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.

We've incorporated grids into the FAAB articles, so users can easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grids, which are sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Rafael Devers 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

Lance Lynn, Twins: It took a while, but Lynn has finally regained his usual form, reeling off five straight quality starts and posting a 2.01 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 30:12 K:BB through 31.1 innings since May 22. Sure, it's tough to trust a guy who needed that stretch just to get his ERA below 5.00, but the 31-year-old's fairly steady career numbers should provide some reassurance. If you're looking at Lynn as a streaming option, though, you may want to hold off a week – his next start Wednesday is against the Red Sox, before he gets a shot at the White Sox his next turn through the rotation. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Jonathan Loaisiga, Yankees: Loaisiga looked very good in Friday's big-league debut, shutting down the Rays for five innings to get the win. The 23-year-old only had six starts at Double-A under his belt and pitched only 33 innings over the previous two years due to Tommy John surgery, so there's little chance he sticks in the Yankees' rotation for the long haul in 2018, but his arsenal is legit – mid-90s fastball that can touch 98, sharp curve and developing changeup. He'll likely get two more turns through the rotation until Masahiro Tanaka is back, and while the matchups aren't great (vs. SEA, at PHI), Loaisiga still has some streaming appeal given the offense supporting him. In deep keeper leagues where immediate production isn't a concern, of course, he's worth a much more aggressive bid in the $2/$5/$11 range. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shane Bieber, Cleveland: For the record, I tried to come up with some Justin Bieber references for this note, but his song titles and lyrics are just so completely generic, finding something to use was like trying to grab hold of water from a stream. This Bieber will start Sunday after Adam Plutko was needed in long relief Saturday due to Carlos Carrasco's early exit, and if Carrasco requires a stint on the DL after taking a comebacker off his arm, Bieber will probably stick around. The 23-year-old got tagged for four runs in 5.2 innings in his big-league debut May 31, but his 6:1 K:BB was as advertised, and command and control remain his hallmark. Like Loaisiga, Bieber is worth a larger $2/$5/$11 bid as a dynasty or keeper stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers: Zimmermann came off the DL on Saturday and wasn't great, allowing four runs over five innings against the White Sox. Before his shoulder began bothering him, though, the 32-year-old was starting to turn his season around, reeling off 12 shutout innings over two starts in late April and early May. It's been a while since Zimmermann was a useful fantasy pitcher – his $110 million contract with the Tigers has basically been a disaster so far – but if you need some innings, he could be worth taking a chance on given his 36:9 K:BB through 36.1 innings in 2018. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jason Hammel, Royals: The veteran right-hander is enjoying his best stretch of the season, posting a 2.56 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 28:5 K:BB over his last five starts and 31.2 innings. The risk with picking up Hammel now, of course, is that you've already missed the cream of his campaign and he'll go back to being the ratio-killer who posted a 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP last year as soon as he gets added to enough fantasy rosters. Still, there are formats where quality innings are precious enough that he's worth the gamble. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Adam Plutko, Cleveland: Although Plutko lost a start this weekend due to the Carrasco injury, he still lines up to face the Tigers next Saturday, so he retains streaming appeal. The junkballing righty doesn't have Bieber's upside, though, and if the latter looks good against the Twins today, Cleveland's brain trust could always change their minds again on which one will be the team's fifth starter moving forward. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

John Lamb, Angels: A one-time top Royals prospect, Lamb's career has not unfolded as expected since he ripped through A-ball as a teenager in 2010. A trade to the Reds resulted in a couple of rough big-league stints in 2015 and 2016, and he eventually wound up at Triple-A Salt Lake last year trying to piece things back together. Now a jaded 27 years old, Lamb has put together solid numbers in the PCL this season, posting a 3.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 54:15 K:BB through 49.2 innings, and he carried that momentum forward into a solid start Saturday against the A's. With the Angels currently having three starters on the shelf and Shohei Ohtani's season hanging by an elbow tendon, there are plenty of paths to regular duty ahead for Lamb if he continues to pitch well, but for the moment at least, his stay in the bigs is expected (hoped? prayed?) to be short. The left-hander's fastball only touches 91 mph, but he mixes in a cutter, changeup and occasional curve, and weirder things have happened in baseball than a pitcher with his resume being a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Yohander Mendez, Rangers: Mendez is what passes for a pitching prospect in the Rangers' system, and "pass" should be the operative word when you think about picking him up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Yovani Gallardo, Rangers: Really, Texas? You're 16 games below .500 and 19 games back of the Astros in the AL West, and you're giving innings to this guy? Whatever. Gallardo got kicked to the curb by the Reds earlier this year but he'll make a spot start for the Rangers on Sunday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Zach Britton, Orioles: Britton came off the DL to begin last week and promptly walked three batters in his first appearance, but he looked more like his usual self Friday, striking out two Marlins in a perfect inning of work. The O's haven't had a save opportunity since he returned, so it's not yet clear whether Buck Showalter will keep Brad Brach in the closer mix, but another sharp outing or two from Britton could render the discussion academic. The bigger concern is how many save chances a 19-50 team will actually be able to provide to the 30-year-old, and whether he'll be the first one out the door if and when the fire sale begins in Baltimore. 12-team Mixed: $12; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Sergio Romo, Rays: Romo has been seeing more work as an opener than a closer since Alex Colome was send packing, but he did pick up his second save of the year Tuesday and appears to be Kevin Cash's preferred option as closer when a) he's available, and b) the opposition is sending a lot of right-handed batters to the plate. In a league where the saves category is tight and every one is precious, Romo's worth picking up, but only in that circumstance as his current role on the staff otherwise makes him extremely volatile. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Tyler Clippard, Blue Jays: He got the save Saturday against the Nats and no one's entirely sure why, unless Jays manager John Gibbons really buys into Revenge Narrative Theory. Ryan Tepera still appears to be the top closing option while Roberto Osuna faces the consequences of his off-field actions, but Clippard might continue to get the occasional save chance or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Grayson Greiner, Tigers: With John Hicks needed at first base, Greiner returns to the majors to be James McCann's backup. Greiner did hit 14 homers in 98 games last year for Triple-A Toledo, but that's about the extent of his fantasy upside even if he were to see consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jose Trevino, Rangers: Trevino will fill in as the Rangers' backup catcher until Carlos Perez gets healthy. He had a .617 OPS at Double-A when he got the call, so don't expect much of anything from Trevino production-wise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

John Hicks, Tigers: With Miggy done for the year, Hicks takes over as the Tigers' starting first baseman. He's been on fire since getting the job, slashing .423/.483/.615 in eight games with a homer, three RBI and seven runs, and the prospect of consistent playing time (as well as his catcher eligibility) gives him fantasy appeal even if his regression is inevitable – he is a 28-year-old with a career .738 OPS in the majors, although Hicks does have a .303/.356/.485 line on his resume in a half-season at Triple-A a couple of years ago. Detroit also doesn't have a 1B prospect who's any threat to bump him aside, although if and when the team does decide to promote Christin Stewart, it could cause a chain reaction that cuts into Hicks at-bats. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Joe Mauer, Twins: Mauer came off the DL on Friday after missing nearly a month due to neck trouble, going 2-for-8 with a walk and two singles in the two games since, which seems about right. He could provide some modest power if he's 100 percent again, but the 35-year-old hasn't topped 11 homers in a season since 2009, so unless Nick Markakis lets him in on whatever secret led to his resurgence, Mauer figures to remain a guy who can hit for a decent average and accumulate some bulk runs and RBI despite himself. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Tyler White, Astros: The 10-day option period on J.D. Davis expired Friday but the Astros still elected to promote White when they needed a bench bat, probably because Davis was in a 1-for-23 funk at Triple-A. White has had a great minor-league season in his own right, though, racking up a 1.023 OPS with 13 homers in 62 games. His stay in the majors will likely be brief, though, and his playing time minimal while he is in Houston. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Devon Travis, Blue Jays: The oft-injured second baseman might finally be getting healthy again, posting back-to-back games with two hits and a homer this weekend against the Nats – including one long ball off Max Scherzer. There's always going to be risk in rostering a player who's only played 213 games in the bigs over the last three seasons, but the starting job at the keystone is Travis' for the taking if he heats up. Consider him a guy who can potentially provide you with useful numbers between DL stints. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

David Fletcher, Angels: The 24-year-old had a nice big-league debut Wednesday with three hits and two RBI, and he was slashing .350/.394/.559 with six homers and seven steals in 58 games for Triple-A Salt Lake prior to his promotion, but with Andrelton Simmons back in the lineup and Zack Cozart likely not too far behind, there just isn't much playing time available for Fletcher. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Corban Joseph, Orioles: Yes, he is Caleb's little brother, but Joseph's a 29-year-old journeyman who had only six big-league ABs (with the Yankees back in 2013) to his credit prior to his promotion, so don't get too excited about his .336/.394/.550 slash line at Triple-A Rochester this year. That line includes a 22:18 BB:K, though, which gives me a bit of hope that he might draw a couple of walks in the same game while he's up, providing some announcer somewhere with an opportunity to make a "Corban Joseph multipass" joke. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Willy Adames, Rays: Finally, finally, the Rays are giving Adames a shot at a regular big-league role. To be fair, he wasn't exactly tearing up Triple-A this year, but he's had more than a full season at the level and did more than hold his own, slashing .279/.359/.417 over 184 games with 14 homers and 14 steals, so he really did have nothing left to prove. That kind of solid all-around production is probably about what you should expect from Adames in the majors, too, although the 22-year-old's athletic and skilled enough to possibly make a Lindor-like leap once he gets settled. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $29

Chad Pinder, Athletics: Matt Chapman's injury could open up regular playing time for Pinder at third base over the next week or two. His .252/.327/.452 slash line isn't particularly exciting, but he could provide the occasional homer, as he did as part of a 3-for-3 game Saturday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: Barreto's arguably just as ready for a full-time gig in the bigs as Adames, but the A's are still clinging to that wild-card dream and aren't willing to clear room for him just yet. The 22-year-old has a .278/.339/.457 line through 158 career Triple-A games with 23 homers and 17 steals, and he'll eventually replace Marcus Semien's production fairly seamlessly when he gets the chance. Barreto's contact issues (205 strikeouts at Triple-A) will make him a batting average liability, but what does that even mean these days? A .260 team BA would put you in sixth place in the 18-team mixed RotoWire Staff Keeper League right now, and a .250 mark would still get you 13th place. For now, though, he's just a stash and not someone who'll give you immediate returns. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Adeiny Hechavarria, Rays: The 29-year-old came off the DL on Saturday, but with Adames now the man at shortstop, Hechavarria will be stuck on the bench. He's a glove-first guy with a career .637 OPS, so a trade to a contender into a bench role is probably coming sooner or later. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ronny Rodriguez, Tigers: The 26-year-old is back for his second stint in the majors this year. As before, the opportunity for consistent at-bats is there if he can outplay Dixon Machado, but Rodriguez's 2-for-22 start to his big-league career isn't encouraging. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Taylor Motter, Twins: The former Mariner will provide some defensive flexibility and a pretty anemic bat (.593 career OPS) off the bench for the Twins while Miguel Sano sorts things out in the minors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Stephen Piscotty, Athletics: The members of the Cardinals' offseason outfield diaspora are beginning to provide some value for their new clubs. Piscotty's slashing .318/.380/.455 in June, and while that comes with only one homer, he does have 10 RBI in 13 games. Oakland's best outfield prospects are all in the low minors (or playing football in Oklahoma) so the club has every incentive to help the 27-year-old figure things out and get back to his 22-HR form of 2016. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Tyler Naquin, Cleveland: The 27-year-old has started two straight games since coming off the DL on Friday, and with Greg Allen in a slump and Bradley Zimmer hurt in the minors, Naquin may well be Cleveland's center fielder by default over the next couple of weeks. He's capable of posting solid numbers with consistent playing time, but it also wouldn't take much for Allen to reclaim at least a larger share of the playing time, so don't get dazzled by thoughts of a repeat of Naquin's 2016 campaign. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jace Peterson, Orioles: Peterson got some playing time this week and stole bases in three consecutive starts, which is going to attract plenty of attention from FAAB bidders looking for help in that category. Danny Valencia is still the (marginally) better option at the hot corner for Baltimore, though, and Peterson is still a 28-year-old journeyman with a .644 career OPS. If the O's keep letting him run, though – he's 8-for-9 in steal attempts this year – he'll have a bit of deep-league value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jabari Blash, Angels: Right field remains an open sore in the Angels' lineup, but Blash doesn't look like a potential band-aid after going 0-for-9 with five strikeouts since his promotion at the beginning of the week. He's putting together a huge year at Triple-A Salt Lake, though, slashing .324/.421/.746 with 18 homers in 47 games, so the 28-year-old could get another chance down the road if Kole Calhoun doesn't turn things around once he comes off the DL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jake Smolinski, Athletics: Smolinski was enjoying a hot streak at Triple-A Nashville, earning a promotion back to the bigs, but he promptly went 0-for-3 in his first start back in Oakland. There is a possibility he becomes Dustin Fowler's platoon partner in center field, but the club also has Mark Canha for that job, and Smolinski's stay could be a brief one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Victor Reyes, Tigers: Playing time remains sparse for the Rule 5 pick, but since May 26, Reyes is hitting .375 (9-for-24) with four steals. The Tigers would probably have to trade Leonys Martin for Reyes to get any kind of shot at consistent at-bats, but the 23-year-old's athleticism does give him some intriguing upside if that were to happen, even if his overall skill set remains raw. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan Rua, Rangers: Rua is pretty conclusively proving he's a Quad-A player in 2018, slashing .288/.397/.577 through 13 games since his demotion to Triple-A Round Rock but managing only a .153/.207/.267 line through 35 games in the majors. He's purely a bench bat who'll be the first roster casualty when Texas needs his spot for a fresh bullpen arm, or a more versatile glove, or whatever. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Kendrys Morales, Blue Jays: Morales has started to find his stroke, racking up five multi-hit performances in his last nine games to fuel a .353/.371/.559 slash line that includes one homer and four doubles. His numbers on the season remain poor, but the 34-year-old slugged 80 homers over the last three years and there's no reason to think he can't regain that form if he's healthy. The Jays may also have difficulty finding a trade partner for a 34-year-old with no defensive value if they blow things up, giving him perhaps a bit more job security than you'd think. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5