By Dan O’Shea
Sure, you could have drafted Chris Sale and Jake Arrieta in the first and second rounds of your draft, but instead you thought it wiser to use those precious opportunities on much-hyped position players like, say, A.J. Pollock and Kyle Schwarber.
Well, if you landed both of the latter two, who are now thoroughly injured, you might have bigger problems than a lack of firepower in your starting rotation. But let’s solve your pitching problems first.
Here are a few possible pitcher pick-ups, each with some waiver wire availability last time I checked:
Mat Latos, SP, WHITE SOX: Available in 26% of Yahoo! leagues. A week ago, he was about 90% available, but word is getting around about two things: Both the Sox and Latos are good again.
I was afraid during the preseason that he would be nothing but homer-bait at The Cell, but with a 4-0 record, 0.74 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, he’s looking like the guy who had three 14-win seasons earlier this decade, rather than the chronically-injured mess he was the last two seasons.
Rich Hill, SP/RP, OAK: Available in 58% of Yahoo! leagues. Yes, that Rich Hill.
Former Cub curveball phenom turned journeyman bullpen arm is delivering on his promise eight or nine years later than expected. If you really need strikeouts, Hill is a better choice than Latos, with 37 in 26 IP to the Latos’ 13 in 25 IP. He’s got three wins and a 2.42 ERA.
His 1.27 WHIP reflects he’s getting hit a lot – 24 hits to be exact – but he’s missing a lot of bats, too. Maybe not a long-term bet, but at least a short-term boost.
Rick Porcello, SP, BOS: Available in 49% of Yahoo! leagues. Porcello has quietly had a pretty good career, with at least 10 wins in each of his first six seasons until a 9-15 swoon last year.
His career ERA of 4.37 and low career strikeout-per-nine IP might be the reason he stays under the radar, but this season he’s off to a 4-0 start, with 30 strikeouts in 25 IP, just five walks, a 3.51 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
Don’t know if he keeps up that strikeout pace, but if you let Sale and Arrieta pass you by, you have to take what you can get.
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Disco Dan O’Shea is our fantasy sports correspondent. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on April 27, 2016