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 talent on an A-E scale. Luis Robert 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Nestor Cortes, Yankees: The unheralded 26-year-old continues to be a godsend for the Yankees' staff. Cortes' numbers in long relief were excellent, and he hasn't missed a beat since being moved into the rotation. He also got stretched out to 74 pitches last time out, which means he's getting in range of lasting long enough to earn a win. The key to his success this season has been increased use of his curveball and a huge jump in its spin rate (2430 rpm average this year compared to 2252 rpm in 2019, the last time he saw any kind of significant big-league action), which is going to raise some eyebrows, but there's been no change since the league sticky stuff crackdown -- in fact, his curve registered a 2510 rpm in his last start -- so either Cortes wasn't using anything he needed to stop using, or he figures he has nothing to lose by pushing his luck. Either way, he's put himself in the mixed-league roster conversation. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mike Foltynewicz, Rangers: The right-hander has delivered quality starts in three of his last four outings with a 22:2 K:BB through 26 innings, so Folty deserves a little attention despite his 5.11 ERA on the year. Weirdly, all three of those QS came against the A's, so to put it another way, he has a 3.26 ERA against Oakland and a 5.56 ERA against everyone else. (The Rangers don't play the A's again until early August, if you think that's somehow a meaningful split.) I'm still wary, but maybe he's figured something out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Triston McKenzie, Cleveland: After having a very hard time finding the plate to begin the year, issues which didn't really resolve themselves after a demotion to Triple-A, McKenzie returned to Cleveland and was absolutely dazzling Friday, allowing one hit and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the Royals while fanning nine. The 23-year-old's upside has never been in question, only his ability to reach it, so if the light bulb has gone off for the righty, he could be a difference-maker in the second half. It's more likely he can't chip away significantly at his 18.9 percent walk rate, but if you need to gamble on some pitching to make a move in the standings, this is the kind of guy to gamble on. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $7

Wily Peralta, Tigers: The 32-year-old quietly hasn't allowed an earned run over his last three appearances and 14.2 innings, posting an 11:2 K:BB over that stretch. Peralta is purely a plug-in, both for the Tigers and for fantasy rosters, but that stretch can't be entirely dismissed as a fluke. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Luis Severino, Yankees: The All-Star break is a convenient time to stash guys who have been on the injured list for a while and might be only a few more weeks from returning, as one of those weeks will really only feature a few days worth of games. Severino is one of the two big names I'm highlighting for that purpose. The right-hander had his recovery from Tommy John surgery paused last month due to a groin strain, but he's back tossing bullpens now and is getting closer to a new rehab assignment. The Yankees could certainly use him, but the 27-year-old will be a total wild card given that he hasn't pitched in a game since the 2019 postseason. Severino's upside is significant though, and even six weeks of performance at his 2018 level would move the needle for most fantasy squads. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $35

Spenser Watkins, Orioles: Watkins is the latest Baltimore rotation dart throw. A 30th round pick of the Tigers in 2014, the righty made his big-league debut July 2 and his first start July 6 as he surprisingly held the Jays to one run over five innings. He also had two strikeouts to three walks in that outing and has averaged just under 90 mph with his fastball, so to say his ceiling is limited might be a severe understatement. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Chad Green, Yankees: Aroldis Chapman's sudden struggles have put a bit of a spotlight on Green, and he nabbed his third save of the year Wednesday. Chapman isn't the first name you might think of as being impacted by the league's crackdown on grip enhancers, as his spin rates have actually been trending down slightly the last few years, but he is 33 years old and has been firing gas for a long time. What if he was using something just to try and stay level? Or maybe he's nursing an arm issue, or maybe he just had a bad spell. Green's having a strong season regardless and has value simply as ratio ballast, but the possibility that he might become the closer if Chapman continues to falter makes him a solid bench stash even in shallow formats. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Trevor Richards, Blue Jays: Richards has looked fantastic since landing in Toronto, throwing 2.2 perfect innings over two appearances and recording five of his eight outs via strikeout. He's been locked in for longer than that, though -- since the beginning of June, the right-hander has a 1.53 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB through 17.2 innings. Manager Charlie Montoyo has already said he's in the high-leverage mix for the Jays, and Richards' plus changeup has become an even bigger weapon with his fastball up a couple ticks this year (career-high 92.6 mph). That's likely to mean more holds than saves, but the ratios and K's have value all on their own. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Zack Collins, White Sox: With Yasmani Grandal sidelined until at least the beginning of August, Collins is now the starting catcher for the White Sox, with only Seby Zavala backing him up. The team will probably look to add another backstop by the deadline, but until then Collins is in line for plenty of playing time. The 2016 first-round pick has flashed real power in the minors and is slashing .296/.387/.444 since the beginning of June, albeit in only 62 plate appearances, so he could be a real asset as long as the team is satisfied with his defense behind the dish. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Sam Huff, Rangers: John Hicks is the Texas catcher du jour (I kind of dismissed Hicks in last week's column, so he went 3-for-11 with another homer this past week while starting three games) but I still don't see a long-term role for him. Part of the reason for that is Huff, as the 23-year-old is close to being ready to join the roster after recovering from a knee injury and has been crushing the ball on his rehab assignment. He made a splashy big-league debut last year, and his power is absolutely legit -- the Rangers really have no reason not to give him a long look in the second half. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays: By all accounts the 22-year-old is fully healthy, but the Jays have a somewhat crowded catching situation with Reese McGuire doing pretty well, so the team will keep Kirk on his rehab assignment as long as they can. The best scenario for his fantasy value is probably a trade -- Gabriel Moreno appears to be the organization's catcher of the future, so Kirk is the kind of young asset who could be used to help reinforce the pitching staff, just as Rowdy Tellez was. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Seby Zavala, White Sox: The 27-year-old hit 20 homers in 82 games at Triple-A in 2019, but he slashed .222/.296/.471 while doing it, so it's hard to get too excited here. Zavala might only be on the big-league roster until the White Sox find a better complement to Collins. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Vidal Brujan, Rays: The 23-year-old has already gotten the full Tampa prospect experience by getting called up Wednesday, sent down Thursday, then promoted again Friday when Mike Brosseau hit the IL. Brujan's speed and fantasy upside are undeniable, but he seems locked into a utility role with Wander Franco and Taylor Walls getting long looks. He might have to force his way into regular playing time unless injuries or another trade like the Willy Adames deal opens up a spot for him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Leury Garcia, White Sox: Garcia has seized the starting job at second base for now with three straight multi-hit performances and a .307/.382/.500 slash line since the beginning of June with three homers and a stunning 22 RBI in 27 games. The 30-year-old is usually good for a couple hot streaks a season, so ride this one while you can. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ramon Urias, Orioles: Urias has emerged from the morass that is the Baltimore middle infield (whatever happened to that Manny Machado kid they used to have, anyway?) in part by shifting over to third base to fill in for Maikel Franco. Urias has started 11 straight games and slashed .366/.422/.585 with three doubles, two homers, six runs and six RBI, and while resume doesn't suggest he'll keep that up for very long at all, at the very least the playing time has some value in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Christian Arroyo, Red Sox: Arroyo has started five straight games since coming off the IL, going 3-for-20 with a homer. He's cooled off significantly after his big April, slashing .218/.277/.414 since May 1, but he should keep getting playing time for the Red Sox. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kelvin Gutierrez, Orioles: Picked up from the Royals after being designated for assignment at the end of June, Gutierrez was added to the 26-man roster when Franco got hurt. He's started two straight games coming into Sunday, but his .560 OPS through 41 games on the year isn't particularly impressive. There's a reason Kansas City cut him loose. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Jose Iglesias, Angels: It's easy to forget Iglesias hit .373 in the short season last year, but the 31-year-old has reminded everyone of how hot he can run by slashing .390/.444/.610 over his last 11 games with two homers, one steal, six runs and six RBI. He kept that kind of pace up for 39 games in 2020, so don't dismiss the possibility he's got another few weeks of outstanding production in him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Outfield

Adam Engel, White Sox: Chicago decided one Adam E. was enough, so when Engel returned from the injured list this week, the team kicked Adam Eaton and his .642 OPS to the curb. Engel's weird power surge this season likely played a part in that decision -- he's never hit more than six homers in a big-league season or reached double digits at any stop in the minors, but he's launched four bombs in only 12 games this year between IL stints. There's a clear path to a starting gig for the rest of July at least for Engel, but his track record doesn't suggest you should get too excited over what he might do with consistent at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Brian Goodwin, White Sox: Another reason to give up on Eaton was Goodwin, who's batting .333 with three homers over his last nine games. The 30-year-old has flashed some power in the past but usually sees his overall production fade away with regular playing time, but the White Sox don't need him for the long haul. They'll get what they can out of him while he's hot and they need help in the outfield, then re-evaluate when their stars get healthy. Don't be afraid to do the same. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Eloy Jimenez, White Sox: Speaking of those injured stars, Jimenez appears to be on pace to get back onto the roster not too long after the break. The 24-year-old is a four-category stud and, with the possible exception of Trevor Story, will probably be the biggest impact bat to enter the AL player pool between now and the end of the season. He wasn't cut loose in every re-draft league when he got hurt this spring, but in those where he was, now's the time to stash him. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $45

Daniel Johnson, Cleveland: Cleveland keeps churning through outfielders, and with both Josh Naylor and Eddie Rosario out of the picture right now, the team's preferred trio seems to be Harold Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado, with Johnson as the No. 4. That role's led to seven ABs in four games since he was called back up Wednesday, but he has only one single and three K's to show for it. Johnson wasn't hitting much at Triple-A this year either, and he'll probably be the guy demoted when Rosario gets healthy, but there is some plausible upside here if he gets a real chance to show it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Oscar Mercado, Cleveland: Speaking of Mercado, he has been taking advantage of his latest (last?) chance with the club, slashing .391/.462/.696 over his last eight games with a homer and two steals. The 26-year-old was productive in 2019, and his struggles since have come in a very small sample. His speed especially could provide a nice boost over the second half if he re-discovers that form, and it's not like Cleveland has better options in the system right now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Designated Hitter

Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: Cabrera has been making some nice contact of late, slashing .361/.397/.486 over his last 20 games. His power isn't what it once was -- he has only two homers and 10 RBI over that stretch -- but if you need a solid stick at corner infield or your Ut spot, you could do a whole lot worse than plug in Miggy until his next nagging injury slows him down. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered