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. Wander Franco 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

Paul Blackburn, Athletics: The 28-year-old right-hander has been outstanding to begin the season, posting a 10:1 K:BB and 1.80 ERA through 10 innings and two starts. Blackburn hasn't recorded a strikeout rate above 16.0 percent in the majors though, and while he is showing a tick more velocity in the early going, a 92.3 mph average fastball isn't going to be a difference-maker. He's also had trouble staying healthy in his career, so don't view him as anything more than short-term rotation filler or a streaming option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Josh Fleming, Rays: The Tampa rotation is already in rough shape, so they could be heading back into the realm of openers and creative staff usage to get through until the unit gets healthier. Fleming seems like the most likely pitcher to benefit in that scenario – he's tossed 3.1 innings in each of his first two appearances this season while compiling an 11:1 K:BB. There's nothing on the southpaw's resume to suggest he'll keep getting Ks, but if you're picking him up, you're hoping for wins in a bulk reliever role and decent ratios, and anything else would be gravy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Michael Pineda, Tigers: Detroit starters are falling like bowling pins, so Pineda's timetable is getting accelerated and he's expected to make his season debut Wednesday. The veteran right-hander is what he is at this stage of his career, and given his abbreviated build-up, it could be a couple of weeks before he's even at that level. Still, if you can pick him up now and keep him stashed on your bench rather than being forced to use him right away, Pineda could be a solid rotation addition come May. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Tommy Romero, Rays: I recommended pumping the brakes on Romero hype after he was called up last week, but even I didn't think his big-league debut would be as bad as it was. Weirdly, that makes me more receptive to the idea of picking up him, since his price should be a lot lower than it might have been if he hadn't walked five batters in his first 1.2 innings. Romero doesn't light up the radar gun, but his 12 o'clock release point can give batters trouble if he isn't too nervous to find the plate. Plus, the Rays kind of need him to take a regular turn in the rotation with Ryan Yarbrough, Luis Patino etc. on the shelf. If you can sneak him through in the cheap, there is upside here. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Ross Stripling, Blue Jays: Toronto's rotation is also starting to crack, with Hyun Jin Ryu leaving his start Saturday early due to forearm soreness, which is never a good sign. Stripling had already gotten a spot start Friday to buy the regular starters an extra day of rest, but now he might need to become one of those regular starters, or at least get a couple more turns while the team figures out what's up with Ryu. The Jays do have other options, such as Thomas Hatch or Nate Pearson once he's fully recovered from a bout of mono, but for now Stripling is their best plug-in option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

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

Dylan Bundy, Twins (at BOS, vs. CHW)

Rich Hill, Red Sox (vs. MIN, at TB)

Cole Irvin, Athletics (vs. BAL, vs. TEX)

Dallas Keuchel, White Sox (at CLE, at MIN)

Jimmy Lambert, White Sox (at CLE, at MIN)

Daniel Lynch, Royals (vs. MIN, at SEA)

Spenser Watkins, Orioles (at OAK, at LAA)

Relief Pitcher

Brock Burke, Rangers: With rotations in tatters all over baseball, guys who can provide quality innings out of the bullpen are beginning to look a lot more appealing. Burke, a 25-year-old lefty who washed out as a starter, has looked incredible through two relief outings with a 10:1 K:BB in only four innings. His fastball has seen a spike to 94.4 mph, and while he probably won't ever be a factor for saves, he could wind up collecting some wins in long relief is he keeps dominating. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Dylan Coleman, Royals: The top two spots in the Kansas City bullpen seem set between Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont (see below), but Coleman is already making a push to be in the late-inning mix. It's no wonder given the 25-year-old's high-90s fastball and 6:1 K:BB through his first four innings this season. It might take an injury to one of the other two to get Coleman into the saves picture, but in formats that value holds, or leagues with deep benches where spec closer plays tend to go quickly, he's worth stashing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Diekman / Hansel Robles, Red Sox: Roles in the Boston bullpen are becoming a bit clearer. Matt Barnes has some things to prove before he'll be back in the high-leverage mix, and in the meantime Diekman and Robles will probably split save chances between them, although Garrett Whitlock could also be a factor if he gets taken out of his piggyback role behind Rich Hill. Neither Diekman nor Robles have allowed a run yet this year, recording one save each, but Diekman has one more hold and a more impressive line overall. This could be a straight lefty-righty timeshare depending on what the opposition's lineup looks like in any given ninth inning, but Diekman also seems more likely to be used in a high-leverage spot earlier in the game, while Robles feels more like a traditional "use him in the ninth, not when it really matters" sort of guy. Diekman – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7 / Robles – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Michael Fulmer, Tigers: Gregory Soto is getting the first opportunity to lock down the closer role in Detroit and is 2-for-2 in save chances, but Fulmer has been the better pitcher in the early going and got a save of his own Friday when Soto was unavailable after pitching two straight days prior. It wouldn't be a shock if that kind of split continues through the year, and Soto's volatile repertoire could leave him vulnerable to being bumped aside if Fulmer keeps dealing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dany Jimenez, Athletics: The 28-year-old put up big strikeout numbers in the minors in the Blue Jays system, and other teams kept noticing – Jimenez was twice taken in the Rule 5 draft, first by the Giants in the 2020 and then by the A's in 2021, but he kept finding his way back to the Jays. Oakland signed him as a minor-league free agent this offseason, and Jimenez finally got a real shot at a job in the majors. His arsenal – mid-90s fastball and a borderline plus curve – is more setup man than closer, but you could say the same thing about Lou Trivino, really, and Jimenez has yet to give up a run in four innings with a 5:1 K:BB and his first career save. If Trivino gets dealt, or just isn't effective, Jimenez could well be the next man up for Oakland in the ninth. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Rafael Montero / Hector Neris / Ryne Stanek, Astros: Ryan Pressly landed on the IL on Friday with a sore knee, which at least gives Houston a possible answer for his lost velocity. While he's out, it's not yet clear who will handle the ninth for the Astros, although former Phillies closer Neris is presumed to be the favorite. He's had a good start to the season with a 0.00 ERA, 4:0 K:BB and two holds through 4.1 innings, but Philly fans know how volatile he can be. If the team wants to keep him in a setup role for now, Stanek has top-shelf heat by a sore back and has only appeared in one game so far in 2022, while Montero has a smidge of closing experience and numbers just as good as Neris. If Pressly returns quickly, there may not be more than a couple saves to split, so don't go overboard in bidding until his status becomes clearer. Montero – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Neris – 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered / Stanek – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Andres Munoz, Mariners: One of Seattle's gazillion potential closers, Munoz has come firing out of the gate with an 8:1 K:BB through three innings, and he's averaging triple digits with his fastball (100.5 mph). Given how much trouble he's had staying healthy in his career, I expect the M's will give Munoz all the high-leverage work he can handle while he's able to do so,. Drew Steckenrider and Diego Castillo have Seattle's first two saves of the year, but Munoz should be in the mix very shortly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Josh Staumont, Royals: Staumont, and not Scott Barlow, got Kansas City's first save of the season Saturday, and it wasn't because Barlow wasn't available – he worked the eighth in that game. Staumont has always been viewed as closer material thanks to his high-90s fastball, but manager Mike Matheny might be more comfortable right now with the idea of using Barlow as his high-leverage guy, and having Staumont follow up if that high-leverage spot doesn't happen to be in the ninth. I still expect Barlow to end the year with more saves, so don't blow your budget here. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Catcher

Zack Collins, Blue Jays: The former White Sox prospect got flipped to the Jays right before the season began in an exchange of depth catchers, but Toronto seems more willing to give Collins playing time whether it's behind the plate or at DH, especially with Danny Jansen and Teoscar Hernandez both out right now. The team also has a well-deserved rotation for unlocking sluggers who struggled elsewhere, so Collins – who has five hits in the last two games, including his first homer of the season – could be in the perfect spot to finally realize his potential after being a first-round pick in 2016. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

First Base

Ji-Man Choi, Rays: Is it time already for the first Choi hot streak writeup of the year? The 30-year-old is usually good for two or three such outbursts a season, and through his first eight games of 2022 he has two homers, seven RBI and a ridiculous 1.654 OPS. I mean, this is a guy who homered from the wrong side of the plate once while fooling around with switch hitting, so when Choi's dialed in, he is DIALED IN. Might as well try to ride the tail end of this one while you can. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered 

Second Base

Harold Castro, Tigers: Javier Baez injured his thumb Tuesday and finally wound up on IL, leaving Castro to start at shortstop the last four games. The roster move allowed Detroit to call up his brother by another mother, Willi Castro, on Sunday, and the duo will likely platoon until Baez returns. Harold is the lefty swinger of the duo but also has less upside as a fantasy asset, as Willi is the one with a bit of power and speed. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Willi Castro, Tigers: See above. Willi was slashing a modest .265/.306/.324 through eight games for Triple-A Toledo when he got promoted, but the 24-year-old did have three steals in four attempts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Owen Miller, Guardians: Speaking of hot starts, Miller has a .560/.586/1.080 slash line through 29 plate appearances with seven doubles, two homers, seven RBI and nine runs, and he seems to have taken over the starting first base job for the Guardians. There is absolutely nothing in his profile to suggest this is for real, but the 25-year-old is getting playing time, so just as long as he's contributing something, he'll have value in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 

Nick Solak, Rangers: Solak's had a solid start to the season, slashing .286/.412/.500, and he's started to see consistent playing time as a result, mostly in left field. Brad Miller is also dealing with a sore back while neither member of the Calhoun Gang is doing much at the plate (Willie Calhoun's .708 OPS only looks good in comparison to Kole Calhoun's .360 mark), so the door is wide open for Solak to seize a starting job and maybe finally begin to put things together in the majors. He's now 27, so this is probably a make or break campaign for him. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered 

Shortstop

Andrew Velazquez, Angels: With David Fletcher on the shelf and not having a clear return date, Velazquez got called up to handle shortstop duties for the Angels and has started four straight games. He hasn't done much with his at-bats, which is consistent with his big-league career so far, but the 27-year-old infielder did steal 29 bases in 77 games at Triple-A last season, so regular playing time could eventually turn into a bit of value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Daz Cameron, Tigers: Called up Saturday to give the Detroit outfield a bit of balance, Cameron got the start against Kansas City southpaw Kris Bubic and made a contribution with his wheels, stealing a base and scorin ga run despite going 0-for-3. He still has some lingering prospect cache, but Cameron's no longer viewed as anything more than a fourth outfielder type by the Tigers. He's probably stuck on the short side of a center field platoon with Akil Baddoo for now, and his spot in the majors is tenuous at best. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Trevor Larnach, Twins: With Alex Kirilloff out of action due to more wrist trouble, Minnesota turned to their next-best power-hitting prospect to fill in. Larnach was scuffling at Triple-A St. Paul prior to his promotion, but he may have just been moping after not making the Opening Day roster, as he racked up three hits and an RBI on Saturday. Given that Kirilloff's issues are getting dangerously close to being chronic, Larnach could get a lengthy window to establish himself after flopping in his first taste of the bigs last year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Josh Naylor, Guardians: Activated from the IL on Friday, Naylor has started both Guardians' games since, one at first base and one in right field while going 2-for-6 with a walk. There's certainly plenty of playing time to be had at both spots if the 24-year-old can get hot, but Naylor hasn't really done much so far in his big-league career, posting a .696 OPS through his first 205 games. Even if things begin to click, his modest ceiling limits his appeal to deeper fantasy formats, but Cleveland has little to lose by giving him a chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Raimel Tapia, Blue Jays: Tapia has started four straight games since Teoscar Hernandez went down, going 4-for-14 with a double and two runs scored. Tapia's fantasy appeal has long been based on his speed, but the Jays don't steal a lot of bases and prefer to wait for a homer, so even if he's getting consistent playing time, the 28-year-old may not make much of an impact. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 

Taylor Ward, Angels: A groin injury cost Ward the first part of the season, but he made his 2022 debut Saturday and promptly homered. Angels manager Joe Madden suggested the 28-year-old would have been his Opening Day right fielder had he been healthy, forcing Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh to split left field and sub in the other two spots on occasion, but both younger guys have looked pretty good lately – Adell's 5-for-17 (.294) over the last five games with two doubles and two homers, while Marsh is 6-for-19 (.316) over his last six games with a homer and seven RBI. It still feels like Madden's original statement, that all three outfielders would rotate and end up seeing roughly equal playing time, is the one that will end up being the true one, but Ward's power potential is worth chasing in case he does wind up with a full starter's workload. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $15

Editor's Note:  Here is some more Taylor Ward talk from Jeff Erickson and Todd Zola on our SiriusXM radio show: