AL FAAB Factor: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

This is our weekly look at American League free agents. We have two goals for this article:

1. Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Estimate how much of your $100 starting free-agent budget you should bid on them.

We've incorporated grids into the FAAB articles, so users can easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grids, which are sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook. Wyatt Langford would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects that could thrive in an everyday role.

As always, if there is a player that was not discussed in the article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask about the player in the comments.

Starting Pitcher

Shane Bieber, Guardians: While he's still weeks away from his season debut, Bieber began a rehab assignment Saturday in the Arizona Complex League and did Bieber things, allowing just one hit over 2.1 scoreless innings while getting five of his seven outs via strikeout. Overmatching hitters in the complex league doesn't really prove much other than showing he's ready to get bumped up to a full-season affiliate, but the 30-year-old righty appears well on his way to making a full recovery from last April's Tommy John surgery. Bieber was dominant in two 2024 starts prior to breaking down, flashing the high-K form he'd shown earlier in his career, and if he comes anywhere close to the 11.94 K/9 he posted from 2019-2021, he could swing some fantasy pennant races over the summer. That upside makes him worth an early stash if you have the room. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Richard Fitts, Red Sox: Fitts returned from a pectoral strain Tuesday and looked very good in an abbreviated outing, blanking the Brewers over three innings and 44 pitches. The 25-year-old right-hander came into the season as something of a sleeper thanks to strong Stuff+ numbers, and he topped out at 97.1 mph with his fastball Tuesday while getting some nice whiffs with his sweeper. If he can stay healthy this time around, there's some upside here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tigers: The stars may be aligning for Sawyer-Gipson to make a splash when he comes off the IL. The 27-year-old righty underwent both Tommy John and hip surgery last year, but he's looked good at Triple-A as he wraps up his rehab assignment, giving up just one hit (a solo shot by a rehabbing Christian Encarnacion-Strand) over 5.1 innings and 53 pitches with a 6:1 K:BB in his last start. SGL was sitting 92-94 mph with his four-seamer and two-seamer while mixing in a changeup, slider and cutter, although his fastball began to droop a bit toward the end of the outing. His arsenal doesn't sound all that appealing from a fantasy perspective, but it plays up thanks to elite extension (99th percentile in 2023), and before his lost 2024 his command was trending toward plus, allowing him to limit hard contact. Jackson Jobe just landed on the IL, Reese Olson won't be back until maybe mid-June, and Keider Montero will have his moments but is still erratic. If Gipson-Long shines when he gets a chance, he could lock down a rotation spot for the long term. Assuming he stays on turn and his next trip to the mound comes in the majors, he'll be lined up for a two-start week as well, facing the White Sox on the road and the Cubs at home. That said, the Tigers haven't yet tipped their hand on what they plan to do when Jobe's spot comes around Tuesday. There's plenty of uncertainty and risk here, but if you need to gamble to boost your staff's ceiling, Gipson-Long is a worthy target. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Dean Kremer, Orioles: After a brutal beginning to the 2025 season, Kremer turned things around in May, posting a 2.72 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 31:10 K:BB over 36.1 innings while producing quality starts in three of his six trips to the mound. The veteran righty doesn't have great strikeout upside, but he's much better than the 7.04 ERA he carried at the end of April, and he should be able to provide a solid floor the rest of the way. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Lance McCullers, Astros: Sure, he was only facing the A's, but McCullers flashed a bit of his old ace upside Wednesday, fanning 12 over six innings in a quality start. That comes after he racked up eight Ks in 4.1 frames in his prior outing. The right-hander hasn't yet regained his pre-injury velocity, which is no big surprise, and he still has trouble taming his walks, but his knuckle curve has been lethal against lefties (58.6 percent whiff rate) and he's getting decent swing-and-miss from his slider too. If someone had given up on him already and cut him loose, he's worth stashing or viewing as a streaming option – especially this week, when he lines up for a road two-step through Pittsburgh and Cleveland. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Other two-start options, Mon-Sun (12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $1)

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Tyler Anderson, Angels (at BOS, vs. SEA)
Brayan Bello, Red Sox (vs. LAA, at NYY)
Jonathan Cannon, White Sox (vs. DET, vs. KC)
Bowden Francis, Blue Jays (vs. PHI, at MIN)
Jacob Lopez, Athletics (vs. MIN, vs. BAL)|
Michael Lorenzen, Royals (at STL, at CHW)
Luis Severino, Athletics (vs. MIN. vs. BAL)
Shane Smith, White Sox (vs. DET, vs. KC)
Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles (at SEA, at ATH)

Relief Pitcher

Robert Garcia, Rangers: For now, it looks like Texas has decided to give Garcia a look in the closer role. The southpaw has the Rangers' last two normal saves (Caleb Boushley got a three-inning save Friday in an 11-1 rout), and Garcia posted a 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB through 10.2 innings in May. Chris Martin could find himself in the mix when he comes off the IL, and Luke Jackson might reclaim the job if he finds the plate more often, but at least right now, Garcia seems like the team's best option in the ninth. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Catcher

David Fry, Guardians: Offseason elbow surgery delayed the start of Fry's season, but the 29-year-old utility player came off the IL on Saturday. His fantasy value mainly comes from his catcher eligibility, but there are at-bats to be won in the Cleveland outfield right now, and Fry did slug a career-high 14 homers in 2024 in only 390 plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Danny Jansen, Rays: Jansen had some trouble adjusting to his switch in AL East teams, but he seems to be getting comfortable in Tampa Bay. Over his last 15 games, the 30-year-old is slashing .265/.357/.490 with three homers. Staying healthy was always his biggest issue in Toronto, but so far with the Rays he's been able to stay off the injured list, and replacing Ben Rortvedt with Matt Thaiss as his backup shouldn't cost Jansen any playing time. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Korey Lee, White Sox: Thaiss became expendable for the White Sox when Lee returned from the IL, and the 26-year-old has started two of four games since being activated. It's easy to forget after his forgettable 2024, but Lee has some prospect pedigree as a first-round pick of the Astros in 2019. At some point, Lee could be on the move himself as Chicago won't have room for him once they decide Kyle Teel is ready to join Edgar Quero in the majors, but the team should give him a chance to establish some trade value first. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Jac Caglianone, Royals: Cags has six homers, 13 RBI and a 1.273 OPS over his last nine games for Triple-A Omaha. Jinkies. About the only roadblock to calling him up at this point might be any intention the Royals have to get Salvador Perez more work at 1B/DH rather than at catcher to preserve his 35-year-old knees, but Perez was behind the plate for four straight games this week before shifting to first base Saturday. In the meantime, guys like Jonathan India and Michael Massey have done time at DH, which is... less than ideal. Detroit is threatening to run away with the AL Central, but Kansas City is three games over .500 and would be a very viable wild-card team with a better offense. As I write this, the Royals are dead last in the AL in runs scored and home runs, and only the Rangers and White Sox have a worse team OPS. If ever a team needed a rookie to come up and slug his way into the fans' hearts, it's this one. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Logan Davidson, Athletics: With Nick Kurtz on the shelf, the A's have been looking for a replacement at first base. Davidson, CJ Alexander and Tyler Soderstrom have started two games each at the position, but Soderstrom's gotten the nod in the last two, which doesn't bode well for the rookies. Davidson's also struck out five times in his first 12 big-league plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Jorge Mateo, Orioles: Baltimore can't keep outfielders healthy. Cedric Mullins has now joined Tyler O'Neill, Ramon Laureano and Colton Cowser on the shelf, and while the latter is close to coming off the IL, that'll still leave a lot of available playing time for whoever proves they can handle it. Mateo's been getting looks in center field while still spotting around elsewhere on the diamond, but wherever he's been deployed, the 29-year-old utility player has been running. He's seen only 20 plate appearances over the O's last nine games, but he's gone 5-for-17 (.294) with a double, a rare homer, two RBI, four runs and an eye-popping seven stolen bases. That kind of production will move the needle in a category that tends to be very tight, and Mateo does have two 30-steal seasons on his resume. With the team searching for offense, giving Mateo more work and letting him cause havoc on the basepaths could be very appealing for interim manager Tony Mansolino. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Curtis Mead, Rays: Mead remains stuck in a short-side platoon role for the most part, but at least he's beginning to do damage in that role. Over his last eight games, the 24-year-old is batting .333 (8-for-24) with three homers, a steal, four RBI and six runs. Mead would likely need a couple injuries ahead of him to see more action against RHP, but he's played three different infield positions (first base, second base and third base) in 2025 and is starting to look like the dangerous pure hitter he was in the minors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Chris Taylor, Angels: The Halos do love their reclamation projects. Taylor was kicked to the curb by the Dodgers in mid-May, but he didn't even have time to look for a new house before Los Angeles' AL outfit signed him to a major-league contract. He hasn't been any more productive with his new team, going 1-for-9 with five Ks in three games, but he's now with an organization that tends to take way too long to admit its mistakes, so Taylor could be headed for at least a few weeks of semi-regular playing time before he joins Tim Anderson in being an ex-Angel. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

CJ Alexander, Athletics: With Nick Kurtz on the shelf, the A's have been looking for a replacement at first base. Logan Davidson, Alexander and Tyler Soderstrom have started two games each at the position, but Soderstrom's gotten the nod in the last two, which doesn't bode well for the rookies. Alexander's also got a 0:6 BB:K in his first 13 plate appearances this season, so he may not be long for the 26-man roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ernie Clement, Blue Jays: Andres Gimenez is closing in on his return from the IL, which is going to present the Jays with a bit of a dilemma. Addison Barger isn't budging from the starting lineup, but Clement has been nearly as hot of late, slashing .338/.386/.500 in 22 games since Gimenez went down and playing some great defense at second base. Toronto isn't going to bench Gimenez, one of their big offseason additions, so that could push Clement into a super-utility role that sees him bouncing around the infield. As long as he's hitting though, manager John Schneider will find ways to get Clement's name on the lineup card as more than just a platoon partner for Gimenez, whether that's by bumping Barger to right field once in a while, or by giving Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero more frequent rest. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Coby Mayo, Orioles: Every once in a while, a single play will completely change my opinion of a player. To this point, I'd viewed Mayo as a talented kid just trying to figure out the majors. After this utterly ridiculous bit of clownishness, including the petulant shove at the end, my opinion of the 23-year-old has spoiled like his condiment namesake left out in the sun. Mayo now seems like someone who has a lot of maturing to do before he'll have much major-league success, and his struggles at Triple-A this year suddenly have a little more context. If I had shares, I'd be selling. He's still got a lot of prospect cache though, and I may not be infallible (shocking, I know), so stashing him in the hopes he starts to click is still entirely justifiable despite whatever the heck that was against the White Sox. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Abraham Toro, Red Sox: It's been a long time since Toro was making noise as an Astros prospect, and while some hitters can be late bloomers, the 28-year-old is over 1,300 plate appearances deep into his big-league career with just a .646 OPS to show for it. The chances of a breakout here are slim, at best. And yet... Boston needs someone to step up at first base, and since becoming a lineup regular in late May, Toro's batting .393 (11-for-28) in nine games with three doubles and two homers. A dive into his splits suggests he could have a Fenway-friendly approach, and while the switch hitter does pull the ball a bit more when swinging from the left side, he can still rattle plenty of balls off the Green Monster hitting as a righty. The BoSox are still exploring the possibility of shifting Kristian Campbell to first base, but if Toro keeps supplying consistent production, they won't need to. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shay Whitcomb, Astros: With Yordan Alvarez's return now indefinitely delayed, Chas McCormick on the IL and Zach Dezenzo banged up as well, Whitcomb got the call this weekend to fill a bench role for Houston. The 26-year-old has seen time at every position except catcher and center field this year for Triple-A Sugar Land while slashing .275/.357/.599 with 18 homers and six steals in 53 games, so there's some fantasy appeal here if he gets a chance in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ben Williamson, Mariners: Williamson has heated up again, batting .325 (13-for-40) over the last 12 games. The 24-year-old isn't supplying any power – his only extra-base hit in that stretch was one lonely double – but he has scored seven runs as the Seattle offense keeps humming. If you are specifically targeting BA or OBP and runs, he could be an affordable solution. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Shortstop

Scott Kingery, Angels: Kingery's now 31 years old and hadn't appeared in the majors since 2021 before being called up by the Angels last week. He was hitting well at Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .373/.418/.578 over 91 plate appearances while missing about a month with a hamstring strain, but his days of being a top Phillies prospect are long behind him. Still, he makes more sense on the bench as a dart throw than Chris Taylor or Kevin Newman. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cole Young, Mariners: The 21-year-old made his big-league debut Saturday after posting a solid .277/.392/.461 slash line at Triple-A Tacoma with five homers and four steals in 54 games. Young was hitting the ball with more authority this season, but he still doesn't offer much power at this stage of his development, and there's no clear path to a starting job on the M's infield for him at the moment, although Dylan Moore has hardly entrenched himself at second base (.612 OPS over his last 16 games). If Young makes a quick impact he could take over at the keystone and bump Moore back to his accustomed utility role, but more likely the kid's just getting his feet wet in the majors. Young's an intriguing prospect, but outside of OBP formats he might offer more real-life value than fantasy appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Dylan Carlson, Orioles: This seems to be the week for improbable teases from former top prospects. Carlson's been getting regular playing time in Baltimore's injury-ravaged outfield, and over his last 10 games he's batting .345 (10-for-29) with two doubles, two homers, a steal, four runs and six RBI. The Cardinals have a long and storied history of watching their prized young outfielders flop in St. Louis before finding success elsewhere, but Carlson's skills at the plate don't really seem to have changed much, and the only thing he's ever really excelled at is refusing to chase pitches out of the zone. Still, he's only 26, so I can't rule out him salvaging his career with a useful summer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jonatan Clase, Blue Jays: Daulton Varsho's hamstring injury Saturday will open up playing time in the Toronto outfield, and while Clase's defense won't make him the team's first (or fourth) choice in center field, he could see more action in left if someone like Nathan Lukes shifts over. It's Clase's bat that's making his case for a bigger role – he's hit safely in seven straight games dating back to May 18, a stretch in which he's hitting .474 (9-for-19) with two doubles and three steals. The Jays aren't a big running team (tied for 21st in MLB with 35 steals) but Clase seems to have a green light when he gets on base. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mauricio Dubon, Astros: Houston's Wheel of Keystone Options has landed once again on Dubon, and the utility player has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games while batting .355 (11-for-31) with a homer, four runs and four RBI. The 30-year-old won't provide much in the way of counting stats – he hits ninth almost exclusively when in the lineup – but he could be a nice short-term hole filler for your roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nate Eaton, Red Sox: Boston trolled the fantasy world this weekend when they promoted an outfielder from Triple-A Worcester, and it wasn't Roman Anthony. Eaton last appeared in the majors in 2023 with the Royals, and he was having a solid campaign at Triple-A, slashing .277/.364/.446 with five homers and four steals in 53 games while mainly playing center field and third base. If Marcelo Mayer doesn't find his footing, it's the latter position that could be Eaton's path to staying on the 26-man roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Mangum, Rays: Tampa Bay also trolled the fantasy world by sending down Chandler Simpson and his 19 steals in 35 games when Mangum came off the IL. Mangum has done his best to justify the decision, homering Saturday in his second game back, but this ultimately comes down to Simpson needing to improve his defense if he wants to avoid a future as a pinch-running specialist on the Kansas City bench. In the meantime, Mangum needs to only be better than Kameron Misner (.403 OPS in May) to win a regular spot in the lineup in center field, although for now he might be stuck on the short side of a platoon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Parker Meadows, Tigers: Meadows has looked good on his rehab assignment, batting .273 (6-for-22) through six games for Triple-A Toledo with four extra-base hits (a double, two triples and a homer) and a 5:6 BB:K. The 25-year-old may not need his full 20 days to shake off the rust after missing the first two months of the season due to a nerve issue in his arm, and once he's activated he should immediately take over as the starting center fielder for Detroit. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jacob Melton, Astros: The 24-year-old will make his big-league debut Sunday after slashing .254/.371/.508 through 17 games at Triple-A and looking fully recovered from the back and groin issues that cost him about a month of action beginning in mid-April. Melton's improved walk and strikeouts rates are the biggest selling points here, even in a small sample, and the Astros are still searching for a long-term solution in center field. Jake Meyers has been useful of late (.291/.339/.400 over his last 15 games) but that's a bar Melton has the upside to clear. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Wenceel Perez, Tigers: Perez has gone 4-for-13 with a double and a homer in four games since coming off the IL, playing four straight games in center field, but his playing time outlook is murky once Parker Meadows also gets activated. Matt Vierling is sidelined again, so Perez could shift to right field, but he's unlikely to play every day as keeping Kerry Carpenter in the lineup will be the priority for the Tigers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

John Rave, Royals: Called up at the beginning of the week, Rave is getting a look on the strong side of a platoon in right field. The 27-year-old was producing excellent numbers for Triple-A Omaha, slashing .301/.382/.549 with nine homers and 17 steals in only 43 games, but a 1-for-11 start to his big-league career with five strikeouts is less encouraging. Strikeouts were an issue for Rave earlier in his career, but his contact skills took a big step forward in 2024, so he may just need an adjustment period. Whether the Royals have the patience to give it to him is another question, but Rave's speed gives him enough fantasy appeal to be worth a dart throw. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Alan Roden, Blue Jays: Sent down to Triple-A Buffalo in early May, Roden was called back up this weekend when Anthony Santander landed on the IL. Roden clearly has nothing left to learn in the minors, slashing .361/.446/.583 with more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) in his 18 games for Buffalo, but even with Santander and Daulton Varsho both on the shelf, there may not be a full-time job for Roden in the Jays' outfield. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Matt Wallner, Twins: Out since mid-April due to a hamstring strain, Wallner returned to the lineup Saturday and promptly homered off Bryce Miller in his first at-bat. The 27-year-old still looks like a strong-side platoon player who has trouble staying healthy, but over 587 big-league plate appearances since the start of the 2023 campaign, he's slugged 29 homers while slashing .255/.371/.514. In leagues with daily or twice-weekly lineup moves, Wallner's value gets a bump. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Drew Waters, Royals: Now here's someone who could be a legitimate late bloomer. Waters has long been a power-speed threat whose shaky hit tool kept him from capitalizing on his athleticism, but he's cut down on the Ks while getting regular playing time for the Royals. Over 26 games in May, the 26-year-old sports a respectable 21.6 percent strikeout rate while batting .282 (24-for-85). So far, the tradeoff has been a lack of power – he hasn't homered since April 22 – but an EV50 of 98.8 mph isn't far behind guys like Jose Ramirez and Trea Turner. More contact should result in better contact in time, and Waters did swipe three bags in May. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7