Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Willy Adames dominating away from Tampa; can Edward Olivares hack it?
The former Rays shortstop is living up to his potential in Milwaukee
By
Chris Towers
•
2 min read
Part of the fun of playing Fantasy Baseball is finding those unheralded guys who you just want to see get a chance to play. Josh Rojas was one of those guys for me and many other Fantasy analysts, and he's responded with a very respectable .283/.365/.465 batting line with five homers and two steals while emerging as an everyday player for the Diamondbacks. He's not available in most leagues at this point -- 70% roster rate -- but there is another guy who just got called up and is widely available, who like Rojas might just need a chance to show what he can do: Royals outfielder Edward Olivares.
In the interest of full disclosure, Olivares did get a chance early last season, hitting just .176/.222/.294 with 14 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances with the Padres, and though he was a little better after getting traded to the Royals, his .274/.292/.419 line didn't do much to move the needle. So, it makes sense why his return to the bigs in recent days didn't garner much attention, even from the Fantasy community. But Olivares is a potential diamond in the rough, like Rojas, and someone I'm looking to snag in my 15-team leagues.
Here's why: Olivares, 25, is a career .279 hitter in the minors with a 17.5% strikeout rate, and he sustained both of those numbers when he made his way to Double-A back in 2019. His first taste of the majors didn't look much like that, of course, but he's been absolutely red hot to start this season, hitting .395 with 11 walks, five homers, and most importantly, seven stolen bases.
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Olivares could be a potentially very valuable Fantasy option in category-based leagues because of that speed. He stole his first base Monday against the Pirates and that could be a consistent part of his game if he hits enough to stay in the lineup. In 147 games between Double-A and Triple-A, Olivares has 23 homers and 42 stolen bases, with a good-enough 79.2% success rate. The Royals lead the AL in stolen bases for the season even with Adalberto Mondesi limited to just six games so far, and Olivares should be a part of that moving forward.
If he hits. It's an open question, and Olivares may just be a Quad-A player when it's all said and done. But I'm a believer, and I'm excited to see Olivares getting a chance.
Here's who else we're looking at on waivers from Monday:
Possible waiver wire pickups
Adames has been around long enough that you probably don't think there's much reason to be excited about him; after all, we're talking about a 25-year-old with a .256/.323/.422 career line. He is what he is, right? Well, maybe not. His home run Monday was his second in 10 games since being traded to the Brewers, and he is hitting .324 since the trade. Small-sample size caveats abound, but it's worth noting, Adames has been a very good hitter outside of Tropicana Field for his career -- .293/.366/.497 with 27 homers in 159 career starts on the road. He talked at times about how he had trouble seeing the ball at his former home, and maybe the change of scenery is what the former consensus top-25 prospect needs.
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Trades for non-closer relievers don't tend to get much attention, but the Rays' acquisition of J.P. Feyereisen might end up actually mattering. Feyereisen has recorded the Rays' past three saves after closing out Monday's win over the Yankees, ranking second on the team behind Diego Castillo, who has just one since coming back from the IL in mid-May. It's the Rays, so Feyereisen may not get another save chance all season, but for now, he's worth adding if you're chasing saves.
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Gonsolin is expected to make his season debut in the next turn through the Dodgers rotation, and it figures to be about as soft a landing as you could hope for with the Pirates representing his likely opponent. Gonsolin is working his way back from a shoulder injury, and just in case you forgot, Gonsolin owns a 2.60 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 86.2 career MLB innings. He could be a legitimate difference maker for Fantasy if he stays healthy.
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Gilbert hasn't quite lived up to expectations, but he looked the part Monday when he turned in the best start of his career in a win over the A's. He didn't exactly overpower them, mind you, striking out five in six innings of two-run ball, but his command of both breaking pitches looked much better, allowing his fastball to play up even more -- six of his eight whiffs came on the pitch.
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Here's hoping Robles' ankle injury doesn't slow him down too much now that he's back from the IL. He wasn't in the lineup Monday, but he should be there Tuesday and beyond, and let's hope he's batting ninth -- he was in the nine spot for each of his past 11 starts before the injury, hitting .286 with three steals. Robles is more likely to run when he is batting ninth, so that's what we're hoping to see. At the very least, a healthy Robles deserves to be rostered in all category-based leagues that value steals.
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