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

Alex Cobb, Guardians: In need of rotation reinforcements at the trade deadline, Cleveland elected to pick up a refurbished arm rather than shop at the top of the market. Cobb hasn't thrown a pitch in the majors this season, but the 36-year-old righty is nearing the finish line in his recovery from offseason hip surgery, as well as the shoulder soreness that delayed his rehab. Cobb is expected to join the Guardians' rotation for a doubleheader Friday against the Twins, and after throwing 69 pitches for Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, he should be ready to handle close to a regular workload from the jump. He doesn't have tremendous upside, but over the last three seasons for the Angels and Giants he's delivered a solid 3.79 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8.67 K/9 over 394.1 innings. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Davis Daniel, Angels: Daniel returned to the big-league rotation and pitched well Wednesday, albeit in a home start against the Rockies. The 27-year-old righty has an average arsenal, but his control can allow it to play up and he's in line for a two-step this week with road starts against the Yankees (eep) and the Nationals. The Halos, somewhat bafflingly, didn't trade away Tyler Anderson at the deadline, but if Daniel pitches reasonably well there's still a rotation spot available for him over the final two months. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Joey Estes, Athletics: Estes briefly got bumped from the rotation to make room for Paul Blackburn, but in his return Friday he delivered a win and a quality start against the Dodgers. The 22-year-old righty actually came one out short of producing quality starts in three straight turns through the rotation, and he has a clear path to a spot for the rest of 2024. Estes doesn't profile as a future ace or anything, but the A's will just happy if he can give them mostly reliable innings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

David Festa, Twins: Festa has looked much better since returning to the Minnesota rotation, allowing three runs in 9.1 innings with a 13:3 K:BB over two starts, and with the team having failed (or not even trying?) to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, the Twins seem committed to relying on the 24-year-old righty as the boost their staff needs for the stretch run. Festa's got a strong three-pitch arsenal, and if he can take a step forward with his command, he could quickly become a mid-rotation asset. He lines up for two starts this week as well, on the road against the Cubs and at home against the Guardians, making him the kind of shallow-league streaming option you might decide to hang onto for a while. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Bowden Francis, Blue Jays: Toronto's rotation picture is still a little cloudy following the Yusei Kikuchi trade. Yariel Rodriguez got briefly demoted, and manager John Schneider has sent mixed signals about whether Ryan Yarbrough will be used as a starter, a bulk reliever, or just pitch a lot of innings wherever he's needed. The team has little to lose by giving Francis a long audition in the rotation, though. He looked decent enough in his return to a starting role Monday, although he again had trouble keeping the ball in the yard – the right-hander has served up 10 homers in 44.1 big-league innings this season. Francis' raw stuff can occasionally be impressive, but he's got a lot to prove before being considered a reliable fantasy option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Mahle, Rangers: After throwing 74 pitches in his most recent rehab start, Mahle seems ready to make his Rangers debut. The 29-year-old righty has never had trouble flashing upside – he struck out 210 batters over 180 innings for the Reds in 2021 – but that was also the only season he managed to stay healthy enough to work more than 129.2 innings. Mahle will land in a two-start week right out of the gate, but it's less getting dropped into the deep end of the pool and more right into the middle of a shiver of sharks in the ocean, as he faces the Astros at home and then the Yankees on the road. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Trevor Rogers, Orioles: Mike Elias cemented his spot among the elite GMs at the trade deadline, I think. He got some flak last year for not trading any of his prospects, but by hanging onto them he just let their value grow in the minds of other organizations. Yes, the O's have a handful of absolute studs in their system, but guys like Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby only looked better by getting to play alongside the better prospects, and it was those lesser – and now perhaps over-rated – assets he shipped out to bolster the big-league rotation. Granted, it's not that hard to rip off the Marlins, but in the past Rogers has shown the upside to be at least at SP2, while Stowers and Norby aren't going to move the needle. Rogers also had a 3.48 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 41:21 in 54.1 innings over his 10 starts prior to the trade, and while his Orioles debut didn't go smoothly Thursday, he could regain that form once he settled back into a routine with his new club. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $21

JP Sears, Athletics: Sears has been on a nice little roll since late June, allowing three runs or less in five of his last six starts with four wins, a 3.31 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and a 36:5 K:BB through 35.1 innings over that stretch. Of course, the sixth start was an eight-run meltdown against the Astros, but that's still an impressive surge for a guy who's available in most leagues. The lefty lines up for a strong two-step this week, at home against the White Sox and on the road in Toronto, but he should be viewed as more than just a dip-and-dump streaming option. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ryan Yarbrough, Blue Jays: The veteran southpaw hasn't pitched since July 26, getting designated for assignment by the Dodgers a few days later and then flipped to the Jays for Kevin Kiermaier, but he could have a bigger role than expected over the final couple months. Yarbrough's experience as a swingman figures to serve him well, as Toronto would like to give younger rotation options Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez a long look over the final two months, but neither pitcher is a safe bet for five-plus innings each time out. Whether that means Yarbrough acts as a sixth man in the rotation, piggybacks one of the young guys, or just generally works long relief isn't clear yet, but he seems on track for a healthy workload and could provide decent ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

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

Keider Montero, Tigers (at SEA, at SF)

Relief Pitcher

Justin Anderson / Prelander Berroa / John Brebbia, White Sox: With Michael Kopech now a Dodger, the closer job is wide open on the South Side. The problem is, nobody wants it. Brebbia was presumed to be the next man up, but he's been absolutely brutal since the All-Star break, getting hammered for 10 runs in only 3.2 innings over five appearances with a 5:5 K:BB. If manager Pedro Grifol decides to look elsewhere – assuming the ChiSox ever build a late lead that needs protecting again – Anderson seems like the default next-best thing, even though he isn't pitching well either. Berroa has the most closer-like arsenal, with a 97 mph fastball and plus slider, but he's struggled at Triple-A Charlotte in his first full season as a reliever after being transitioned into the role by the Mariners last season. Anderson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Berroa – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Brebbia – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3 

Yennier Cano / Seranthony Dominguez / Gregory Soto, Orioles: Craig Kimbrel is doing his classic slapstick "oops, I'm about to drop the closer role!" bit again, but as yet he hasn't gone full Kevin's chili https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CziLDGyo8W8 with it. Still, a 9.45 ERA and eight walks in his last 6.2 innings isn't exactly reassuring, and the fact that the O's brought in multiple guys with some closing experience at the deadline is probably a good sign they're expecting Kimbrel to make a mess. Cano's still the most likely next man up though, and since the beginning of July he's posted a 1.17 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 8:2 K:BB in 7.2 innings. If Brandon Hyde wants to keep him in a high-leverage set-up role, Soto racked up 30 saves for the Tigers in 2022 but wasn't the same guy in Philly, and he was awful in his first appearance for Baltimore on Friday. Dominguez had 16 saves for the Phillies in 2018 before drifting into a high-leverage set-up role that saw him collect 30 holds over the last two seasons, but he's been volatile in 2024 as well. Cano – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Dominguez – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Soto – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Lucas Erceg / Hunter Harvey, Royals: Speaking of closers about to lose their jobs, James McArthur has a 14.29 ERA and 2:2 K:BB in 5.2 innings since the All-Star break, and there's a reason Kansas City traded for Harvey and Erceg. Harvey got the ninth inning Saturday but blew the save, while Erceg worked a clean eighth ahead of him. (McArthur eventually got the call in the 11th to protect a one-run lead and let the Tigers walk it off.) That usage suggests Harvey is the better bet to take over the closer role, but Erceg has been the better pitcher this year and has been scored upon only once in his last 16 appearances, posting a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB in 14 innings over that stretch. Erceg – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7 / Harvey – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Tyler Ferguson / Will Klein, Athletics: With Erceg gone and Mason Miller still on the shelf, the closer job in Oakland must belong to Ferguson, right? Well... since picking up his second save July 27, the righty's been tagged for four runs in two appearances, and neither his numbers nor his stuff scream 'reliable high-leverage arm'. Klein's raw stuff does, however, as he's averaged 97.2 mph on his fastball in his limited big-league innings this season, and he also features a good curve and cutter. His control is still a work in progress, but so was Erceg's when the A's picked him up. Miller got the cast off his fractured finger this weekend and should be back in the ninth inning quickly, but if you're looking for a potential stash for 2025 in case he breaks down or gets dealt, Klein's the guy you should be considering. Ferguson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Klein – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ben Joyce / Hunter Strickland, Angels: Ron Washington swerved us all when the Angels were peddling their veteran relievers. After Carlos Estevez was shipped out, he said Luis Garcia would close but hinted very strongly that Joyce was the next man up after that. When Garcia got flipped a couple days later though, Washington gave Strickland the next two save chances, suddenly saying he didn't think Joyce was quite ready. Well, Strickland spit the bit, and sure enough Joyce got the save Saturday. There could be a transition period where the two split ninth-inning work, or Joyce remains the highest-leverage guy while Strickland gets saves when the younger flamethrower is deployed earlier than the ninth, but it's clear who the better pitcher is. Joyce hasn't given up a run since June 11, posting a 20:10 K:BB over his last 22.2 innings to go with that 0.00 ERA, while Strickland has a 5.20 ERA since the beginning of June. Joyce – 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15 / Strickland – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Catcher

Dillon Dingler, Tigers: With Carson Kelly now in Texas, Detroit called up Dingler to begin the process of taking over the starting job behind the plate. The 25-year-old was slashing .308/.379/.559 in 71 games for Triple-A Toledo this year with 17 homers, and while Jake Rogers' game-calling skills, pitch framing and defense will keep him in a prominent role in the short term, Dingler's the guy the team wants to see become the No. 1 catcher. Playing time concerns over the next couple months make him a better keeper stash than re-draft pickup, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

First Base

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers: The first overall pick in the 2020 Draft is showing signs of life at Triple-A, slashing .317/.444/.683 over his last 11 games for Toledo with three doubles, four homers and 11 walks. He's also struck out 17 times though, which probably isn't exactly what Detroit is looking for. Torkelson still represents the team's best option at first base if he gets straightened out, and it may not be long before he's back with the Tigers. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Second Base

Luis Guillorme / Michael Stefanic, Angels: I don't normally pair up hitters, but with Luis Rengifo on the shelf for the Angels, it looks like Brandon Drury will slide over to third base while Guillorme and Stefanic platoon at second. Guillorme would be on the strong side of a pure platoon, but neither guy offers enough as a hitter to be worth more than a desperation buck in a deep only format even if they get the bulk of the playing time. Both – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Christian Moore, Angels: Of course the Angels have their 2024 first-round pick on the fast track to the majors. It's their thing. Moore, taken eighth overall out of Tennessee, needed only two games at Single-A to get acclimated to the pros, and he got a quick promotion to Double-A Rocket City, where he proceeded to go 2-for-4 with a homer in his first game. The Halos aren't averse to jumping guys straight from Double-A, but in all likelihood they'll want to keep Moore's rookie status intact for next year, in case he wins Rookie of the Year and nets them another high draft pick they can use to draft someone else they can rush to the majors. The 21-year-old's ultimate upside and defensive home in the majors are still a little questionable, but if his massive performance as a junior for the Vols wasn't just a product of all the shenanigans that took place in the NCAA this year, he could be a four-category fantasy asset. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Lenyn Sosa, White Sox: Even I'm out on Sosa at this point, but he's started two straight games at second base since getting called back up. He's also gone 0-for-7, and his .565 career OPS over 408 big-league plate appearances just doesn't look like bad luck or growing pains. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: Vargas is finally free from Dodgers purgatory, but landing with the White Sox is just a different kind of limbo. The 24-year-old is back at his natural third base position though, which should help, but in four games with his new club he's gone 1-for-15 with seven Ks. The one hit was a homer, at least. Vargas' career numbers at Triple-A (.297/.412/.512 in nearly 1,000 PAs) don't seem like a PCL mirage, but he might end up being just a solid big-league regular, rather than the future star he looked like a couple years ago. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Third Base

Coby Mayo, Orioles: The O's may have a trade in mind when GM Mike Elias hinted over the All-Star break that Mayo's big-league debut was imminent, but it ended up being a Jordan Westburg injury that opened up a spot for him. Since returning from a rib injury at Triple-A Norfolk in mid-June, the 22-year-old had slashed .331/.412/.647 over 38 games, so it seems safe to say he doesn't have much left to learn in the minors. Westburg could be out until mid-September, so Mayo should get a real chance to lock himself in as the team's third baseman of both the present and the future. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $21; 12-team AL: $35

Shortstop

Paul DeJong, Royals: Technically, DeJong's playing time outlook didn't change with his trade to Kansas City, as he was starting for the White Sox, but his team context got a whole lot better. The 31-year-old has collected four hits in his first three games for the Royals, including a homer Saturday, and driven in four runs. DeJong's still a liability in OBP, if that matters in your league, but the power is legit. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ezequiel Duran, Rangers: Duran earned his return to the majors with a solid .856 OPS for Triple-A Round Rock in 19 games, but he's still looking at a utility role with the Rangers. The 25-year-old has started in three of five games since his promotion, one each in left field, right field and at DH, and he's gone 3-for-12 with a walk. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jackson Holliday, Orioles: Holliday's second stint in the big leagues has gone much better than his first, as the 20-year-old has racked up five hits in four games, including a grand slam. He's made four straight starts at second base, and while Westburg's eventual return could cut into his playing time, he also might not give up his starting spot for the next decade or so. Holliday is maybe further away from being a finished product than Mayo is, but there's no question he's got a higher ceiling. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Nick Sogard, Red Sox: Sogard was having a career year at Triple-A Worcester to earn his first big-league promotion, but it was also his third crack at the level, making his .279/.382/.439 slash line a bit less impressive. The 26-year-old may also have a small window in which to establish himself. David Hamilton is slumping, but Vaughn Grissom is nearing the end of his rehab assignment and has a seven-game hitting streak going at Worcester, so Sogard could just be keeping his spot warm. Then again, Sogard's gotten on base four times in his two starts (one at shortstop, one at second base), and Grissom could just be optioned down after being activated from the IL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Addison Barger, Blue Jays: Barger has started to see semi-consistent playing time for the rebuilding Jays, going 6-for-16 with two doubles and two homers while seeing action in five of the last seven games. The addition of Joey Loperfido does seem to squeeze him out of regular starts in a corner outfield spot, but if Toronto is serious about evaluating options for 2025, Barger should begin to push Ernie Clement out of the starting third base job. Barger could well be nothing more than a utility player in the long run, but better to find that out now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Dylan Carlson, Cardinals: St. Louis trading away a former top outfield prospect. What could go wrong? Carlson's never come close to repeating his 2021 campaign, much less building on it, but a fresh start (and better luck on the health front) could be just what he needs. The fact that he hit his first homer of the season in his second game as a Ray is at least a little bit encouraging. Don't expect much production for the rest of 2024, but as a keeper dart throw, there's still some potential value here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jasson Dominguez, Yankees: The Yankees' trade for Jazz Chisholm seemed to close the door on a potential post-trade deadline promotion for Dominguez into a starting role... until the team abruptly decided to shift Chisholm to third base, a position he'd never played before as a professional. Damning indictment of DJ LeMahieu aside, suddenly the biggest obstacle to the 21-year-old having fantasy value in 2024 is Alex Verdugo and his .233/.291/.369 slash line. Dominguez just returned from an oblique injury and has gone 4-for-23 with nine Ks in six games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so a promotion likely isn't imminent, but if he begins to heat up at Triple-A and the Yankees are in a dogfight with the O's for the AL East crown, a call-up could be on the table. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Dominic Fletcher, White Sox: Fletcher has started four straight games since returning to the big-league roster, bouncing between all three outfield spots while going 3-for-11 with a walk. The 26-year-old doesn't offer much power or speed and profiles as a fourth outfielder, but considering you could argue that the White Sox only have one in Luis Robert, that puts Fletcher on course for a lot of playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mitch Haniger, Mariners: The 33-year-old has had an awful season, but Haniger may finally be turning things around. He's homered in back-to-back games, and while starting eight of the last nine he's batting .286 (8-for-28) with a double, three long balls and a 7:7 BB:K. That playing time could dry up once Julio Rodriguez is back, pushing Haniger back into a short-side platoon role behind Luke Raley, but Raley's been slumping since the beginning of July, and it's not like Victor Robles is Mr. Reliable. If Haniger keeps slugging, there should be at-bats for him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Pedro Leon, Astros: Called up Tuesday, Leon didn't make his actual big-league debut until Saturday, going 1-for-3 with a single that should have been a double, but he over-slid the bag and got tagged out at second base. Adrenaline will do that to you. The 26-year-old has been stuck at Triple-A since 2021, but he finally put things together this year, slashing .297/.377/.519 in 93 games with 19 homers and 23 steals. Leon is a typically athletic Astros outfield prospect with hit tool concerns, but his fantasy upside is tantalizing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Joey Loperfido, Blue Jays: Speaking of athletic Astros prospects with hit tool concerns... Loperfido's trade is what opened up a roster spot for Leon, but the former now has a much clearer path to everyday at-bats in Toronto. Loperfido's gone 4-for-14 with a triple in his first three games for his new club, but he's also struck out seven times. The fantasy upside is obvious with the 25-year-old – in 71 career games at Triple-A, he has 18 homers and 13 steals – but there's a good chance he won't make enough contact to fully realize it. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Bligh Madris, Tigers: The 28-year-old journeyman is on a tear for Detroit, going 12-for-26 while starting eight of the last nine games with two doubles and a homer. There's nothing to suggest Madris will keep up anything close to that pace, but the Tigers also don't have any better options at first base on the 26-man roster. It could be worth trying to ride the hot streak a little while longer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Parker Meadows, Tigers: The 24-year-old came off the IL on Saturday and immediately reclaimed the starting center field job for Detroit, going 2-for-5 with a triple. Meadows was raking at Triple-A prior to coming back up the majors in early July and promptly straining a hamstring, but it doesn't look like he's cooled off while he was injured. He could make a big impact in the steals department down the stretch, but he's capable of contributing across the board if he has put it all together, and his rough stint to begin the season is still weighing down his numbers and potentially creating a chance to get him at a discount. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $25

Kameron Misner, Rays: Misner's got serious contact issues, but he also hit 15 homers and stole 27 bags in 30 attempts over 94 games at Triple-A Durham this year. The 26-year-old is probably just a bench player for now in Tampa Bay, but if his defense in center field is good enough and he learns to strike out just a little bit less, he could become Jose Siri's replacement once the front office decides Siri's about to get too extensive in arbitration. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Christopher Morel, Rays: The 25-year-old's already given the Rays the full Morel experience, homering in his first two games with the team but then having those solo shots account for his only hits in four games. He's also played some shaky defense at second base when they've let him escape DH. Morel's .216 BABIP on the season remains incredibly unlucky, and he's reduced his strikeout rate significantly this year (24.8 percent, after a 31.0 percent mark in 2023 and 32.2 percent in 2022), so you can see what attracted Tampa to him as a cheaper replacement for Isaac Paredes. He could easily break out over the final two months, but it's also hard to ignore his career .227/.309/.441 slash line in the majors. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $35

Austin Slater, Orioles: Slater's purely a short-side platoon option for the O's, the right-handed complement to Ryan O'Hearn, but he's been good in that role during his career, slashing .275/.365/.435 with 24 homers in 887 career plate appearances vs. LHP. Expect Baltimore to maximize his utility, which might be enough to make him a useful depth piece in deep formats, especially ones with daily moves. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Lane Thomas, Guardians: Thomas wasn't matching his power numbers from 2023 prior to being traded to the Guardians – in fact, he hasn't homered since June 20 – but he was still having a solid season. Through 23 games in July for the Nationals prior to the trade, he slashed .287/.398/.379 with 11 steals, which made him a perfect fit for Cleveland's slash-and-dash offense. He batted second in his first three games for the Guardians before dropping to fifth Saturday, and he should settle in somewhere in that range. If you pick up Thomas, you're doing it for his BA-runs-steals potential, but there's always the chance he finds his power stroke again too. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $45