With Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez injured, Jorge Posada hitting a whopping .160 and Carlos Santana checking in at .215, it’s been a pretty bad year for catchers.
No one is certain when Mauer is going to come of the DL or how effective he’ll be when he does. Posada might be over-the-hill and Santana is struggling through a sophomore slump.
So, where does that leave you as fantasy owners?
Granted, you probably don’t expect much production from the catcher spot, but it shouldn't be hurting your team.
Here are five catchers that can be used on your fantasy baseball team who are available on the waiver wire in more than half of Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues who can hold the spot of a struggling star.
1. J.P. Arencibia – Toronto Blue Jays (46% owned) – Arencibia is batting .289 with three home runs and seven RBI for the Blue Jays. He’s seemingly out to prove that last year was no fluke. He should continue producing at this level for the rest of the season.
2. Alex Avila – Detroit Tigers (32% owned) – Avila is quietly having a very strong year. He’s hitting .267 with three home runs and 10 RBI. Though he’ll likely lose most of his playing time when Victor Martinez returns, he’s still worth a look in the short term for a easy waiver wire pickup.
3. Yadier Molina – St. Louis Cardinals (18% owned) – Molina is struggling a bit right now, hitting only .264 with no home runs and six RBI. But, he’s one of the toughest guys to strike out in the National League, so his average should start to come around. Then, he’ll start taking advantage of some of the RBI situations the Redbirds provide him. Good hitter on your waiver wire.
4. Ryan Doumit – Pittsburgh Pirates (13% owned) – Doumit is another guy who fantasy owners take for granted. He hits for a decent average (.270 so far this year) and typically finishes with average power numbers. He won’t win your league for you, but he won’t hurt either. Should be on your leagues waiver wire.
5. Ramon Hernandez – Cincinnati Reds (8% owned) – I don’t know why Hernandez isn't more popular with fantasy owners. He’s hitting .351 with an OPS of 1.010. He also has two home runs and nine RBI this season. Plus, he plays nearly every day for the Reds. If you need a catcher, Hernandez is probably available on your waiver wire in your league.