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

Hunter Dobbins, Red Sox: Richard Fitts got jettisoned back to Triple-A after one bad start, and Dobbins will move back into that rotation spot after tossing five innings of one-run ball in relief of Fitts on Monday. Of course, that means Dobbins faces the Yankees on Sunday after this column goes up, and if he gets hammered, Boston's plans could change once again. At least for the moment though, Dobbins appears set for a lengthy look with Kutter Crawford now dealing with wrist pain in addition to his knee issue, and Tanner Houck not doing anything more strenuous than playing catch yet. Dobbins' mid-90s fastball has been fairly hittable, but he's got three other pitches (slider, sweeper, curveball) that have generated whiff rates above 30 percent, so there's a little bit of intrigue in his arsenal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

David Festa, Twins: Festa's return to the majors didn't go so well – a common refrain this week – but with Pablo Lopez potentially out until September, the 25-year-old righty has a long runway to establish himself. Festa doesn't seem to have a lot left to prove in the minors, beginning the season with a 2.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 34:4 K:BB over 28.2 innings at Triple-A, but in four big-league starts he has yet to last five innings. His rough outing Thursday against the A's came after an awkward six days off (his last start for St. Paul was May 29), so I'm willing to give him a mulligan due to the disrupted schedule, and that eight-run disaster could present a buying opportunity. Festa's 91st percentile extension should allow his mid-90s fastball/changeup/slider combo to play up, and he added a two-seamer this year for an extra wrinkle. With Zebby Matthews headed to the IL, Festa also potentially inherits a two-step this week (at home against Texas, on the road in Houston), and this time he'll be on normal four days rest. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tigers: Gipson-Long's return to the majors didn't go so well, but his performance Wednesday wasn't as bad as it looked, even if you do dock him extra points for it coming against the White Sox. The right-hander has the tools to be a solid mid-rotation option once he's fully shaken off the rust from a long layoff, but until he shows something on the mound against big leaguers, SGL will need to be viewed as a better keeper stash than short-term play. That said, he does set up for a possible two-step this week, on the road in Baltimore and at home against the Reds, and after tossing 70 pitches in his 2025 debut he should be ready for a regular workload next time out. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Adrian Houser, White Sox: The 32-year-old journeyman appears to be a find for the ChiSox. Houser has reeled off four straight quality starts since joining the rotation with an unsustainable 1.48 ERA, but his 1.03 WHIP and 20:6 K:BB in 24.1 innings suggest the stinginess isn't a complete fluke. He's averaging 94.4 mph with his fastball, a bug jump from the 92.8 mph he clocked with the Mets last season, and he's leaning more on his curveball (34.5 percent whiff rate) over the less effective slider he used to feature. The team context is poor, although the White Sox have won four of five coming into Sunday and their offense is showing signs of life. It's possible they might have something more to crow about than being better than the Rockies this year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mitch Spence, Athletics: Spence made his first start of the season Thursday and needed only 57 pitches to cover five innings of one-run ball, which will earn him some extra turns for an A's team trying to patch the holes at the back of the rotation. The 27-year-old righty didn't distinguish himself as a starter in 2024, and his minor-league numbers in the Yankees' system weren't all that impressive either, so until he shows some real skills development Spence is best viewed as deep-league roster filler who might get some bulk Ks and a win or two without doing too much damage to your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Brandon Walter, Astros: The Houston rotation is strained to the breaking point, and Walter is joining the rotation with the team facing a stretch of 13 games in 13 days beginning Tuesday. If the 28-year-old southpaw pitches as well as he did in his Astros debut – five innings of shutout ball against the Rays on May 20, with a 5:1 K:BB – he'll almost certainly stick around, bumping either Ryan Gusto or Colton Gordon in the process. Walter's been brilliant this season with Triple-A Sugar Land, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 49:7 K:BB through 47.2 innings, but he's still got to prove his stuff and command can hold up in the majors – his fastball sits in the low 90s, and he leans more heavily on the sweeper, cutter and changeup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins: Zebby Matthews surprisingly landed on the IL on Sunday, and Minnesota doesn't have a lot of options to replace him. Woods Richardson is the logical choice, and he's posted a 19:4 K:BB over 17 innings in three starts since being sent down to Triple-A St. Paul. The right-hander also served up three homers in his last start, so keeping the ball in the yard still appears to be an issue. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Shane Baz, Rays (at BOS, at NYM)
Brayan Bello, Red Sox (vs. TB, vs. NYY)
Luis L. Ortiz, Guardians (vs. CIN, at SEA)
Cade Povich, Orioles (vs. DET, vs. LAA)
Shane Smith, White Sox (at HOU, at TEX)|
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics (at LAA, at KC)

Relief Pitcher

Bryan Baker, Orioles: The 30-year-old righty has been one of the top pop-up relievers in the majors in 2025, delivering a 2.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 37:6 K:BB through 28 innings after three lackluster seasons in Baltimore's bullpen. Baker's made three appearances so far in June and recorded two saves and a hold – while Felix Bautista wasn't available when he notched those saves, Seranthony Dominguez was, sending a clear signal as who the next man up would be if something were to happen to Bautista. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Fernando Cruz / Mark Leiter, Yankees: With Luke Weaver on the shelf potentially into July, Devin Williams is getting a chance to reclaim the closer role for the Yankees. The Airbender looks to be back in form for the most part, but if he falters again, Cruz and Leiter appear capable of handling the job. Cruz returned from his own IL stint Wednesday and has worked 1.2 innings in two appearances this week, recording five strikeouts. Doing the math, that's, uhh, 100 percent of his outs coming via strikeout. That's pretty good. Leiter's been scored upon only once in 14 appearances over the last month, posting a 18:3 K:BB in 13 innings over that stretch, and he's already got double-digit holds on the season. Cruz – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Leiter – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Steven Cruz, Royals: Kansas City is hovering around .500 and could stay in the wild-card mix even if Detroit sew up the AL Central crown early, so it's not clear if the Royals will be buyers or sellers at the deadline, If they do sell off parts though, Carlos Estevez will draw interest, and Lucas Erceg's back trouble doesn't make him a lock to take over the closer role if it opens up. Enter Cruz, an unheralded 25-year-old righty who's been riding a high-90s fastball/slider combo to a 1.54 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over 23.1 innings in 2025. His strikeout numbers on the season don't look dominant, but over his last five appearances he's rung up a 12:0 K:BB in only 6.2 innings. At worst, he looks like a high-K relief option who can stabilize your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Chris Martin, Rangers: The Texas bullpen remains something of a mess, with Robert Garcia currently getting an audition as closer. It's not going well; the southpaw has been scored upon in four of his last six appearances, and he has two blown saves to go with his two successful conversions during that span. Martin returned from the IL on Saturday and gave the Rangers a clean ninth inning in a 5-0 win, and while he's never been The Guy in a bullpen for any length of time, the 39-year-old right-hander might get his chance soon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Willie MacIver, Athletics: Shea Langeliers left Thursday's game with an oblique strain, an injury that leaves him with no guarantee of a quick return. MacIver will get first crack at the starting catcher job in his place, and while his Triple-A numbers are inflated by PCL desert parks, a .321/.405/.535 slash line with 17 homers in 511 plate appearances at the level since 2024 is hard to dismiss completely. The 28-year-old could have some sneaky value over the next month or so. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Kyle Teel, White Sox: After a 50-game run at Triple-A Charlotte that saw him slash .295/.394/.492 with eight homers and seven steals, Teel made his big-league debut Friday and went 3-for-6 with two walks to begin his MLB career. The 23-year-old will split time behind the plate with fellow top prospect Edgar Quero while also getting DH work, and the White Sox might also give him a look at first base if they're comfortable with his defense there. Teel should get consistent playing time as Chicago sorts out which guy will be its catcher of the future, and he's got the talent to make an impact. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

First Base

Jac Caglianone, Royals: Cags has had a slow start to his major-league tenure, going 2-for-21, but he's not striking out a lot and has a 52.9 percent hard-hit rate in that tiny sample, so there's little reason to be worried yet. The 22-year-old is a true blue-chip prospect who destroyed minor-league pitching to begin the season, and he fits an immediate need for a Royals team starved for power, so Caglianone will get every chance to find a groove. Don't overthink this one. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Tim Elko, White Sox: Elko's back at first base for the White Sox, and back to striking out a bunch. His power seems legit – four homers in his first 48 MLB plate appearances – but without better contact skills, he'll have trouble sticking around once the roster is healthy again. Kyle Teel's promotion also adds one more player to the 1B/DH mix, and Teel's development will be a bigger priority than finding playing time for the 26-year-old Elko. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Nick Kurtz, Athletics: The American League's other slugging rookie first baseman, Kurtz began a rehab stint Saturday and went 2-for-3 with a homer for Triple-A Las Vegas, so he should be back with the A's in no time. He was just heating up when he strained his hip flexor, going 7-for-17 over his last five games with four homers and nine RBI, and it could be a lot of fun in the second half watching Kurtz and Cags trade bombs. If for some reason Kurtz was dropped in your league when he got hurt, rectify that immediately. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nick Loftin, Royals: Loftin's been seeing more playing time than expected since his late-May promotion, mostly in left field or at third base, and he's batting .308 (8-for-26) with half his hits going for extra bases (three doubles and a homer). He doesn't have the most exciting profile when it comes to batted-ball data, but the Royals will take offense wherever they can get it, and he should gain multi-position eligibility soon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Second Base

Andres Gimenez, Blue Jays: Back from the IL, Gimenez has started four of five games since being activated and gone 4-for-13 (.308) with a couple walks. He's in the lineup for his defense, but with Ernie Clement and Addison Barger hitting like they have no intention of returning to the bench, there will be added pressure on Gimenez to at least be adequate at the plate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Romy Gonzalez, Red Sox: The 28-year-old utility player has been locked in since coming off the IL on Monday, going 7-for-18 (.389) in five games with two doubles, a homer and six RBI. Gonzalez looks to be on the short side of a platoon at first base with Abraham Toro, and unless Boston decides to send Kristan Campbell back to Triple-A, it's tough to see a bigger role for Gonzalez. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Brice Matthews, Astros: Houston's still trying to figure things out at second base. Jose Altuve's playing there more often, but he's seeing just as much action at DH or left field, while neither Mauricio Dubon nor Brendan Rodgers is a long-term solution. Matthews, meanwhile, is slashing .317/.429/.561 over 11 games at Triple-A Sugar Land since coming off the concussion IL, albeit with an elevated strikeout rate. A first-round pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, Matthews is knocking very loudly on the door, and the Astros might just be waiting for his contact rate to get back to normal before bringing him up. He should be viewed as a priority stash if you need stolen-base help especially – he's 17-for-20 in 48 games for Sugar Land this season, and he swiped 32 bags across four levels in the minors in 2024. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Davis Schneider, Blue Jays: Schneider is back in the majors in his lefty-killer role, and he appears to have figured something out in Triple-A, going 4-for-9 with a homer in three games since his promotion. The short-side platoon role caps his fantasy ceiling, but in deep leagues with daily moves, he's got some utility. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Abraham Toro, Red Sox: Toro keeps playing every day and keeps hitting, so I'm gonna hafta keep writing him up. Since becoming a full-time player May 23, the 28-year-old has seven multi-hit performances in 15 games while slashing .392/.407/.588 with two homers. With Romy Gonzalez back, Toro's been bouncing between first base and third base, and he still look like the Red Sox's best short-term answer at the cold corner. There's nothing in his batted-ball data to suggest this surge is sustainable though, so just enjoy the ride while it lasts. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Shortstop

Ha-Seong Kim, Rays: Kim's a couple weeks into a rehab assignment now and has started playing defense, so he's closing in on his Tampa Bay debut. The Rays haven't gotten any offense from their shortstops this year, sitting 26th in OPS from the position, so Kim should take over the everyday role quickly. He offers some pop and stole 60 bags for the Padres in 2023-24, which is more than enough offensive upside to be worth an early stash. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Max Muncy, Athletics: The 22-year-old is looking like he might end up being a discount Matt Shaw for 2025 purposes. Muncy struggled in his first look at big-league pitching, but after being sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas in late April he slashed .325/.397/.504 over 31 games with an improved strikeout rate. Called back up to the A's last week, Muncy's gone 3-for-13 with a homer in three games, albeit with five Ks. There's playing time available at third base if he stays hot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Jo Adell, Angels: I'm not prepared to say Adell has finally figured it out, but the 26-year-old is having maybe the best stretch of his career right now. After his second two-homer performance in six days Saturday, he's slashing .313/.421/.729 over his last 15 games with six long balls and 11 RBI – and, most importantly, a 15.8 percent strikeout rate. Adell still boasts elite bat speed (99th percentile), so more contact is a very good thing, and there's a nearly 100-point disparity right now between his batting average on fastballs (.206) and his xBA (.303) on them. There's a chance, just a chance mind you, that he might finally be cashing in on that prospect pedigree he held last decade. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Roman Anthony, Red Sox: I told myself I wasn't going to get sucked into the "surely the Red Sox have to call Anthony up now" vortex again, but then he went and did this Saturday. There's no room for him in the big-league outfield and Rafael Devers isn't budging off DH, but a trade could upgrade both the offense and the pitching staff at the same time if Anthony gets swapped in for Wilyer Abreu or whoever. Anthony remains a stash with no clear timeline for returning value, but if you need a big upside swing to save your season, he's your man. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

JJ Bleday, Athletics: Bleday hit .370 in his six games at Triple-A before being called back up, but he's looked no more capable of being a consistent fantasy contributor since his return than he did before he went down, going 1-for-12 in four June games for the A's with four strikeouts. Denzel Clarke's sore shoulder will open up playing time for Bleday in the short term, and potentially longer if the injury proves to be serious, but there's no reason to get excited about it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Seth Brown, Athletics: Speaking of guys not to get excited about, Brown's back on the A's bench after a brief sojourn in free agency, and he promptly struck out four times Saturday (not technically a Golden Sombrero, I think, since he did also walk once.) He's got some pop, but it would take a lot more injuries on the roster for him to get enough playing time to make it useful. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Evan Carter, Rangers: Carter came off the IL on Tuesday and has started three of five games since his return, but that still hasn't resulted in a lot of playing time. The 22-year-old got a very quick hook in Tuesday's contest to keep him from facing a lefty, and he's gone just 1-for-9 with three Ks. The Rangers aren't ready to give up on his talent, but Carter still looks like he's a lot way from being a useful fantasy asset. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ramon Laureano, Orioles: Laureano was activated from the IL on Friday and started two straight games, going 3-for-5 with a homer Saturday. The veteran outfielder was having a nice run in May before he sprained his ankle, but with Tyler O'Neill potentially set to return next week, Laureano's window for a starting role could close quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Parker Meadows, Tigers: The 25-year-old made his season debut Monday after shaking off a nerve issue in his arm, and Meadows has looked 100 percent healthy while starting five of Detroit's last six games. He's only gone 4-for-19 (.211) at the plate, but add five walks, a double, a triple and two steals to the equation and you can see the fantasy appeal. Meadows offers both speed and power once the rust is fully gone, and he might not be a liability in batting average either if he takes another step forward with his development. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $21; 12-team AL: $35

Wenceel Perez, Tigers: Even with Meadows back, Perez has refused to budge from the starting nine, batting .294 (10-for-34) with three doubles and three homers in 11 games since he came off the IL himself. The Tigers seem to be prioritizing outfield defense right now, and an alignment of Riley Greene in left field, Meadows in center and Perez in right over Kerry Carpenter is one of the top fly-catching units in the league. He won't play every day, but Perez is getting enough playing time to be useful even in shallow formats as long as his bat stays hot. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Johnathan Rodriguez, Guardians: Rodriguez was called up Sunday to replace Jhonkensy Noel as the platoon partner for Nolan Jones in right field. Rodriguez was slashing .324/.408/.494 at Triple-A and has some power, but the 25-year-old has yet to show he can make consistent contact in the majors. If he does though, he could push Jones for work against right-handed pitching as well. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Mike Tauchman, White Sox: Tauchman went yard again Friday, and in 15 games since coming off the injured list the veteran outfielder is slashing .278/.394/.574 with three homers, 10 RBI and 11 runs. He's playing every day, hitting at the top of the order and providing consistent production, so he should be rostered even in shallow leagues. Just don't expect the hot streak to last, given his career .244/.348/.383 line. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered