AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

1. Identify likely free agents and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Estimate how much of your free-agent budget you should bid on them.

This year, we're incorporating sortable grids into the FAAB articles, so users can see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

These grids include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Carlos Correa would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar high-impact prospects stepping into an everyday role.

Not seeing a certain player? Check to see if they were mentioned in last week's article. If there is a player not discussed in either article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask about the player in the comments.

Nick Tropeano, Angels - The Angels' rotation is in shambles with Garrett Richards and possibly Andrew Heaney headed for Tommy John surgery, meaning Tropeano is cemented into the rotation long-term, really regardless of the results. The results have been OK so far, with Tropeano posting a 3.42 ERA and a strikeout per inning over his first five starts. However, he's also walked 15 batters, resulting in a bloated 1.63 WHIP, with five of those walks coming against Milwaukee in his most recent start. Tropeano also gave up three home runs in that outing, as many as he'd given up in his career coming into the game (80.2 innings), and while his flyball rate is up to over 50 percent, the forgiving environments out west should help in that regard. His walks will come down, but to what extent is a question. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $3; AL-only: $8

Matt Shoemaker, Angels - Cory Rasmus headed a bullpen start in Richards' absence Friday, but Shoemaker is believed to be the favorite to take Wednesday's turn. The best thing working in Shoemaker's favor is the lack of other viable options in the Angels' organization. The problem with starting a player Rasmus every fifth day is that is that it's extremely taxing for the bullpen, so Shoemaker figures to get another chance to stick, but he has to be better than he was before. He was blown up for six homers and a 9.15 ERA in 20.2 innings earlier this season, leading to his demotion. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $1

Doug Fister, Astros - With back-to-back wins to begin May and quality starts in each of last four outings, Fister is back on the periphery of mixed league relevance. His walk rate is up to over nine percent in the early going this season, but seven of his 14 walks came in one uncharacteristically sloppy outing. Of course, with Fister the ding is and always has been the low strikeout rate, which only continues to head south. His splits against lefties this season are troubling, and he's also struggled at home, so there's growing downside to accompany the limited ceiling. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $6

Cody Anderson, Indians - Anderson's return to the major leagues didn't go swimmingly, as the Royals got to him for four runs on six hits, including a home run (his seventh allowed this season) before leg cramps forced him off the hill. The 25-year-old hasn't made it out of the sixth inning since his first start of the year, and the lack of strikeouts has curbed his appeal in fantasy, even when things have gone well for him. He will need to show improvement before he can be entrusted with a starting spot in mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $4

Matt Andriese, Rays - "Everyday" Erasmo Ramirez has been a godsend for the Rays and those who have used him as a ratios play, but his usage out of the bullpen has taken him out of the running for Sunday's start. The Rays will instead turn to Andriese, who put on a masterful performance his last time out with Triple-A Durham, tossing seven scoreless with three hits allowed, one walk and 14 strikeouts. The reason he's starting over lefty Blake Snell is because the Rays are reluctant to throw a southpaw against the Angels' right-handed heavy lineup, so assuming Andriese will stick now that the Rays (finally) need a fifth starter would be a mistake. Snell is the far better bet long term and should be owned in nearly all formats, but if Snell can't rein in his control or if there is an injury, Andriese could end up being more than a spot starter. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Joe Musgrove, Astros - The numbers for Musgrove through five appearances (four starts) with Double-A Corpus Christi to begin the season are eye-popping. In 23.1 innings, Musgrove has allowed just one earned run on 17 hits and three walks while striking out 26. A supplemental first-round pick in 2011, he is beating down the door for a promotion to Triple-A, but the need for pitching help at the major league level may prove great enough to where the team considers bypassing him over the Triple-A level entirely. The combination of control and strikeout upside make him an intriguing deep-league dart. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $3

Relief Pitcher

Joel Peralta, Mariners - The 40-year-old Peralta has been quietly excellent out of the Mariners' bullpen since blowing a couple leads early on, allowing a mere four hits and posting a 13:2 K:BB and seven holds in his last 10 appearances. He's working in a setup role with Joaquin Benoit (shoulder) on the DL, meaning he'll have a couple more weeks to potentially vulture some saves on days when closer Steve Cishek is unavailable. Peralta's not in the class of the Nate Jones or Kelvin Herrera types, but he could end up being a net positive as a ratios eater in AL-only. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Fernando Rodriguez, A's - With three strikeouts in 1.2 perfect frames Saturday, Rodriguez now has 18 strikeouts in 19 innings this season, eight more strikeouts than hits allowed. It seems he's made a conscious effort to give up a little velocity in the name of better control, but he hasn't given up much in the way of strikeouts. His 2.13 FIP currently ranks 24th among all relievers, and he's routinely put fires out in situations with multiple runners on base. The 31-year-old's current role limits him to being a two-category play, but he's helping enough in those ratio categories to be a starter in 12-team AL-only leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Jesse Chavez, Blue Jays - Chavez's success so far this season and some struggles at the back end have the 32-year-old moving up the bullpen hierarchy. The right-hander has allowed just two runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out 16 in 10.2 innings. He has zero wins and two holds to show for his efforts so far, but those should come while working more in high-leverage spots. Chavez won't see saves, but there's enough here to like in AL-only leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Cory Rasmus, Angels - The 28-year-old set himself back with a poor outing on Friday, allowing five runs on five hits (including two home runs) over 2.1 innings. Matt Shoemaker is in the running to take Garrett Richards' next turn and would seem like the favorite, if only because he can give the Angels more length. Thus, Rasmus figures to head back to the bullpen, and even if he were to get a chance to make more starts, the upside is not enough to warrant a flier in mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $1

Anthony Ranaudo, Rangers - Ranaudo was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A and brought up to provide some insurance in the bullpen, and sure enough, Ranaudo was thrust into duty right away with A.J. Griffin leaving Saturday with right shoulder stiffness. He gave up two runs on two hits and three walks in 2.1 innings, but Ranaudo earned the win in relief and could be an option to start a game or two if Griffin needs some time. Griffin said after the game that he does not believe the shoulder issue is serious. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $0

Catcher

Curt Casali, Rays - He's wrestled away the primary share of the workload behind the plate in Tampa Bay and has flashed impressive power over the past couple seasons. With two homers over the past week, Casali now has three home runs this season after hitting 10 in just 38 games a year ago. However, the swing and miss is a glaring flaw in his game -- he's struck out in nearly half of his at-bats so far this year -- and will likely keep his average at a point where it will be tough for him to end up a net positive in mixed leagues over the long haul. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $5

Bobby Wilson, Rangers - The Rangers brought Wilson back into the fold from Detroit this week and have started him in two of four games since his return. In those two games, Wilson went 3-for-7 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Bryan Holaday has been really struggling so far, and Robinson Chirinos' timetable has been pushed back, but Wilson has hit .206 with negligible power (to put it nicely) in parts of eight seasons at the major league level, so there's not much here to get excited about. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Juan Centeno, Twins - John Ryan Murphy was lost at the plate, so lost that the team cleared a spot for Centeno on the 40-man and active rosters. Now the backup to Kurt Suzuki, Centeno figures to play a couple times per week, and he's shown an ability to hit for a decent average at the upper levels of the minors albeit with no power. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $1

First Base

Steve Pearce, Rays - Pearce has a lackluster .222/.323/.333 line against right-handed pitching, but platoon mate Logan Morrison has been downright atrocious against opposite-handed pitching with a .298 OPS. It's nice of Morrison to make the case for Pearce to be in an everyday role, but manager Kevin Cash may stick to the matchups pretty closely for now. Either way, Pearce's stock is trending up given how well he's hitting lefties. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $6; AL-only: $14

Justin Smoak, Blue Jays - He should have been picked up in most AL-only leagues after Chris Colabello's suspension, and Smoak is making a case for mixed league consideration with an .809 OPS in 28 games. The 29-year-old smacked two home runs in a game this week after hitting 18 in 296 at-bats a year ago, and the counting stats are starting to pile up now that he's playing regularly. That said, even though the walks are up, Smoak is still striking out far too much for his .271 average to be sustainable (.412 BABIP). 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $7; AL-only: $16

Second Base

Jose Ramirez, Indians - Although he's not playing every day, Ramirez is playing enough and contributing enough right now to be worthy of consideration in a lot of formats. The 23-year-old is now batting .310/.347/.437 with nine runs scored, 12 RBI, a homer and a stolen base. He has reached double-digit steals in each of the last two seasons and chipped in six homers in 315 at-bats in 2015. Best of all, he's eligible at second base, shortstop and now third base and outfield in many leagues. 12-team mixed: $3; 15-team mixed: $8; AL-only: $19

Darwin Barney, Blue Jays - A .248 career hitter, Barney is batting a robust .357 in the early going this season, and he's now started four of the team's last five games (once against a right-hander). He may continue to start primarily against lefties for the time being, but Ryan Goins is scuffling, so perhaps Barwin will take on a more prominent role in the weeks ahead. The 30-year-old has a couple steals but he's never been a big threat on the basepaths, and power is not a part of the profile. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Ryan Flaherty, Orioles - Now that J.J. Hardy is on the DL, Manny Machado is playing primarily at short, affording Flaherty regular time at the hot corner. He's batting at the bottom of the order, so the counting stats will be hard to come by, and he's done little at the major league level to suggest he's a worthwhile option in any format. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $0

Shortstop

Brad Miller, Rays - Miller matched his hit total from his first 11 games (4) in a start earlier this week, and he is now 9-for-23 with a double, two homers, one stolen base and a 3:2 BB:K when batting out of the two-hole for the Rays this season. That should continue against right-handers (he typically sits against lefties) if he can build some on his recent success. A player in that lineup position with his combination of power, speed and shortstop eligibility has the makings of a valuable fantasy commodity. 12-team mixed: $5; 15-team mixed: $11; AL-only: $24

Christian Colon, Royals - Manager Ned Yost was planning to get Colon more involved even before the injury to Mike Moustakas, but now that Moustakas is on the DL, Colon's outlook for playing time is trending up further. He's done little with his sporadic opportunities to this point, and there's not much power to see here, but Colon has shown an ability to hit and get on base at a high clip and chip in a couple steals when given the green light. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; AL-only: $4

Alex Bregman, Astros - The 22-year-old is on an absolute tear down at Double-A Corpus Christi, slashing .333/.437/.650 with five home runs, two steals and a 9:7 BB:K. He still may be a bit of a long shot to reach the major this season barring a long-term injury to Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve, but in AL-only leagues with five to seven bench spots, he has appeal as a high-upside stash. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Third Base

Ronald Torreyes, Yankees - The average looks great thanks to a couple multi-hit games right out of the gate, and Torreyes has made three starts already this month, but he's still not playing enough to be relevant in mixed leagues. Even in AL-only leagues, he's a low-upside option given the absence of power and speed from his offensive profile. Positional eligibility at shortstop on some sites helps his case a little in those deeper formats. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $3

Cheslor Cuthbert, Royals - Called up to replace Mike Moustakas on the active roster, Cuthbert started at third base Saturday and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and an RBI. Christian Colon may factor in some at third base, but Cuthbert was raking down at Triple-A Omaha to begin the year, batting .333/.402/.624 with seven homers in his first 107 plate appearances. Cuthbert hit 11 home runs all of last year and has never hit more than 12 in a season. If he can carry some of that success to the majors, Cuthbert could end up seeing quite a bit of time in Moustakas' absence. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $5

Outfield

Brandon Guyer, Rays - Desmond Jennings has struggled mightily in the early going, while Guyer has fared well in a small sample against same-handed pitching (5-for-16). Guyer got the start against right-hander Cory Rasmus on Friday before Jennings returned to left field for Saturday's matchup with Jered Weaver. Jennings went 0-for-4 Saturday. Look for Guyer to see additional starts against right-handers in the near future. 12-team mixed: $3; 15-team mixed: $8; AL-only: $19

Aaron Hicks, Yankees - Hicks is starting to build some momentum, hitting safely in three straight games, with one of those hits leaving the yard for his first home run as a Yankee. Alex Rodriguez's placement on the DL moves Carlos Beltran in to DH and affords Hicks regular playing time in right for a couple weeks at least. Hicks got off to a miserable start this season, but he enjoyed a good deal of offensive success last year with 11 homers, 13 steals and a .257 average in 352 plate appearances. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $9; AL-only: $20

Nolan Reimold, Orioles - He's still not a viable mixed league starter as a short-end platoon player, but Reimold has reached fifth-outfielder status in 12-team AL-only leagues. The 32-year-old has three home runs and is hitting for a nice average, and he's scored as many runs as Adam Jones. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $4

Drew Stubbs, Rangers - The Rangers brought Stubbs in on a major league deal after the Braves cut ties earlier in the week. He's not going to play every day, but the 31-year-old figures to play against a good number of the opposing left-handed starters. Stubbs is a .276/.349/.450 career hitter against left-handed pitching, and he still has some speed (4-for-4 in stolen base attempts with Atlanta). 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $3