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

Edwin Jackson, Athletics: Jackson's strong first two outings in the Oakland rotation are going to attract attention on the waiver wire, and while we all know he won't keep it up – his career 4.65 ERA and 1.45 WHIP are no flukes – he might just keep it up for one more start, which is all he needs to be a streaming option. The thing is, he's facing Cleveland in a road start Saturday, which doesn't seem like a good streaming spot... until you look at his career numbers against them. 10-1, 2.76 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 91.1 innings, the most he's thrown against any AL opponent, and that includes dominating them in his recent appearance. Oh, and the one loss came in 2007, over a decade ago. No matter what uniform he's in, he owns Cleveland. Could that all come crashing down this weekend? Of course, and his next start after that is in Houston. But if you need a plug and play option this week, that track record looks awfully enticing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Felix Pena, Angels: In three starts since being an emergency addition to the Angels rotation, Pena's got a 2.51 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB through 14.1 innings. That's the good news. The bad news is that he's a 28-year-old non-prospect with merely OK career Triple-A numbers – 4.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 165:53 K:BB in 135.2 innings split between the Angels and Cubs systems. The strikeouts are nice, but his control issues will make it tough for him to find consistent success in the bigs – or last longer than five innings in a start, for that matter. Still, it's not like Los Angeles have anyone better or healthier to replace him right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Adalberto Mejia, Twins: Mejia got called up for a start Saturday against the Cubs and it did not go well, but there's still some potential value here. The left-hander has little left to prove at Triple-A (3.36 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 142:38 K:BB in 150 career innings), and he'll probably hold down the fort on a rotation spot until Ervin Santana finally returns from the DL, which should be sometime after the All-Star break. Pitching in the AL Central could also going to provide Mejia with some soft matchups against the likes of the Royals and White Sox – looking ahead, he lines up to face Kansas City at home two weeks from now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Brian Johnson, Red Sox: Steven Wright's left knee is acting up again, landing the knuckleballer on the DL and putting Johnson back in the rotation. It's possible Johnson only makes one start – on the road against the Nats, an assignment that looks a lot scarier on paper than it's been in reality in recent weeks – before Wright is back, but given that it's the same knee he had surgery on last year, it's possible this is going to be a chronic issue, which opens up the possibility of Johnson being a regular rotation fill-in over the second half. That makes the left-hander more interesting as a stash than a short-term plug-in, but either way he'll have value every time he makes the mound with the Red Sox offense backing him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan Borucki, Blue Jays: Borucki held the Astros to only two runs over six innings in his big-league debut, which is impressive even if it did come with a 3:4 K:BB. The 24-year-old left-hander isn't much of a prospect, though, and for now his stay in the majors will probably be brief as he's just filling in until Aaron Sanchez or Jaime Garcia get healthy. He could be back for good in the second half if the Jays trade away veteran hurlers like J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada, but Borucki's upside isn't high enough to justify a stash waiting for that to happen. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Deck McGuire, Angels: Once upon a time, McGuire was briefly mistaken for a top prospect in a thin Toronto system, but his career since then has been thoroughly undistinguished. He'll be the latest sacrificial lamb (or even a sacrificial John Lamb, apparently) in the Angels' cursed rotation, so expect him to hit the DL any day now, but even if he does somehow survive intact there's no reason to expect him to produce useful fantasy numbers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Tyler Clippard, Blue Jays: Ryan Tepera's dealing with elbow trouble, so Clippard is the next man up to close for Toronto, although Seung Hwan Oh should be in the mix as well. Clippard's got closing experience and his changeup is still capable of generating some ugly swings, so he should be good for some saves until Tepera returns, and maybe even after that. Note that the Jays are insisting Roberto Osuna will be their closer when his suspension ends in early August, but that could just as easily be a public stance for prospective trade partners as a firm commitment to Osuna. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Wily Peralta, Royals: Have we found this year's Bud Norris, a long-time scrub of a starter who suddenly becomes a dominant late-inning reliever? Probably not. A lot more guys have taken that career path and remained mediocre, or become only OK, but we only tend to remember the big success stories. Nobody's out there looking for the next Tommy Hunter. Nonetheless, Peralta is getting a chance to close in a barren Royals 'pen and has gotten the job done so far, converting both his save chances. The 29-year-old has always had a big fastball, and he's now popping 97 mph with it fairly regularly in relief, so maybe he will thrive. You just never know. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Seung Hwan Oh, Blue Jays: Oh's had a solid campaign so far in Toronto, somewhere between his brilliant 2016 MLB debut and last year's disappointment, and after a couple of rough outings to begin June he's posted a 0.79 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB over his last 11.1 innings. Clippard will get first crack at closing with Tepera on the shelf, but given his current form it wouldn't be all that shocking if Oh muscled his way into the closer role instead. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Cionel Perez, Astros: Perez's stay in the majors will likely be a brief, low-leverage one, but he makes for an intriguing stash in dynasty leagues. The Cuban southpaw has had a breakout campaign at Double-A, showing increased velocity on his fastball (which now touches 96 on occasion) and sharpening his offspeed offerings, and while there's no obvious path to a rotation spot in Houston – and he'd have to get in line behind Forrest Whitley if there was – this promotion could easily end up being a showcase if he gets dangled heading towards the trade deadline. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Chance Sisco, Orioles: Baltimore's catcher carousel swung back around to Sisco this week, and he'll probably move back into the starting role. It's hard to imagine the 23-year-old really learned or fixed anything during his 11-day stint at Triple-A, though, so don't expect a big turnaround on his .213/.329/.315 slash line. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Austin Romine, Yankees: Gary Sanchez landed on the DL on Monday, pushing Romine into a starting gig for a few weeks, but he held up under the additional workload all the way until Saturday before tweaking his hamstring. The Yankees don't seem to think it's a serious issue, but it could be enough of a warning to land the veteran backup in more of a timeshare with Kyle Higashioka while Sanchez is sidelined rather than a full starting role. He is having a career year at the plate, though, posting an .814 OPS through 106 plate appearances – a massive improvement on his career .612 mark. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Willians Astudillo, Twins: Nobody knows quite what to make of Astudillo. The 26-year-old basically never strikes out – this year's 4.8 percent rate at Triple-A is the highest of his entire career – but until recently he didn't bring any other interesting tools to the table from a fantasy perspective, which is part of the reason why it's taken him this long to make it the majors and why he'd bounced through a few organizations. That's changed at Triple-A, though. Showing better power numbers last year at Reno in 36 games wasn't really noteworthy, but maintaining that power this year at Rochester is. If Astudillo can become a guy who never strikes out and hits double-digit homers, he's suddenly a very valuable fantasy asset as a catcher. He's got to prove he can be that guy first, but it's not like the Twins have many obstacles between him and consistent playing time, and the upside is enticing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Kyle Higashioka, Yankees: The 28-year-old has been having a dreadful season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, managing only a .191/.265/.328 slash line through 51 games, but the Yankees don't have any other catching options on their 40-man roster to fill in for Sanchez. He has flashed a little bit of power upside in the minors, but that's about the extent of his fantasy appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

A.J. Reed, Astros: Reed's been doing his thing at Triple-A this year, hitting .266 with 18 homers in 73 games, and he got called up to replace Yukieski Gurriel on the roster while the latter was on paternity leave. He might stick around afterwards, though – Tyler White could easily head back down instead, or a depth pitching option like Perez. With Carlos Correa on the shelf, Houston could elect to use Alex Bregman at shortstop and shift Gurriel to third base on occasion, opening up playing time at first base for whichever of Reed or White are still on the roster. Reed's still a better keeper stash than short-term fantasy asset, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

David Fletcher, Angels: Zack Cozart's season-ending shoulder injury has given a Fletcher a chance in the majors and he's quickly capitalized, getting a look as the starting third baseman and going 4-for-11 with three RBI in his first three games in the job. The 24-year-old was having a brilliant season at Triple-A Salt Lake (.350/.394/.559 with six homers and seven steals in 58 games) and while he won't put up those kinds of numbers in the bigs, a decent batting average with modest power and speed contributions seems well within reach. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Brandon Drury, Yankees: Drury finally seems to be recovered from his migraine issue and has rejoined the Yankees bench. There won't be a lot of playing time for him this time, though, with Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar locking down the starting gigs at second and third base into the next decade. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Steve Wilkerson, Orioles: A switch-hitting 26-year-old, Wilkerson made his big-league debut this week and got a surprising amount of playing time at third base, but it's hard to imagine him seeing regular at-bats in the long run unless Baltimore cleans house and deals away Manny Machado and veterans like Mark Trumbo. Wilkerson's minor-league profile suggests he could swipe the occasional base and hit for a decent batting average, but that's about it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Luis Valbuena, Angels: No matter who gets hurt on the depth chart ahead of him, Valbuena's prolonged slump has prevented him from really taking advantage. With Cozart out for the year, though, there should be more consistent work ahead for him at the hot corner if he can just string together some hits. He can make an impact as a power hitter if he gets hot, but until he does he'll remain more of a spec play. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Owned

Kaleb Cowart, Angels: Cowart takes Cozart's spot on the roster – if the Angels had any guts, they'd just give him Cozart's jersey and stitch a clumsy 'W' over the 'Z', but no one in baseball ever listens to my brilliant marketing ideas – but the 26-year-old hasn't even been able to prove he can cut it in the majors despite generally solid Triple-A performances, and he may not get enough playing time during this stint either to shake that reputation. If both Fletcher and Valbuena spit the bit at third base, though. Cowart might finally get his chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Tim Beckham, Orioles: Beckham came off the DL on Monday and has quickly found his rhythm at the plate, going 6-for-15 in his last four games. His awful start to 2018 could suppress the bidding for his services, but the guy who had a breakout in 2017 is still in there, and the 2008 first overall pick is still only 28 years old with plenty of future ahead of him. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $17

Aledmys Diaz, Blue Jays: Diaz has settled back in as the starting shortstop for the Jays, putting together a .307/.321/.400 line over his last 21 games. There hasn't been much actual production to go with those hits – he's got one homer, five RBI and nine runs over that stretch – but consistent playing time gives him a solid floor, at least, and if he ever finds his 2016 power stroke again, the 27-year-old could have a strong second half. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Owned

Outfield

Jorge Bonifacio, Royals: Reinstated from his suspension Thursday, Bonifacio should immediately reclaim a starting outfield spot in Kansas City, bumping the likes of Abraham Almonte back to the bench. Bonifacio's profile hasn't changed since last year – moderate power, not great batting average or on-base ability – but that's still good enough to hit in the heart of the Royals' moribund order, and the 25-year-old could always take a step forward in his development in the second half. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Steve Pearce, Red Sox: The Red Sox picked up Pearce from the Jays to be Mitch Moreland's platoon partner at first base, ending the experiment of Moreland as a full-time starter about a month after it begun. Pearce's career .266/.347/.497 slash line against LHP is solid, and he'll actually face less competition for playing time in Boston than he had in Toronto – while the Jays continue to sort through a jumble of corner OF/DH options, Pearce can settle into a defined role with the BoSox. It's a role that won't get him enough playing time to be useful in shallow leagues, but with a better lineup around him, his value probably rises in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Owned

Jake Marisnick, Astros: He's been locked in lately, slashing .357/.471/.750 over his last 15 games with three homers, seven RBI and 10 runs, and if the back injury George Springer picked up Saturday proves to be a big deal, Marisnick could suddenly find himself getting a lot more playing time. That doesn't change his .644 career OPS, but regular at-bats in the Astros' lineup could boost anyone's fantasy profile. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jake Cave, Twins: Cave's getting another look in Minnesota, starting four of the last five games, although his .200/.294/.200 line over that brief stretch isn't encouraging. The 25-year-old's value depends entirely on what the Twins decide to do with Byron Buxton when the clock on his rehab assignment runs out. If Buxton gets activated from the DL, Cave probably heads back to Triple-A Rochester. If they instead decide to burn Buxton's last minor-league option and leave him down to try and regain some confidence at the plate, Cave's stint as a big-league starter could extend through the All-Star break. From a fantasy perspective, he doesn't offer much more than a bit of power and an occasional steal, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ryan Rua, Rangers: Rua's back up with the Rangers and is making a bit of an impression this time, slugging solo homers in each of his two starts this week. There's still no clear path to regular playing time for the 28-year-old, even if the front office begins selling off veterans, but as a bench platoon bat Texas could do worse. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Darnell Sweeney, Blue Jays: Sweeney's the latest guy to round out the bench for the Jays, but his career .255/.323/.397 line in 400 games at Triple-A tells you everything you need to know about the 27-year-old's upside were he to somehow find himself with a starting job. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1