Detroit Tigers Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Deep Wavier Wire Add

Jarrod Saltalamacchia has begun the season on a tear at the plate, should fantasy owners add him while he is hot?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia has mostly been known for his impossible to spell last name and his raw power at the plate. Salty is entering his 10^th season as major leaguer, but it seems as though that his career has failed to live up to the promise that it once looked like it had with the Texas Rangers. His struggles are rooted in his sheer lack of discipline at the plate, and now that he is 31, it seems as though that will not change.

Salty has failed to have any fantasy relevance for the last handful of seasons, as he has bounced between five teams. Last season he was brutal with the Marlins before his eventual release, but showed some life when the Diamondbacks picked him up for the second half. During the second half ,he was able to post a, .273 AVG/7 HR/19 RBI/.884 OPS, line over 122 plate appearances. He parlayed that success into getting another major league contract with the Tigers this offseason, where he was slated to be the backup to James McCann.

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McCann had a solid season for the Tigers in 2015, and was rightfully handed the starting reins to begin the season. But, a bad ankle sprain has seen him on the DL for the last 11 days and that allowed Salty to thrive with starter playing time. Saltalamacchia has been on absolute tear the last week or so, posting a great, .357/2 HR/4 RBI/1.328 OPS, line. He currently sits with 5 HR and 14 RBI and has formed into an important cog for the Tigers lineup. McCann is slated to come back next week, but Salty has been hitting the ball so well that the Tigers will make sure he gets his at bats.

Before his injury, McCann was hitting a paltry .133 at the plate, so it is not like the Tigers are losing a ton offensively with McCann on the bench for the time being. Now some fantasy owners may look at adding Salty as a waste of time due to his AVG woes and McCann’s return, but Saltalamacchia has shown that when he gets on a roll the HR come in bunches.

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Those who are struggling at the C spot in their lineup or just simply need a power influx should look to Salty as a temporary add. His power has been on display to start the season, so why not ride him while he is hot and drop him when he cools off? He serves a low risk/high reward waiver wire add, and there is always the change that he can finally post another 20+ HR this season. Take the gamble.

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