We have reached the final waiver-wire period before Major League Baseball's trade deadline. There will be a lot of moving parts during the next week, so you need to be aware how each move could impact your team. We are about to hit the stretch run of the season and our focus needs to be better than it has all season.
Waiver-Wire Targets:
Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Anthony Santander -- The Orioles are not a good baseball team, but they actually have a couple of fantasy assets, particularly on the offensive side. The Orioles have been one of the better offenses in baseball throughout the last week, and the 24-year-old outfielder is a reason why. For the season, Santander is hitting .290 with eight home runs and is batting .353 with four home runs during the last seven days. On a losing team, Santander is going to get all the playing time he can handle and is batting in the middle of the lineup. This is worth a pickup for depth purposes considering his ability to hit for a high average and power.
Los Angeles Dodgers Catcher Will Smith -- The catching position is always a wasteland, so when there's an opportunity to add a talented player we need to do it. The Dodgers have promoted one of their top hitting prospects while they are in the midst of a playoff run. They wouldn't do this unless they planned to keep Smith around. In nine games earlier this season, Smith hit three home runs and hit 20 in the minors, so the power is legit.
Cincinatti Reds Starting Pitcher Anthony DeSclafani -- One of the hottest pickups in fantasy baseball is the Reds' starting pitcher, as he struck out 11 hitters July 21. Since June, the DeSclafani has allowed more than three earned runs just once and has totaled at least seven strikeouts four times. If needing help in the strikeout department, DeSclafani could give you a boost.
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