

Good luck in the Short Week!

Bud Norris has only thrown well this month hence his 5.97 ERA on the season, but he has a 3.07 ERA and a .95 WHIP in July. He gets the lowly Pirates this weekend and will face the marginal NL the remainder of the season. Do not look for Norris to be there in the end for you but get him while he’s hot.

Omar Infante should not have made the NL All Star team, although he is having a very nice season. He is hitting .332 on the season and .643 in the last week and he has all sorts of eligibility. If you need some help in the utility spot or perhaps you are in need of a stopgap at a thin position, take a look at the 2010 NL All Star.

J.P. Arencibia is a very good hitting catching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is currently hitting .319, with 25 HR, and 64 RBI on the season for Triple-A Las Vegas and he should be on the big league squad around the trade deadline. It looks like Arencibia might be able to help your team out at the end of the season and his stock will soon soar, so be sure to scoop him up ASAP.

Alfredo Simon is not owned in any league in Hotbox formats, which is mind-blowing since he is a full time closer, albeit for one of the worst teams in MLB. Simon should at least be on a roster at this point since he will get points and the Dominican big man has three saves in the last week.

I never thought I would ever recommend picking up Rodrigo Lopez but we are at that point of the season. He threw well against the Marlins (7 IP, 5 base runners), and faces the Padres and Giants, two offenses that do not exactly set the world on fire, in his next two starts. If he can escape with a 2-0 record consider yourself lucky, but give him a shot if you’re desperate.

Bill Hall is getting a lot more playing time than he should but that is great news for his production. Never the most consistent hitter but his pop has always been known since his monstrous 35 HR in 2006. He is hitting a respectable .286 in July, with 1 HR and 5 RBI, while getting on base at a .344 clip. Hall is eligible all around the diamond which will help him find his way in your lineup on a slow day.

Kyle Drabek threw a no-hitter last week, and it is possible he will be up before September, albeit a very small one. He is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and might be able to help your team in the playoffs, so keep an eye on him or pick him up if you have room on your roster.

Vin Mazzaro is another one of the A’s new very good pitching prospects but is still behind Dallas Braden and obviously Brett Anderson. When both of them return from injury Mazzaro will likely be the odd man out, but Ben Sheets will likely get injured soon so be ready to pick up Mazzaro, who is 1-0 in 14 IP with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP this season.

Matt Anaya
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Good luck in the Short Week! July 16, 2010 – Matt Anaya Bud Norris has only thrown well this month hence his 5.97 ERA on the season, but he has a 3.07 ERA and a .95 WHIP in July. He gets the lowly Pirates this weekend and will face the marginal NL the remainder of [...]