AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

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 skills and role on an A-E scale. Shohei Ohtani would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects stepping into 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Homer Bailey, Royals: This feels like an Admiral Ackbar Special, but I can't ignore what Bailey has done so far. The former Red's 4.30 ERA may not look appealing, but it comes with a 1.09 WHIP and 27:7 K:BB through 23 innings. Even better, he hasn't been doing it against particularly weak competition – Bailey's one bad start came against the Mariners when they were red hot, and he has yet to face teams really vulnerable to righties like the Tigers or Blue Jays. If you're going to take the plunge, now's the time to do it. He gets a two-step this week, heading to Tampa on Tuesday before hosting the Angels on Sunday. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Chris Bassitt, Athletics: Called up to replace Marco Estrada, Bassitt appears headed for a two-start week as well unless Estrada makes a very quick recovery from his lumbar strain, facing Texas at home Monday before heading to Toronto next weekend to potentially help welcome Vlad Guerrero Jr. to the majors. Bassitt missed his chance to win a rotation spot this spring due to a lower-leg injury, but he posted a 16:2 K:BB in 11 rehab innings prior to his recall. The 30-year-old has put together decent enough numbers in the majors but his stuff is purely back-end material, as his 7.0 career K/9 illustrates. Still, he could provide some useful short-term help. 12-team Mixed: $1 (streaming); 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alex Cobb, Orioles: Cobb's stop-start beginning to the season hit a brick wall Saturday in his return from a back injury, when the Twins pummeled him for nine runs and three homers in 2.2 innings. Even better, he gets to face them again in his next start, this time back in Minnesota. He's got a rotation job, and that alone has some value in deep formats, but there's a big difference between stashing a guy on your bench for future streaming opportunities, and plugging him into your active lineup without a care in the world for what he could do to your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Daniel Norris, Tigers: I have to admire the Tigers' commitment to the bit. One bad lefty (Matt Moore) gets hurt, so they just plug another one into the rotation in his place. I'm tempted to stretch for a Bewitched joke here and the way the show cycled through Darrens, but there's nothing magical about this situation. Norris hasn't had an ERA below 5.00 since 2016 – and that in only 69.1 innings – and his 4:3 K:BB through 8.1 relief frames to begin this season doesn't suggest he's suddenly figured anything out. Still, given where Detroit is right now, they've got little lose by letting the 25-year-old try one more time. I expect after a month or so of his usual aggravating teases and backslides, Beau Burrows will get his shot at the rotation, and Matt Manning could be banging on the door by the second half, but for now Norris is the guy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Erik Swanson, Mariners: Swanson's first big-league start went pretty darn well, as he rang up a quality start against Cleveland on Wednesday, albeit in a losing effort. That may not have been a fair test – they're 27th in wRC+ against RHP so far – but you don't get to pick your opponents, and the 25-year-old is now positioned for a two-start week, heading to San Diego on Tuesday (Padres are 24th in wRC+ against RHP) before hosting the Rangers on Sunday. Swanson's stuff is mid-rotation at best, but he should get a month or so to prove he deserves to stick in the rotation even after Wade LeBlanc is back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Hector Velazquez, Red Sox: The right-hander has made two spot starts this season but hasn't lasted longer than three innings in either of them, making them effectively bullpen days. That should change now that Nathan Eovaldi is on the shelf – the Red Sox will need to get Velazquez stretched out, so the quick hooks should end. He's not a prospect at 30 years old and doesn't have tremendous upside, but he's given Boston quality innings when called upon. With the offense starting to catch fire, he's at least got good win potential and may not hurt your ratios. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

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

Matt Harvey, Angels (vs. NYY, at KC)

Lance Lynn, Rangers (at OAK, at SEA)

Spencer Turnbull, Tigers (at BOS, at CHW)

Relief Pitcher

Trevor Hildenberger, Twins: The Twins didn't have enough ninth-inning confusion, I guess. Hildenberger became the third Minnesota pitcher to notch a save last Sunday when Blake Parker couldn't get the job done, and that's a list that doesn't even include Trevor May. (Incidentally, I've already mistakenly called Taylor Rogers 'Trevor' once this year. This bullpen is quickly turning into the baseball equivalent to Monty Python's Bruces sketch.) Hildenberger may not sniff another save all year, but it won't be because he hasn't earned it – he hasn't allowed a run in 10 appearances with a 9:1 K:BB over 6.2 innings. Rocco Baldelli seems to prefer him as a late-inning ROOGY, which is understandable given his sidearm delivery, but if he finishes with 20-plus combined saves and holds, that would have a lot of value in leagues that have moved to the combined category rather than pure saves. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Ryan Tepera, Blue Jays: Tepera came off the IL and immediately jumped back into a setup role for the Jays, grabbing a hold by working a scoreless sixth inning Thursday. He should be back in the eighth inning in front of closer Ken Giles soon enough. Tepera has 37 holds over the last two seasons (plus 12 wins and nine saves) with solid ratios and K-rates, and while he's not dominant, even in shallower leagues he's the kind of arm you want available in case none of your back-end rotation options have favorable matchups in a particular week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Sandy Leon, Red Sox: Boston finally gave up on Blake Swihart, sending him to the Land of Misfit Catchers in Arizona, which opened the door for Leon to return to the majors as Christian Vazquez's backup. Memories of 2016 still linger, but the 30-year-old really doesn't offer much at the plate other than the advantage of having the Red Sox lineup around him when he does play. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

First Base

Mike Ford, Yankees: This season in the Bronx has become an off-Broadway production of Ten Little Yankees – a mashup of Damn Yankees and Agatha Christie's classic mystery in which people get picked off one by one. (Hey, it fits – there's even a Judge!) Greg Bird's injury has thrown Ford into the mix as Luke Voit's understudy, and while the 26-year-old has no real prospect pedigree, he was tearing up the International League before his promotion, hitting .410 with five homers in 10 games, as good a reminder as you'll get that both Triple-A leagues are now using the same supercharged balls MLB is using. Ford's .253/.327/.433 slash line for Scranton in 2018 is probably a better reflection of what he might contribute with regular playing time, which, really, could happen any second now. He's gotten two starts at DH to start his big-league career, going without a hit but drawing three walks. There have been worse debuts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Thairo Estrada, Yankees: The 23-year-old got called back up Sunday to replace Aaron Judge, but he'll get tossed into the infield jumble with DJ LeMahieu and Tyler Wade. Estrada barely played last year due to back issues, but had a solid start to this season at Triple-A. If he gets regular playing time, he might chip in a decent batting average and a handful of steals. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jason Kipnis, Cleveland: The veteran came off the IL on Monday and was immediately plugged back into the starting lineup at the keystone. Kipnis stayed mostly healthy last year and slugged 18 homers, but his .230 batting average is probably about where he is as a hitter these days. I'd call him a poor man's Brian Dozier, but given how the former Twin has started his year, Dozier might now be a poor man's Kipnis instead. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Eric Sogard, Blue Jays: The Jays trolled their fanbase exceptionally well this week when they called up a 32-year-old utility infielder instead of the top prospect in baseball to replace Lourdes Gurriel, but Sogard might have the last laugh. He's collected a hit in five straight starts since his promotion, hitting .409 with two steals and five RBI, and he could already have done enough to keep his roster spot when Vladito finally gets to Toronto, even potentially keeping the starting second-base job over Brandon Drury. In the long run Sogard is still a guy with a career .627 OPS in over 1,700 plate appearances, but he might continue to swipe the occasional base with regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Joey Wendle, Rays: Wendle rejoined the Rays on Sunday after recovering from his hamstring strain and immediately got slotted in at second base, even with lefty David Price facing them on the mound. Tampa still loves to mix and match its lineup, but Wendle should see consistent at-bats at the keystone or hot corner, and if he got cut loose while hurt, the 28-year-old needs to be scooped up ASAP. Last year's .300 batting average might have been a little boosted by some BABIP luck, but he still has a solid all-around offensive profile. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: Owned

Third Base

Michael Chavis, Red Sox: Boston's top prospect got the call Friday, as the Red Sox's situation at second base is starting to look a bit dire. I mean, they gave Christian Vazquez a start there before deciding to turn to Chavis. The 23-year-old sat on the bench for two games before getting his first start Sunday, but he was still able to make an impact off the bench – his pinch-hit double Saturday helped set up the winning run in the ninth. The converted third baseman could be shaky defensively given his limited experience up the middle, but he's got plenty of pop, with his 31 homers between High-A and Double-A in 2017 standing out on his resume. If he hits, Chavis should stick around, potentially bouncing between second base and third in place of the struggling Rafael Devers. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $27

Hunter Dozier, Royals: Dozier will probably be this week's top target in leagues where he's still available, and it's easy to see why – five homers in 19 games with a .292/.397/.585 slash line would look darn good in any fantasy lineup. Those numbers are way above anything he's done before, but he a) was a first-round pick in 2013, so the scouting pedigree is there, b) is 27 years old, so he's at that classic breakout age, and c) has the batted-ball profile to back up that performance, showing improved exit velocity (his 94.4 mph average ranks him in the top 20 in the league) and a more optimal launch angle. I'm not quite at the point of saying Dozier is legit, simply because I didn't actually think that much of him as a prospect, but when you look up 'infallible' in the dictionary, you see a picture of me with a caption saying "Definitely not this guy". Much like Daniel Vogelbach a week or two ago, going hard after Dozier now could well land you an impact bat for five-plus months, and that reward is worth the risk of making a big dent in your FAAB budget. 12-team Mixed: $12; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: Owned

Tommy La Stella, Angels: Exhibit A in the case that MLB's official ball is back to its jet-fueled 2017 form has to be La Stella's recent performance. The 30-year-old came into the season with 10 homers in nearly 1,000 big-league plate appearances, but he's now gone yard four times since April 8. He's not quite playing every day for the Angels, but a .308/.419/.769 slash line during that hot stretch should get him into the lineup against everybody but the toughest lefties. La Stella has played exclusively second base so far, but if David Fletcher picks up the pace and Zack Cozart doesn't, he could easily slide over the third. La Stella's career numbers don't suggest he'll keep this up, of course, but he clearly knows what's up – his 15.0 degree average launch angle is nearly double last year's 8.1, even if he's not really hitting the ball any harder than he has in the past. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Renato Nunez, Orioles: Nunez has a slow start to the season that might have gotten him dropped, but slugging three homers in Saturday's doubleheader, and collecting hits in 10 of his last 11 games, has got his numbers healthy in a hurry. The 25-year-old now boasts a .304/.345/.532 slash line, and while his 4:20 BB:K in 21 games is weak, the O's will let him keep swinging for the fences as they look to develop a new generation of power bats to replace the decrepit Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo. The batting average won't last, but a 20-HR campaign is easily within reach. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Shortstop

Tzu-Wei Lin, Red Sox: Lin will handle second base when Chavis doesn't, at least until one of Boston's other middle-infield options gets healthy. He's mostly posted a solid batting average and OBP at Triple-A, but there isn't much else in his profile to recommend him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Ryan Cordell, White Sox: The 27-year-old replaced the struggling Daniel Palko on the big-league roster and got the start in his first two games, going 4-for-7 with a homer, three runs and a steal. Cordell's minor-league profile backs up that performance to some extent – he's got a typical slap-and-scamper fourth outfielder profile, but in a starting role for Chicago he could be a decent two-category asset, with his contributions in runs depending on his spot in the batting order. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Billy McKinney, Blue Jays: McKinney's come around after a slow start, slashing .318/.326/.523 with a homer, three RBI and eight runs in hhis last 11 games. The Jays would like him to emerge as a true leadoff option, but his 0:12 BB:K doesn't really suggest that's going to happen any time soon. Still, the club doesn't have better options at the top of the order, so if he keeps getting hits, he could keep scoring runs. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Dustin Peterson, Tigers: Peterson's gotten semi-regular playing time with Christin Stewart hurt, but he hasn't done much with it, going 4-for-22 while starting six of the last eight games with two RBI and a stolen base. His minor-league profile suggests he's more capable of occasional homers than steals, but he's no long-term solution for the Tigers in the outfield and could even be the guy to lose his roster spot when Daz Cameron is deemed to be ready for a promotion. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Danny Santana, Rangers: The former Twin has had a nice first week for the Rangers, slashing .348/.348/.652 in six games with three steals and a homer. The speed in particular is going to attract some bids, but keep in mind he's just keeping second base warm for Rougned Odor, and at best he could fall into the same utility role Jurickson Profar occupied last year once Odor returns to action. Santana could still have deep-league value with that usage and that 20-steal campaign in 2014 is enticing, but don't view him as anything more than a short-term option in shallower formats. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Mike Tauchman, Yankees: Perhaps the biggest winner in the Yankees' latest round of casualties has been Tauchman. He started the season at the end of the bench, a surprise addition to the 25-man roster coming out of the spring, and now he's seeing regulat at-bats and has swatted three homers in the last five games. He hit .323 with 20 homers last year for Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies' system, but that's Albuquerque – he almost certainly won't maintain that kind of batting average in the bigs. Given the overall homer rate this year, though, he could continue to supply some power as long as he's getting ABs, and his minor-league profile does suggest he would have more value in OBP formats than old-school batting average leagues. It's easy to dismiss the numbers players produce in high-octane PCL parks as desert mirages, but Tauchman might just be able to make a useful contribution until the Yankees' outfield gets healthier. Whenever that is. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5