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. Julio Rodriguez 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

Jaime Barria, Angels: Barria moved into the Halos' rotation Monday in place of Jose Suarez this week but then got used in the 10th inning Saturday, so he may be less of a true sixth starter and more of a swingman. Regardless of his role, since a rough season debut Barria has a 0.36 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 23:8 K:BB over his last 25.1 innings, although those ratios are deceptive as he's given up nine runs over that stretch, but only two of them were earned. The 26-year-old has struggled in the rotation since his solid 2018 big-league debut, but he's always flashed the arsenal to be a decent back-end option if he figures it out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Paul Blackburn, Athletics: The 29-year-old righty has dealt with multiple minor finger issues to begin the season, but he appears set to make his 2023 debut Monday and will fall into a two-step vs. ATL and at MIA. Blackburn posted decent enough numbers last year but it's hard to imagine him moving the needle in wins given the roster "supporting" him in Oakland, and he doesn't offer much in strikeouts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Alex Faedo, Tigers: Faedo got his first win of the year Thursday while fanning a season-high 10, and over his last three starts the 27-year-old has a 21:1 K:BB through 17 innings. That's pretty darn good. Of Detroit's injured starters, Tarik Skubal appears to be the closest to coming off the IL but just began tossing live BP, so Faedo probably has a few more weeks at least in the rotation to prove he's better than Joey Wentz and hang onto his spot once the reinforcements start arriving. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dean Kremer, Orioles: The 27-year-old righty put together an impressive May, all things considered. Over five starts, Kremer produced three wins, three QS, a 2.45 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP and a 23:8 K:BB through 29.1 innings. He wasn't facing a soft part of the schedule, either, as he faced Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Toronto during that stretch. His lack of strikeouts limits his ceiling, but with the O's looking legit, he seems to be graduating from the ranks of the streaming options and looks like a guy worth devoting a consistent roster spot to, even if he isn't necessarily a must-start every week. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Daniel Lynch, Royals: Kansas City kept me (and everyone else, but mostly me) guessing over when they'd finally activate Lynch, but the 26-year-old southpaw will make his 2023 debut Sunday against the Nationals. His final rehab start was outstanding – six scoreless innings against Triple-A St. Paul with a 5:0 K:BB – but the 2018 first-round pick has been a model of inconsistency since making his MLB debut a couple years ago. Don't expect too much. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

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

Brandon Bielak, Astros (vs. MIN, vs. LAA)
Matthew Boyd, Tigers (vs. TEX, at CHW)
Griffin Canning, Angels (at CHW, at HOU)

Relief Pitcher

Sam Bachman / Ben Joyce, Angels: I'm lumping these two together because they share a lot in common. Both flash triple-digit fastballs but neither one can find the plate consistently, and while both have little apparent redraft value they do have some dart-throw appeal in keeper or dynasty formats. Bachman, a 2021 first-round pick, could someday emerge as a rotation option if he stays healthy and learns to harness his three-pitch arsenal that includes a potentially plus slider and good changeup. Joyce is a pure late-inning power arm who has touched 105 mph (not a typo) with his heater and who averaged 101 at the University of Tennessee last year before being selected in the third round. Carlos Estevez has a hammer-lock on the Halos' closer job, but Joyce has at least begun to show signs of developing some semblance of control, posting a 17:6 K:BB over his last 10 innings for Double-A Rocket City. Of the two, Joyce is a little more likely to be worth a 2023 roster spot and provide deep-league value as an electric high-volume relief arm, but if you're looking for a dynasty stash, the potential starter in Bachman is going to be the better choice most of the time. Joyce – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Bachman – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Carlos Hernandez, Royals: Speaking of electric high-volume relief arms, Hernandez is averaging 99.1 mph with his fastball this season, and it shows – he's been scored upon only twice in his last 13 appearances while fanning multiple batters 10 times, racking up a 0.96 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 28:4 K:BB through 18.2 innings over that stretch. He's only got two holds during that time though, and as yet he's not really in the late-inning mix for Kansas City. If they clear house and trade both Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow though, it wouldn't be hard to imagine him taking over the top job. If you're looking for this year's Felix Bautista or Jhoan Duran, Hernandez is making a strong case. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Trevor May, Athletics: An Oakland pitcher hasn't recorded a save since May 6, and that was Zack Jackson who's now on the IL. The last one before that? April 24 to Jeurys Familia, who's now unemployed. I'm not saying the A's closer spot is cursed, but I'm not not saying it. Anyway, May was seen as the preseason favorite for the job, then had maybe the worst month of his career to begin the season before stepping away to work on his mental health. He plunked two batters in his first appearance after rejoining the team Tuesday but has looked better since, and at least based on track record, he's far and away Oakland's best bullpen option. I'm wishing him the best, but from a fantasy value perspective, May's purely in the "break glass in case of emergency" category when it comes to saves. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Tyler Heineman, Blue Jays: Danny Jansen is on the IL and Daulton Varsho is very much not a catcher anymore, so someone will need to share the load behind the plate with Alejandro Kirk while Jansen is out. Heineman's got a solid defensive reputation – there's a reason the Jays and Pirates organization keep fighting over his services as a depth catching option – but the 31-year-old switch hitter also has a .546 OPS over 248 plate appearances in the majors. That said, Kirk's .677 OPS this season isn't a whole lot better, and if he continues to struggle Heineman could see more playing time than expected. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Jose Caballero, Mariners: Last week I described Caballero as a "speedy slap hitter", which the 26-year-old apparently took great offense to as he immediately went yard in back-to-back games Sunday and Monday for his first two big-league homers. His bat has mostly cooled off over the last week, but Kolten Wong looks lost and Caballero is the clear starter at the keystone for Seattle right now. I say right now because Dylan Moore could factor into the mix very shortly, but he's always been better suited as a utility player. Caballero's .333/.466/.511 slash line in May overstates his upside, but four steals in 18 games seems very repeatable. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Willi Castro, Twins: Per Fantrax's Fantasy Score, Aaron Judge has been the most valuable hitter in the American League over the last couple weeks. Number two on that list? None other than Castro, who has emerged as a super-utility weapon for Minnesota. In formats with a 10-game threshold for position qualification, Castro has already added third base to his 2023 portfolio after coming into the year as an OF-only, and he's not far off at shortstop (seven games) and second base (five games). The 26-year-old is getting all that playing time because he's batting .320 over his last 14 games with four doubles, three homers, six steals, six RBI and nine runs. Castro had flashed that kind of upside in the Tigers' system, so this level of production isn't totally out of the blue – he slashed .301/.366/.467 with 11 homers and 17 steals in 119 games for Triple-A Toledo in 2019, for instance. He's probably just a short-term hot streak you can ride for a while, but there's a reasonable chance he provided real value with both his bat and his position flex for the rest of the year. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Aledmys Diaz, Athletics: Maybe it's not just Oakland's closer role that's cursed. Diaz was seen as a solid depth option for fantasy rosters with a smidge of upside coming into the year, but the veteran utility player has completely fallen on his face, stumbling to a .198/.254/.259 slash line in 35 games and missing the first half of May with a hamstring strain. That's not the kind of profile that normally shows up in this column, but with Jordan Diaz (no relation) jettisoned back to Triple-A, who else is going to play second base for the A's? Tony Kemp? If the elder Diaz can find his Houston form again, he'll get playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Gabriel Arias, Guardians: Arias seemed to take a step forward in his development at High-A in 2019, but the 23-year-old has seen his prospect status fade since the lost pandemic season. The Guardians are desperate for any semblance of offense though, so he's become a fairly consistent part of the lineup in May despite a mediocre .214/.313/.429 slash line on the month with two homers, three RBI and five runs in 48 plate appearances. The playing time, plus Arias' position flex, has value in deep formats, but that's about it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ramon Urias, Orioles: Out since early May with a hamstring strain, Urias came off the IL this week but has had trouble cracking an O's lineup that went 11-4 without him. Baltimore values his defensive skills and steady bat, but it might take an injury to someone else to get the 28-year-old back into a regular role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Shortstop

J.P. Crawford, Mariners: Crawford's put together a very solid run at the plate in the back half of May, and over his last 16 games he's slashing .277/.338/.415 with two homers, eight RBI and 11 runs. That probably represents something closer to his ceiling rather than a new baseline, but the 28-year-old is still young enough that he might finally be taking that step forward as a hitter people have been projecting onto him ever since he was a first-round pick of the Phillies in 2013. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Royce Lewis, Twins: Since moving his rehab to Triple-A St. Paul, Lewis is batting ,333 (11-for-33) with a double, four homers and 10 RBI. He's coming; it's only a question of when, and Monday is the first day he's eligible for activation from the 60-day injured list. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Jordan Westburg, Orioles: I have no insider info here that Westburg is about to get called up. In fact, I've had the nagging feeling all year that he's the guy who would get stuck at Triple-A most of the season due to the talent logjam on the Baltimore infield. That said, Jorge Mateo is slashing .111/.156/.125 in May and Westburg is slashing .299/.382/.649. If the O's are serious about contending in 2023 and not just playing the asset management game, Westburg will be their starting shortstop very, very soon. To preempt the inevitable question in the comments – if you can only stash one, I'd lean Lewis, but only by a hair and they are both blue-chip prospects. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Outfield

Akil Baddoo, Tigers: A run of opponents sending right-handed starters to the mound has allowed Baddoo to get consistent playing time over the last couple weeks, and the 24-year-old has responded by batting .323 (10-for-31) over his last 12 games with two homers and four steals. The Tigers still aren't letting him face lefties, which limits his utility in shallower formats, but he appears to have found his 2021 form at the plate again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Travis Jankowski, Rangers: Ezequiel Duran landed on the IL just as Jankowski was coming off it, which allowed for a clean pass of the baton when it comes to a regular spot in the Texas lineup. Jankowski was raking when he strained his hamstring early in May, but the 31-year-old really hasn't yet proved he's anything more than the career fourth outfielder he looked like in his nearly 500 big-league games before that. That said, even if his bat regresses, his wheels should still offer some value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Mickey Moniak, Angels: Guys like this are why baseball is awesome. Moniak was written off as one of the draft's biggest busts after being taken first overall by the Phillies in 2016 and never getting anywhere, but he seemed to figure something out at Triple-A last year, and now the 25-year-old has broken through and seized the Angels' starting job in left field with a 1.184 OPS in his first 11 games with his new club. Will it last? Absolutely not – he's got a .500 BABIP and a 37.8 percent strikeout rate against a 2.7 percent walk rate, and Taylor Ward could always heat up too and take the job back. Even if Moniak regresses though, he's at least shown he's a big-league caliber player, and that's a heck of a lot better outcome for his career than looked feasible a couple years ago. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Dylan Moore, Mariners: If you're hurting for steals, it could be worth preemptively grabbing Moore despite his other flaws as a hitter. His .208/.317/.384 career slash line is an accurate reflection of his skills, but he can play all over the diamond and could get a shot at the starting second-base job at some point, and he's swiped 42 bags over the prior two seasons. He figures to come off the IL sometime next week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Matt Wallner, Twins: Wallner isn't seeing enough playing time to be a factor in shallower formats and figures to lose his roster spot once other Twins start coming off the IL, but that four-hit game against the Jays on Saturday was certainly fun, wasn't it? The Joey Gallo comps here are legit, and like Gallo, Wallner could get into a groove and demand a consistent spot in the lineup for a while. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Drew Waters, Royals: Do the Royals finally have a center fielder? Waters finally recovered from a spring oblique injury to make his season debut Friday and promptly went 2-for-4 with two runs, and it's not like Kyle Isbel had dome anything to deserve job security before he got hurt himself. Waters' strikeout issues make him a batting average risk, but he's got the power and speed potential to contribute in most leagues if he makes enough contact. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13