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. Andrew Benintendi 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

Raul Alcantara, Athletics: Alcantara breaks camp in the rotation thanks more to attrition (Sonny Gray, Daniel Mengden and Chris Bassitt are all starting the season on the DL) than anything he did this spring. The 24-year-old has put up some good lines in the minors, including a 1.18 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in eight starts with Triple-A Nashville last year, but his low K/9 limits his ceiling. He could give you some decent innings for a couple of weeks before one of Oakland's other arms gets healthy and sends him back to the minors, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Matt Boyd, Tigers: If you give even the slightest credence to the idea that spring training stats can be meaningful, then Boyd is the guy for you. He was outstanding in Grapefruit League action, posting a 23:1 K:BB in 25.2 innings without giving up a home run – a performance which matches up well with his Triple-A numbers over the last couple of years. The 26-year-old lefty has yet to translate that minor-league success into major-league effectiveness, but if he's ready to take a step forward in his development, you'll want to get on board. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Jesse Chavez, Angels: We've seen this movie before from Chavez, haven't we? He looks good early with his new team and impresses them enough to win a rotation spot, but then wears down over the course of the season and becomes fantasy poison. If he follows that script once again he'll have some value for a couple of months, but don't get too attached – especially if Alex Meyer looks good down at Triple-A Salt Lake. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Dylan Covey, White Sox: The Rule 5 pick out of the A's system only has 29.1 innings at Double-A under his belt, but here he is breaking camp in the White Sox rotation after a thoroughly underwhelming spring. Covey will likely head to the lowest-leverage role possible in the bullpen once Carlos Rodon gets healthy, but for now the 25-year-old righty will have to figure out how to turn over a big-league lineup. There isn't really enough upside here to warrant stashing him in keeper formats, and you definitely don't want Covey on your active roster until he shows he's up to the task. Buyer beware. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Nathan Karns, Royals: Another spring darling, Karns was likely headed for a rotation spot anyway after the Royals dealt Jarrod Dyson to get him, but a 30:6 K:BB in 23 Cactus League innings this preseason sealed the deal. Perhaps more impressive than the strikeouts was the fact that he gave up only one home run in the desert this spring, a nice sign for a pitcher with a career 1.3 HR/9 in the majors. The 29-year-old will likely remain a poor man's Ian Kennedy, helping in strikeouts while being a risk in ratio categories, but if he does take a step forward he'll be worth nabbing early. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Adalberto Mejia, Twins: Acquired from the Giants last year in the Eduardo Nunez deal, Mejia looked good enough this spring to break camp with the Twins. The lefty has a solid arsenal and could eventually become a fixture at the back of their rotation, but his minor league track record suggests he needs an adjustment period at each new level, so the early results might not be pretty. The 23-year-old is of more interest in keeper leagues than re-drafts, but pitching breakouts can come from anywhere so if you head into the season knowing you need to troll for innings, he's worth a gamble. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Ariel Miranda, Mariners: Sent down to Triple-A just last week, the 27-year-old lefty instead wound up in the Opening Day rotation thanks to Drew Smyly's elbow issues. Miranda looked pretty good at the end of last season but was a little too homer-prone to be trustworthy, and his ceiling is probably as a No. 4/5 starter. He could provide some useful innings for a month or so to begin the year, though, and in deep leagues that has value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Charlie Morton, Astros: Morton is a confusing case, to be sure. As a 32-year-old last season for the Phillies, he suddenly added a couple of ticks to his fastball and struck out 19 in 17.1 innings before tearing his hamstring and missing the rest of the year. The Astros signed him in the offseason relatively cheaply, and he maintained those velocity gains for them this spring, posting a 17:6 K:BB in another 17.1 Grapefruit League innings. Given his age and lackluster resume Morton likely slipped through the cracks in early drafts and auctions, but the fact that he's still dealing at 94 mph suggests he could have some surprising upside in 2017. Just don't expect 200 innings from him. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jason Vargas, Royals: Speaking of veteran arms with lackluster resumes... Vargas has made just 12 starts over the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, but the 34-year-old lefty is set to try and take a regular turn for the Royals again this year. Prior to the surgery he was the kind of low-K starter who could shore up the back of a fantasy staff in deep formats, providing ratios that wouldn't hurt you and the occasional win, and he looked to be back in form this spring. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Relief Pitcher

John Axford, Athletics: Most AL teams head into the season with fairly set and stable bullpens, but the A's are the one glaring exception. Ryan Madson is still nominally the closer, but he had an awful spring and the club has enough alternatives littering their bullpen that he'll probably be on a short leash. Axford is probably fourth or fifth in the closer pecking order right now and he didn't exactly shine in Cactus League play either, walking more batters than he struck out, but he did record 25 saves as recently as 2015 so he could wind up being a veteran fallback option, or the kind of player who gets some saves over the summer while being showcased for a trade. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Santiago Casilla, Athletics: The former Giants closer didn't endear himself to his new club this spring either, but he does have 69 saves over the last two seasons (albeit with 15 blown saves too). Should Madson flame out, Casilla could well be next in line based on his proven closertude, but he's hardly a sure-fire upgrade. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Sean Doolittle, Athletics: Doolittle saves 22 games for the A's back in 2014 but has had trouble staying healthy since, which is a shame because he has the dominating stuff and strikeout rate to be a dangerous weapon at the back of a bullpen. If you're scrounging for saves and counting on Madson to implode, the 30-year-old lefty offers the best combination of upside and proven performance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Joe Kelly, Red Sox: With Tyler Thornburg on the shelf to start the season, Kelly will step in as Boston's main set-up man for Craig Kimbrel. The 28-year-old was dominant after being converted to the bullpen last season, posting a 30.4 percent K-rate over 17.2 innings, but his shaky track record when it comes to maintaining his mechanics and control mean you might want to make him prove it a little more before investing. If you're looking for holds, though, Kelly could be worth adding for the first month or so of the season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Frankie Montas, Athletics: Montas has bounced from the White Sox to the Dodgers to, now, the A's as a high-risk, high-upside prospect who's stuff and lack of command have screamed bullpen for years, but this might be the year he finally breaks through as an elite reliever. Unlike seemingly every other Oakland bullpen option he had a strong spring, posting a 13:2 K:BB in 11.2 innings, and out of the bullpen he can touch triple-digits with his fastball with regularity. The A's still view him as a starter in the long term, but if Madson falters and Montas is blowing hitters away, it's very easy to see the 24-year-old sliding into the closer role and never looking back. Even if he doesn't get many saves, his upside in K's should make him a worthwhile add. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $6

Catcher

Derek Norris, Rays: It's funny how things work out sometimes. The Nationals picked up Norris this offseason to replace Wilson Ramos, who'd signed with the Rays despite the fact that he was set to miss the first part of the year while recovering from knee surgery. When Matt Wieters fell into the Nats' laps, though, they cut Norris loose... only to see him wind up as Ramos' early-season replacement in Tampa. Norris' BABIP and batting average bottomed out in 2016, but if they rebound to even semi-respectable levels he should provide some solid offense from behind the plate. His stint as the starter may be longer than you think, too. Ramos won't return until at least early June, and is set to DH rather than immediately resume catching duties. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $8

Christian Vazquez, Red Sox: While most backup catchers are 'break glass in case of emergency' types from a fantasy perspective, Vazquez offers a little more upside. His defensive skills alone could allow him to steal starts away from Sandy Leon if the switch-hitter can't rediscover last year's magic at the plate, which gives Vazquez some potential for accumulating bulk stats in a potent Red Sox offense, but he also has a career .273/.339/.376 batting line at Triple-A in 109 games. The team hasn't given up on Blake Swihart as their long-term answer behind the plate, but if Vazquez turns into mid-20s Yadier Molina, hitting for a solid average and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense, he'll be tough to dislodge. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Yonder Alonso, Athletics: Welcome to the Statcast era. Alonso spent the offseason re-tooling his hitting mechanics to improve his launch angle (what would've been known as "swinging for the fences" in the Dark Ages of, oh, 10 years ago) and the result was a monster .389/.500/.648 line this spring, which is pretty good even for the Cactus League. He turns 30 right after Opening Day, and it's hard to imagine a veteran who's never hit double-digit homers in the majors suddenly becoming a power source, but then again you could have said much the same thing about Daniel Murphy in early 2015. Alonso's track record will keep his price tag low, and Ryon Healy looms to take his job if the improvements don't stick, but there's suddenly some upside here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Greg Bird, Yankees: Arguably no one improved their fantasy stock more this spring than Bird. After missing all of 2016 with a shoulder injury, there were big questions about whether his 11 home runs in 46 games the year prior were just a fluke, and whether he was capable of handling the full-time starting duties at first base. Eight bombs and a .451/.556/1.098 Grapefruit League line later, and no one is asking those questions any more. Bird's swing is tailor-made for the short porch in Yankee Stadium, and he seems set to team with Gary Sanchez to form a young slugging duo that could carry the franchise for years to come. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: Owned

Steve Pearce, Blue Jays: Pearce is the same guy he's always been – a solid stick who has trouble staying healthy – but now that he's shown he's healthy enough to play left field come Opening Day, his fantasy stock is trending up. The 33-year-old should get plenty of playing time between left and first base, and could be the latest in a long line of veteran pickups by the Jays to thrive in their high-octane offense. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Third Base

Yandy Diaz, Indians: Diaz made the Opening Day roster for Cleveland after a huge spring, but his minor league track record suggests he won't have much to offer but an empty batting average from a fantasy perspective. With Jason Kipnis out and Michael Brantley still a question mark, though, there are paths to playing time for him as the team's top utility man. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Joey Gallo, Rangers: That .314 he hit at Double-A to begin the 2015 campaign seems like forever ago, doesn't it? No one has ever doubted his power, but at this point Gallo looks increasingly like a player who would sabotage your batting average if he got regular at-bats. With Adrian Beltre beginning the season on the DL, though, the Rangers will give the 23-year-old another chance to show he can be more than just the next Chris Carter or Russell Branyan. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Andrew Romine, Tigers: It's a bit of an indictment of the Tigers front office that J.D. Martinez's foot injury has forced them to use Romine as part of a center field platoon, but nonetheless that's the role the veteran utility player is ticketed for to begin the year. He's got a career .654 OPS and .292 wOBA against LHP, so don't expect much production from him, but he'll at least see a bit more playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Pablo Sandoval, Red Sox: The reinvention of the Panda begins now, as Sandoval got healthy and lost weight over the offseason before posting an entirely respectable .338/.348/.677 line this spring with five home runs. The Red Sox don't have many other options at the hot corner, either – Rafael Devers is still probably a couple of years away, which leaves Brock Holt as the main alternative if Sad Panda returns – so the 30-year-old should have a long leash. His rep has always outpaced his actual production (he hasn't topped 20 home runs in a season since 2011, or hit better than .279 since 2012) but with a regular spot in the Boston offense, he could still be a useful bat if he does regain his form. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Ronald Torreyes, Yankees: With Didi Gregorius on the shelf, Torreyes will be the Yankees' starting shortstop to begin the year. The 24-year-old doesn't offer much from a fantasy perspective, as his minor league numbers suggest he might give you a decent batting average and the occasional steal at best, but at-bats is at-bats, even in the first few weeks of April. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Danny Valencia, Mariners: When the preseason started, Valencia seemed headed for a platoon role with Dan Vogelbach at first base for the M's. The youngster's demotion last week left Valencia as the full-time starter for Seattle, though, boosting his fantasy stock. The 32-year-old has hit well enough against righties over the last two seasons to suggest he'll be fine in that role, and while he probably won't be among the elite corner infield options in the AL, he should provide solid production. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Shortstop

Tim Beckham, Rays: Beckham will start at shortstop for the Rays thanks mainly to Matt Duffy's lingering heel issue, although his .327/.400/.571 line this spring certainly didn't hurt his case. He's now 27 years old, and having been the first overall pick in 2008 is more an albatross than an indication of his possible upside at this point, but Beckham might be capable of double-digit homers if he hangs onto the starting gig all season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Daniel Robertson, Rays: If Beckham falters before Duffy is healthy, Robertson would seem to be the next man up. He was once considered a decent prospect but after a couple of lackluster seasons in the high minors, the 23-year-old likely projects better as a utility player in the majors. In keeper leagues he might be worth a stash, though, as the Rays have a good track record of developing utility players into something more (see: Zobrist, Ben and Miller, Brad). 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Drew Robinson, Rangers: Robinson gets his chance on the Opening Day roster thanks to Hanser Alberto's shoulder injury. The 24-year-old put up a somewhat impressive line at Triple-A last season, socking 20 homers with 17 steals in 125 games, but his strikeout issues make him a batting average risk should he get regular at-bats. In a crowded Rangers infield, though, he'll likely be no more than an occasional pinch-hitter. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler Saladino, White Sox: The decision to give Yoan Moncada more development time in the minors leaves Saladino as the starting second baseman for the White Sox to begin the year. He showed a little progress with the bat in 2016, but his primary value will come from the handful of steals he'll get with regular playing time. With stolen bases at a premium right now, the 27-year-old is worth picking up in case Moncada's progress isn't as rapid as the Sox hope. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Outfield

Cody Asche, White Sox: Asche was once considered a promising prospect for the Phillies, but was never able to replicate his minor-league numbers in the bigs. He'll get another chance with the White Sox, and could see plenty of action at DH if Matt Davidson struggles, at third base if Todd Frazier gets dealt, or in a corner outfield slot if Avisail Garcia remains Avisail Garcia. In deeper leagues he's worth stashing and could reward you with some homers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler Collins, Tigers: Collins has spent the last few years bouncing back and forth between the Tigers and their Triple-A affiliate, but gets to open the season on the big-league roster in a right-field platoon with Mikie Mahtook. He's essentially competing with Mahtook and JaCoby Jones for center field reps once J.D. Martinez gets healthy, but while Collins has flashed both power and speed at different times in the minors, his fantasy upside seems more theoretical than actionable at this point. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Delino DeShields Jr., Rangers: Somewhat surprisingly, Deshields seems to have won the starting left field job over Jurickson Profar this spring, although it's hard to ignore a guy when he goes 14-for-14 on stolen base attempts. That upside in steals is going to make him a very popular FAAB target this weekend, but he's flopped in this role before and Profar might still be the better long-term option. If you really need those steals, though, don't be afraid to add a couple bucks to these suggested bids. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Robbie Grossman, Twins: Very surprisingly, Grossman emerged as the Twins' Opening Day DH after Kennys Vargas hurt his foot and Byungho Park only hit .353 with six home runs this spring, which apparently wasn't good enough to get him back on the 40-man roster. It's hard to tell how much job security Grossman is going to have, but the 27-year-old put up solid numbers last year in his first go-round with Minnesota and could challenge Eddie Rosario in left field even if he gets bumped from the DH spot. He's an especially good target in OBP leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Guillermo Heredia, Mariners: Heredia fended off Ben Gamel this spring for the Mariners' fourth outfielder spot, and with Jarrod Dyson not exactly a sure thing as the starter in left field, the 26-year-old Cuban could see more playing time than anticipated in that role. He still doesn't likely offer much more than an empty batting average, however, and in the long term if Dyson can't hold up under a full workload, the club is just as likely to call up a prospect like Tyler O'Neill as give the starting job to Heredia. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

JaCoby Jones, Tigers: The 24-year-old hasn't fared particularly well in the Tigers' organization after being picked up from the Pirates at the 2015 trade deadline, but Jones will still get first crack at winning the vacant center field job. Depending on what day you see him play he seems to offer upside in both power and speed, but his plate discipline is also a work in progress (to put it politely) and his inability to make consistent contact limits his fantasy upside. If he hits the ground running this April he could lock up a starting job, but if he doesn't he could just as easily find himself back in Triple-A once J.D. Martinez gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Mikie Mahtook, Tigers: A first round pick of the Rays in 2011, Mahtook has had trouble being a consistent performer throughout his career. A strong showing at Triple-A in 2014 was followed by a .249/.304/.366 line in 2015, but he absolutely raked following a late-season call-up to Tampa. Then he went and hit .195/.231/.292 in 196 plate appearances for the big club last year and got dealt for a PTBNL. He'll begin this season on the short side of a right-field platoon with Tyler Collins, but as the only young outfielder in the mix for the Tigers with any kind of track record of major league success, he's arguably the best investment of the bunch given his likely low price tag. Think of him as a destitute man's Jackie Bradley, and hope you can catch him during a hot streak. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jacob May, White Sox: Early I the spring Charlie Tilson was expected to break camp as the Opening Day center fielder for the White Sox, but he predictably got hurt and opened the door for May. The 26-year-old has made slow but steady progress through the team's farm system, and while he offers no power to speak of he has stolen 58 bases over the last two seasons in the high minors. If he can hit enough to get on base he could be a cheap source of steals, but that's a fairly big if. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Paulo Orlando, Royals: The Brazilian made a little progress with the bat last season, and opens 2017 as the Royals' starting right fielder after Jorge Soler strained his oblique. Orlando did hit a surprising four homers this spring, but it's best to assume that was a Cactus League fluke and not sustainable. Grab him for the handful of steals he might provide, and anything else you get out of him should be considered a bonus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Steve Selsky, Red Sox: A late addition to the Opening Day roster, Selsky will fill Josh Rutledge's utility role for the first couple of weeks. He could see some at-bats at first base and did hit at just about every minor league stop on his way through the Reds' system, but Selsky is still expected to spend most of the year at Triple-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mallex Smith, Rays: The former Brave has a miserable spring, but Colby Rasmus' groin strain leaves Smith as the Rays' starting left fielder on Opening Day. The 23-year-old could swipe a few bases and has posted strong batting averages in the minors, and Tampa lacks a traditional leadoff hitter, so he could push his way into a more permanent role with a quick start. There's risk here for sure, as he could be back in the minors before April is up, but also significant upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Designated Hitter

Matt Davidson, White Sox: The one-time Diamondbacks prospect still strikes out far too much (even this spring he whiffed 26 times in 58 at-bats), but Davidson will still open the season as the starting DH for the White Sox. He offers some pop if he hangs onto the job, but if he can't make consistent contact the team has plenty of other castoffs and retreads to give his roster spot to. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Trey Mancini, Orioles: Mancini parlayed a solid spring into a spot on the big-league bench this year, but the Orioles may simply have decided he has nothing left to learn in the minors. It's tough to see where the at-bats will come from, which makes him a better stash in keeper leagues than re-draft formats, but the 25-year-old could offer a big power boost if an injury ahead of him on the depth chart opens up first base or DH. The team could also consider Mancini as a corner outfield option, although that might be asking too much of him defensively. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5