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 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 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.

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

Matt Andriese, Rays: Andriese gets first crack at replacing Matt Moore in the Tampa rotation, pitching Tuesday but lasting only four innings and 58 pitches after spending the last six weeks in a long relief role. He's been effective the last two seasons as a starter if not exactly dominant, posting a 3.15 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 61:23 K:BB in 88.2 innings, and he should be able to supply consistent innings down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $7

Jose Berrios, Twins: Profiled last week, Berrios has been roughed up a little in his first two starts back in the majors but his 9:1 K:BB in 11 innings promises better days are ahead. Minnesota's top pitching prospect had certainly regained his swagger at Triple-A following his first stint in the majors, posting a 2.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 91:27 K:BB in 86.1 innings over 13 starts after his demotion, and while his initial struggles in the bigs could make some bidders wary the right-hander's ceiling is still extremely high. Of course he'll still be pitching for the Twins, so getting wins could be an issue, but assuming he's not as intimidated as he was in his first go-round in the majors Berrios should be a solid source of ratios and K's down the stretch.12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $17

Mike Clevinger, Indians: Another young starter getting another chance in the big leagues, Clevinger was called up to fill in while Danny Salazar is on the shelf. Walking four batters in 4.1 innings in his first start isn't going to endear him to fans or management, but Clevinger's control was much better at Triple-A (97:35 K:BB in 93 innings). The Indians seem to produce these high-K righty arms almost at will these days and their track record in developing them is fairly stellar, so while this could be a short stint (assuming Salazar's elbow issue isn't a serious one) Clevinger makes for a nice keeper target with the potential for some 2016 production as well. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Francisco Liriano, Blue Jays: While the Liriano trade was mainly a salary dump for the Pirates – the Jays got a couple of decent prospects in exchange for taking on Liriano's salary rather than simply using Drew Hutchison in their new six-man rotation – the veteran lefty may have something left in the tank after all as he managed a quality start in his first outing for the Blue Birds. The switch in home parks and divisions certainly isn't a plus, but Liriano is still a guy who struck out 205 batters last year and had a K/9 better than 9.0 this year with Pittsburgh despite the rest of his struggles. Maybe the thrill of a pennant race will flip the switch for him, but at the very least it shouldn't cost too much to take a chance on him. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Mike Minor, Royals: I wrote up Minor a couple of weeks ago, but he's set to throw 80 pitches in a rehab start Sunday and if he makes it through unscathed, he could replace Dillon Gee as the Royals' fifth starter as soon as this weekend. The former Braves left-hander hasn't pitched in the majors since 2014 and hasn't been good since 2013 but could still potentially give them at least league-average innings over the final stretch of the season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ariel Miranda, Mariners: Acquired from the O's in exchange for Wade Miley, Miranda looked pretty decent in his first big league start Thursday. The 27-year-old Cuban lefty wasn't dominating at Triple-Abut he's not a soft tosser, popping 95 on occasion with his fastball. Mechanical inconsistencies make his secondary pitches and command waver, but there's still some substantial upside here. Seattle seems inclined to leave Wade LeBlanc in the rotation rather than Miranda when Taijuan Walker comes off the DL though, so Miranda's more of a keeper stash than someone who can help you down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Joe Musgrove, Astros: Called up last week to get his feet wet in the bigs, Musgrove will take Lance McCullers' spot in the rotation after the latter developed some elbow soreness. He actually did a passable McCullers impression by striking out eight in 4.1 innings in his major league debut. Musgrove doesn't profile as an ace, but his nasty slider and strong control should eventually allow him to thrive in the middle of the Astros' rotation. McCullers will likely be out of action until September, giving Musgrove a clear run at proving he's ready for the majors now. If he continues to do well, it might be Mike Fiers who loses his spot when McCullers returns, not Musgrove. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $11

Daniel Norris, Tigers: Profiled last week, Norris got called back up when Jordan Zimmermann lasted less than two innings in his return before landing back on the DL. Upside-wise the 23-year-old lefty's a much better rotation option for the Tigers than Anibal Sanchez or Mike Pelfrey, but Norris will need to stay healthy and prove he deserves to stick around on the mound and not on paper. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $7

Luis Severino, Yankees: As expected, the 22-year-old righty is back in the rotation after Chad Green walked four batters in 3.2 innings Wednesday. Severino has been outstanding in three appearances out of the bullpen since getting called back up, posting a 1.08 ERA and 10:3 K:BB in 8.1 innings, and he's got the arsenal to eventually become the Yankees' ace down the road. If he gained a bit of maturity during his time in the wilderness, he could go on an impressive run down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $17

Relief Pitcher

Cam Bedrosian. Angels: After a relatively stable first half when it came to closer roles, all heck has broken loose over the last couple of weeks. Bedrosian is the latest reliever to move into ninth-inning duties when Huston Street (knee) hit the DL and while he was impressive in striking out the side in his first save chance, his second didn't go as smoothly Wednesday as he recorded just one out while walking three batters. Bedrosian's still got ridiculously good numbers on the season though and there's no good reason for the Angels not to leave him in the role and let him sink or swim, even when Street makes it back into action (if he even does). 12-team Mixed: $12; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: Owned

Brett Cecil, Blue Jays: The left-hander stumbled through a brutal first half in which he was alternately ineffective or injured but he finally seems to be back on track just in time for the Jays' playoff push, reeling off seven straight scoreless appearances with a 6:1 K:BB in 5.1 innings. Roberto Osuna has been the lone constant in the Toronto bullpen this season, so the return of the 2013-2015 version of Cecil is a very welcome sight. If he can keep it up he'll be a solid source of strikeouts and holds over the final two months. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler Clippard, Yankees: It's all come full circle for Clippard, as the former Yankee prospect returns to the Bronx after turning himself into one of the game's best setup men through the early part of the decade. A heavy workload (he pitched at least 70 innings in six straight seasons heading into 2016) appears to have taken its toll though and his changeup is no longer the deadly weapon it was a few years ago. With Aroldis Chapman in Chicago and Andrew Miller in Cleveland though, someone has to be the late-inning bridge to Dellin Betances and Clippard will get first crack at that job. Don't expect the kind of ratios he was delivering a few years ago, but he can still get you holds and K's. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Edwin Diaz, Mariners: When I said last week that Diaz was the next Betances, I didn't mean that he would immediately be taking over the closer role for his team, but that's exactly what happened after Steve Cishek spit the bit one too many times. He hasn't skipped a beat since getting the job, converting four straight save chances while striking out a mere seven batters in four innings. His 17.4 K/9 on the season seems like a typo, but Diaz is really that dominant. If you didn't get him cheaply last week, expect to pay top dollar for him now. If you need saves in a mixed league, a max bid wouldn't be unreasonable. 12-team Mixed: $21; 15-team Mixed: $45; 12-team AL: Owned

Ken Giles, Astros: Giles is the third new closer this week and the Astros' third of the season after Will Harris blew his third save in five tries. Giles has turned his season around after a rough start, posting a 2.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 36:6 K:BB in 22.1 innings over the last two months. Truth be told I feel like I should have profiled him sooner than this based on those numbers, but Harris' collapse was fairly sudden and there were other high-K setup men to talk about, so Giles got lost in the shuffle. That won't be the case now, as his 97 mph heat should allow him to keep mowing down the opposition. He's not quite Betances/Diaz tier when it comes to new closers, but he's awfully close. 12-team Mixed: $17; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: Owned

Jeremy Jeffress, Rangers: The Brewers' former closer finds himself in a setup role in Texas, but there's still the potential for value here outside of holds leagues. Current Rangers closer Sam Dyson hasn't been anywhere near as dominant as he was last season and while Keone Kela might also be in the mix should Dyson falter, Jeffress would be the favorite to take over ninth-inning duties if necessary. At worst he should supply holds and solid ratios, but he might not have picked up his last save of 2016 just yet. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $4

Catcher

Bryan Holaday, Red Sox: After getting cut loose by the Rangers while he was recovering from a thumb injury, Holaday landed on his feet with the Red Sox and now finds himself as Sandy Leon's backup after Ryan Hanigan got hurt. Holaday won't give you much power, but he's capable of supplying a decent batting average every now and again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jonathan Lucroy, Rangers: He was certainly having a good enough season in Milwaukee, but all Lucroy has done since coming to Texas is hit three home runs in his first four games. Given the positional scarcity at catcher, the favorable hitting environment he landed in and the lack of other impact bats that came over to the AL at the deadline, you may well have to make a max bid if you want to add Lucroy to your roster for the stretch run. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $75

Luke Maile, Rays: The Rays have decided to give their starting job to Maile in the second half but so far the results on offense haven't been worth the bother, as he's hitting just .171/.227/.220 through 41 at-bats. There isn't much in his minor league profile to suggest he's a lot better than that, either. If you need a catcher he's available, but just because he's starting don't view him as an acceptable consolation prize if you miss out on Lucroy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Gary Sanchez, Yankees: On the other hand, Sanchez might be the perfect consolation prize for Lucroy. The Yankees have been finding ways to get his bat into the lineup, splitting his time between DH and catcher since his promotion, and he's got the prospect profile to supply some offense if he keeps getting regular playing time. Alex Rodriguez riding off into the sunset doesn't hurt his chances at more DH at-bats, either. Sanchez makes for a prime keeper target despite having Brian McCann's bloated contract ahead of him on the depth chart, but even in the short term the 23-year-old could provide real value. His .282/.339/.468 line with 10 homers in 71 Triple-A games this year was no fluke. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Bobby Wilson, Rays: The Rangers jettisoned a lot of catching depth after picking up Lucroy, and Wilson ended up in Tampa as the new backup to Maile. He homered in his first game as a Ray, but it's entirely possible it'll be the only one he hits. He's got no more offensive upside than Maile and will get less playing time, which in fantasy terms is either a negative or a positive depending on which categories to can least afford to take a hit in. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Pedro Alvarez, Orioles: Alvarez has caught fire over the last month, slashing .325/.333/.727 with nine home runs in 77 at-bats. His hot streak has coincided with a Mark Trumbo slump, affording Alvarez extra playing time, but with Steve Pearce also now in the first base/DH mix for Baltimore he might need to keep hitting 90 points above his career batting average to maintain those regular at-bats. Grab him if you need an offensive boost, but don't hesitate to cut him loose if the hits stop falling in. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: Owned

Greg Bird, Yankees: Mark Teixeira officially announced his retirement at the end of the season, which puts Bird in the catbird seat (no kids, I did not just make that up) for the Yankees' starting first base job next season. Bird's shoulder injury won't allow him to return to action any sooner than the Arizona Fall League though, so if your league allows you to pick up DL'ed players this is purely a keeper league stash play. Bird's numbers as a rookie last season are certainly encouraging (.261/.343/.529 with 11 homers in 46 games) but Yankees fans old enough to remember Kevin Maas will probably want to see him repeat that performance before being convinced he's a long-term answer at first base. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $5

Joe Mauer, Twins: Mauer's put together quite a run recently, slashing .330/.422/.520 with 16 RBI and 21 runs scored over the last month. He's only hit two home runs during that time and he'll never be the prototype of a slugging first baseman, but in shallower formats those numbers will play at any position. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

A.J. Reed, Astros: Called back up to the majors after hitting .436 (17-for-39) with five homers in 11 games back in Fresno, Reed is once again struggling to make contact, striking out five times in 11 plate appearances following his recall. The talent is there for him to be a valuable big league slugger but he'll need to make some adjustments before he'll start producing anything close to his minor league numbers. You need to be patient with Reed in keeper leagues, but in re-draft formats he'll need to show something before he's worth bidding big on. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $11

Second Base

Devon Travis, Blue Jays: There's nothing like hitting three home runs in two games to put you on everyone's fantasy radar. Travis was heating long before hammering Royals pitching this weekend though, slashing .307/.358/.515 over the last month and staking a strong claim to the leadoff spot in the potent Jays offense. The power is legit, too. Over the last two seasons, Travis has now slammed 18 homers in 118 big league games despite various injuries. If he's still available in a shallow format, grab him and don't look back. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $17; 12-team AL: Owned

Third Base

Matt Duffy, Rays: Although he has yet to make his debut for the Rays since coming over in the Matt Moore deal, Duffy is close to coming off the DL and assuming his new position as Tampa's starting shortstop. Understandably, the team feels he can't be any worse defensively than Brad Miller, but Duffy was also not supplying the kind of offense this season he did as a rookie so the whole decision sees very risky. Then again, the Rays have little to lose this year by giving it a try, but long term Duffy still seems more like a utility player than a starter. A few homers and steals from a player with multi-position eligibility is still useful in deeper leagues, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Casey McGehee, Tigers: McGehee was called back up when Nick Castellanos (hand) hit the DL, but the veteran won't be given the starting job at third base. Instead playing time at the hot corner will be split between McGehee, Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine, limiting the fantasy value of all three. McGehee was hitting .322 with 37 doubles in 109 games for Triple-A Toledo though, so even at 33 years old he's probably got the most upside of the trio. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Trevor Plouffe, Twins: Finally healthy again, Ploufee should come off the DL on Monday and resume his spot as the starting third baseman. There's talk Miguel Sano might be the player demoted to make room for him as well, which would further solidifying Plouffe's starting role. As he's shown the last four seasons he can supply some pop, but anything north of a .250 batting average is a bonus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Richie Shaffer, Rays: Shaffer is simply keeping a roster spot warm for Duffy. His .227/.335/.351 line at Triple-A doesn't suggest he's worth stashing, either. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Mike Aviles, Tigers: Aviles will see some extra at-bats at third base with Castellanos sidelined, but he'll also lose some in right field with J.D. Martinez back so it all balances out. At this stage of his career Aviles is best suited for a bench role anyway. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brad Miller, Rays: Miller hasn't taken the news that he'll lose the starting shortstop job when Matt Duffy comes off the DL lying down, homering in three straight games heading into Saturday. He's hitting an impressive .302/.345/.679 over the last two weeks, but his offensive potential was never in question. Don't be surprised if Tampa tries to turn him into the next Ben Zobrist over the final two months of the season, although his initial destination appears to be first base. If someone cut him loose based on the Duffy news, scoop him up as he should still get plenty of playing time even without a regular starting spot. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Cliff Pennington, Angels: The veteran utility player came off the DL last week and started three straight games as the slumping Johnny Giavotella got a couple days off. Neither one offers a whole lot of offensive upside though and Giavotella should regain the starting job soon enough, pushing Pennington back to the bench.12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Andrew Romine, Tigers: The Tigers' backup infielder offers the best defense at third base in Castellanos' absence, but he's also got a career 587 OPS. If he gets enough playing time he might steal the occasional base, but that's about all Romine has to offer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Abraham Almonte, Indians: Almonte's recent hot streak (.364/.378/.576 over the last two weeks) has broken him into the Indians' starting nine, just when it looked like he'd be stuck on the bench behind Tyler Naquin. He's got some modest power/speed upside but you'll mostly just want to ride the BABIP wave as long as you can. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $5

Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox: A couple of weeks ago I suggested promoting Benintendi might be Boston's backup plan if they couldn't land a big bat for left field on the trade market. Sure enough, he got promoted the day after deadline day and has seen regular playing time against righties since, picking up a couple of singles in nine at-bats. The platoon role should help his batting average, but despite his outstanding pedigree as a prospect Benintendi's production could be limited as a rookie. Nonetheless, even in redraft leagues his upside is worth gambling on if you need to make up some ground, and obviously his value in keeper leagues (if he's even available) is sky high. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Billy Burns, Royals: If you're a slap hitter with speed there's no better organization to wind up in than the Royals, but Burns will still have a tough time cracking the regular outfield rotation in Kansas City. It seems increasingly clear that last year's performance was a BABIP-driven mirage, but he's still capable of swiping a base or two when he does manage to reach base. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Brett Eibner, Athletics: The outfielder going the other way in the Burns deal, Eibner will get a chance to replace Josh Reddick in right field for the A's. His Triple-A numbers have been impressive the last two seasons as he's hit 31 home runs with 15 steals in 157 games, so there's definite upside here, but he still has a lot to prove in the majors. Consider Steven Souza's career arc as a warning not to get too excited about Eibner's minor league heroics. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Aaron Judge, Yankees: Judge just came off the minor league DL after recovering from a knee injury and Yankees GM Brian Cashman is already hinting that he could be promoted soon-ish. That stands to reason, as with Carlos Beltran in Texas there isn't much standing in the way of Judge taking over the starting right field job. His batting average could be a question mark in the big leagues but his power is definitely for real, and he could be launching bombs in the Bronx by early August. Given his stature (he stands six-foot-seven) and spot in right field, think of him as potentially a poor man's Giancarlo Stanton. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Max Kepler, Twins: Kepler's recent power surge has now been accompanied by more singles as well, giving him a .255/.360/.594 line over the last month to go along with his 10 homers and 26 RBI and making him impossible to ignore even in shallow leagues. While Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton both struggle to live up to their hype as prospects, Kepler seems poised to become the franchise's next star. He's still striking out a lot though, so don't expect a big contribution from him in batting average. If he can maintain anything to that pace in HR and RBI though, no one will be complaining. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Tyler Ladendorf, Athletics: Guess who's back, back again. Lady's back, tell... well, I'm not sure who would care beyond his immediate family, to be honest. Ladendorf's been riding the Oakland-Nashville shuttle all season and his latest stint in the big leagues may not be a long one, as he could get sent back down as soon as the A's need more pitching help. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mikie Mahtook, Rays: Mahtook came off the DL just in time for Desmond Jennings to go on it. Funny how often that seems to happen. The 2011 first round pick showed a spark last year in the majors but so far in 2016 hasn't been able to find it again, and he figures to come off the bench for Tampa. Nonetheless there is some upside here, which makes him an interesting stash possibility in keeper leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Michael Martinez, Indians: What a sweet deal for Cleveland. They trade Martinez to the Red Sox for cash, then a few weeks later pick him back up when Boston waives him.
That financial acumen doesn't give Martinez any more fantasy upside or job security though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Paulo Orlando, Royals: Orlando has not only stayed in the starting lineup with Lorenzo Cain off the DL he's stayed in center field, which is a big vote of confidence for his playing time the rest of the season. Multi-hit performances in four of his last six games doesn't hurt either. Orlando doesn't produce much in the traditional fantasy scoring categories, limiting his appeal to those in need of batting average and some steals, but in other formats (points leagues, for instance) his ability to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples serves him well and makes him surprisingly valuable. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Eddie Rosario, Twins: With Sano slumping, Buxton having trouble staying healthy and Robbie Grossman's hot streak a distant memory, it's Kepler and Rosario who have seized the reins in the outfield for the Twins. Rosario's slashing .347/.376/.589 over the last month with four homers, 16 RBI and 20 runs scored and while he's maybe not supplying the speed his owners were anticipating, the rest of his output has been outstanding. He's probably won't keep it up for the next two months, but in shallow leagues you won't need to as long as he productively fills a hole in the short term. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned