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.

Thanks to Erik Halterman for pinch hitting for me last week!

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Kolby Allard, Rangers: With Corey Kluber sidelined, Allard will get a shot at locking down a rotation spot for Texas. It's a little surprising that Joe Palumbo didn't get that chance, to be honest, but this could simply be a case of Allard having been stretched out at the team's alternate site while Palumbo has been settling into a long relief role. Whatever the reason, the 22-year-old Allard doesn't offer a whole lot of upside but will make his first start Sunday on the road against the Giants and could get a two-start week if he doesn't spit the bit, which gives him some streaming appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kris Bubic, Royals: Bubic generated some prospect hype last season by leading the minors in strikeouts, but the 22-year-old southpaw doesn't profile as an ace but more of a mid-rotation guy if he pans out. He didn't look too bad in his debut Friday, making a mistake on a changeup that wound up in the seats but otherwise keeping the White Sox in check over four innings, and the Royals plan on giving him a long look. His biggest appeal is probably in deeper keeper and dynasty leagues, though, and Bubic will be risky this season in redraft formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Rony Garcia, Tigers: Huh, another 22-year-old pitcher. Weird. Garcia was a Rule 5 pick out of the Yankees organization who posted a decent K:BB in Double-A in 2019, and while he was expected to work in relief this season while getting his feet wet in the bigs, the Tigers wound up needing him to plug a rotation hole rather than start the service-time clock on a real prospect like Matt Manning or Casey Mize. Garcia did OK in his first outing Tuesday, posting a 3:0 K:BB over three innings, so Detroit will give him a longer look. He's also scheduled for two starts this week thanks to a couple of doubleheaders for the Tigers, facing the Reds at home and the Pirates on the road, but the fact that he may not be ready to go five innings dampens his streaming appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Zack Godley, Red Sox: The veteran right-hander got pressed into service by a Red Sox team with a threadbare pitching staff and was outstanding in his Boston debut Monday, whiffing seven over four scoreless innings as a bulk reliever. That was good enough to earn him a real start Saturday against the Yankees, which went about as well as you might expect. Godley's last good statistical season came in 2017 with the D-backs, but he did still post strong strikeout numbers in 2018 before his command deserted him. Maybe he's found it again, but this is still a guy who didn't look good enough to crack the Tigers' staff back in spring training. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Gio Gonzalez, White Sox: The veteran southpaw lost his rotation spot to begin the season when Carlos Rodon proved healthy enough to handle regular work, but now Gonzalez is back in again thanks to Reynaldo Lopez's injury. He tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in his first start Saturday, but that was against the Royals. You know what you're going to get from Gonzalez at this stage of his career – decent strikeout numbers, but erratic ratios and no guarantee he'll go five innings consistently – but on a Central division staff there will be enough soft-target offenses facing him to make him a decent streamer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Cristian Javier, Astros: Has Houston found its latest big arm? Javier was pressed into a rotation spot Wednesday, and all he did was fan eight Dodgers over 5.2 innings. He's got the typical Astros high-spin arsenal and struck out 170 batters over just 113.2 minor-league innings in 2019, so the upside is there. If you're going to spend big on a pitcher this week (and Nate Pearson is long gone), here's the guy who should be in your crosshairs. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $23; 12-team AL: $45

Jakob Junis, Royals: Junis missed the start of the season due to a positive COVID-19 test, but he's now apparently stretched out enough to rejoin the rotation. The 27-year-old righty has seen his ratios regress every season since he made his debut in 2017, but he can offer bulk strikeouts and might nab a win or two. He gets a two-start week right away with both outings on home turf, facing the White Sox on Sunday and the Twins on Friday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Daniel Norris, Tigers: The southpaw will make his season debut Sunday after missing the first part of the campaign due to a positive COVID-19 test. Norris may not be fully stretched out, but with Sunday's twin bill against Cincy only set for seven innings each game, he didn't need to be. Now 27 years old, Norris has never reached the potential he was perceived to have as a prospect but he always seems to deliver an outing or two a year to make you remember why he was highly touted. It's what he does the rest of the time that makes him such a fantasy risk. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nate Pearson, Blue Jays: It's not surprising given the circumstances of this season, but it's still kind of stunning that the Jays so blatantly manipulated Pearson's service time by delaying his debut for one whole week, and no one really batted an eye. Anyway, the organization's best pitching prospect since Roy Halladay is up now, and he looked the part Wednesday with five scoreless innings against the Nationals in his first big-league outing. Pearson's triple-digit heat draws all the attention, but his slider flashes plus too and his changeup has turned into a solid pitch too. The potential for his elbow to blow out is really the only concern here – Pearson may have the occasional bump on the road as a rookie, but on talent alone he should finish the season as Toronto's ace. 12-team Mixed: $21; 15-team Mixed: $41; 12-team AL: $75

Spencer Turnbull, Tigers: With all the transactions to sort through every week looking for players worth bidding on during this chaotic season, it's nice to put somebody on this list who got there purely on merit too. Turnbull has come out of the gates firing, posting a 14:5 K:BB through 11 innings over two starts against the Reds. The 27-year-old has bumped up his velocity a bit (career-high 94.5 mph average fastball so far) and he has the stuff to emerge as a mid-rotation arm, or perhaps even a bit better than that. The only downside to picking up Turnbull is that he won't get to face the Tigers offense. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Relief Pitcher

Dan Altavilla / Taylor Williams, Mariners: Your current Mariners save leader is Williams with a whopping two. A former Brewers farmhand with a 95 mph fastball who hasn't clicked in the majors yet, the 29-year-old has had a solid start to 2020, posting a 5:1 K:BB through his first four innings. While Seattle is probably going to stick with a dreaded ninth-inning committee for now, he's got a decent chance of seizing the job and running with it. Altavilla also has a save and an even bigger fastball, but even in the minors he struggled with his control. Of course, the options don't end there. Anthony Misiewicz has emerged as the top lefty in the M's 'pen after coming up through the system as a starter, while Carl Edwards is trying to regain the form he had a couple years ago with the Cubs. Of course, Yoshihisa Hirano will be in the mix at some point too, as might Austin Adams, and we haven't even gotten to the kids like Sam Delaplane and Joey Gerber cooling their heels at the team's alternate training site. Basically, this is not the bullpen to go fishing for saves in, but if you're desperate, Williams and Altavilla are your most likely targets. At least, they are this week. Altavilla – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Williams – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jose Alvarado, Rays: Alvarado has made four appearances and looked like he's back in his dominant 2018 form, but he doesn't even have a hold yet, much less a save. Tampa's gonna Tampa. It's still worth having the lefty on your radar, if not your bench, as he absolutely has closer-worthy stuff and should up strong ratios and strikeout numbers even if the saves and holds only come in fits and starts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Anthony Bass, Blue Jays: Ken Giles' injury may not be as serious as it seemed when he came off the mound last Sunday, but he's still on the shelf yet again and disrupting the Jays' plans to trade him. In the meantime, Bass is getting first crack at the closer spot, and he's been... fine. A 2:0 K:BB through 4.1 innings doesn't exactly scream lights out, but he's only given up one baserunner. If for some reason Bass falters before Giles returns, Rafael Dolis and Jordan Romano would be the next logical candidates, with the former having plenty of closing experience in Japan and the latter being the shiny new toy in the Toronto bullpen. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Oliver Drake, Rays: Why did Drake get two save chances already? Will he get more? Is Kevin Cash just messing with everybody? I secretly think the answer to the last question is yes, but the answer to the second is probably no after Drake worked the sixth inning Wednesday and then didn't enter the game until extra innings Saturday, getting tagged with the loss each time. The 33-year-old is maybe the fifth-best arm in the Rays bullpen, and they simply have too many premium options for high-leverage spot to keep turning to Drake. If someone else in your league already shelled out big FAAB bucks for him after his first save, so much the better for you. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jonathan Hernandez / Edinson Volquez, Rangers: Jose Leclerc has joined Rafael Montero on the shelf, and that leaves the Rangers' closing job wide open. Nick Goody actually got the first save after Leclerc couldn't go, but that was a product of circumstance. Hernandez, the kid with a 97 mph fastball and only a vague idea where it's going on some days, is the sexiest ninth-inning option, but manager Chris Woodward might prefer Volquez's veteran moxie in the ninth. Brett Martin could also end up in the mix as the top lefty in the bullpen. If I had to guess which one will get the first shot at the job I'd lean Hernandez, but it's really a coin toss. Hernandez – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7 / Volquez – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Thomas Hatch, Blue Jays: Picked up from the Cubs last season, Hatch had a big second half at Double-A in the Toronto system to put himself on the fringes of prospect discussions, but he still may be underrated. The Jays absolutely love him, and he's looked like a big-league arm through his first two appearances this season. The 25-year-old will get his feet wet in a long relief/spot starter role, and while his ultimate upside might be mid-rotation at best, Hatch does have solid raw stuff and now a track record of overachieving. He's a worthwhile dynasty or keeper stash in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Greg Holland / Trevor Rosenthal, Royals: Kansas City manager Mike Matheny hasn't offered any explanation for why Ian Kennedy isn't closing, but allowing homers in two of his first three appearances this season suggest Matheny may have made the right call. In the meantime, Holland secured an extra-inning nostalgia save, but it's been Rosenthal who's been more consistently working the ninth. The former Cards closer still has his premium velocity, and the command he couldn't find last year in his return from Tommy John surgery seems to be back. The Royals' limited offense ensures that most games they win will be close ones – Kennedy piled up 30 saves last year even though the team only won 59 games – so if someone like Rosenthal emerges with the job, he could make a real impact. Holland – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3 / Rosenthal – 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

James Karinchak, Cleveland: Brad Hand has two saves but has also given up runs in two of his three appearances, and given his late-season fade in 2019, there is cause for concern. As a result, Karinchak got his first career save Thursday, and his 5:2 K:BB through four innings to begin the year is right in line with expectations. His fastball velocity is down a bit – he's averaging 95.4 mph so far, as opposed to 97.1 mph in 2019 – but as long as he keeps getting whiffs, that's just a quibble. With Hand being a lefty, the danger here is that Cleveland turns its closer situation into a tandem, but Karinchak also has a decent chance of seizing the job outright. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Joakim Soria, Athletics: Don't worry, Liam Hendriks is doing fine, but Soria got the save Monday when Hendriks was unavailable and appears to be the next man up. As more games get postponed and make-up doubleheaders begin to multiply, knowing who the No. 2 man in each bullpen is could pay dividends later in the season, and it's not like Soria is a slouch without the occasional save. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Cole Sulser, Orioles: It's clear at this point O's manager Brandon Hyde really doesn't want Mychal Givens to be his closer. Maybe he thinks the righty is more useful in earlier high-leverage spots, or maybe he just doesn't like the cut of his jib with the game on the line. Whatever the reason, even with Hunter Harvey sidelined, it's been Sulser and not Givens getting saves in Baltimore. The former Ray has blown one of his three save chances so far, but getting rag-dolled by the Yankees is basically a rite of passage for Orioles pitchers at this point. He's been sharp in his other two appearances, and Sulser's stuff is good enough to be a plausible late-inning arm, if not necessarily a prototypical closer. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Catcher

Bryan Holaday, Orioles: Holaday is up as the O's third catcher, but he does have a path to occasional at-bats in the short term – Chris Davis has a sore knee, and the roster dominoes that fall as a result have opened up some DH time for Pedro Severino. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Sandy Leon / Beau Taylor, Cleveland: Roberto Perez is on the IL, forcing Cleveland to turn to Leon as its starter. The memories of the switch hitting journeyman's big 2016 campaign in Boston still linger, but it's the only time in his career he's hit above .225. Taylor, a former Oakland farmhand, will back him up. Leon – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3 / Taylor – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Yermin Mercedes, White Sox: If you're looking for some upside to stash behind the plate, Mercedes is your guy. The 27-year-old isn't likely to see much playing time, either at catcher or at DH, but his .317/.388/.581 slash line with 23 homers in 95 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year are hard to ignore. He'd probably need something to happen to Yasmani Grandal to have a real shot at consistent at-bats, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Ryan O'Hearn, Royals: O'Hearn missed the start of the season due to a positive COVID-19 test, but since joining the lineup the 27-year-old has gone 6-for-18 with five RBI in six games. He's on the strong side of a platoon at first base with Ryan McBroom for now, but either of the two Ryans could seize the starting job if they get hot enough – or the other guy gets cold enough, as O'Hearn did in 2019. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Second Base

Nick Madrigal, White Sox: The other big-name promotion in the AL this week along with Pearson, Madrigal magically was far more prepared for the majors after a week at the team's alternate training site than he was at the end of summer camp. I fully admit I am more pessimistic about the 23-year-old's future than most – if he's not hitting at least .300 and batting at the top of the order, his fantasy upside is very questionable – but the White Sox will give him every chance to succeed. 12-team Mixed: $8; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $33

Jose Peraza, Red Sox: Somehow, Peraza has managed to hold down the starting second base job for Boston over Michael Chavis, and even gotten the nod in the leadoff spot against LHP. This might be a case of manager Ron Roenicke preferring Peraza's glovework, but even with the 26-year-old hitting .281 through eight games he's offered little fantasy value (two runs, three RBI, zero steals). If you need a warm body at middle infield, he'll do until someone better comes along, but that's about it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Rengifo, Angels: Rengifo got healthy just in time for both Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella to swap places with him on the IL. While the 23-year-old struggled at times last year in his big-league debut, Rengifo's minor-league resume indicates a solid hit tool and a bit of speed, and he should get consistent playing time until the veterans are back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Andrew Velazquez, Orioles: Jose Iglesias is nursing a quad strain, which has pushed Velazquez into the starting lineup at shortstop for Baltimore the past few days. The 26-year-old did have a solid year with the stick at Triple-A Durham in 2018, but he's really just an end-of-the-bench utility type. Still, he could stumble into some fantasy value in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Joey Wendle, Rays: Wendle is hot right now, and as a result has pushed his way into a regular spot in the batting order, starting five of the last six games and going 6-for-18 with a homer. The Rays have too much depth to think he'll keep finding his way onto the lineup card once he cools down, but Wendle has already seen action at three infield spots this season (four games at third base, three at second and two at shortstop) and in leagues with daily moves and reduced eligibility requirements, that flexibility could pay dividends. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Third Base

Brandon Drury, Blue Jays: The 27-year-old came off the IL and hopped immediately into the starting lineup at third base with Vladimir Guerrero down stationed across the diamond, and Travis Shaw away from the team. Unfortunately Drury still isn't hitting, going 2-for-16 in five games since his return to action. Shaw should be back Tuesday, so Drury's window for providing any value may have already closed. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan Goins, White Sox: The veteran infielder has yet to get an at-bat since being added to the roster, but he's appeared in three games and scored two runs as a late-inning pinch runner/defensive sub – and there could be more where that came from thanks to the league's new extra-inning rules. With Tim Anderson now injured, Goins could also pick up some starts at shortstop, although Leury Garcia is likely to be the first option there. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Marwin Gonzalez, Twins: Ulp. Josh Donaldson is battling calf issues again, and fans in Toronto know exactly what that can mean, no matter how much the Twins try to downplay the severity of the issue. Gonzalez is the next man up at the hot corner and he's off to a solid start at the plate, going 5-for-15 with a homer. The 31-year-old offers some short-term appeal right now, but the short term could easily turn into the long term if Donaldson's injury lingers. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Outfield

Travis Demeritte, Tigers: The 25-year-old replaced Cameron Maybin on the roster Friday and has already made an impact, driving in two runs as a pinch hitter in his first game of the year. Demeritte remains behind Christin Stewart on the left field depth chart for now, but with the latter hitting .200 and having struck out 10 times in eight games, that could change quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Adolis Garcia, Rangers: Garcia was added to the roster early in the week but has made only one start and gotten one pinch-hit opportunity since, going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. The 28-year-old put up huge power numbers at Triple-A Memphis last year, but even with Danny Santana now injured, he may not get much of a chance to demonstrate whether they will carry over to the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Scott Heineman, Rangers: Danny Santana is out for a while with an arm injury, and while Nick Solak would normally get the chance to step up in center field, Rougned Odor strained his oblique Saturday and Solak may now be needed at the keystone. That leaves Heineman to handle center. The 27-year-old put up a mammoth slash line for Triple-A Nashville last year, but it was largely BABIP-fueled as he offers only modest power or speed. Still, if he gets regular at-bats, he could contribute. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays: The former Astro has been one of the breakout stars of 2020 in the early going, hitting .321 with four homers through seven games. It's easy to dismiss that as a small sample fluke, especially given his 2:9 BB:K, but the Jays have had plenty of past success turning faded prospects into top-shelf sluggers. They did it with Jose Bautista, and they did it with Edwin Encarnacion, so who's to say they can't do it with Hernandez? If you need an offensive infusion in a shallower league, the 27-year-old is worth a gamble. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Owned

JaCoby Jones, Tigers: Another athletic outfielder in his mid-late 20s ripping the cover off the ball so far is Jones. It's only eight games, but a .423/.464/.885 slash line with three homers is hard to ignore. Like Hernandez, Jones' plate discipline doesn't reflect those numbers (1:7 BB:K) but he's making more, and harder, contact than before, which bodes well for his ability to stay productive. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Owned

Kevin Pillar, Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi's struggles and a schedule chock-full of opposition southpaws has allowed Pillar to play nearly every day for the Red Sox, and the veteran outfielder has responded by hitting .423 through seven games. He's a better fit for leagues with daily lineup moves, but Pillar might just see enough playing time to have value in other formats as well. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland: It's been a long road back from injury for the 27-year-old, but Zimmer appears ready to claim a significant role in the Cleveland outfield. He's started six of the last eight games, going 5-for-17 with a homer, a steal and an entirely reasonable 2:4 BB:K. A healthy Zimmer is a big upgrade on the Tyler Naquin/Jordan Luplow platoon in left field, so look for the team to give him every chance to prove himself. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7