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

Dylan Covey, White Sox: When all else fails for the White Sox they turn to Covey to fill a rotation hole. The right-hander isn't good, but he can't be worse than Ross Detwiler. (Checks Covey's most recent outing). OK, maybe he can be, but he's at least younger than Detwiler, and in September at the end of another rebuilding season, that's all that matters. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Anthony Kay, Blue Jays: One of the arms the Jays acquired from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade, the 24-year-old southpaw doesn't have the raw ceiling of Simeon Woods Richardson, but he was a lot closer to the majors and giving him a September audition in the rotation might help still the bloodlust of an enraged fanbase. Kay is no scrub though, even if his eventual role is probably No. 3 or No. 4 starter. He was solid in his debut Saturday against the Rays, fanning eight while coming up one out shy of a quality start, and his 94 mph fastball, solid changeup and slow curve kept Tampa hitters guessing. Basically, if everything goes right for Toronto, in couple of years Kay will be the Steven Matz behind SWR and Nate Pearson as the Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom at the top of the staff. In the short term, expect some growing pains, but he could provide useful numbers down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Brendan McKay, Rays: McKay was flat out dominant in his return to the majors Friday, with seven of his 11 outs coming via strikeout against the Jays, but the fact that he was held to less than four innings will probably be par for the course the rest of the way. The Rays are watching his workload like a hawk – understandable, considering the 23-year-old has already exceeded his 2018 innings total by 34.2 – and their penchant for creative staff usage probably means wins will be at a premium for McKay. If he keeps pitching like he did Friday he'll have value in ratios and K's, but make sure those are the areas you need a boost in before tossing a bid his way. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

T.J. Zeuch, Blue Jays: Another rookie hurler for the Jays as they audition rotation candidates for 2020, Zeuch is an extreme groundball pitcher who has that rare profile that might work better in old-school 4x4 roto formats than ones that count strikeouts. The 24-year-old right-hander was decent enough against Atlanta in his big-league debut Tuesday, but his 39:32 K:BB in 78 Triple-A innings this year highlights his limitations. Pitchers like this can have some success when the BABIP gods smile upon them – Henderson Alvarez's 2014 with Miami is one semi-recent example – and a guy who can keep more balls in the park than average could seem very appealing in the AL East, but in most fantasy formats, Zeuch's ceiling is just roster filler. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
 

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

Nathan Eovaldi, Red Sox (at TOR, at PHI)

Edwin Jackson, Tigers (vs. NYY, vs. BAL)

Jakob Junis, Royals (at CHW, vs. HOU)

John Means, Orioles (vs. LAD, at DET)

Ivan Nova, White Sox (vs. KC, at SEA)

Patrick Sandoval, Angels (vs. CLE, vs. TB)

Justus Sheffield, Mariners (vs. CIN, vs. CHW)
 

Relief Pitcher

Austin Adams, Mariners: Adams returned from a lat strain after missing about two months of action but hadn't looked quite the same as he did when he got hurt, posting a 4:2 K:BB in 3.2 innings over three appearances. He looked sharp on his rehab stint, though (8:2 K:BB in four scoreless innings) and it wouldn't take much to put him in the Seattle closer mix with Matt Magill. That, of course, assumes the M's have any close leads to protect down the stretch – Magill's last save came Aug. 25. Adams was a useful add for his K's and ratios before getting hurt, so it's probably safe to pick him up for that purpose and treat any saves he gets as a bonus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Duffey, Twins: I probably should have written up Duffey a couple of weeks ago, but it's tough to buy into a guy who had a 7.20 ERA last year and had already seemingly blown his chance of being a "bad starter turned good reliever" reclamation project. The 28-year-old hasn't allowed a run since July 23, though – that's 19 straight scoreless appearances, with a 29:5 K:BB in 16.1 innings over that blistering stretch. He's been even better lately, fanning multiple batters in five straight outings without walking a batter. The difference hasn't been a major velocity increase, although his 93.9 mph average fastball is a career high, but instead increased reliance on his plus curve, which he's tossing 45 percent of the time (last year's usage: 26 percent). He probably won't work his way into the closer mix, but Duffey's getting holds, and those strikeouts and ratios could give you just the edge you need in tightly bunched categories. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
 

Catcher

Anthony Bemboom, Angels: The Angels have a three-headed monster behind the plate right now, but it's less Ghidorah or Cerberus than this guy in terms of how threatening it is. As the only left-handed hitter in the trio, Bemboom might have a slight advantage for playing time, but his .438 OPS makes him fairly radioactive for fantasy purposes. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Juan Centeno, Red Sox: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Zack Collins, White Sox: Collins has seen steady work so far in September, although he's only gone 2-for-12 with seven K's against four walks. He's been slotted in primary at designated hitter rather than catcher, and as a low-BA Three True Outcomes sort of guy, the best-case scenario in the long term might be Evan Gattis with a better OBP. That's a useful player for the White Sox, but if he loses catcher eligibility for 2020 – he's played five games each at C and DH so far – Collins' fantasy value collapses even as a keeper stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Grayson Greiner, Tigers: Jake Rogers' audition isn't going well so far, so Greiner could see a little more action than expected in September if the rookie starts piling up rest days to try and salvage his confidence. Greiner doesn't really have the bat to take advantage of any extra ABs, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Sean Murphy, Athletics: Oakland's trying to walk the tightrope of staying in the wild-card chase but also auditioning players for next year, but if Murphy plays up to his potential, he could thread that needle and mix those metaphors. The 24-year-old has started two of the last four games and already has his first big-league homer, and both Tanner Roark and Chris Bassitt posted strong starts with the rookie behind the plate. There's a path here for Murphy to seize the starting job outright for the A's in September and not give it back until some time in the 2020s. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Michael Perez, Rays: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Garrett Stubbs, Astros: September depth player only, although he could be worth a stash in deep dynasty leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Austin Wynns, Orioles: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

First Base

Justin Bour, Angels: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan McBroom, Royals: I'm already cringing at the 'McBoom' headlines that will be coming if this guy clicks, when obviously people should save their puns for the rare times the Royals sweep a series. (Yeah, taco girl, I hear you.). McBroom has started five straight games since getting promoted Tuesday, going 6-for-16 with a couple of doubles and four RBI. A 15th-round pick of the Jays in 2014, his minor-league resume was wholly unremarkable aside from a decent 2016 campaign at High-A Dunedin until this year, when he exploded for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees' system. Given how that club has turned just about everybody they deemed worthy of a big-league roster spot into a slugging star, it should be highly suspicious that they flipped McBroom to Kansas City for international signing bonus money instead of calling him up, but so far he hasn't looked out of place. He should see regular ABs at first base, corner outfield and maybe DH down the stretch as the Royals try to figure out what they have in him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jared Walsh, Angels: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Second Base

Harold Castro, Tigers: In one of my 15-team mixed leagues – the RotoWire Staff Keeper League 3, in fact – every top hitter still on the waiver wire is a Tiger. Castro's joined that group by taking over Niko Goodrum's super-utility role and hitting .357 (10-for-28) to begin September. He doesn't offer much power or speed, but if you're specifically looking for a batting average boost, the 25-year-old has that blend of contact skills and almost zero patience at the plate (seven walks in 82 big-league games) that can make a real impact in the category if he stays hot and/or lucky. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Shed Long, Mariners: Long has started two of five games since re-joining the Seattle roster, so he just barely escapes the 'September depth player only' label. He's still slashing .231/.318/.359 in 88 plate appearances in the majors this year, but he could fall into some counting stats with semi-regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Dawel Lugo, Tigers: Lugo's another one of those Detroit kids getting playing time down the stretch and not wasting his shot. The 24-year-old is slashing .362/.373/.621 over his last 15 games with three homers, eight RBI and 13 runs, and the Tigers have seemingly given up for now on the idea of Jeimer Candelario at the hot corner, leaving Lugo as the unquestioned starter at third base. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Kean Wong, Rays: Kolten's younger brother is, sadly, a September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Third Base

Mike Brosseau, Rays: Brosseau rejoined the Rays roster Raturday... err, Saturday (yoinks, Scoob!) and while it's tough to see where at-bats will come from given the other gazillion utility players the team has, his .282/.321/.484 slash line to begin his big-league career does make a case for playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jeimer Candelario, Tigers: Candelario is *not* one of the young Tigers performing well right now, but the club is still invested in his development and is giving him a look at first base down the stretch. He hasn't homered in the majors since July 15 and has a .613 OPS with Detroit, but the 25-year-old's .320/.416/.588 slash line in 39 games for Triple-A Toledo can't be dismissed, either. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Taylor Ward, Angels: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Shortstop

Ryan Court, Mariners: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Erick Mejia, Royals: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Danny Mendick, White Sox: Septem... wait, he's started two games already this month, somehow. Mendick has no real prospect pedigree – he was a 22nd round pick in 2015 – but he's flashed some power and speed in the high minors the last couple of years, and the White Sox have given opportunities to far less interesting players. If only Mendick had any center field experience, he might be a real threat to take a starting job down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Dylan Moore, Mariners: Moore has started 12 of the last 13 games with J.P. Crawford out of action, and while he's hitting only .256 (11-for-43) during that stretch, he's flashed some wheels with four steals in the last four contests. If you're scrounging for anyone who can contribute in that category, here's that anyone – although Crawford could be back as soon as Tuesday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Myles Straw, Astros: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Richard Urena, Blue Jays: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Outfield

Anthony Alford, Blue Jays: Alford is probably an SDPO, but he really shouldn't be – the Jays don't have a center fielder and have nothing to lose by seeing if the rarely healthy 25-year-old can finally realize his fading promise. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Braden Bishop, Mariners: The 26-year-old has gotten regular playing time in September due to a banged-up Seattle outfield, but a 2-for-18 showing so far isn't encouraging. Bishop looks like a fourth outfielder in the long run anyway, and he'll probably spend the rest of the month proving it. Still, at-bats are at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jonathan Davis, Blue Jays: Davis' speed and defense have earned him two starts so far in September despite his .441 career OPS in the majors. He's a fifth outfielder in a world that no longer has roster spots for players with that skill set. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Austin Hays, Orioles: Baltimore, the shrug emoji of organizations, emphatically stated that Hays would not be getting a September promotion before calling him up Saturday. Sure, whatever. He got two at-bats off the bench in his season debut and struck out in both of them, and the promise the 24-year-old showed a couple of years ago has been buried under an avalanche of nagging injuries. He's best viewed as a deep-league stash for 2020, just in case an offseason of rest is all he needs to break out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Guillermo Heredia, Rays: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Hermosillo, Angels: September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Gorkys Hernandez, Red Sox: Gorkys? Really? Wow. Anyway, September depth player only. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ramon Laureano, Athletics: Laureano missed about five week with a stress fracture in his right leg and promptly suffered some leg cramps in his second game back, which is a little worrying – the best-case scenario would suggest the A's just rushed him back, rather than him dealing with any kind of serious setback, but that still doesn't bode well for his immediate production. The 25-year-old was having a breakout season when he got hurt, but there may not be enough time left on the calendar for him to reclaim that form. If he's available, though, he probably gives you the best chance of adding an impact bat. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

Daniel Palka, White Sox: Palka's flopped in starting opportunities before despite his power potential, and he's 0-for-9 with five strikeouts to begin September. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Victor Reyes, Tigers: Reyes is starting basically every day and keeps raking, and he keeps sitting on the waiver wire in shallower formats. The 24-year-old is rostered in only 4.1 percent of ESPN leagues despite slashing .348/.365/.477 since the beginning of August. Sure, his counting stat production isn't great (one homer, three steals, 11 RBI and 12 runs in 31 games during that stretch) but he's not a complete zero, and he's almost certainly more useful than somebody rotting at the end of your bench. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Dwight Smith, Orioles: Smith's early-season hot streak is ancient history, but he'll still get occasional starts down the stretch as the O's sort through all their marginal outfield options for 2020. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Christin Stewart, Tigers: Stewart's September so far looks like the rest of his big-league career – not much contact, but occasional flashes of impressive power. He'll get regular playing time to close out the year, though, and could run into a handful of homers along the way. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Kyle Tucker, Astros: Tucker finally got called up just as Josh Reddick's bat woke up, but the kid has done what he can with the playing time he's gotten so far, going 4-for-14 with a double and a homer. George Springer's concussion does open up some at-bats for Tucker, and it's worth noting that Yordan Alvarez is in a bit of a funk, slashing .200/.350/.450 over his last 23 games. Even so, Tucker's best path to fantasy value will probably come after the Astros clinch and start giving starters rest in advance of the playoffs. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

LaMonte Wade, Twins: Minnesota's outfield is a little thin at the moment with Byron Buxton unable to hit and Jake Cave straining his groin Friday, so Wade could be looking at a starting role in the short term. With only three weeks left in the season, the short term is all there is, and if the Twins can lock up the AL Central early, resting starters will become the priority anyway. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mason Williams, Orioles: Now on his third organization, Williams is getting a look in center field from the O's but did little at Triple-A to make anyone think he's about to emerge as a reliable big leaguer. Still at-bats is at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
 

Designated Hitter

Mark Trumbo, Orioles: It took nearly the entire season, but I finally have a justification for keeping the DH section around on my article template. Thanks, Mark! Trumbo still has some power (3-for-9 since his return with three doubles), but he's 33 and in the final year of his contract, so he likely has no future in Baltimore – giving the club little incentive beyond nostalgia to play him down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2