The trade deadline is the last real chance for MLB teams to shake things up, and we figure to see a few more big trades go down before Monday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. The biggest move probably came down already when the Dodgers – of course it was the Dodgers – traded for Tarik Skubal, though one of the interesting things about Fantasy is that a trade like that doesn't really matter for our purposes. Skubal is so great precisely because it really doesn't matter where he pitches; a great defense can only help so much when you already strike out 30%-plus of the opposing hitters you face.
Of course, that trade does have a bit of fallout, in that it sends River Ryan to an organization that isn't overstuffed with aces. Ryan should get a chance in the Tigers rotation once he's past the hamstring injury that currently has him on the IL in Triple-A. When that will be is something of a mystery, but I haven't seen any indication that Ryan's injury is season-ending, so we should see him eventually, and he remains an incredibly intriguing talent, even if he isn't all that young anymore (he turns 28 next month).
The most relevant move otherwise was probably the one that saw the Mariners ship Luis Castillo out to the White Sox, though that one still has some questions, too. The Mariners have been rolling with a six-man rotation for several months, and it has caused some consternation among their pitchers even when everyone was pitching well. The question now is whether they plan to make one more trade, or if they're comfortable promoting top prospect Kade Anderson into a six-man rotation. Either way, I suspect we're going to see Anderson, arguably the top pitching prospect in the league, sooner rather than later, and he should absolutely be one of the top priorities on waivers in those leagues where he is still available. It's just a question of when he gets the call, I think.
Over on CBSSports.com, we're keeping track of every deal that comes in before the deadline, and we suspect Monday to open up plenty of opportunities for some interesting names on the waiver wire. So don't blow all of your FAB this week, because there could still be some seismic shifts around the league that could create big-time value for the stretch run. For now, here's who we're looking to add ahead of Week 20:
Week 20 Waiver Targets
Catcher
Francisco Alvarez, Mets (56%)
You'd like to see a bit more oomph out of Alvarez, I suppose, but he's hitting .266/.356/.477 since his return from the IL in June, while ranking 13th among catchers in points in CBS Fantasy default scoring. He isn't the absolute difference maker I think he can be yet, and maybe he never gets there. But he remains a very solid starter who could find himself in a better ballpark and lineup by Monday's trade deadline. I think he's worth buying.
Deep league option: Endy Rodriguez, PIrates (18%) – Playing time is really the only limitation for Rodriguez, as the Pirates do still like Henry Davis. But Rodriguez has started four of six since coming off the IL, so I think he's back in as the primary option behind the plate for the Pirates. He has an excellent approach at the plate to go along with a 91.9 mph average exit velocity and above-average quality of contact metrics, and he even has enough speed and cunning on the basepaths to have five steals in 41 games this season. It's a solid all-round profile, making him a worthy starter in any two-catcher leagues, and potentially even a viable one in one-catcher formats.
First Base
France's roster rate is finally starting to climb, and his bat isn't really slowing down – he had six hits across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, after hitting .326/.370/.596 in the month of July. He's playing everyday and has a .348 expected wOBA over the past 100 plate appearances and a 92.5 mph average exit velocity for the season, so it all looks pretty legit. He's not a superstar, and the bar for entry at first base is as high as it's been in years, but France looks useful in basically every format right now.
Deep league option: Andres Chaparro, Nationals (2%) – With Luis Garcia Jr. sent to the Yankees, the path to everyday playing time is there for Chaparro, assuming health – he was hit on the head by a pitch Sunday, but the Nationals said he tested negative for a concussion, so hopefully that was just a scare. Chaparro has hit .220/.340/.500 with decent contact skills and pop so far, and while he doesn't have an especially long track record of success in the majors, he is a career .279/.363/.507 hitter in Triple-A and is about to get some extended run in the Nationals lineup, so let's see if he can keep this up.
Second Base
Luke Keaschall, Twins (64%)
Keaschall has been a pretty huge disappointment this season – I know, because I had him as a top-100 player coming in! – but you may have missed that he's actually been pretty good lately. Since the start of July he is hitting .324/.443/.500 in 89 plate appearances. That's not quite full-time at bats, but he has emerged as something like an everyday option in the outfield, especially with Byron Buxton back on the IL, and Keaschall actually looks like an interesting option right now. That being said, he'd look a lot more interesting if was running more, with just one steal in his past 23 games. It doesn't hurt his case that he homered for a second consecutive game Sunday.
Deep league option: Pedro Ramirez, Cubs (13%) – Ramirez's value is either about to take off or completely crash depending on how the deadline goes. He certainly isn't guaranteed to be moved, but between Ramirez, James Triantos, and Matt Shaw, the Cubs have too many similar players for too few spots and a real need for pitching upgrades, so I expect at least one of those guys to be moved. Ramirez has plus contact skills and speed with non-zero power, and he could be a very useful Fantasy option with everyday playing time. Let's see if he gets it.
Third Base
Brendan Donovan, Mariners (70%)
For a while there it wasn't clear what the playing time would look like for Donovan once he returned from the IL, but, as the man said, "life finds a way." Donovan is expected to return from his groin injury Tuesday, and his return comes just as J.P. Crawford was placed on the IL with left wrist inflammation, so Donovan should slide into the third base spot at first. When Crawford is healthy, Donovan will likely return to a utility role, spending time in the outfield and second base in addition to third, which should still mostly keep him in the lineup close to everyday. Donovan was hitting .274/.386/.452 in 25 games before injuries sidetracked his season, right in line with what we've come to expect from him. He's a fringe starter at third base and a solid corner infielder.
Deep league option: Tommy White, Athletics (16%) – White has mostly come as advertised so far: He's an aggressive swinger who makes a lot of contact, can run solid batting averages, and doesn't do a ton else beyond that. That's what he has looked like since he was drafted, and with a .298/.322/.333 line in the majors, it's what he looks like against big-league pitching. The lack of power limits the upside, but as a corner infielder who can boost your batting average, White has some mild appeal.
Shortstop
Cooper Pratt, Brewers (47%)
Pratt has the kind of skill set that could really matter for Fantasy, but he needs to prove he can be at least a non-zero for power. It's too soon to say one way or the other, but he is at least doing a good job of holding his own so far, putting up an average-ish 88 mph average exit velocity and .103 ISO in his first 139 MLB plate appearances. With his approach at the plate and his speed – 10 steals in 38 games! – that could be enough. You're mostly picking him up for speed and some batting average help (and the latter is a lot more questionable), but he's doing enough to at least be worth using as a middle infielder right now.
Deep league option: Kaelen Culpepper, Twins (16%) – If not for injuries, Culpepper would be in the majors by now. He missed nearly all of July but is back and he's hitting .263/.361/.464 with 14 homers and 16 steals in 70 games at Triple-A. There is a good enough approach at the plate to think he wouldn't necessarily be overwhelmed by major-league pitching, and he has a very Fantasy-friendly skill set with a 20-20 ceiling in play in the long run. The Twins are buying at the deadline, but the biggest move they might be able to make would be to slide Culpepper into the shortstop spot in the lineup.
Outfield
Dominic Canzone, Mariners (72%)
With the Mariners finally embracing Canzone as a full-time player, the biggest question now is whether he'll be able to at least hold his own against lefties now that he'll be facing them more regularly. It's a small sample size (just 51 plate appearances), but Canzone is doing a whole lot more than holding his own so far, hitting .263/.451/.605 with four homers and just a 21.6% strikeout rate on the season. If he's even 70% as good as that against lefties in the long run, Canzone is probably just a top-30 outfielder for Fantasy. There's no reason not to add him right now and see.
Max Clark, Tigers (66%)
There are some reasons to be skeptical that Clark has enough pop to be an immediate difference maker, but I'm inclined to just bet on the top-20 global prospect who got red hot at Triple-A right before his promotion to the majors. Clark hit .276/.368/.434 with 11 homers and 21 steals in 90 games at Triple-A and has the contact skills, on-base prowess, and speed to be an impact player in categories leagues even if he's a relative non-contributor for power. But if the nine homers across June and July were indicative of growth in that regard, well, there's obviously potential for him to be a true difference maker in any format. Given his age and pedigree, I'm just adding Clark everywhere and letting the chips fall as they may.
AJ Ewing, Mets (69%)
I actually think the likeliest outcome with Clark is something like what we've seen from Ewing, who is hitting .263/.331/.398 in his first 72 MLB games. Clark has a bit more bat-to-ball ability and should beat Ewing's 26% strikeout rate, but Ewing has been hitting the ball with more authority than expected, so there's a tradeoff happening there. We've also seen Ewing struggle a bit with his efficiency as a base stealer early on, though he is showing signs of figuring that out, too, as he went 6 for 6 on steal attempts in July. He's a decent source of batting average with non-zero power and the potential to be a truly impactful base stealer. He's a bit fringe-y in points leagues, but there's room to grow there especially now that he's hitting leadoff pretty much everyday.
Cole Carrigg, Rockies (66%)
Carrigg only started one of the first three games after the All-Star break, but he has started 10 of 11 since, and his playing time only figures to get more secure after the deadline. It would be disappointing if the Rockies continued to carry an overstuffed outfield into August and September given the young guys who need opportunities, and I suspect Carrigg to be flanked by Zac Veen and Charlie Condon before long – and both are very much worth adding whenever they get promoted. Carrigg continues to hit well, putting up a .292/.380/.511 line in his first 43 MLB games, and while you'd like to see a more Fantasy-friendly distribution of production – he has a fairly disappointing five homers and three steals so far – the athleticism and raw power is there for more. He's just a few small steps away from being a really, really good option in all Fantasy leagues.
Heriberto Hernandez, Marlins (36%)
There have been some rumblings that the Marlins might look to trade Hernandez, and he wouldn't necessarily be guaranteed an everyday role on a team with more proven outfield options. But I'll continue to bang the drum that Hernandez is just a really solid hitter, sporting a .249/.326/.453 line with 26 homers and nine steals in 586 career plate appearances with the underlying numbers to match. That isn't superstar production, but it deserves to be rostered in more than just 36% of leagues.
Osleivis Basabe, OF, Giants (2%)
For now, this is just a name to know in NL-only leagues, but Basabe has homered in consecutive games for the Giants and could potentially have some "post-hype sleeper" appeal. He was once a decent prospect, but he stalled out in the high minors, hitting a disappointing .266/.325/.396 in 360 career games at Triple-A, so we'll need more than just a couple of good games to buy in. But for those ultra-deep leagues, why not take a chance and see if he can parlay a hot start into something more?
Starting Pitcher
Quinn Mathews, Cardinals (39%)
Mathews' MLB debut wasn't great, but it wasn't a disaster, either – 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. He struggled to put hitters away, but his command wasn't as bad as the three walks might make you think. And the stuff looks pretty good, with a mid-90s fastball from the left side with a good movement profile that should allow it to continue to miss bats (five whiffs in the debut). The rest of the arsenal is pretty interesting, headlined by a slider the various stuff models liked, and he commanded it well enough Saturday to think there's plenty of swing-and-miss upside there if he manages to judiciously chase whiffs with it after he lived in the strike zone with it in the first outing. The command will need to be better than it typically was in the minors for this all to work, but you'll sometimes see pitchers like this level up unexpectedly with better coaching and catching in the big leagues. Mathews has the stuff to succeed, and while that isn't a guarantee of success, I think it's still fair to slap a "must-add" tag on him just based on the upside. It's not like there are any other can't-miss pitchers on waivers right now.
Roki Sasaki, Dodgers (73%)
If you're skeptical about buying into Sasaki, believe me, I get it. We've been burned by him multiple times in his career, and it's going to take a lot more than a few good starts to erase the skepticism you rightly feel toward him. I'm definitely not saying Sasaki has fixed every issue he has ever had and will flourish forever. But I also don't think it makes much sense to be so skeptical that you are unwilling to spend some of your remaining FAB to add him when he finished July with 29 strikeouts to nine walks in 27 innings and was excellent over his final four starts, especially. That it has come along with a bump in velocity and improvement in his command. It might just be a hot streak, but given the upside we've seen on several occasions this season, I'm willing to bet on Sasaki on waivers, while retaining my skepticism overall.
Christian Scott, Guardians (56%)
The Mets just let Scott throw 98 pitches, matching his second-highest mark of the season and a sign that they might be willing to give Scott a bit more rope moving forward. That would be big, because he's been pretty good this season (2.99 ERA, 3.47 FIP), but has finished six innings just once in 15 starts. Inefficiency has been part of the issue, but if the Mets are willing to let Scott throw 90-plus pitches more regularly, that could be a nice boon to his value. But there's one additional complication here, at least in the medium term: Scott has already thrown 83 innings this season after not pitching at all in 2025 and after he threw just 89.2 innings in 2024. There's probably a stop coming, and it's just a question of when – if it's, say, 30 more innings, Scott is still worth adding, but that's just speculative at this point.
Relief Pitcher
Okay, so here's the thing: There are going to be several new closers minted in the next couple of days. Fringe contenders will go out and add big arms to their pens, clearing previously unheralded guys to emerge from the pack on the departed teams. So you probably want to save some of your FAB for the next run, when the dust settles from the deadline. If you do have a need at RP, here are a couple to target:
Brandyn Garcia, Diamondbacks (18%)
The Diamondbacks pulled Paul Sewald out of the closer role this week, and while manager Torey Lovullo mentioned several names as possible closer candidates, it was Garcia who got the first two saves in the aftermath of Sewald's demotion. That doesn't mean it will be Garcia, but I think you have to lean in his direction at this point. He has a 2.10 ERA with 36 strikeouts to seven walks in 30 innings, so he has at least been good enough for the job this season. That's been less true in previous stints in the majors, but he's throwing a new cutter that has been a difference maker for him, so I think he's gotta be the top bet on the wire for closers right now.
Camilo Doval, Pirates (6%)
Of the players currently on the Pirates roster, I still think Mason Montgomery is probably the most likely to emerge from the crowd to take the closer job, but Doval has to be considered a candidate given his track record and the fact that the Pirates went out and got him. He has struggled yet again this season as his strikeout rate has collapsed to a career-worst 21.9%, but his 3.61 expected ERA is right in line with previous seasons, so there could be a bit of bad luck at play here. Really, you're just hoping he gets hot for a couple of months and the Pirates decide to keep the left-handed Montgomery in a more flexible role. I think it's a long shot, and I still think the Pirates closer might not even be on the roster yet. But they might opt to go in Doval's direction, too, so if you're desperate for saves and churning on the wire, he's worth a very cheap look.
