Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Springs into action

Mr. George Bissell sniped me on Shane Baz and Drew Thorpe this week, so here are my three remaining favorite pickups at the moment.

Spencer Arrighetti – SP Astros – Rostered in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

Arrighetti’s ERA has had nowhere to go but down after he gave up seven runs over three innings in his major league debut Apr. 10, and it has, steadily, even if it’s still sitting at 5.33 right now. His last three starts have seen him allow two runs over 14 2/3 innings.

Needed earlier than expected this year because of Houston’s injury issues, Arrighetti probably wasn’t quite ready initially. Even now, he’s still being held back by a stunningly high .359 BABIP and a 12 percent walk rate. The latter is a real concern, while the former looks like a fluke. Arrighetti’s exit velocity numbers are all average or slightly better. Statcast thinks the league should be hitting .243 against him, which is quite a bit lower than the .269 mark he actually sports. His .359 BABIP is 76 points higher than the Astros’ team mark.

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Walks have long been a problem for Arrighetti, so while he’ll probably get a little better there in the short term, he’s not going to quickly turn into the type of starter who works deep into games. Still, his strong assortment of breaking balls has led to a 26% strikeout rate to date, and outside of a probable start against the Orioles next week, he’s slated to benefit from a pretty forgiving schedule in the coming weeks. He rates at least a short-term pickup.

Noelvi Marte – 3B Reds – Rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues

Before Marte was handed an 80-game PED suspension this spring, he was a very intriguing fantasy pick facing an infield logjam in Cincinnati. Of course, that all went away afterwards due to Matt McLain requiring shoulder surgery and Christian Encarnacion-Strand injuring his wrist. Marte’s return, set for June 27, could see him installed as the regular third baseman, with Jeimer Candelario moving to first and Spencer Steer returning to left field.

Long a top prospect, Marte thrived in his major league debut last season, batting .316/.366/.456 with three homers and six steals in 35 games. He’s still growing into his power — and he apparently was trying to speed the process along — but he could have something to offer in all five fantasy categories, especially if he’s able to land a spot in the top half of the Reds lineup after returning. There is the chance he’ll struggle during his minor league assignment after all of the time away and wind up getting optioned out for a spell instead of reinstated to the active roster once his suspension ends, but that’s not how the Reds want this to play out. If all goes well, he’ll offer a fair amount of fantasy value over the final three months.

Jeffrey Springs – SP Rays – Rostered in 16 percent of Yahoo leagues

Springs has already had one setback in his return from Tommy John surgery, leaving his second rehab start last month with shoulder tightness, but he’s back pitching again now, having worked two scoreless innings and struck out three for Triple-A Durham on Wednesday. With the Rays bringing him back slowly, he’s probably not going to be a candidate for the major league rotation until right after the All-Star break. Still, he could make quite an impact once back. After all, this is a pitcher who went 11-6 with a 2.26 ERA and a 168/35 K/BB ratio in 151 1/3 innings between 2022 and the beginning of 2023 (he made three starts in April before getting hurt).

Obviously, as with anyone returning from Tommy John surgery, Springs is hardly a sure thing at this point. Any type of significant setback could cause the Rays to change focus and concentrate on getting him ready for next year. Even if all proceeds as hoped, Springs will likely face some quick hooks after his return and often get extra days off between starts. Still, this is a pitcher who looked like one of the best in the league down the stretch in 2022 and at the beginning of last year. It’s the right time to stash him and hope that it pays off next month.