Search MLB Articles for: Content Title Author Share the Knowledge:             Sports Grumblings - http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles Waiver Wire Roundup: Aug. 10 http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/1268/1/Waiver-Wire-Roundup-Aug-10/Page1.html Josh Duggan Utterly unemployable as a English major, Josh had nowhere to turn but the not-so-fantasy-world of fantasy sports.  Putting down the books that damned him to a lifetime of menial jobs, he set forth on a voyage that would take him through the crests and troughs--the surprises and letdowns--the failures and successes that at once madden and excite us all.  So obsessed did he become that he decided to shun the fickle mistress fantasy football  for the games which allowed for his drive and determination to beat his opponents into bloody pulps.  For him there were more successes than failures, though, and that is where you and he shall meet.    By Josh Duggan Published on 08/10/2009

Billy Butler, Royals

This week, I am actually coming to you with something that vaguely resembles reportage.  Shocking as it may be, I saw something of worth at a minor league game.  That minor league game was at an Astros affiliate, and with a farm system as impoverished as theirs the previous statement may border on unbelievable.

Billy Butler – 1B – Kansas City Royals (50% Y! Plus, 30% Y!, 10.3% ESPN)

So maybe he is not Joe DiMaggio as a certain Pepsi commercial would have us believe.  What he is is a 23-year-old whose doubles-power is starting to turn into home run power.  Since raising bottoming out with a .193 batting average on April 27^th, Butler has spent 90 games giving the three depressed Royals fans left hope.  His .318/.362/.524/.887 split is impressive enough, but in that time he has also managed 33 2B and 13 HR. 

Even with the lackluster first three weeks of the season, Butler is on pace for more than 50 doubles, so even if the ball hasn’t been leaving the yard as much as fantasy owners might like there is some pretty legitimate power emanating from that slightly doughy (and I can say that because I’m one of his doughy brethren) frame.  In the 22 games since the All-Star Break, Butler has turned it up even more, hitting a robust .341/.414/.624/1.038 with five HR, 13 R, and 19 RBI while maintaining an 11:12 BB:K ratio.  In keeper leagues, he should already be snatched up, but he has been consistently playable since April 27^th.  There are not many options for pick-up that such a statement can be made about.

Rajai Davis – CF – Oakland Athletics (33% Y! Plus, 10% Y!, 7.1% ESPN)

Despite the Athletics’ well-known aversion to stealing bases, Rajai Davis—he of the great catch visualizations—seems to have gotten the rare green light in Oakland.  Having collected nine of his 19 stolen bases on the season since July 6th, Davis has also managed to hit .361/.429/.574/1.002 with 14 runs scored and another 21 driven in over the course of the 71 plate appearances he has garnered in that time. 

Given the A’s apparent distaste for scoring runs (if we’re to judge them by their play on the field…), it would seem likely that the RBIs will not continue at that clip.  Luckily for fantasy owners, the steals are here to stay, as Davis swiped 25 in 207 PA last season while donning an elephant-adorned jersey.  Moreover, Davis should see much more regularity to his playing time with the gaping hole in the outfield that Matt Holliday’s trade has left.  Now an everyday player, Davis has seen his worth skyrocket because the more he finds himself on base the more chances he has to run.

Elijah Dukes – LF, CF, RF – Washington Nationals (17% Y! Plus, 18%Y!, 14.4% ESPN)

So he hasn’t played up to the lofty expectations that many (myself included) had after seeing the numbers he put up in roughly half a season in 2008, but there is always room for hope, right?

With Dukes, the talent is clearly there.  Last year he was 13/13 in 81 games.  Oddly, he was only caught stealing four times last year.  The item of concern in looking to Dukes for more than he is potentially worth is that he has been caught stealing eight times while succeeding only twice.  There are not many players who convert stolen base attempts at a 20% success rate and continue to get the green light. 

In his stint in the minors after getting sent down on July 1^st when Nyjer Morgan arrived on the scene, Dukes started working his walk rates up to being roughly 1:1 with his K-rates.  If some time in the minors helped bring his batting eye back, then fantasy owners could be in for a valuable add for a run at the playoffs and beyond.

Brandon Morrow – SP, RP – Seattle Mariners (14% Y! Plus, 28% Y!, 46.4% ESPN)

Yes, I am fully aware that he currently sits on the Tacoma Rainiers roster.  In fact, I saw him completely blow up the Round Rock Express on Saturday night.  As the Mariners have stretched him back out to be a starter yet again, Morrow has had his rough starts.  His last two starts, though, have been impressive. 

After striking out five in seven innings and allowing two earned while walking only one against the Fresno Grizzlies, Morrow dominated the Express.  In six innings pitched, he allowed five hits and one walk.  Along the way, he struck out eight while thoroughly baffling the Express hitters.  His fastball was touching the 97-to-98 MPH range, and his off-speed stuff seemed to compliment the fastball well against the weak roster of Astros’ farmhands.   Morrow threw 90 pitches—60 for strikes—and seems like he should be on the cusp of a call-up.  He is not useful quite yet, but if you have a spare roster spot and a can wait a little bit, the pay-off could be worth it.

Clayton Richard – SP, RP – San Diego Padres (19% Y! Plus, 4% Y!, 2.6% ESPN)

One of the key “gets” for the Padres in the Peavy deal, Clayton Richard is the beneficiary of getting to pitch half his games in Petco Park rather than Comiskey II, or whatever corporate sponsor’s name is attached to that stadium.  Entering the season as Baseball America’s 3^rd best prospect in the White Sox organization, Richard has the pedigree to entice.

Now, surely, the .215 BABIP that he has sported through 11.1 IP in a Padres uniform will not stand, and his ratios will rise accordingly.  Fortunately, as long as he is not pitching in Colorado, the odds of him getting shelled are far lower than they were while pitching for the White Sox.  With a young pitcher in deeper leagues, you have to look for any way possible to minimize the potential for damages.  When you take into account his heavy groundball tendencies, the likelihood for shelling gets cut even further.  San Diego is the prime location for that, even if the wins are scarcer. 

Josh Duggan welcomes your comments at mister.josh.duggan@gmail.com.  If you are going to heave insults in his direction, at least be funny and creative.  He is also the author of a Kansas City Royals blog, Royalscentricity (which is also syndicated at Bleacher Report, where he is a featured Royals columnist), and a pop culture blog, Inconsiderate Prick.