AL FAAB Factor: Post-Break Edition

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 free-agent budget you should bid on them.

One size does not fit all, and we could never hope to encompass all league structures, so bids are based on:

• 12-team league (either AL or Mixed, we'll specify)
• 5x5 categories
• $100 FAAB budget

Starting Pitching

Chris Bassitt, A's – Optioned to Triple-A Nashville over the break, Bassitt will return this Saturday to face the Giants on the road, as Jesse Hahn (forearm) is out indefinitely. Before the break, Bassitt made his third start of the season and pitched 6.1 innings with seven hits, two earned runs, one walk, and three strikeouts in Cleveland. This season as a starter, he has a 2.65 ERA (2.71 FIP) with nine strikeouts and two walks over 17 innings. The lack of strikeouts is concerning, but if he can continue to avoid walks, he'll find success. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Scott Feldman, Astros – Feldman (knee) returned to the Astros rotation Saturday and pitched 5.2 innings with nine hits, four earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts against the Rangers. On the season he has a 4.93 ERA (4.39 FIP) with 39 strikeouts and 16 walks over 65.2 innings. Unless you're in an AL-only format, it's tough to have much faith in him, as his command is shaky. This week he gets the Royals on the road. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Matt Harrison, Rangers – Before the break, Harrison made his return to the Rangers rotation, following back injuries that limited him to only six starts over the last two seasons. He pitched against the Diamondbacks in that return and was pounded, giving up six hits, six earned runs, three walks in just four innings. Given the time off, rust is to be expected, though he was no better in his rehab starts. Don't bid more than the minimum and pick your spots, as it's likely to be an inconsistent second half for the lefty. This week he gets the Rockies on the road. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Brian Johnson, Red Sox – Called up from Triple-A Pawtucket before the break, Johnson will make his MLB debut Tuesday against the Astros. He earned his promotion with a 2.73 ERA (3.27 FIP), 81 strikeouts, and 26 walks over 85.2 innings at Pawtucket. He'll take the rotation spot left by Clay Buchholz (elbow) and figures to hang around as long as he pitches well. Pitching in the AL East, he'll likely take his lumps as he gets adjusted. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

John Lamb, Royals – Brought up only as insurance for the bullpen in a doubleheader Friday, Lamb was sent back down to Triple-A Omaha, where he is having a bit of a breakout season coming back from Tommy John surgery. The surgery was in 2011, but it's taken him a while to regain his form. This season he has a 2.68 ERA (3.34 FIP) with 86 strikeouts and 27 walks over 84 innings at Omaha, and he's doing it with a 95 mph fastball. The return of Jason Vargas leaves one less spot for him and there's still Kris Medlen to contend with, but keep him on your radar in AL formats for the second half. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Martin Perez, Rangers – Back from Tommy John surgery, Perez made his season debut Friday against the Astros and pitched five innings with nine hits, three earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts. He had below-average command before the injury, so to see him struggle isn't really a surprise. That might seem a bit harsh, given it's his first start back, but he has never shown a consistent ability to miss bats. I'd stay away from him in all formats until he smoothes things out, but he'll get the opportunity to do so, as Ivan Nova and Matt Moore, both post-TJ guys, are still not all the way back either and might not get there at all this season. This week Perez gets the Rockies on the road. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Luis Severino, Yankees – Severino has a 1.79 ERA (2.78 FIP) with 36 strikeouts and 15 walks over 50.1 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and could make his debut in the second half given the struggles of the Yankees rotation. The top pitching prospect in the team's system, he breezed through Double-A earlier this season and has showed no signs of slowing down despite the promotion. Stash him where available in AL formats. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Drew Smyly, Rays – Working his way back from a torn labrum, Smyly will throw a simulated game this week and could go out on a rehab assignment before the end of the month. He opted for rest and rehab rather than surgery (so far, so good), but he's just now starting to ramp up his throwing, so he's not out of the woods yet. For his career, he has a 3.49 ERA (3.86 FIP) with 235 strikeouts and 70 walks over 257.2 innings as a starter. Stash him in AL formats. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Jason Vargas, Royals – Vargas is set to rejoin the Royals rotation this coming week after being out for over a month with a hip injury. Before the injury, he had a 4.10 ERA (4.29 FIP) with 25 strikeouts and 11 walks over 41.2 innings. He had a couple clunkers in April, but was very good after that and even pitched six shutout innings before landing on the DL. A veteran adept at limiting walks, he needs to be owned in all AL formats. This week he gets the Pirates and Astros at home. Mixed: $3; AL: Owned.

Jered Weaver, Angels – Given how poorly he performed before his hip injury, there's very good chance Weaver is available in your mixed league. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and could rejoin the Angels rotation this week without a rehab assignment. Before leaving, he had a 4.75 ERA (4.90 FIP) with 49 strikeouts and 16 walks over 96.2 innings and was really hurting owners. Never a hard thrower, his velocity was in the low 80s earlier this season and for that reason, I cannot recommend adding him in any mixed leagues until we see him with at least one productive outing. If you're bolder, be my guest, but he's been trending in the wrong direction for a while now, even before this season began. This week he could get the Rangers at home. Mixed: $3; AL: Owned.

Steven Wright, Red Sox – Wright is slated to be recalled for Monday's game against the Angels, as the Red Sox look to tweak their rotation to start the week. It could be a spot start or he could stick in the rotation, depending upon how he pitches and how long Clay Buchholz (elbow) remains out, as Justin Masterson is now in the bullpen. The knuckleballer has a 4.15 ERA (5.09 FIP) with 24 strikeouts and 13 walks over 43.1 innings this season. If he sticks in the rotation, he'll be in line for a start against the Tigers at home later in the week. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Relief Pitching

Neftali Feliz, Tigers – It's only been five batters, but Feliz joined the Tigers throwing much harder than he did with the Rangers, who recently released him. The spike in his velocity is encouraging, as he was struggling with his command in Texas. Given the other options in the Detroit bullpen, it wouldn't be surprising to see him work his way into high-leverage situations quickly if he can carry this velocity in the second half and put his struggles with the Rangers behind him. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Kris Medlen, Royals – Medlen (elbow) will be activated from the DL on Monday – though he'll return as a reliever – as he continues to make his way back from his second Tommy John surgery. The Royals rotation is full and Jason Vargas is returning as well, so the move to the bullpen makes sense. In his six rehab starts between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, Medlen had a 3.56 ERA with 20 strikeouts and five walks over 30.1 innings. If you're already playing for next season, he makes for an interesting addition. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Fernando Rodriguez, A's – Given that the A's have the worst record in the American League, it seems likely that they'll be sellers in the trade market and one of the pieces to go will be closer Tyler Clippard. If that happens, it's Rodriguez that I'm backing as the current reliever best suited to be the closer going forward. You can find my breakdown on the entire bullpen in last week's column, but to sum it up, they've all got warts, except for Rodriguez, who has a 3.33 ERA (1.58 FIP) with 35 strikeouts, nine walks, and zero home runs given up over 27 innings. When Sean Doolittle (shoulder) is back on a mound, we can discuss his role, but until then, Rodriguez looks like the best bet. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Catcher

Alex Avila, Tigers – Coming out of the break, the Tigers have started Avila at first base in both of their first two games as Marc Krauss is on paternity leave. A career .271 hitter with 19 home runs over 759 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, don't expect Krauss to last long as the team's fill-in for Miguel Cabrera (calf). The team would be better served to allow Avila to step in on days he's not catching and put James McCann behind the plate. On the season, Avila has hit .198 with three home runs over 112 PA. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Tomas Telis, Rangers – Telis was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, as Carlos Corporan landed on the DL with a thumb injury. At Round Rock, Telis hit .291/.327/.404 with five home runs over 300 plate appearances. It's unlikely that he'll see much playing time behind Robinson Chirinos, so don't bid more than the minimum. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

First Base

Grant Green, Angels – Green was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake City on Friday to give the Halos some depth across the board, as he is capable of playing anywhere in the infield and in left field. At Salt Lake City, he hit .288/.329/.412 with two home runs and two stolen bases over 297 plate appearances. Previously with the A's organization, Green has 277 PA under his belt in the majors but hasn't yet shown a real ability to help owners. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Jesus Montero, Mariners – Recalled from Triple-A Tacoma before the break, Montero does not have a clear path to playing time, at least not initially. He earned his promotion by hitting .332/.370/.529 with 15 home runs and three stolen bases over 368 plate appearances at Tacoma. He's slated to face mostly lefties, but his opportunities could grow if Logan Morrison and his .228 batting average continue to struggle. If for some reason he still has catcher eligibility in your league, bump up the bidding a tad. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Jonathan Singleton, Astros – Chris Carter is dealing with an ankle injury that has left him sore and off the DL for now, but that could change the longer he remains out of the lineup. For now, Singleton is filling in and with the added playing time he will hopefully warm up at the plate. So far he has gone 4-for-28 with a double and stolen base since being promoted from Triple-A Fresno, where he hit .280/.387/.553 with 17 home runs over 313 plate appearances. For now he's only worth consideration in AL formats. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Nick Swisher, Indians – Swisher (knee) is set to begin a rehab assignment Monday. Out for over a month, it's easy to forget about him, especially when he's 34 years old and his skills are clearly in decline. If you're really hurting for a first baseman, bid the minimum to stash him. Last season he hit .208 with eight home runs over 401 plate appearances. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Second Base

Micah Johnson, White Sox – Johnson is hitting .320/.372/.466 with five home runs and 22 stolen bases over 246 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte, as he continues to prove he's ready for a promotion. Above him in the majors is Carlos Sanchez and a .189 batting average that includes zero home runs and stolen bases over 180 PA. It's clearly Sanchez who belongs in the minors, not Johnson, so it's only a matter of time before the White Sox make the move. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Rob Refsnyder, Yankees – Called up before the break, Refsnyder hit .290/.387/.413 with seven home runs and 10 stolen bases over 363 plate appearances at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In the majors, he has a very real chance to relegate Stephen Drew to the bench or worse, as Refsnyder has shown an ability to hit at every level while Drew is hitting .182 on the season. His defense is worth keeping an eye on, as it kept him in the minors previously and he already made an error in his second game. Still, he's worth owning in all AL formats. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Shortstop

Tim Beckham and Jake Elmore, Rays – Asdrubal Cabrera landed on the DL with a hamstring injury right before the break and in his place the team called up Tim Beckham, who will share shortstop duties with Jake Elmore. Together, the two don't make up one good option for fantasy owners, so you're likely better off avoiding this situation. Beckham, who was up earlier this season, has hit .213 with five home runs and three stolen bases over 105 plate appearances in the majors, while Elmore has hit .206 with two home runs and one stolen base over 141 PA. Both right-handed hitters, Beckham has more upside, as he's younger and has some power. Both - Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Marwin Gonzalez, Astros – Gonzalez is hitting .329/.373/.557 with four home runs and two stolen bases over the last 30 days, which is to say he's has been much better lately than his season line of .258/.283/.414 might suggest. He's played everywhere in the infield this season and it's that flexibility that makes him just a little more valuable in deeper leagues. If you like Brock Holt, you might like Marwin Gonzalez. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Jed Lowrie, Astros – Out since late May with a thumb injury, Lowrie is close to a rehab assignment, as he's currently taking batting practice and doing defensive drills. Before he left, he hit .300/.432/.567 with four home runs over 74 plate appearances. He won't be returning as the starting shortstop, but he's still likely to find time at third base or perhaps on another team, as the Astros are likely to be active in the trade market. He'll be worth owning in all AL formats, so grab him now. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Ketel Marte, Mariners – After dealing with a broken thumb, Marte is at Triple-A Tacoma as he looks to find the stroke that made him a candidate to be promoted to the majors earlier this season. At Tacoma he's hitting .329/.379/.415 with two home runs and 17 stolen bases over 230 plate appearances. The M's have the second-worst record in the AL and once they decide to sell, we might see Marte up, as he's one of their top prospects. For now, stash him where you can. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Danny Santana, Twins – Recalled in late June, Santana has not turned things around, hitting .231 with no home runs and two stolen bases over 55 plate appearances since his return. He went 0-for-4 Friday and was not in the lineup Saturday, and he's running out of time to turn his season around. If you're in anything deeper than an AL format, you're probably wasting your time. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Third Base

Joey Gallo, Rangers – Gallo continues to do what he does best: hit for power. He hit his third home run in his last five games Friday at Triple-A Round Rock, but unfortunately, he's still having a hard time proving he can hit for contact, which is something he struggled with at the major league level as well. He should be up later this summer and he's still worth stashing in AL formats due to his special power, but his batting average will likely suffer with prolonged exposure. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Tyler Saladino, White Sox – Saladino has started six consecutive games for the Pale Hose, five of those at third base, as the team looks for an alternative to the Conor Gillaspie/Gordon Beckham duo that brought them very little production in the first half. So far he has gone 7-for-24 with a triple and hit either second or ninth in the lineup. If he can continue to hit and maintain his spot high up in the lineup, he'll hold value in AL and deep mixed formats. At Triple-A Charlotte he hit .255/.332/.372 with four home runs and 25 stolen bases over 231 plate appearances. Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Richie Shaffer, Rays – Shaffer has hit .276/.370/.559 with 21 home runs over 339 plate appearances between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham this season, and he seems to be ready for a new challenge. Currently blocked by Evan Longoria at the major league level, Shaffer could come up and help the team offensively at first base, as James Loney can only hit for contact. Stash him where you can, as it might not be much longer if he keeps this up. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Danny Valencia, Blue Jays – Valencia has done well this season in a part-time role, hitting .299/.331/.526 with six home runs and two stolen bases over 146 plate appearances. It would be nice to see Valencia get more playing time, but Chris Colabello has yet to fade and the team has stayed relatively healthy of late. If for some reason he's still available in your AL format, give him a look as a corner infielder or backup outfielder. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Outfield

Oswaldo Arcia, Twins – Arcia is hitting .346/.424/.865 with eight home runs over 59 plate appearances this month at Triple-A Rochester, showing he's ready to rejoin the Twins. It's not entirely clear why he was sent down in the first place, as he hit .276 with two home runs over 65 PA in the majors and has twice before shown he can hit at Triple-A. His only logical returning spot is in left field, where Eddie Rosario (see below) has started to establish himself. Pick him back up now, as his power should continue to be on display when he returns. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Coco Crisp, A's – Out since May with kidney stones (which thankfully have passed) and a neck injury that's ongoing, Crisp is just now finally swinging a bat. It figures to be a while until he's ready to rejoin the team and even then, Billy Burns has made him an afterthought. It might take until September, but keep tabs on Crisp as he ramps up his baseball activities. Mixed: No; AL: $1.

Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando, Royals – After losing Alex Gordon to a groin injury, the Royals have used a combination of Dyson and Orlando in a platoon. If they intend to employ it strictly on lefty/righty match-ups, Dyson figures to have more value, as he's the lefty. He also has much more experience and is a proven speedster on the basepaths with three consecutive seasons of over 30 stolen bases. Orlando is fleet of foot as well, but is a 29-year-old rookie. Manager Ned Yost may stick with this platoon, though he did use Orlando most days when giving Gordon time off previously, as he preferred to keep Dyson in his role of late-game replacement. Keep an eye on this situation, and if Dyson was already snapped up in your league, it doesn't hurt to grab Orlando, just in case he gets equal or better playing time. Both - Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Aaron Hicks, Twins – Since coming off the DL from a forearm injury earlier this month, Hicks is hitting .294 with two home runs, eight walks, and three strikeouts over 43 plate appearances. I highlight the walks, as he's had serious issues with his plate approach in the past and has never really shown this much power before either. It could very well be a fluke, but for now owners should add him in AL formats to see where this goes. If you're wondering, Byron Buxton (thumb) is still weeks away. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Eddie Rosario, Twins – With at least two hits in his last four games, Rosario is really starting to warm up at the plate. It'd be nice if he started to show more power, as only one of those hits was for extra bases, but it's still a good sign for a young hitter. On the season he's hitting .288 with four home runs and eight stolen bases over 209 plate appearances and is starting to make left field his own. I'd have confidence he could hold the starting gig for the remainder of the season if not for Oswaldo Arcia (see above), who has more upside and much more power. For now, he needs to be owned in all AL formats. Mixed: $1; AL: $3.

Note: If you have anyone else you'd like me to discuss, just drop a line in the comments section.