After a dizzying few days, we’re finally starting to recover from the chaos of the 2023 trade 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: starting pitchers.
Fantasy baseball waiver wire: Week 19 starting pitcher targets
Chase Silseth, SP/RP, Los Angeles Angels
Roster percentage: 0.6%
Silseth followed up his 10-K dominance of the New York Yankees with 5.2 innings of one-run ball against the fearsome Atlanta Braves, and now injury has opened up a path for the young righty to stick in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Griffin Canning was just put on the injured list with a calf strain; Silseth is set to fill his spot for at least a couple of weeks, starting with a dream matchup against the Seattle Mariners this weekend. With his new, whiff-heavy slider in tow, he should be scooped up in 12-team leagues and deeper.
Steven Matz, SP/RP, St. Louis Cardinals
Roster percentage: 8.1%
After shipping out Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline, the Cardinals are this close to pulling a fan from the stands and asking them to pitch every fifth day for the rest of the year. Matz has as long a leash as there is, and the lefty has been sensational recently, with just one earned run allowed across 18 innings over his last three starts — two against the Chicago Cubs and one against the Arizona Diamondbacks. St. Louis still has plenty of offensive firepower, meaning Matz should be in the running for his fair share of wins if he keeps pitching like this.
Luis Medina, SP, Oakland Athletics
Roster percentage: 2.9%
Far be it from me to ever willingly recommend a member of Oakland’s historically bad pitching staff, but Medina has quietly acquitted himself quite well in his rookie season. The former Yankees farmhand has faced the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies (at Coors) over his last three starts and come out unscathed, with just three runs allowed and 18 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. His slider carries a whopping 52.6% whiff rate, and as long as he keeps his four-seamer up in the zone and out of trouble, he should continue to find success.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Roster percentage: 8.1%
Ryu got roughed up in his season debut on Tuesday night, but that’s to be expected considering a tough matchup against the Orioles and the fact that the big lefty missed more than a full year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He should only get better from here, and we saw flashes of the plus changeup/curveball combination that made him such a weapon a few years ago. He gets a weak Guardians lineup next, which is a much friendlier landing spot.
