Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: History suggests Eduardo Rodriguez could be a very valuable Fantasy option, more

When it comes to drafting top prospects in the preseason, we tend to practice caution around these parts. That’s because draft picks are your most valuable assets all season, and you need to be careful with them – passing on proven contributors for the potential of an unproven prospect is often a pretty bad bet to make with your most valuable resources.

Once the season starts, it’s a lot easier to buy into the prospect hype. Now, that’s not to say you need to blow your FAB budget for every single top-100 prospect who gets close to the majors, of course; you still have to be judicious and consider both upside and downside. But when we’re talking about waiver-wire targets, especially after the first few weeks of the season, you’re usually comparing prospects to uninspiring veterans on a bit of a hot streak. And in that context, it’s clear which players you should be targeting.

Every week, Scott White writes his Prospects Report column, highlighting the top names you need to know about, and there are a few you definitely need to know right now. And Nick Kurtz is at the top of the list, as it sure looks like his MLB debut is imminent. 

Kurtz was the No. 4 pick in last year’s draft and he’s off to a bonkers start to this season, hitting seven homers in his first 69 at-bats while hitting .348. And the Athletics have now played Brent Rooker in the outfield three times in the past five days, which we’re taking as a sure sign that they’re trying to make sure Rooker can handle that, allowing Kurtz to take over at DH on a more or less full-time basis. They’ve also discussed having Tyler Soderstrom play third base, a sign of how badly they want to find a way to get Kurtz up to the majors for good. He’s the clear top prospect to stash right now, and I’m inclined to say he should just be rostered in all leagues at this point.

Of course, a couple of other interesting prospects actually beat Kurtz to the majors, so before we get to everything you need to know about from Thursday’s action around MLB, let’s get to know the two middle infielders getting the call this weekend: 

Luke Keaschall, 2B, Twins (11%) – Keaschall entered the season as Scott’s No. 40 prospect for Fantasy, and that was coming off Tommy John surgery. Before that, he had a .903 OPS with 15 homers and 23 steals in 102 games last season, and he’s shown few ill effects so far, hitting .261/.379/.348 through his first 14 games at Triple-A. You’d like to see more power, but Keaschall’s approach at the plate is pretty strong, and he’s got enough athleticism to make an impact on the bases. The biggest question with his callup is where and how much he’s going to play – he’s played a bit of center field in the past, so if they think he can handle that after the surgery, they could slot him in an outfield spot or at second base, depending on matchups. It might be a short stay for Keaschall, but if he gets hot, the Twins might be willing to keep him around, and his positional versatility will help in that regard. I’m willing to add Keaschall in most leagues, even with no guarantee he stays around long. 

Caleb Durbin, 2B, Brewers (18%) – The need for Durbin looks a little less obvious, with third base looking like the only real path to everyday playing time unless the Brewers believe he can handle an outfield spot or shortstop. Durbin is kind of a little guy, and he tends to produce exit velocities befitting a little guy – he’s up to an 88.6 mph average exit velocity this season, but was at 83.8 in a much larger sample size last season. But he has a terrific approach at the plate, both in terms of maintaining strong strikeout and walk rates and in terms of his ability to consistently lift the ball to the pull side, generating more power production than you would otherwise expect. He’s also a very enthusiastic and aggressive baserunner, stealing 31 in just 90 games last season; that could fit in very well with the Brewers’ MO. If they view him as more or less an everyday option between an outfield corner and third base, Durbin could absolutely matter in all categories leagues, though I’m skeptical enough that I’d like to see something from him before I look to add him in 12-team or shallower leagues.

These aren’t the most exciting prospect promotions we’ll see, but both have plenty going for them if you’ve got a roster spot to play with. Let’s get to everything else you need to know from Thursday, but before we do that, one quick announcement: On Monday morning on CBSSports.com, we’ll be trying something new out, hosting a chat to answer your questions before lineups lock. I’ll have a link to that in Monday’s newsletter, but we’ll be live at 10 am ET for an hour to help you get your lineups set before the 11 am lineup lock on Monday. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Friday’s top waiver-wire targets

Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, Diamondbacks (61%) – Rodriguez did exactly what he was supposed to do Thursday against the Marlins, limiting them to just one earned run despite scattering 10 hits over 5.1 innings, thanks in large part to nine strikeouts. He generated 14 swinging strikes on 93 pitches and now has 29 strikeouts to just six walks in 22 innings of work. The 4.09 ERA isn’t exactly dominant, but his peripherals suggest there could be better days – he has a 2.37 FIP this season, which is excellent. Remember, Rodrigues had a 3.30 ERA in 2023, so it’s not out of the question he could be a very useful Fantasy option. 

Austin Hays, OF, Reds (23%) – Three games, two homers for Hays, who sure looks healthy in the early going. He was a consistently above-average bat before 2023, when he dealt with multiple injuries, including a kidney infection, which understandably limited his production. But he’s healthy now after missing the start of the season with a calf injury, and I think he’s one of the most under-rostered players in Fantasy at this point.  

Kumar Rocker, SP, Rangers (45%) – It’s really easy to fall for Rocker when you catch him during one of his good starts. His slider can look like one of the best weapons in the league when he’s spinning it right like he was Thursday when he generated 12 of his 15 swinging strikes on just 78 pitches against the Angels. That led to eight strikeouts over seven innings in Rocker’s best start of the season. Of course, it was also his only good start of the season, which is why chasing this might just be falling for fool’s gold. But it looks awfully shiny when he’s on his game like this, and with a dearth of interesting, high-upside pitchers emerging on waivers in the past week or so, I’m fine chasing Rocker off this start.