As the trade deadline nears, so too does a time of panic and desperation for Fantasy owners watching their seasons slip away. But fear not, there are reinforcements out there, and we are here to help. A look now at this week’s Fantasy baseball waiver wire picks:

Zack Godley, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (ESPN: unowned; CBS: 7 per cent): Beginner’s luck? We shall see. But Godley was phenomenal — historic, in fact — in his big-league debut on Thursday against Milwaukee, firing six shutout innings without a walk while striking out seven. That made him the first pitcher in modern history to go at least six innings with no walks and seven or more Ks. Not bad for a pitcher that less than a month ago was pitching in the California League All-Star Game (and almost getting killed in the process… see video below).

Jung Ho Kang, 3B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (ESPN: 34.7 per cent; CBS: 49 per cent): Never mind the Aramis Ramirez trade, Kang will be in the lineup every day. Kang’s ownership has spiked recently as he mans the left side of the infield in the absence of Josh Harrison.

Joe Ross, SP, Washington Nationals (ESPN: 26.7 per cent; CBS: 33 per cent): Like Kang, Ross’ ESPN numbers are skyrocketing lately. Ross has been on a roll since earning a rotation spot and with the ever-fragile Stephen Strasburg out for the foreseeable future, Ross isn’t going away anytime soon.

Stephen Piscotty, LF, St. Louis Cardinals (ESPN: 10.9 per cent; CBS: 21 per cent): The Cardinals want a spark in their lineup and are willing to give Piscotty a long look. He could get playing time at first base as well as in the outfield with Mark Reynolds running hot and cold.

Carson Smith, RP, Seattle Mariners (ESPN: 39.7 per cent; CBS: 42 per cent): Smith, whom we recommended two months ago, seems to be improving with each appearance and figures to remain the M’s closer for the foreseeable future after inheriting the job from the scuffling Fernando Rodney.

Danny Duffy, SP, Kansas City Royals (ESPN: 15.4 per cent; CBS: 29 per cent): The starting pitching-starved Royals need everything they can get from Duffy, who has bounced back nicely after his pre-injury struggles. Duffy has been stellar in July, with his last two starts being downright dominant. He won’t get you many Ks, but he’s gone at least six innings in each of his last four outings, with three quality starts.

Jesus Sucre, C, Seattle Mariners (ESPN: unowned; CBS: unowned): Alright, so let’s not go crazy, but Sucre did hit his first big-league jack on Saturday and given the constant struggles of Mike Zunino, Sucre could get a slightly longer look as Seattle looks for a spark.

Hernan Perez, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers (ESPN: 0.5 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Perez could see more action in light of the Ramirez trade, and he has a little pop in his bat that could show up from time to time.

Preston Tucker, OF, Houston Astros (ESPN: 16.1 per cent; CBS: 27 per cent): Tucker has has a solid if not spectacular rookie season, and he’s had quite a week, mashing four homers in a four-game span.

Paulo Orlando, OF, Kansas City Royals (ESPN: 2.2 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Orlando has a knack for triples, and has a game-winning grand slam under his belt this month. He will be in a platoon situation with Jarrod Dyson, but has some extra-base ability.

Others to Consider

Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers (ESPN: 14.7 per cent; CBS: 29 per cent): Castellanos spanked a two-run ground rule double and solo shot Saturday and is on a 7-for-19 tear with three jacks and eight RBI over the last five games. He’s mostly struggled as a sophomore but could be building towards a breakout second half.

Rick Porcello, SP, Boston Red Sox (ESPN: 18.6 per cent; CBS: 32 per cent): Porcello tried to mix it up with his approach this season, and the results have been mostly disastrous as he’s scuffled to an ugly 5-10 mark after winning a career-best 15 last season. However, he’s showing signs of turning it around lately, going 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA over his last three starts, while fanning 15 and walking four with 17 hits allowed over 18 innings. Hell, Porcello didn’t even surrender a dinger in his last start. Time to give the embattled hurler a second look.

Coco Crisp, OF, Oakland Athletics (ESPN: 1.9 per cent; CBS: 6 per cent): Sure, Crisp may wind up only being useful in very deep AL-only leagues this year, but bear in mind that he’s just a year and a half removed from his only 20-20 season. So if you still believe in him, now’s the time to grab him with him due to return this week.

Bruce Rondon, RP. Detroit Tigers (ESPN: 0.6 per cent; CBS: 3 per cent): Seeking holds in a deeper AL-only league? Rondon has strung together some nice outings lately to trim what had been an unsightly ERA thanks to a couple of ugly appearances. We’re expecting him to carve out a bigger role in the Tiger pen in the second half.

Sergio Romo, RP, San Francisco Giants (ESPN: 9.5 per cent; CBS: 10 per cent): Romo’s control this season hasn’t been as sharp as usual and he’s been prone to allowing more baserunners than we’ve come to expect. But, there he is, ranking second in the NL in holds.

Alex Wilson, RP, Detroit Tigers (ESPN: 0.3 per cent; CBS: 1 per cent): Has this dude been the Tigers best arm this year? Wilson, dealt to Detroit in the Porcello trade, gets no Fantasy love and can’t seem to carve out a more meaningful role in the bullpen. If Detroit decides to do some selling, he could get himself a set-up gig.

Now it’s your turn. Let us know in the comments below who your favourite Fantasy baseball waiver wire pick of the week is.

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