Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Cobb’s Return

No top prospects or exciting names this week, but here are three guys worth picking up to round out a roster. I’ll be posting August rankings next week after the trade deadline.

Sal Frelick – OF Brewers – Rostered in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues

I might have led off with Garrett Mitchell here, but I just recommended him a few weeks ago. He’s my favorite of the currently healthy Brewers outfielders, but with Christian Yelich on the IL and his status seemingly uncertain for the rest of the year due to his latest round of back woes, Frelick also seems worth rostering in most formats, in spite of his lack of power.

Frelick has managed just two homers in 343 plate appearances this season after totaling three in 223 plate appearances as a rookie last year, but the Brewers are mostly hitting him fourth and fifth anyway. I don’t totally understand that, given the alternatives, but as long as it continues, Frelick should be a more adequate source of runs batted in. He’s hit .266, scored 45 runs and swiped 14 bases, so he’s made modest contributions in three categories. His fantasy upside isn’t nearly in the same neighborhood as Mitchell’s, but given that he’s so adept at making contact, his average might rise some as the year goes on.

Alex Cobb – SP Giants – Rostered in 4 percent of Yahoo leagues

Cobb is finally about to make his 2024 debut after being delayed by a shoulder problem that arose as he was completing his rehab from hip surgery. The Giants are debating about whether to have him make one more rehab start or bring him back Sunday to face the Rockies. He threw five scoreless innings for Triple-A Sacramento last time out, though since that took him only 60 pitches, one more minor league start would make sense.

The complication there is that the Giants might be looking to sell before Tuesday’s deadline, and a strong showing in the majors would help Cobb’s value on the trade market. He’d be attractive to contenders in spite of all the missed time; he was an above average starter each season from 2020-23. His fastball velocity was down about one mph from last year in his most recent rehab start, but that still put him at 93.6 mph on average, which is harder than he ever threw prior to 2022. One would think he’s still probably going to get a little stronger as he builds up some innings. Whether he stays with the Giants or heads elsewhere, he’ll probably be worth using in shallow leagues down the stretch.

Josh Bell – 1B Marlins – Rostered in 22 percent of Yahoo leagues

This could be the spot in which I recommend Devison De Los Santos, the slugging infielder the Marlins acquired from the Diamondbacks for A.J. Puk on Thursday. Instead, I’m recommending the veteran I’m guessing will be traded next week to open up more room for De Los Santos in the Marlins lineup. Bell has been a disappointment this year in hitting just .234/.299/.377 to date, but he’ll almost certainly be more valuable on another team, assuming a deal gets done. He’d probably hit lower in a contenders lineup, but that could still lead to more run and RBI opportunities than he’s getting on the Marlins. As discouraging as this year has been on the whole for Bell, he’s definitely struck the ball better of late.

From Baseball Savant:

Quick hits

– Tyler Ferguson actually got Oakland’s first save after Mason Miller landed on the injured list Thursday, but Lucas Erceg still figures to be the team’s most frequent closer for now. There is the legitimate possibility he’ll be traded next week, likely killing his value, but those with an open roster spot and a need for saves could take a shot.

– It’s still a given that the Marlins are trading Tanner Scott, but now it won’t be Puk taking over as Miami’s closer. That would seem to put Calvin Faucher next in line for saves in Miami; he’s been getting most of the eighth-inning work lately and has been effective in amassing a 3.11 ERA. Andrew Nardi could also factor in when matchups favor a left-hander.