AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

This is our weekly look at American League free agents. We have two goals for this article:
 

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. Shohei Ohtani would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly 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.
 

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Ryan Borucki, Blue Jays: Profiled last week in anticipation of his activation, the lefty flopped hard in his first two starts of 2019, giving up eight earned runs in 6.2 innings with a 6:6 K:BB. Given his long layoff, some rust isn't surprising, but the success he had last year relied entirely on guile and soft contact, and it's a profile that simply might not work when throwing the current rabbit ball. The Jays have no other viable options for their rotation, which figures to get even thinner after the trade deadline, so Borucki will get a long leash to try and figure things out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Danny Duffy, Royals: Duffy been on a bit of a roll lately, delivering quality starts in four of his last five outings with a 3.95 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB through 27.1 innings. Of course, with the Royals offense backing him, he only won one of those starts – in fact, he's only got one win since May 19 – but he has two years and $30 million remaining on his contract after this season, so trade rumors have been gathering around the 30-year-old lefty. On a better team (like, say, the Brewers or Astros), his current form should result in more fantasy value, making him potentially worth a spec pickup now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Reynaldo Lopez, White Sox: The erratic Lopez is having one of his good spells, reeling off three straight quality starts with a 1.71 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB in 21 innings. That run of success has only brought his seasonal ERA down to 5.52, so the downside risk is real, but the 25-year-old has always had talent and you never know when things will finally click for him. It's entirely possible he follows in Lucas Giolito's footsteps in the second half, but just as possible his ERA never sees the other side of 5.00. In an environment where solid pitching is at a premium, though, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take a chance on a guy with upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Sean Manaea, Athletics: Out since last August with a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery, Manaea is on the cusp of rejoining the A's rotation just in time for a playoff push. The 27-year-old southpaw posted a 7:1 K:BB in 4.1 innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas (although he also served up three homers, not all that shocking in one of the PCL's most notorious hitter's parks) and the organization wants him to take two more turns through the Aviators' rotation before being activated. Manaea's upside is that of a pitcher who can give you good ratios but not a lot of strikeouts – basically, Dallas Keuchel but without any 200-innings seasons or Cy Youngs on his resume – which does limit his appeal in shallow fantasy formats, but pitching is at a premium. Adding a useful arm who can give you 8-10 solid starts could be the difference between a title and a winter of discontent. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Thomas Pannone, Blue Jays: Pannone is slated to rejoin the Jays rotation Monday because, well, they're desperate for arms. The lefty has a 6.39 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in the bigs this season, although he has been sharp for Triple-A Buffalo (1.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 32:8 K:BB through five starts and 27.1 innings). He does set up pretty well as a streaming option, though, with likely road starts next week in Kansas City and Baltimore. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Asher Wojciechowski, Orioles: I know this isn't a basketball article, but if anything should count as a #Wojbomb, it's Wojciechowski's recent run. The journeyman right-hander has been outstanding over his last three starts, putting together a 2.29 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB through 19.2 innings against credible opponents, including a dominant 10-strikeout outing against the Red Sox. He's 30 years old and was never much of a prospect, so there's every reason in the book to be skeptical here, but on the other hand he has changed his repertoire from years past. He's all but ditched his mediocre changeup, replacing it with a cutter he refined while at Triple-A for Cleveland that, in an absurdly small sample since joining Baltimore, has been a huge swing-and-miss pitch. If that pitch is remotely for real, the O's could have stumbled into a legit big-league arm for basically free, and you might be able to do the same. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4
 

Other two-start options, Mon-Sun (12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $1)

Jaime Barria, Angels (vs. DET, at CLE)

Brad Keller, Royals (vs. TOR, at MIN)

Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers (at LAA, at TEX)
 

Relief Pitcher

Zack Britton / Adam Ottavino, Yankees: I mean, Aroldis Chapman's job is probably safe. He's Aroldis Chapman. He's making a lot of money and has 262 career saves. He's the reason Gleyber Torres is a Yankee, for pity's sake. He's also blown three of his six save chances in July and has an 8.10 ERA on the month. If the club does decide to take him out of ninth-inning duties, temporarily or not-so-temporarily, Ottavino and Britton seem the most likely replacements. Ottavino's been mostly great in his first season in pinstripes with a 1.59 ERA, 12.7 K/9 and MLB-leading 23 holds, while Britton hasn't been as sharp but has a closing pedigree and three saves already. Both – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Nathan Eovaldi, Red Sox: Remember way back in two weeks ago, when Eovaldi was going to be Boston's next dominant closer? Good times. In three appearances since coming off the IL he's given up five runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings, although he has managed a 5:0 K:BB. If that's just bad luck, there's a buying opportunity here, because Brandon Workman is hardly locked into the ninth-inning role. If it's not, well, it's not like Eovaldi hasn't been a disappointment to every fantasy GM who's ever sprouted heart eyes for that triple-digit fastball, so this wouldn't be a big change for him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jose Leclerc / Chris Martin, Rangers: The most surprising thing about Shawn Kelley's biceps injury is how long it took the 35-year-old to break down. Martin appears to be the next man up to replace him as the Texas closer, but that could simply be a ploy to boost his trade value. To his credit, Leclerc has reeled off eight straight scoreless appearances with a 9:0 K:BB in 6.2 innings, so if he does get another chance to close he seems up to the task. Kelley also might only be on the shelf long enough to not get traded himself, so the window for saves here could be small. Leclerc – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Martin – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Richard Lovelady / Kyle Zimmer, Royals: Kansas City started its bullpen makeover by flipping Jake Diekman to Oakland, but there are likely more deals coming. In the meantime, they've called up the core of what will hopefully be their next dominant group of relievers with Zimmer and Lovelady joining Josh Staumont (profiled last week) in the majors. The trio showed what they can do Saturday, combining for one run and a 4:0 K:BB over four innings in relief of Glenn Sparkman, and while that effort came in a 9-1 loss, it may not be long before they're handling the late innings of wins instead. Of the trio, Staumont still profiles best as a future closer with Lovelady as the top bullpen lefty and Zimmer in a multi-inning role, but much like the Royals' salad days with Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera, all three seem talented enough to work the ninth inning if called upon. Lovelady – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Zimmer – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Colin Poche, Rays: Tampa's always looking for new guys to work the ninth inning, and Poche got his chances this week with mixed results. He got the save Friday, then served up a game-tying homer in the ninth inning Saturday. That's par for the course for the lefty, who sports a 35:3 K:BB in 25 innings but a 6.48 ERA thanks to seven home runs allowed. It's a profile that makes him incredibly volatile, both in high-leverage situations and on fantasy rosters, but if you need saves and don't care what other stats come with them, Poche could get you a few. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Sergio Romo, Twins: Unsurprisingly, Romo was the first closer traded at the deadline, and also unsurprisingly he won't be closing right away for his new club given his middling numbers for Miami. He essentially replaces Blake Parker in the Minnesota bullpen, though, and while Taylor Rogers' hold on the ninth inning seems stronger now than it did a couple of weeks ago, Parker did rack up double-digit saves this year before getting dumped by the Twins. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Hunter Strickland, Mariners: Strickland is expected to come off the IL in the next day or so after touching 98 mph with his fastball for Triple-A Tacoma on his rehab assignment. With Roenis Elias struggling and on the trade block, and no other Seattle relievers exactly stepping up, Strickland could reclaim the closer role almost immediately. 12-team Mixed: $2 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11
 

Catcher

Kyle Higashioka, Yankees: Gary Sanchez is back on the shelf but isn't expected to be out long, so Higashioka and his .508 career OPS will back up Austin Romine for the next week or so. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Reese McGuire, Blue Jays: McGuire was called up Saturday to replace Luke Maile, who's out with a strained oblique. It's hard to believe McGuire was the 14th overall pick in the 2013 draft given his lackluster minor-league performances over the years, but his defense is good enough that the Jays might decide to keep him around as Danny Jansen's backup even if Maile makes a fairly quick recovery. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Austin Nola, Mariners: Aaron's older brother has started regularly at second base with Dee Gordon sidelined, creating that most thrilling of fantasy scenarios – a catcher-eligible player seeing consistent at-bats at a position other than catcher. Nola's .353/.405/.676 slash line since the All-Star break isn't too shabby either, and it's backed by a .935 OPS for Triple-A Tacoma earlier this year. The eye-popping numbers almost certainly won't last, but even some short-term production is worthwhile if you're hurting behind the plate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Austin Romine, Yankees: Gary Sanchez is back on the shelf but isn't expected to be out long, so Romine and his .619 career OPS will start for the Yankees for the next week or so. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
 

First Base

Mitch Moreland, Red Sox: Moreland finally made it back off the IL on Tuesday after missing about two months with back and quad injuries. The first baseman has a disappointing .226/.317/.535 slash line on the season, but at worst he should be able to supply some power down the stretch, and his batting average should rise if he's kept away from LHP. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Ryan O'Hearn, Royals: O'Hearn got called back up the majors and promptly went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, so it's not clear he figured anything out at Triple-A despite a .342/.424/.767 slash line in July for Omaha with eight homers and 21 RBI in 20 games. The 26-year-old might simply be a Quad-A player, but after kicking Lucas Duda to the curb, the Royals will give O'Hearn every chance to prove otherwise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
 

Second Base

Logan Forsythe, Rangers: Ronald Guzman's exile back to the minors was well earned, but it does leave Texas without a real first baseman. Forsythe has been filling in so far, starting five straight games but only collecting two hits. He's a better fit as a utility player, and maybe he'll wind up on a contender's bench after the trade deadline, but for now he'll getting enough at-bats to have value in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Rougned Odor, Rangers: Odor's recent surge may have already dried up, but five homers in a six-game stretch that ended Wednesday is hard to ignore. Given his awful first half, the 25-year-old is on a lot of waiver wires right now, and especially if you're not too concerned about a hit in batting average, he could provide you with some useful second-half power. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned
 

Third Base

Matt Duffy, Rays: Duffy finally came off the IL on Tuesday and has seen steady work since, going 4-for-17 in four games. The Rays' infield continues to deal with a ton of injuries – the infirmary currently hosts Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Daniel Robertson and Christian Arroyo – and it's tough to say where Duffy might slot in if every were healthy, but that's not something he'll need to worry about for a while. Look for the 28-year-old to keep seeing regular action in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jace Peterson, Orioles: Peterson returned to the majors Thursday and got an immediate green light from O's manager Brandon Hyde, swiping three bases in his first two games. Baltimore is far from the most run-happy team in the majors (10th with 54 steals, 16th with a 72.0 percent success rate), but the 29-year-old knows how to pick his spots – he's 38-for-45 (84.4 percent) across all levels since 2017. Richie Martin hasn't done much this season, so the door is open for Peterson to claim a large share of the playing time at second base while Jonathan Villar slides over to shortstop. He doesn't offer much in other categories, but if you need steals he could be worth a shot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
 

Shortstop

Ryan Court, Mariners: The M's decided they needed their very own Robel Garcia, calling the 31-year-old Court up for his big-league debut this week after he started the season in independent ball. Ironically, Court was nearly last year's Garcia, attending spring training with the Cubs before posting mediocre numbers in 114 games for Triple-A Iowa. Court was looking much better at Tacoma this season, slashing .279/.377/.581 through 37 contests with nine homers to earn the promotion. He may not be around for long – Tim Lopes got the call before he did but got beaned by a pitch Thursday and wound up on the concussion IL, and Dee Gordon is poised to begin baseball activities in his recovery from a quad strain – but Court at least makes for a heartwarming story of perseverance, or at least he would if Garcia didn't provide a better one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Aledmys Diaz, Astros: The 28-year-old rejoined the Astros Monday and started two straight games, but with Carlos Correa also now healthy, Diaz is stuck back on the bench. He's played five different positions for Houston this season (all four infield spots plus left field) as the team's new Marwin Gonzalez, so there could be semi-regular playing time for him even in a utility role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4
 

Outfield

Willie Calhoun, Rangers: With Joey Gallo injured again, there's room once more for Calhoun in the majors. He's slashing a solid .284/.324/.529 through 28 games with the big-league club, but his defensive limitations have made it tough for him to get regular playing time, and that's unlikely to change barring something like Shin-Soo Choo or Hunter Pence getting dealt. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Delino DeShields Jr., Rangers: Gallo's absence gives DeShields another shot at the starting center field job, although Danny Santana is also seeing time there as well. DeShields is hitting only .259 in eight games since the All-Star break with zero steals and zero walks, though, and unless he starts using his speed (and getting on base enough to use it consistently), his fantasy value is minimal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Guillermo Heredia, Rays: Heredia was called back up last Sunday to fill in for Kevin Kiermaier, but somewhat shockingly, Kiermaier doesn't seem to be in line for a long absence despite his notoriously slow-healing ways, giving Heredia a very small window in which to provide any value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays: The 26-year-old has been on a power trip to kick off the second half, capping his recent tear with a two-homer effort Saturday that included a 12th-inning walkoff shot. All told, Hernandez is slashing .306/.375/.833 over his last 10 games with six home runs and nine RBI, and on a Toronto team starved for any kind of production, that's probably good enough to earn him a long run in the starting lineup. His .214/.278/.420 line on the year is probably at the low end of his range, so there is some upward mobility possible even if he cools down. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Cameron Maybin, Yankees: The journeyman was activated off the IL on Saturday, effectively taking Brett Gardner's place after the latter hit the shelf Thursday. Maybin has looked good in pinstripes this year, slashing .314/.394/.496 in 43 games with five homers and six steals, and given that he's three years younger than Gardner and plays better defense, if he keeps hitting there's no guarantee the latter regains a starting role when he gets healthy. Of course, either one would just be keeping a spot warm for Giancarlo Stanton, but that could end up being more than just a short-term assignment. Maybin could end up on the bench in two weeks, or he could provide solid value right through September. It probably won't cost much to find out which. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5