Welcome to Pickup of the Day, where every weekday we’ll pick an under-the-radar player whose immediate value is on the rise. The idea here is to identify a starter who can give you some solid innings off the scrap heap, a talented backup who’s been given a chance because of a starter’s injury, an unheralded regular with a favorable matchup, or a potential breakout player who’s starting to put it together. Unlike regular waiver-wire advice, Pickup of the Day is geared more towards interim success, but hopefully we’ll have the intuition to help you snag a waiver-wire gem a few times this season.
The Astros thought they would get a boost offensively when they acquired Carlos Gomez at the trade deadline, but one of the outfielders they gave up for him has actually performed much better. Domingo Santana has made a great first impression in Milwaukee, sporting a .300/.413/.640 batting line with five home runs and 11 RBI over his first 15 games with the Brew Crew. Santana just turned 23 and his plate discipline remains a work in progress, but he’s a career .312/.403/.518 hitter at the Triple-A level and boasts plenty of raw power.
