Top fantasy baseball corner infield waiver pickups for Week 19

deadline. The landscape of the league has shifted dramatically just over the last 48 hours or so: Justin Verlander is an Astro; Max Scherzer (and Jordan Montgomery) is a Ranger; the Dodgers, Rays and Orioles all found themselves a starting pitcher, while the Reds didn’t. The Angels (and Cubs) are all the way in, the Mets are all the way out, and the Twins and Yankees … apparently did not have cell reception on Tuesday afternoon.

Of course, the real-life game isn’t the only thing that’s been flipped upside down. As it does every year, the trade deadline will have fantasy baseball ramifications that will be felt for the rest of the season, leaving managers with plenty to keep track of as they get their rosters ready for the stretch run. Luckily, our weekly waiver wire recommendations are here to help, with position-by-position looks are players you should consider snagging off the waiver wire as the deadline dust settles. Next up: corner infielders.

Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 19 corner infield targets

Carlos Santana, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

Roster percentage: 21.7%

Santana should get plenty of playing time for a Milwaukee Brewers team that’s gotten the second-worst production from their first basemen of any team in the Majors this season — he’s already batting third regularly with his new squad. The 37-year-old will always be a batting average suck, but if you can take the hit there, there’s reason to buy in for the stretch run: Miller Park is among the best parks in baseball for lefty power, and Santana should be a strong source of homers and counting stats.

Luis Rengifo, 2B/SS/3B/OF, Los Angeles Angels

Roster percentage: 9.2%

Rengifo is doing everything he can to insure that Shohei Ohtani finally sees October baseball. The Angels have needed their utilty man of late with Brandon Drury and Anthony Rendon on the IL, and he’s come through in a big way:

The switch-hitter is slashing .271/.348/.644 since the All-Star break and carries legit double-digit power and speed potential; and even with Drury and Rendon nearing a return, L.A. can’t afford to keep Rengifo’s bat out of the lineup.

Emmanuel Rivera, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Roster percentage: 0.5%

Josh Rojas was part of the package sent off to the Mariners in the deal bringing Paul Sewald to the desert, solidifying what everyone already knew to be true: Rivera has earned the D-backs’ everyday third base job, especially with Evan Longoria on the IL with a back ailment. The 27-year-old is hitting a blistering .308/.426/.590 with three homers since the All-Star break, and if he keeps swinging the bat like, a slumping Arizona team simply can’t afford to take him out of the lineup. He won’t provide much of anything in the speed department, but you can expect a solid batting average, good counting stats near the top of the order and some decent pop.

Matt Mervis, 1B, Chicago Cubs

Roster percentage: 0.8%

Lost amid all the chaos yesterday was the Cubs designating first baseman Trey Mancini for assignment. Granted, Chicago still has a bit of a corner infield logjam with Jeimer Candelario coming over and Cody Bellinger still making some starts at first, but given that this team figures to be in a dogfight for an NL Wild Card spot down the stretch, it seems likely that Mervis — one of the team’s top prospects — gets another shot at some point. The big lefty’s first stint in the Majors didn’t go so well (.531 OPS) but he’s continued to crush the ball back at Triple-A. He’s got some of the biggest raw power around, and if he can find regular at-bats in a contending lineup, his potential is through the roof.