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. Wyatt Langford 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

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: Bello's season debut was a success, as he held the M;s to one run in five innings Tuesday to pick up his first win. A 3:3 K:BB, plus two hit batters, is a little less exciting, as control and command have been the things holding the 25-year-old righty back. His upside is still enticing, but in shallower formats you can afford to wait for Bello to prove himself. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Logan Evans, Mariners: If this promotion were taking place last April, there would be a lot more hype around it. Evans looked like a breakout prospect early last season at Double-A, but he lost momentum after a summer shift to the bullpen to manage his innings. The 23-year-old right-hander has been sharp over his last three starts for Triple-A Tacoma, posting a 2.65 ERA and 18:1 K:BB over 17 innings, and this is the Mariners we're talking about – the organization knows how to develop pitchers, and they have maybe the friendliest home park in the league for their arms. Evans will get the start Sunday at T-Mobile Park against a Marlins offense that ranks 25th in strikeout rate against RHP, so the potential is there for a dazzling debut. With neither George Kirby nor Logan Gilbert likely to be back until the second half of May, Evans has a run way to make a big first impression. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Kyle Gibson, Orioles: The veteran righty appears poised to join the Baltimore rotation this week despite the fact his most recent minor-league outing was cut short after five innings due to mild back tightness. Gibson is what he is at this stage of his career, but assuming the O's bats wake up at some point, a guy who can reliably provide some length will have some upside in wins while not hurting your ratios too badly. The Baltimore rotation also needs all the help it can get right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Lucas Giolito, Red Sox: The 30-year-old righty is set to make his season debut Wednesday – his first start since the end of the 2023 campaign, and first in a Boston uniform after an internal brace procedure last spring. Giolito hasn't been a particularly useful fantasy option since 2021, and he wasn't exactly impressive during his rehab stint, walking six batters over 4.2 innings Friday for Triple-A Worcester. His name will attract bids, but there's little reason to bet big on him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Emerson Hancock, Mariners: With Gilbert joining Kirby on the IL, Hancock's spot in the Seattle rotation is a lot safer for the next few weeks. To his credit, the 25-year-old righty has looked better his last couple turns, posting an 11:2 K:BB in 11 innings with a 3.27 ERA during two road starts in Boston and Cincinnati. Hancock doesn't have much upside, but his home park gives him some streaming appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics: The A's haven't announced a promotion for Hoglund yet – in fact, he's still scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday – but the team's got a vacancy in the big-league rotation after J.T. Ginn was put on the shelf with a sore elbow, and the 2021 first-round pick seems the likeliest candidate to get the call. Hoglund, acquired as part of the Matt Chapman deal in 2022, hasn't seen his raw stuff come back after Tommy John surgery, but sharp control over four pitches gives him some big-league potential. He's performed surprisingly well in the PCL desert wasteland to begin the season too, posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 25:6 K:BB through 24.2 innings over five starts for Vegas. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Lance McCullers, Astros: Once viewed as a future ace, injuries have derailed McCullers' career, and the 31-year-old righty hasn't pitched in the majors since 2022 after sitting out the 2023 and 2024 campaigns completely. He's on the cusp of his return though, posting a 7:1 K:BB over five scoreless innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday while building up to 71 pitches. There's really no telling what kind of stuff he still has, and it's hard to imagine him handling a big workload this season given the long layoff, but the Astros need rotation help so he'll at least be part of the solution. McCullers might also get the cushiest possible opponent for his 2025 debut, as the Astros have a road series against the White Sox next weekend. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins: Round 1 of the battle between the Twins' top pitching prospects and the arms blocking them at the back of the rotation went to the veterans, as David Festa headed back to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday. Woods Richardson kept his job, for now, by posting a 3.07 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 15:1 K:BB through 14.2 innings over his last three starts, numbers which would have a home on just about any fantasy staff. Consistency has always been an issue for SWR, but as long as he stays locked in, he can be useful. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

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

Patrick Corbin, Rangers (vs. ATH, vs. SEA)
Jack Kochanowicz, Angels (at SEA, vs. DET)
Reese Olson, Tigers (at HOU, at LAA)
Chris Paddack, Twins (at CLE, at BOS)
JP Sears, Athletics (at TEX, at MIA)
Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles (vs. NYY, vs. KC)
Will Warren, Yankees (at BAL, vs. TB)
Gavin Williams, Guardians (vs. MIN, at TOR)
Bryse Wilson, White Sox (vs. MIL, vs. HOU)

Relief Pitcher

Fernando Cruz / Luke Weaver, Yankees: This week has been the Closerpocalypse in the AL. Really, there's maybe only four guys left in the league I have any confidence will still be the primary closer for their current teams in August and September – Josh Hader, Andres Munoz, Mason Miller and Jeff Hoffman. Yes, there are a couple names very conspicuous by their absence on that list, and the situation might be even worse in the NL, so finding saves could become verrrrry interesting over the summer. One of those conspicuous absences is Devin Williams, who has struggled under the bright New York lights so far. Sunday morning, Yankees manager Aaron Boone semi-officially removed the Airbender from the ninth inning, an understandable reaction to his seven walks in eight innings and 11.25 ERA. While Williams is trying to get right, Weaver is the most likely candidate to handle ninth-inning duties, but it's Cruz who has two of the team's last three non-Williams saves. Both veteran righties have have great starts to the campaign, with Weaver posting a 0.00 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB in 13 innings compared to Cruz's 1.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB through 14 innings. Boone seems comfortable turning to either one and hinted that Weaver might be used more of a high-leverage fireman that someone locked into the ninth, so this might be a good spot to try and get the guy who's probably going to be a lot cheaper in Cruz, and let someone else pay up for Weaver. Cruz – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Weaver – 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Lucas Erceg, Royals: Control has never been Carlos Estevez's strong suit, but he's more trouble than usual finding the plate to begin 2025, stumbling to an 11:9 K:BB through 13 innings. He hasn't really paid for it yet – he's converted seven of nine save chances with a 2.77 ERA and 1.08 WHIP – but even he can't maintain a .152 BABIP. A deeper look at his numbers isn't encouraging either, as his four-seamer has lost over two mph since 2023, and his whiff rate on the pitch has dropped from 28.4 percent to 16.3 percent. If, only maybe when, Estevez falters, Erceg should be ready to step into closing duties after recording 14 saves last year and beginning this one with a 0.87 ERA, 0.39 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB in 10.1 innings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jose Fermin, Angels: Very quietly, the Halos are assembling what could be an absolutely dominant bullpen. Kenley Jansen's a placeholder as closer, but behind him they've got Ben Joyce and his absurd triple-digit heat, Ryan Zeferjahn and his absurd whiff rates (I mentioned this last week, but he's still got whiff rates above 40 percent on three different pitches this year, which is simply bonkers), and now Fermin. The 23-year-old righty walked one and struck out two in his big-league debut Saturday, topping out at 97.9 mph with his four-seamer and pairing it with a nasty slider that made Carlos Correa look silly. There's no telling how roles are going to shake out once Jansen is out of the picture, but Fermin looks like he's worth stashing, just in case. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Justin Slaten, Red Sox: In retrospect, it wouldn't be surprising if Aroldis Chapman turns out to be the 'if nobody better comes along' option at the back of the Red Sox bullpen. Slaten has the team's last two saves, and he's making his case for the closer role with an eight-appearance scoreless streak in which he's posted an 8:1 K:BB. Chapman's had a great start to the season and has yet to blow a save, so this could be a committee situation for a while, and you never know when Alex Cora might decide to give Liam Hendriks or Garrett Whitlock a shot at the ninth too. For now though, Slaten is firmly in the mix, and might even be the favorite to lead Boston in saves the rest of the way. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Cade Smith, Guardians: The biggest name missing from that list at the top of the Relief Pitcher section was Emmanuel Clase, of course, but the 27-year-old is finally showing signs of breaking down after being an absolute machine in the ninth inning since 2021. Bad luck has contributed a lot to Clase's 7.15 ERA – he still has an 11:3 K:BB in 11.1 innings and has served up only one homer – but the whiff rate is still down on his slider, and he's giving up harder contact than ever before. Pair that with some shoulder soreness this week, and there's legitimate cause for concern. Cleveland used him in the eighth inning during the first game of Saturday's twin bill, and while the intention is to return him to the ninth quickly, he's still got to get the job done when they do. If Clase ends up needing an IL stint or just underperforms, Smith's shown he's ready to step in, converting three straight save chances and posting a 1.29 ERA, 107 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB through 14 innings this season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Will Vest, Tigers: I kind of dismissed Vest's chances of taking over the closer role last week in the comments, but A.J. Hinch rudely ignored my advice and has ridden the hot hand in the ninth this week. The 29-year-old righty has Detroit's last three saves, and his 0.75 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB through 12 innings on the year definitely seem closer-worthy. Vest has had hot stretches in the past though, and Tommy Kahnle remains in the ninth-inning mix – Vest got the save in the matinee of Saturday's doubleheader, but Kahnle was held in reserve for the nightcap and was only denied a save opportunity when the Tigers extended their lead in the bottom of the seventh. As with Slaten in the Boston bullpen though, the situation right this second suggests that Vest is the favorite to lead his team in saves the rest of the way – and Vest has less competition. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Catcher

Ryan Jeffers, Twins: Minnesota has finally gotten tired of waiting for Christian Vazquez's bat to wake up even a little, and have committed to treating Jeffers more like a true starter than the 1A in a timeshare. Of course, this is a Rocco Baldelli team we're talking about, so to some extent I'll believe it when I see it. Still, Jeffers slugged a career-high 21 homers last year and hit a career-high .276 in 2023, so his upside is undeniable if the extra playing time allows him to get into a groove. In shallower formats where you don't already have an elite option behind the plate, the 27-year-old is worth a look. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Bobby Dalbec, White Sox: Just to be clear, I am in no way recommended you pick up Dalbec and his 36.6 percent career strikeout rate in the majors, but the White Sox are giving him playing time, so you might fall into some counting stats if you're lucky. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Nick Kurtz, Athletics: Kurtz hasn't homered yet and has a 0:6 BB:K through his first 14 big-league plate appearances, which should rein in the hype a little. The 22-year-old has league-winning upside though, especially given that the A's offense around him has looked more dangerous than expected so far, and Sutter Health Stadium has played very small. Kurtz had seven homers in 20 games in the PCL to begin the year, and guess what? He's still calling a PCL park home. Especially if you're not concerned about how he might impact your batting average, Kurtz's power potential can't be ignored. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Zach Dezenzo, Astros: With Houston's offense still stuck in the mud, Dezenzo has been getting work all over the diamond this week as the team looks for a spark. In four starts (two in right field, and one each in left field and at first base), the 24-year-old has gone 6-for-14 with two doubles and two RBI. Dezenzo isn't the Astros' preferred option at any of those spots at the moment, but if they do pull the trigger on trying Cam Smith out in center field, Dezenzo would be the big winner. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Second Base

Leo Rivas, Mariners: Dylan Moore is supplying the power for the M's, but Rivas offers a speedy complement to him at the keystone. The 27-year-old has gone 6-for-12 in four games this week, and on the season he's batting .333 (7-for-21) with three steals in three attempts since joining the big-league roster in early April. Rivas isn't getting enough playing time to be useful in most shallower formats, but in AL-only he should be rostered. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Will Wilson, Guardians: A first-round pick for the Angels back in 2019, the 26-year-old didn't do much in the Giants' system the last few years and was an under-the-radar pick in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Cleveland seems to have helped Wilson figure something out, and after slashing .324/.418/.647 with six homers through 18 games at Triple-A Columbus, he earned his first big-league promotion. Wilson's purely a stash right now, but he saw action at three infield spots in Triple-A and could eventually emerge as a utility option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

J.D. Davis, Angels: Davis has seen little playing time since being added to the Angels' roster, but with Nolan Schanuel needing to be helped off the field Saturday after fouling a ball off his knee, that could soon change. Schanuel's injury was thought to be just a bruise, but if he ends up needing an IL stint, the team doesn't have a better option at first base than Davis. The 32-year-old may not have much left in the tank, but he did slug 18 homers in 2023 for the Giants. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jace Jung, Tigers: Called up at the beginning of the week, Jung has handled a strong-side platoon role at third base, flashing his strong batting eye (4:5 BB:K in four games) but not much else. The 24-year-old wasn't hitting at Triple-A either, and he'll need to show something quickly if he wants to stay in the majors once Matt Vierling gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ben Williamson, Mariners: The 24-year-old has had an impressive start to his big-league career, slashing .310/.356/.429 through his first 11 games with a homer, seven RBI and 10 runs. There's a path here for Williamson to keep the starting gig at the hot corner – once he's cleared for defensive duties, Jorge Polanco could get bumped to second base instead – but he'll need to keep making consistent contact. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shortstop

Nick Ahmed, Rangers: The veteran defensive specialist is on the short side of a platoon with Josh Smith at shortstop while Corey Seager is on the shelf. Ahmed will be a welcome sight for Texas pitchers, but he's got a career .233/.286/.370 slash line over nearly 3,400 big-league plate appearances and offers little in power or speed. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

J.P. Crawford, Mariners: Crawford has caught fire in the second half of April, hitting safely in nine of his last 10 games while batting .378 (14-for-37) with a homer, six runs and nine RBI. The 30-year-old shortstop doesn't offer much power or speed, although he did slug 19 homers a couple seasons ago, but when he's hitting like this he's worth rostering even in shallow formats. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Outfield

Roman Anthony, Red Sox: Anthony was cleared to resume defensive duties this week, which might have been the only thing holding him back from a promotion to the majors. The Red Sox don't have room for him in the outfield, but the 20-year-old doesn't seem to have anything left to prove at Triple-A – over the last two seasons he's slashing .332/.459/.545 in 58 games at the level. This year's top prospect migration has already begun, and Boston can't afford to wait too long to bring Anthony up if they want him to be in the mix for one of those bonus draft picks. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Jonatan Clase, Blue Jays: The 22-year-old will make his season debut during Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees after getting called up to be the 27th man. Clase has looked great in the early going at Triple-A Buffalo, slashing .364/.475/.424 with 12 steals in 21 games, and if he were to get a real look with Toronto, he could make an impact with his speed. More likely though, Clase will be back in Triple-A quickly, especially with Daulton Varsho close to a return. Consider Clase a stash, not an immediate contributor. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Travis Jankowski, Rays: Tampa's scrambling to find healthy outfielders, and they lost another depth option this week when Jake Mangum went down. Jankowski should be a bench player, and Chandler Simpson already does everything he can do, only (hopefully) better, so there isn't much of a path to playing time for the 33-year-old. He might swipe a couple bags, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Angel Martinez, Guardians: Martinez already seemed to be in the process of claiming the starting job in center field for Cleveland, so Lane Thomas' injury may have just accelerated the switch. Martinez has hit safely in seven straight games, and since getting called up earlier this month he's slashing .362/.354/.468 with two steals, four runs and five RBI in 13 games. He's hit exclusively in the bottom half of the order, capping his fantasy ceiling, but he's got some modest five-category potential in a full-time role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays: Varsho remains on the cusp of being activated, but a 2-for-15 start to his rehab stint with Triple-A Buffalo has made sure the Jays aren't in any rush. The 28-year-old will hit for power and swipe an occasional bag, and his career .225 batting average might not look out of place in 2025's offensive environment. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Drew Waters, Royals: The 26-year-old has been on an extra-base tear this week, batting .429 (9-for-21) over his last six games with two doubles, a triple, a homer, four runs and four RBI. Waters has never been able to sustain any success at the plate in the majors, and he's still struck out over 30 percent of the time since his latest promotion, but his power-speed potential is enticing if he can get to it in game action just a little more often. The Royals also have nothing to lose by giving him every last chance to prove himself. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4