It was not a move I was proud of at the time.
I compete in a 14-team mixed league in fantasy baseball, and my only catcher, Buster Posey, had just suffered a serious knee injury. The waiver-wire options at catcher were thinner than a starving starlet, so I turned to a player I knew wouldn't provide much more than a decent batting average.
Since June 3, that player, A.J. Pierzynski, has batted .358 with 11 runs, one home run and 10 RBI in 81 at-bats.
In 77 at-bats in June, Mr. Sunshine had an OPS of .885.
OK, I got lucky. But, aside from the fact many baseball fans can't stand him, why is Pierzynski still available in more than 75 percent of the leagues on ESPN.com?
You won't actually be sharing a locker room with him. Just plug him into your fake lineup and pretend he's the most pleasant guy in the game.
That brings us to our weekly roundup of the best on the waiver wire. As always, the rule of thumb for these selections is they must be owned in fewer than half of the leagues on ESPN.com, but we usually go much lower than that. This week's six-pack is available in more than 66 percent of the ESPN formats.
All stats are through July 1.
Darwin Barney, 2B, SS, Cubs
Ownership percentage: 33.1; Age: 25
He was very good in April and May (good enough to crack our top nine at both second base and shortstop), but Barney struggled before going on the disabled list in June.
In April and May, he batted .310 with a combined 28 runs, 25 RBI and three stolen bases.
In June, he hit .235 with zero RBI in 51 at-bats.
Barney returned from the DL in late June, and he had three hits, two runs and two RBI in his first two games back.
He should give you a batting-average boost in the infield. In 479 at-bats in Triple-A in 2010, Barney hit .299 with 11 steals. He's capable of stealing 15 bases, but he won't hit more than a handful of home runs (Barney had 11 homers in 1,560 minor-league at-bats).
Chris Getz, 2B, Royals
Ownership percentage: 8.9; Age: 27
Like Barney, Getz is a quality acquisition for owners who are looking for help in specific areas. Getz is batting only .266 with zero homers and 18 RBI, but he has stolen 14 bases and he is coming off a June in which he batted .292 with 11 runs and six steals in 89 at-bats.
In a combined 599 at-bats with the White Sox and Royals in 2009 and '10, Getz had 40 steals. He batted .252 in that span, but his minor-league track record suggests his hitting should improve.
In 425 at-bats in Class AAA, Getz batted .301 with 11 homers, 52 RBI, 13 steals and an .811 OPS. In 1,449 at-bats overall in the minors, he was a .286 hitter with 58 steals.
A.J. Pierzynski, C, White Sox
Ownership percentage: 24.4; Age: 34
As much as I have enjoyed Pierzynski's production in the last month, I've also realized he's no longer the player who averaged 14 home runs from 2003 to '09. In 735 at-bats the last two seasons, he has 12 homers. This year, he has three homers and 28 RBI in 261 at-bats.
Regardless, he's a .299-hitting catcher. He also has nine RBI in 38 at-bats in his last 10 games, along with that .358 stretch since June 3.
The above paragraph is enough for Pierzynski to be ranked among the top 11 at his position.
Freddy Garcia, SP, Yankees
Ownership percentage: 14.1; Age: 35
As unlikely a selection as Pierzynski would have seemed a month ago, Garcia -- his former White Sox teammate -- is an even goofier entry into our weekly six-pack.
Surprisingly, the veteran is on pace for his best year since 2006, when he won 17 games with Pierzynski as his catcher. Garcia, amazingly, hasn't had a bad month a few months after the Yankees were mocked for giving two seemingly washed-up starters a chance (Garcia and Bartolo Colon).
In April, he was 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA. In May, he was 3-3 with a 3.96 ERA, and he was 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA in June. Overall, he's 7-6 with a 3.28 ERA, and he's allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.
In that eight-start span, Garcia is 5-3 with a 3.14 ERA. He's not a big strikeout asset (56 Ks in 85 innings), but he's winning with a low ERA for one of baseball's best teams. That's enough for him to crack a starting lineup in a deep mixed league.
Phil Hughes, SP, Yankees
Ownership percentage: 20.9; Age: 25
Yes, he's on the disabled list, but now might be your only chance to pick up a pitcher who won 18 games with 146 Ks in 176 1/3 innings last season. Hughes was horrible in three starts before going on the disabled list in April (0-1, 13.94 ERA, 2.23 WHIP in 10 1/3 innings).
He struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings in a rehab start for Double-A Trenton on June 29, and the Yankees could bring him back as soon as Week 14. Even if they don't, Hughes would return no later than Week 15.
His fastball was consistently clocked at 89 mph in his first three games for the Yankees, but Hughes reportedly averaged between 92 and 94 on the radar gun in his latest rehab start.
Take a chance, and hope you get the 2010 version.
Edwin Jackson, SP, White Sox
Ownership percentage: 19.0; Age: 27
We finish our trio of former pitching standouts with Jackson, whose overall numbers are anything but impressive (5-6, 4.24 ERA, 1.45 WHIP). He has, however, been sneaky good in his last 10 starts.
Jackson is 3-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 54 Ks in 64 1/3 innings in that span. In June, Jackson had a 2.81 ERA, and he has 86 Ks in 99 2/3 innings on the year.
He struggled in 2010 (10-12, 4.47 ERA), but Jackson was an effective starter in 2009 (13-9, 3.62 ERA, 161 Ks) and has been productive for the last two months.
The Watch List
BATTERS: Kurt Suzuki, C, Athletics (26.8 pct. ESPN); Laynce Nix, OF, Nationals (16.7); Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Indians (6.9); Chris Heisey, OF, Reds (6.0); Marco Scutaro, SS, Red Sox (4.6); Ben Revere, OF, Twins (4.5); Yuniesky Betancourt, SS, Brewers (2.9); Danny Valencia, 3B, Twins (2.7); Eric Thames, OF, Blue Jays (1.3).
PITCHERS: Gavin Floyd, SP, White Sox (36.0); Brett Myers, SP, Astros (30.8); Doug Fister, SP, Mariners (14.9); John Lannan, SP, Nationals (12.3); Jason Marquis, SP, Nationals (12.2); David Hernandez, RP, Diamondbacks (11.5).
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