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 upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook. Gunnar Henderson 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

Shane Baz, Rays: Baz began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham last weekend and has had a rough go so far, striking out only one batter while walking six in 4.2 innings. Considering he hadn't pitched since July 2022, so rust is to be expected. The 24-year-old righty had top-shelf stuff before Tommy John surgery, but durability has always been an issue for Baz, and he's never thrown more than 92 innings in a season. The Rays won't rush his rehab and will need to monitor his workload when he does return, but the innings he does end up providing the team could be valuable ones from a fantasy perspective. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Osvaldo Bido, Athletics: The 28-year-old righty got called up for a rotation audition Wednesday but lasted only 2.2 innings before getting removed due to a blister that ripped open. It was a tough break for Bido, who's been posting shocking good numbers at Triple-A Las Vegas (2.59 ERA, 39:13 K:BB in 31.1 innings). Eight outs is too small a sample to really draw any conclusions, but compared to his time in the Pirates' system, he seems to have phased out his slider in favor of a cutter and a changeup to better complement his four-seamer and two-seamer. The blister was unfortunate, but he could still be in Oakland's plans once he heals up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Taj Bradley, Rays: The window for getting Bradley even semi-cheaply has officially closed. The 23-year-old righty looked very impressive in his season debut Friday, holding the Yankees to just one run over six innings with a 7:2 K:BB. Bradley's got the arsenal to be an ace – he just had to refine his control and command, and including his two rehab starts before his activation from the IL, he's shown signs of having done just that. All eyes are going to be on Paul Skenes this week for FAAB, and rightly so, but if Bradley's available in your mixed league, he shouldn't be viewed as just a consolation prize. He can move the needle for you all on his own. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Mike Clevinger, White Sox: The White Sox finally added Clevinger to their rotation last week, but four runs and a 5:4 K:BB in 6.2 innings over two starts wasn't exactly fantasy-friendly. The veteran righty's second outing was better than his first, and he built up from 54 to 73 pitches, so he should be able to handle a fairly normal workload from here. Clevinger is a shell of his peak self, but he did give the White Sox respectable ratios over 24 starts in 2023 despite a mediocre 20.0 percent strikeout rate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Cooper Criswell, Red Sox: Criswell continues to pitch above his head when it comes to ratios, but now he's also working at least five innings a start regularly, so he's a lot more interesting in shallower formats. The 27-year-old righty has yet to allow more than two runs in an outing in 2024, and over his last four starts he's delivered a 1.40 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB in 19.1 innings. There isn't really anything in his profile or minor-league track record to explain that performance, but he mixed his four pitches well, even if none of them average even 90 mph – his sinker sits at 89.1 mph, while his sweeper is all the way down at 76.4 mph. In a world where the mid-high 90s are just about the norm, though, Criswell has been able to keep hitters off-balance with his junk. Don't expect him to keep it up for the long haul, but the hot streak could last a little longer. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Cole Irvin, Orioles: I hate being right in the preseason and then not having anything to shot for it. Irvin was one of my late-round dart throws in my TGFBI league, based on the possibility he figured something out at Driveline and Baltimore's early-season rotation need. The southpaw sucked in the spring though, and he was one of my first drops. (To be fair to me, I replaced him with Ronel Blanco, which has worked out pretty well so far.) Irvin's first couple starts were rocky, but since then he's been doing a credible impression of vintage Jamie Moyer, allowing only four runs total over his last 30.1 innings and five starts, winning four straight. Irvin hasn't improved his velocity, but he's doubled his curveball usage while getting more movement on his four-seamer, so his numbers aren't just luck. The fact that the O's kept him in the rotation even after Kyle Bradish and John Means returned says a lot, although Grayson Rodriguez's IL stint did buy the team some extra time to sort things out. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Matt Manning, Tigers: Kenta Maeda's IL stint due to a virus that's been creeping around the Detroit clubhouse opens up a spot for Manning to finally get more than just a spot start in the majors. He'll get called up Monday, setting him up for a two-step, and it's a juicy one – home against Miami (bottom six in wOBA and wRC+ against RHP) and then on the road in Arizona (also bottom six in both splits). Manning may have unlocked some extra strikeouts as well, posting a 24:7 K:BB in 19 Triple-A innings between promotions, to go with his 17:8 K:BB in 17 big-league innings. It's also worth noting that while Manning has minor-league options remaining, so does Casey Mize. If the latter stumbles over the next couple weeks and Manning doesn't, the Tigers could elect to switch things up. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Alec Marsh, Royals: Marsh returned to the Royals' rotation Friday and picked up where he left off before taking a comebacker off his elbow in late April, fanning a season-high seven in 5.1 innings while giving up only one run, albeit against the feeble Halos. If the 25-year-old righty happened to get dropped during his IL stint, he should be snapped back up immediately – the new slider he's fully deployed this season after tinkering with it in 2023 has a 33.3 percent whiff rate. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Patrick Sandoval, Angels: The 27-year-old lefty is teasing a breakout, or at least a return to his 2022 form. Over his last three starts, Sandoval has a 2.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB in 17.2 innings, including a 10-K performance against the Phillies on May 1. He's still basically the same guy in terms of pitch mix, and the effectiveness of his plus changeup is still mitigated by the fact that his fastball gets hammered, so it seems unlikely he'll find a new level completely, but that doesn't mean he can't live live closer to the upper end of his range (2022) than the lower (2023). 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

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

Spencer Arrighetti, Astros (vs. OAK, vs, MIL)
Chris Flexen, White Sox (vs. WAS, at NYY)
Michael Lorenzen, Rangers (vs. CLE, vs. LAA)
Chris Paddack, Twins (vs. NYY, at CLE)
JP Sears, Athletics (at HOU, at KC)
Jose Soriano, Angels (vs. STL, at TEX)
Ross Stripling, Athletics (at HOU, at KC)

Relief Pitcher

Yennier Cano, Orioles: This week feels like the calm before the storm for a lot of AL bullpens. A number of closers are barely hanging onto their jobs, or showing signs that something isn't right with them, and Craig Kimbrel might fit in both categories. Cano hasn't allowed a run in eight straight appearances, and his recent usage suggests manager Brandon Hyde trusts him more than he does Kimbrel – Cano has two saves since May 4, and also got used in the ninth inning of a tie game at home. (Kimbrel got the win in the 11th in that one.) During Cano's scoreless stretch, Kimbrel has a 12.46 ERA and 6:7 K:BB. The O's are a prime candidate to trade for an established closer if they fully give up on Kimbrel, but there could be a window for Cano to move into the role and prove he can handle it. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Pete Fairbanks, Rays: Fairbanks missed nearly a month with a nerve issue in his arm, which would explain his tough start to the season, but he looked more like his usual self upon his return Saturday, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning to protect a five-run lead. He did only top out at 97.9 mph with his fastball though after averaging 98.9 mph last year, so the right-hander may not be in peak form quite yet. A healthy Fairbanks is Tampa Bay's best closing option, and he'll be given every chance to reclaim the role. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $21; 12-team AL: Rostered

Griffin Jax / Caleb Thielbar, Twins: Minnesota's other late-inning options probably got dropped when Jhoan Duran came off the IL, but surprise! Manager Rocco Baldelli is suddenly a proponent of modern bullpen usage, and has been sending Duran out in the highest-leverage spots rather than saving him for the ninth. That's resulted in three holds for Duran along with three saves, and it's meant one save each for Jax, Thielbar and Cole Sands during that time. If that usage pattern continues, Jax and Thielbar get a lot more interesting in standard formats that value just saves, rather than saves plus holds, as both guys should also supply a decent ratio and K/9 floor. Brock Stewart could complicate the picture further once he comes off the IL, but all three non-Duran relievers might end up collecting a handful of saves the rest of the way. Jax – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Thielbar – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

David Robertson, Rangers: Kirby Yates has yet to blow a save since taking over the closer job in Texas, but he's also walked a batter in four straight appearances and his elbow is held together by chewing gum. Meanwhile, Robertson had been pitching very well until Saturday, when he gave up four runs without recording an out, but he gets a mulligan on that one since it happened in Coors Field. Jose Leclerc still can't find the plate either, so if Yates does break down, Robertson and his 176 career saves look like the next man up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

John Schreiber / Chris Stratton, Royals: After a great start to the season, James McArthur has blown two of his last three save chances, serving up a homer each time. The right-hander does tend to give up hard contact when hitters manage to get their bat on the ball, and his 22nd percentile barrel rate and 20th percentile AEV are less than ideal for a high-leverage arm. He's gotten away with it so far thanks to a 93rd percentile whiff rate and 85th percentile groundball rate, but if that whiff rate starts regressing, the closer role in KC could be up for grabs again. Will Smith has produced seven straight scoreless appearances but has a 1:0 K:BB over that stretch, and he still seems a long way from consistent high-leverage duty. That would leave Schreiber and Stratton as the next likely candidates, and while neither has closer-quality arsenals, they can be effective. Schreiber got the save Friday and has a 0.98 ERA on the season in 18.1 innings; Stratton nabbed a save Monday and has been scored upon in only one of his last 10 appearances, although he did get tagged for a five-spot. Schreiber – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Stratton – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Kyle Manzardo. Guardians: Called up at the beginning of last week, Manzardo looked jittery in his first couple of MLB games, going 0-for-7 with five Ks, but after getting a pinch-hit single Wednesday he seems to be settling in. The 23-year-old is 3-for his last-10 with only two strikeouts, and he picked up his first XBH, a double, on Saturday. The Guardians are giving him everyday at-bats, mostly at DH, and his prospect status is legit – he was slashing .303/.375/.642 with nine homers in 29 games for Triple-A Columbus prior to his promotion. Manzardo will be given every chance by Cleveland to become a big part of the lineup. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $31

Jon Singleton, Astros: Rather than turning to Joey Loperfido to replace Jose Abreu at first base, Houston gave Singleton first crack at the gig. The 32-year-old has started every game since April 30, and while he's batting just .194 (7-for-36) during that time, four of the hits have left the yard and he had 10 RBI in 11 contests. Singleton's perseverance is a great story – he didn't make an appearance in the majors between 2016 and 2022 – but his fantasy ceiling is limited. Still, if you need power and don't care what happens to your batting average, he could be useful. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Second Base

Romy Gonzalez, Red Sox: Gonzalez came off the IL this week and while his path to a starting spot on the Boston infield seems closed, he could still see steady playing time in a utility role. The 27-year-old does have sneaky upside – he put together a 20-20 season at Double-A Birmingham in 2021 – if he finds his way back into a bigger role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Luis Guillorme, Angels: Just in case you weren't sure how dire the injury situation is with the Halos, Guillorme, Niko Goodrum and Kyren Paris have all started on the team's infield this weekend, and Cole Tucker was getting regular action at third base earlier in the week – a position at which he'd played three total games in his career between the majors and minors prior to this season. The trade for Guillorme makes a lot of sense in light of that crisis, but playing time and a bit of on-base skill is all he really has to offer. The 29-year-old utility player has a career .258/.341/.332 slash line in 851 MLB plate appearances, with just five homers and four steals. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Andy Ibanez, Tigers: Ibanez went 7-for-14 with two homers and a steal over a three-game stretch this week, so he's going to be on the radar in deep formats, but there's a very narrow path to value for the 31-year-old utility player. He could find himself on the short side of a platoon at second base, either with Colt Keith or with Zach McKinstry if Detroit decides it's time to send Keith back down for a reset, and McKinstry especially wouldn't be a hard obstacle to surmount to claim a larger role. More likely Ibanez simply fades back into the woodwork after a brief hot streak, but he has flashed some modest power in his career. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Davis Schneider, Blue Jays: The 25-year-old has become an everyday player over the last few weeks between second base and left field as Toronto scrambles to find some offense, although Schneider's defense in the outfield is... well, to be polite, it's a work in progress. Over his last 11 games he's batting .400 (14-for-35) with six doubles and a homer though, and that's what the Jays need at the moment. Schneider will probably always be streaky at the plate, but his arrow's pointed up. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Third Base

Brett Harris, Athletics: Oakland's giving Harris a long look at the starting third baseman, and while he's hitting just .172 (5-for-29) through his first nine big-league games, the 25-year-old has been far from overmatched. In fact, he's been brutally unlucky, managing a .095 BABIP despite a chase rate and barrel rate that would both be solidly red on his Statcast page if he had enough playing time to qualify. His 8:6 BB:K is also another great sign that things could turn around in a hurry for Harris. Picking him up now could make you look very smart once the hits start falling. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Shortstop

Jon Berti, Yankees: Berti came off the IL last Sunday and has started four of the Yankees' last six games at third base, going 6-for-15 with two steals. The veteran infielder showed what he can do with regular playing time in 2022 when he swiped a league-leading 41 bags while batting .294, and playing in pinstripes should give him more upside in runs than he had in Miami, even hitting from the bottom of the order. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Paul DeJong, White Sox: The 30-year-old has reclaimed the starting job at shortstop with a scorching May that has seen him bat .333 (12-for-36) in 10 games with three homers and a steal. He also has a 0:13 BB:K over that stretch, so the success is tenuous at best, but Chicago doesn't have great options to replace him in the lineup even if (when) he cools down. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Niko Goodrum, Angels: Anaheim has become a Home for Wayward Utility Players, and Goodrum has started consecutive games for the team since being claimed off waivers from the Rays, who had picked him up from the Twins at the end of the spring to provide organizational depth. Goodrum's career .225/.298/.385 slash line and 31.1 percent strikeout rate in the majors highlight his limitations, but the Angels have nobody else right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kyren Paris, Angels: The 2019 second-round pick made his big-league debut last year but was back at Double-A to begin this season, and he wouldn't have gotten a promotion if it weren't for the Angels getting scoured by injuries – Paris had a .091/.198/.130 slash line in 23 games for Rocket City. He was on the 40-man roster though, and again, the team had no other options. He's got some speed if he can get on base to use it, but he'll really just a deep keeper stash right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Dairon Blanco, Royals: Blanco is up to 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts and has seen meaningful playing time in three of the last six games, but the 31-year-old is still mainly just a pinch runner and late-game defensive replacement. There are AL-only roster builds where you can carry a one-category hitter like this, but his lack of counting stats other than the steals really only makes him a DFS punt play on days you know he's starting. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

JJ Bleday, Athletics: His hot start faded quickly and he likely got dropped in some shallower leagues, but Bleday has been looking like a solid asset in May. Over the last 11 games, the 26-year-old is slashing .263/.391/.658 with four homers, 11 RBI and an 8:9 BB:K. He was a first-round pick by the Marlins in 2019, and if he's learned to control the strike zone, he could be ready to unlock that upside. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: DeLuca hit the ground running when he came off the IL two Fridays ago and went 7-for-18 with a double, a triple, a homer, two steals and 10 RBI in his first five games, but he already seems to be slowing down. The Rays have been keeping Josh Palacios' bat in the lineup by using him at second base, but that's purely a short-term solution. Once Palacios is pushed back into the outfield mix by the return of Brandon Lowe or the promotion of Junior Caminero (or both), DeLuca could struggle to be anything more than a short-side platoon option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ryan Vilade, Tigers: It's not often that you see a hitter's fantasy upside improve after he leaves the Rockies, but that might be what's happened with Vilade. Freed of the tyranny of switching between extreme home-road parks, the 25-year-old has had a great start to the season at Triple-A Toledo (elevation – 604 feet above sea level), slashing .333/.398/.551 in 27 games with three homers and eight steals in nine attempts. Vilade was a second-round pick in 2017, so it's possible he's just a late bloomer. There isn't a lot of playing time available in the Tigers' outfield right now, but if he proves to be an effective platoon partner for the likes of Kerry Carpenter, his opportunities could increase. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Designated Hitter

Jonathan Aranda, Rays: Aranda's back on track on his rehab assignment, going 8-for-23 over the last six games with a 7:8 BB:K, and his activation could be imminent. The 25-year-old should handle the strong side of a platoon at DH while occasionally spotting in on defense, although his glove hasn't looked good enough to play anywhere during his minor-league career. Aranda's .339/.449/.613 slash line with 25 homers over 95 Triple-A games in 2023 highlights his upside. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics: The 22-year-old has started three straight games at first base for Oakland as the team continues to look for long-term pieces. Soderstrom has seized hold of the opportunity, going 4-for-12 with a double and a homer, but his 0:5 BB:K is a reminder that he's very much a batting average risk. His power upside is legit – he has 29 homers in 113 career games at Triple-A Las Vegas – but even in that hitter's haven he could only manage a .254 batting average and .319 OBP. If he still qualifies at catcher in your league, so much the better, but even as a first baseman Soderstrom's bat could play. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11