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 $100 starting 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

Luis Cessa, Yankees: Profiled last week, the 25-year-old has made a couple of starts for the Yankees already with middling results (7.00 ERA, but a 1.22 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB in nine innings) but with CC Sabathia looking like he might be out until August, Cessa's outlook becomes a bit brighter. He was never a big strikeout pitcher in the minors, though, and his propensity for serving up homers will make him a ratio risk even if he does keep missing bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Mike Clevinger, Cleveland: The fact that Clevinger has minor-league options has kept him bouncing back and forth between Cleveland and Columbus, but his spot in the majors should be pretty safe at least through the All-Star break at this point. It's pretty clear that the righty can rack up strikeouts even at the highest level, but his control comes and goes and elevated pitch counts have allowed him to pitch more than five innings just once in his last five starts, which will make it tough for him to get many wins even with the backing of a strong offense. Don't go overboard chasing those Ks, but he does have some value. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Doug Fister, Red Sox: With Eduardo Rodriguez and Brian Johnson both on the shelf, the BoSox decided to try something crazy and added a right-hander to their rotation instead of another southpaw. Fister had been trying to make a comeback with the Angels, but asked for his release after three starts at Triple-A Salt Lake to grab what he apparently perceived as a better opportunity in Boston. The 33-year-old sinkerballer has never been an asset in leagues that use strikeouts and his ratios have been drifting up for years now, but he could be a serviceable back-end rotation option until someone younger and leftier comes off the DL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Cole Hamels, Rangers: Hamels is set to rejoin the Texas rotation Monday after completing his rehab assignment. The veteran lefty was posting his usual ratios when he got hurt but had only a 15:12 K:BB in 32.2 innings, which combined with decreased velocity in his fastball is perhaps a cause for concern. He was popping 93 mph in his first rehab outing, though, and he could easily come through with a big second half once he's back in the majors. If he's somehow still available, pounce. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $55; 12-team AL: Owned

Francis Martes / David Paulino, Astros: Joe Musgrove's semi-surprising demotion leaves Martes and David Paulino both in the rotation for the time being, although one of them should get bumped when Dallas Keuchel gets healthy. The two young pitching prospects have posted remarkably similar numbers during their brief stints in the majors this season – Martes has a 5.02 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 8.2 K/9 in 14.2 innings, while Paulino has a 5.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 in 25 innings – so their results over the next week or two could well determine which one stays and which one goes. Both righties have monster fastballs, but Martes was considered the better prospect coming into 2017 as he already has a second plus pitch in his curve. Paulino arguably has a higher ceiling, though, and if he learns to harness his control and mechanics his 6-foot-7 frame could make him a true workhorse. My gut says Paulino has the slightly better odds of sticking, if only bcause he's a couple of years older. Martes – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Paulino – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Carlos Rodon, White Sox: Rodon has been anything but sharp during his rehab assignment, posting a 9.22 ERA and 1.82 WHIP in three starts with Triple-A Charlotte, but it looks like the White Sox are thinking about activating him anyway, which presents a dilemma for fantasy GMs. There's a strong possibility that his first couple of outings after coming off the DL will be rough ones, but the left-hander's name recognition will mean you need to add him to your roster quickly if you want him rather than let him work out the kinks on the waiver wire. His upside remains substantial, but the 24-year-old still has some control and command issues to tame before he'll be anything close to an ace, which again could push his bidding higher than his likely value in the short term. Rodon might be a better option for teams that need to gamble in order to make up lots of ground in the pitching categories. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $17

Anibal Sanchez, Tigers: Sanchez got called up at the beginning of last week, making him a surprise two-start option for the period, and surprisingly didn't punish fantasy GMs who took a chance on him by posting a 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 11 innings with a 9:2 K:BB, although he didn't manage to get a win. The veteran righty hadn't been pitching all that well for Triple-A Toledo, to say nothing of his last couple of years in the majors, and there's little reason to think he'll be able to keep up anything close to this pace. Consider Anibal an Admiral Ackbar special. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Hector Santiago, Twins: Out since the first week of June, Santiago will rejoin the Twins staff Tuesday just in time to face a Red Sox lineup that sits fifth in the league in wOBA against southpaws (.333). Eep. Over the last few seasons his K/9 has been declining while his HR/9 has been rising, which isn't a combination conducive to fantasy value. Still, he's an arm, if you need one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Blake Snell, Rays: Snell has been tabbed as Wednesday's starter for Tampa, making his return to the rotation after reeling off a 2.66 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 61:15 K:BB in 44 innings for Triple-A Durham. He's been even better lately, delivering quality starts in four of his last five outings with a 2.32 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB in 31 innings, and it's that ability to last at least six innings on a consistent basis that probably convinced the Rays he was ready for the majors. The 24-year-old still has tremendous upside if he can learn to add some command to his already filthy arsenal, and if he got dropped he should be a priority add in all formats if you need a boost to your pitching staff. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $21

Relief Pitcher

Cam Bedrosian, Angels: It all seemed so simple a week ago. Bud Norris was pitching well as the closer, so Bedrosian would be his setup man when he came off the DL, with Huston Street maybe taking seventh-inning duties once he followed suit. Then Norris hurt his knee, Bedrosian blew up in a non-save situation Saturday and now everyone is trying to figure out how many Angels relievers can dance on the head of a pin without giving up four runs in the process. Norris could be back by next week, but in the meantime someone will have to handle whatever save chances the Halos can generate. Bedrosian remains the best option and had a 4:0 K:BB in three perfect innings since his return prior to Saturday's unpleasantness, so don't read too much into one bad outing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Brad Boxberger, Rays: The right-hander with the career 11.5 K/9 had his return to the Rays bullpen bumped to Tuesday after an ugly rehab appearance Wednesday and some lingering soreness in his back. Before that, though, he'd struck out seven of the last 10 batters he'd faced for Triple-A Durham. Boxberger figures to slot into a setup role when he comes off the DL, but Alex Colome's name keeps surfacing in trade rumors and Boxy should be next man up given his 41-save campaign in 2015. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Zach Britton, Orioles: Britton's second attempt at a return seems to be going much better than his first, as he's thrown three shutout innings so far in the low minors and is expected to jump up to Double-A early in the week. Baltimore won't rush him, as Brad Brach has been perfectly fine as their interim closer, but Britton seems to be on track to rejoin the Orioles bullpen potentially within the next week or so. If he's fully healthy again, a big second half should be in the cards for the left-hander. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: Owned

David Hernandez, Angels: The veteran reliever has been outstanding since joining the Angels in late April, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB in 24.2 innings, but as yet he hasn't seen much high-leverage work – he's got just one save and one hold in 10 June appearances. Still, this is a team that handed their closer job over to Bud Norris of all people, so never say never on Hernandez. For now, though, consider him a high-K relief option to plug a temporary hole in your fantasy staff. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Blake Parker, Angels: Bedrosian's bout of wildness Saturday creating a one-out save opportunity that ended up going to Parker, but that likely doesn't signal any sort of shuffle in the Angels' bullpen pecking order. Parker's been great all season, though, and his 2.14 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 50:9 K:BB in 33.2 innings has value in all but the shallowest of fantasy leagues even if he doesn't get another save the rest of the year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Huston Street, Angels: While it's easy to draw meaning out of the fact that Parker and not Street got that save Saturday, the veteran reliever had just pitched the day before in his first appearance since coming off the DL, and the Angels weren't about to let the fragile righty work back-to-back games so quickly. Street remains the probable No. 3 on the closer depth chart for Los Angeles, which means he'll need Norris to stay hurt and Bedrosian to keep struggling or break down again himself in order to get consistent ninth-inning duty. At some point the team may want to showcase him for a deadline deal, but they'll let him prove he's healthy and effective before pushing him into higher-leverage situations. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Bruce Maxwell, Athletics: Oakland surprisingly cut Stephen Vogt loose this week, which means the catcher spot now belongs to Maxwell and Josh Phegley. Maxwell's the one that hits left-handed, which would give him a playing time advantage in a strict platoon, but Phegley has more experience and seems to be the preferred option at the moment. Maxwell also hasn't shown the same kind of power yet that he did in 2016, but an oblique injury suffered in mid-May partially excuses his lack of homers. His upside makes him an interesting target in two-catcher formats, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Josh Phegley, Athletics: The new starting catcher in Oakland, Phegley hasn't done much at the plate this season but does offer some power potential in a larger role, although those homers could come at the expense of your batting average. The key to his value might end up being how much of a platoon the A's end up using, as Phegley has a solid .261/.294/.446 slash line in his career against LHP, but a .209/.246/.344 line against RHP. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Wilson Ramos, Rays: Ramos was activated from the DL on Saturday and immediately slotted into the starting catcher spot, with Derek Norris getting DFA'ed to make room for him. Tampa doesn't seem inclined to baby him by using Ramos at DH frequently either, as they already have Trevor Plouffe and Corey Dickerson fighting for at-bats there. There likely won't be another catcher to enter the AL free-agent pool with his offensive upside unless something really crazy happens at the trade deadline,so if you need help behind the plate (and who doesn't?), don't be afraid to bid big. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $55

First Base

Tyler Austin, Yankees: There are a few ways to interpret the Yankees' decision to cut Chris Carter loose, given that they couldn't have been especially surprised by .204/.286/.383 slash line. One, it indicates they got some good news on Greg Bird's health and figured they no longer needed a veteran insurance policy at first base. Two, it indicates they got some bad news on Bird's health and figured they better start looking at another possible long-term option at first base. Three, the move has nothing to do with Bird at all and they simply determined that Austin would provide a contending roster with more production than Carter right now. Obviously those three options create three wildly different projections for Austin's value going forward, which should make the bidding on him this weekend fascinating. There's no particular reason to suspect he'll become a fantasy superstar as he's already 25, but his career numbers at Triple-A (.278/.357/.471 with 21 HR and 97 RBI in 157 games) aren't bad at all, and regular at-bats in a potent lineup gives him both a solid floor and high ceiling if he takes advantage of the opportunity. Bird, meanwhile, got a cortisone shot Wednesday and could resume baseball activities any day now, but there's no timetable for his return. The recommended bids here assume theory three above, so if you're choosing door No. 2 instead or simply feel you need to gamble on Austin's upside to make up some ground in the standings, don't be afraid to bid more aggressively. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $21

Sam Travis, Red Sox: Travis is back to fill a spot on the Red Sox bench, but the chances of him seeing significant playing time during this call-up are fairly low and he'll likely be sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket once someone else gets healthy. The best reason to pick him up might be to stash him in the hopes he gets traded as part of a deadline deal and winds up on a team where he can start. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Deven Marrero, Red Sox: Marrero was called up Tuesday when Pablo Sandoval was put back on the DL and has seen fairly regular at-bats since, as the Red Sox have nobody else they current;y trust to play third base. He's purely a short-term option, though, as Boston's front office won't let the situation stand for too long. Whether it's another reclamation project like Jhonny Peralta, a trade for someone like Mike Moustakas, or even the longshot promotion of uberprospect Rafael Devers, Marrero will be back on the bench or in Pawtucket soon enough. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Kaleb Cowart, Angels: The 25-year-old switch hitter will get another shot at the majors after putting together a .315/.387/.467 slash line in 68 games for Triple-A Salt Lake. Cowart has all the hallmarks of being a Quad-A hitter and has no obvious path to consistent at-bats with the Angels, although C.J. Cron's demotion could allow him to work his way into the short side of a platoon with Luis Valbuena. Odds are Cowart's stay in the bigs will be a brief one, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jhonny Peralta, Red Sox: Speaking of Peralta, he'll report to Triple-A Pawtucket after getting kicked to the curb by the Cardinals. His numbers through 21 games with St. Louis were miserable, and a .204 batting average without an extra-base hit makes Sandoval look like David Ortiz, so it's entirely possible Peralta's career is done. Still, if the 35-year-old shows any kind of life at Triple-A, there will be a starting spot available for him in Boston, which makes him worth a spec play if you have a bench spot to churn. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Trevor Plouffe, Rays: Dumped by Oakland a couple of weeks ago as part of their youth movement, Plouffe wound up in Tampa and seems to have been woken up by the near-career-death experience. The 31-year-old has gone 3-for-10 in three games with a homer since joining the Rays, and seems to have worked his way into a platoon at DH when Corey Dickerson is needed in left field. He might also see occasional work at third base when Evan Longoria needs a rest, and while Plouffe's days of being a starting player are likely behind him, his current role might be enough to allow him to retain some fantasy value in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ruben Tejada, Orioles: J.J. Hardy will be out until mid-August with a fractured wrist, and the Orioles don't have many options to replace him in the lineup. Tejada is getting the first look and has gone a rousing 1-for-15 since Hardy went down, which suggests Baltimore will be moving on to their second choice any day now. Still, the only other option currently on the roster is veteran glove-first utility player Paul Janish, so until they make a move to bring in someone else the job is Tejada's. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Luis Valbuena, Angels: C.J. Cron is back at Triple-A Salt Lake, which leaves Valbuena as the last man standing at first base for now. The 31-year-old didn't do much to win the job battle and is hitting only .237/.295/.421 over his last 12 games with two homers, but a steady spot in the heart of a middling Angels batting order still comes with a reasonable amount of fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Shortstop

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: It took an injury to Chad Pinder to finally get the A's to promote Barreto, but he made his big-league debut Saturday and promptly banged out two hits including a homer. His long-term future might be at second base once Marcus Semien gets healthy, but he should play enough games at shortstop in the meantime to gain double position eligibility – not that you need any more incentive to pick him up in keeper and dynasty formats. The 21-year-old is far from a finished product, as his 29.8 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A this year suggests, but even if he doesn't contribute a plus batting average he's still a potential four-category asset in the majors. In fact, it' wouldn't be surprising to see him post Semien-like numbers for a season or two until his plate discipline catches up a little to the rest of his offensive profile. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $65

Paul Janish, Orioles: The 34-year-old was called up to fill a bench role after Hardy got hurt, but even if he ends up seeing consistent at-bats his career .214/.282/.287 over 467 big-league games tells you all you need to know about Janish's value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tzu-Wei Lin, Red Sox: Prospect hounds probably developed a virulent case of heart-eye emoji syndrome when they heard that Boston was calling up a young infielder from Double-A, but when it turned out to be Lin instead of Rafael Devers the excitement faded away quickly. The 23-year-old is probably a future bench player in the bigs given his lack of power and modicum of speed, but he was enjoying a bit of a breakout at Double-A Portland with a .302/.379/.491 slash line in 48 games, although to be fair it's also his third season at that level. Lin's stay in Boston could be brief, but he'll probably wind up at Triple-A Pawtucket when he's sent back to the minors, which is still progress. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Drew Robinson, Rangers: Robinson could be back in the minors to make room for Hamels by the time you read this, but at least as of Sunday morning he was still in the majors and giving the Rangers an infield utility option on their bench. The 25-year-old is almost a stereotype of a Texas minor leaguer, showing some decent power and speed but likely not making enough contact to ever capitalize on those traits in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Matt den Dekker, Tigers: The veteran backup outfielder got promoted from Triple-A Toledo when Alex Presley suffered a concussion, and to be perfectly honest Detroit might not even notice the difference. Den Dekker has a .235/.317/.358 slash line in 155 career big-leagues games with 12 steals, so if you're in a really deep OBP league he might be of mild interest. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Adam Engel, White Sox: Leury Garcia's finger sprain put Engel back in the majors early last week and he's gone 5-for-16 since, but four of those hits came in one game and he hasn't stolen a base, which is his main asset from a fantasy perspective. As that guy who wasn't Karl Marx suggested with just this situation in mind, if Engel isn't stealing bases, he basically doesn't exist. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Craig Gentry, Orioles: The 33-year-old outfielder was called up Tuesday and has all of three at-bats since, which tells you where he stands on the depth chart. Even with Trey Mancini playing first base, there aren't likely to be much more than pinch-running and late-inning defensive sub opportunities for Gentry. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Austin Jackson, Cleveland: Jackson has taken hold of the starting left field spot in Michael Brantley's absence, hitting .324/.425/.529 over his last 10 games with a homer and eight RBI. The 30-year-old doesn't have tremendous upside, but steady at-bats have value in deep leagues, especially when they come in a fairly dangerous offense, and Brantley's history of slow healing means that Jackson could hold onto his starting gig longer than expected. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Matt Olson, Athletics: Called back up when Matt Chapman got hurt, Olson has had more success at the plate this time 'round than he did a couple of weeks ago, going 4-for-11 over three games with two homers and six RBI. The A's are fully embracing an overhaul of their roster in favor of their top prospects, so Olson should stick around in Oakland for the rest of the year, hitting some homers and striking out a lot. He's got some intriguing dynasty value, but his 2017 outlook is trending up too. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Ian Parmley, Blue Jays: The Blue Jays' Wheel of Outfielders You've Never Heard Of has landed on Parmley, a 27-year-old who's been inching his way up through their system since being made a seventh-round pick in 2012. He's got absolutely no power and only a little speed, but he was hitting .289/.332/.369 in 60 games this year for Triple-A Buffalo so the team shrugged and called him up when they needed another body in the outfield. His stay in the majors, or indeed on the 40-man roster, may not last long, but at least he can tell his grandkids he played in The Show. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shane Peterson, Rays: With Colby Rasmus back on the DL, the Rays called up Peterson to take his spot after Peterson did a solid Rasmus impression at Triple-A Durham, slashing .286/.315/.536 with 10 homers in 46 games, and he's kept it going with a homer and four RBI in two games since his promotion. The 29-year-old is a journeyman on his third MLB organization, but he could provide a power boost for as long as he's in Tampa. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Josh Reddick, Astros: While I hesitate to bring up another Houston outfielder after last week's ultra-aggressive recommendation on Derek Fisher, Reddick certainly made the Astros look good for sticking with him, homering twice in four games since coming off the DL. The 30-year-old remains strangely underowned this season across the fantasy landscape despite a .295/.352/.493 slash line, perhaps due to his relatively light production – Reddick has eight homers and 43 runs but only 27 RBI in 63 games. At worst, he's the strong side of a corner outfield platoon hitting near the top of one of the league's most potent offense, and that deserves a roster spot even in shallow formats. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Designated Hitter

Matt Davidson, White Sox: Look, 2017 has been a weird year what with all the homers and strikeouts and such, but Davidson has easily been its poster boy when it comes to kookiness. It simply should not be possible to carry a .265 batting average into late June despite a 39 percent strikeout rate and 59 percent contact rate, and yet here he is providing a maddeningly reasonable slash line along with his 17 homers. To put that in perspective, Chris Carter just got cut by the Yankees with a 37 percent strikeout rate and 58 percent contact rate. Logic dictates that Davidson's BABIP will crater at some point, but instead of succumbing to logic he's found another gear, slashing .347/.373/.857 with seven homers in his last 12 games. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes, ignore everything you think you know about this game, and ride the guy who's mashing as far as he can take you. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned