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 talent on an A-E scale. Julio Rodriguez would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects that could thrive in 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

Peyton Battenfield, Guardians: Cleveland's had to MacGyver together the back of its rotation to begin the season, and while that's gotten prospect hounds salivating for the big-league debuts of Tanner Bibee (0.00 ERA, 15:3 K:BB through his first 11 Triple-A innings) and Gavin Williams (0.96 ERA, 12:2 K:BB through 9.1 Double-A innings), for now the organization is taking a look at lesser talents. Battenfield's MLB debut went surprisingly well Wednesday, as he held the Yankees to one earned run over 4.2 innings and 66 pitches, and that's earned him another turn or two. The 25-year-old was originally a Houston draft pick, which means he's been through two of the best systems in baseball at developing pitchers, but his raw stuff and minor-league numbers don't suggest he'll be anything more than a swing man in the majors. Battenfield's just a temp, but he's a temp that gets to face the Tigers this week, so he's got some short-term value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: Forearm soreness messed up Bello's spring training, but he was popping 97 mph with his fastball during a rehab start Tuesday and figures to make his season debut Monday, setting him up for a two-step right out of the gate (vs. LAA, at MIL). The 23-year-old righty is Boston's best pitching prospect, adding a plus changeup to his heater, and whether he reaches his fantasy ceiling will depend on how quickly he finds a useful breaking pitch and hones his control. There's a lot of risk here in the redraft leagues where he's actually available, but the reward could be substantial. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Taj Bradley, Rays: Bradley made his big-league debut Wednesday and struck out eight Red Sox over five innings, but promptly got optioned back down the next day. Since then, Jeffrey Springs has broken down and Zach Eflin isn't quite ready to return, so the 22-year-old figures to be back Monday. Bradley's still searching for a reliable third pitch, but his fastball has plus movement and his cutter is downright vicious, and his command is exceptional given his age and experience. If he gets a prolonged look in the Tampa rotation, there's a very good chance he's going to solidify his spot. Bello's the safer option in terms of his chances of giving you five and a half months of big-league starts, but when it comes down to it, I like Bradley's ceiling and team environment better. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Griffin Canning, Angels: Canning's return from a lengthy injury absence was a nice story this week, but realistically, he hasn't thrown more than 64.2 innings in a season since 2019 and only had a mid-rotation ceiling at best before he started breaking down. The Angels' continued flirtation with a six-man rotation might help the 26-year-old righty stay healthy, but fewer starts and getting his turn skipped consistently doesn't do much for his fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Hunter Gaddis, Guardians: I originally had Gaddis down in the two-start section, but considering he's the only good streaming option in the AL this week, I figured there might actually be some competition for his services. Like Battenfield, in the long run he's probably a swingman or long reliever, and his 8.53 ERA through three starts is ugly, but his 11:5 K:BB in 12.2 innings isn't terrible. More importantly, he pitches in Detroit on Monday before the Guardians host the Marlins on the weekend. That second start is tenuous, but if he gets the two-step, that's a very enticing set of opponents. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Brad Keller, Royals: Keller's had an excellent April so far, picking up his first quality start Wednesday and posting a 2.12 ERA and 16:8 K:BB through 17 innings. The 27-year-old righty has changed his pitch mix too, heavily reducing his slider usage and adding a curveball that's produced a .267 wOBA so far, but even if the improvements are legit, I'm still not sure he's anything more than a more reliable streaming option. Still, that could be the difference between Keller being a "stash on your bench" guy and a "leave him on the wire" guy. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Michael Lorenzen, Tigers: The 31-year-old righty reinvented himself as a starter last year with the Angels and earned a decent one-year contract from the Tigers over the winter to see if he could do it again. After a groin injury derailed his spring, Lorenzen made his season debut Saturday and got smacked around by the Giants. There's a lot of risk and not much upside here, but in deep only formats he might give you innings and bulk stats without completely destroying your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Mason Miller, Athletics: I rarely write up prospects purely on callup speculation – there's a lot of formats out there still where you can't even pick up a player unless he's on a big-league roster, and in this case Miller isn't even in the NFBC player pool – but this one's too clearly a perfect storm of talent, performance and need to ignore. A top-100 pick in the 2021 draft, Miller missed most of last year with a shoulder issue, but Oakland still gave him a look in Triple-A after his August return, and they gave up all of one start at Double-A – a level he skipped entirely in 2022 – this season before promoting him back to Las Vegas. In his first Triple-A start this year, all he did was post an 11:0 K:BB in five shutout innings Friday in the Aviators' extremely hitter-friendly home park, while being the only PCL pitcher in the last week or so to figure out how to shut down Jo Adell. If he stays on turn, his next start could come Wednesday in Oakland against the Cubs. Miller consistently pops triple digits with his fastball and doesn't seem to have trouble locating it, and he's got a grab bag of secondary pitches that are works in progress but should be at least average. The A's need something to go right this season, and Miller could be it. If you have the option to stash him now , do it – those salary recommendations could be a lot higher after his debut. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox: Whitlock made his season debut Tuesday after completing his recovery from last year's hip surgery and promptly ran into the Rays while they were still undefeated, serving up three homers in five innings, but we can give him a mulligan on that one. The 26-year-old bounced between starting and relieving last year, but his stuff is good enough for the rotation, and it's not out of the question that he emerges as the team's most dependable starter this season if he can stay healthy. That's not necessarily a high bar to clear on a staff that featured brittle pitchers like Chris Sale and James Paxton, but Whitlock has legit upside. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

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

Chris Flexen, Mariners (vs. MIL, vs. STL)
Jordan Lyles, Royals (vs. TEX, at LAA)

Relief Pitcher

Ian Hamilton, Yankees: There's been little closer turmoil this week in the AL, which provides a window for looking at who's struggling and trying to guess at future turmoil. Clay Holmes hasn't been great so far, walking four batters in his last four innings, and his track record isn't so long that you can be completely sure the Yankees will stick with him in the ninth no matter what. The usual suspects who might replace him as closer (Jonathan Loaisiga, Lou Trivino) are on the IL, but moving down the list, Hmailton's numbers jump out. The 27-year-old was viewed as someone who might emerge as a high-leverage arm a few years ago when coming up through the White Sox system, but injuries nearly ruined his career – he didn't pitch at all in the majors in 2019 or 2021, and his 8.2 MLB innings this year is already a new career high. His fastball is averaging 95.2 mph though, nearly back to his peak, and his slider has been downright evil. Hamilton has been used in a long relief role by New York, but his 40.5 percent strikeout rate (not a typo... 15 Ks in 8.2 IP) says he's capable of a much more interesting role. At worst, if he stays healthy he'll give you decent strikeouts with quality ratios as a high-K reliever. There's always a chance he becomes the next Holmes, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jose Quijada, Angels: Carlos Estevez finally got a save Tuesday, but then Quijada got another one Wednesday to retake the team lead with two. This bullpen's probably going to be a mess all year, but Quijada's a solid southpaw arm who could continue to get matchup saves. Or he could stay stuck on two the rest of the season. View him as a saves stopgap until you find a more permanent solution – which is pretty much what he is for the Angels, too. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Catcher

Jake Rogers, Tigers: Eric Haase hasn't homered yet this season, giving Detroit less reason to play him ahead of the defensively superior Rogers. The 27-year-old is actually doing a decent Haase impression at the plate, hitting .231 with two doubles and two homers among his six hits, and the 27-year-old could be emerging as a decent option in two-catcher formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

First Base

Bobby Dalbec, Red Sox: The Adam Duvall injury tipped a bunch of lineup dominoes in the Boston lineup, although I kind of feel like "house of cards" would be a better metaphor here. Anyway, Enrique Hernandez is back seeing time in center field, opening up infield at-bats for Dalbec in a short-side platoon/bench role. It's not much, but he might run into a homer now and then. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ryan O'Hearn, Orioles: O'Hearn got called up Thursday and has collected five RBI in seven plate appearances, which is some impressive efficiency. The O's love their 1B/DH types, but the roster is too crowded to think a 29-year-old Kansas City castoff with very limited defensive versatility is going to see much playing time in the long run. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 

Second Base

Edouard Julien, Twins: I have to give credit to MLB, the rules introduced last year to incentivize earlier prospect promotions seem to be working exactly as intended. Julien is one of the latest beneficiaries, getting called up Wednesday and getting consistent playing time since. The 23-year-old hasn't come flying out of the gate though, going 2-for-14 with a solo homer in four games, and with Joey Gallo and Alex Kirilloff close to coming off the IL, the rookie's first stay in the majors might end up being a brief one. Julien's hit tool, patience and developing power give him plenty of fantasy upside if he begins to click, but the Twins kind of already have a bat-over-glove guy like that in Jose Miranda, and he's not yet forcing them to make a tough choice when it comes time to clear a 26-man roster spot. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Donovan Solano, Twins: The 35-year-old utility player will quietly take a 10-game hitting streak into Sunday's action, as Solano has emerged as the preferred option at first base in the absence of Kirilloff, Gallo etc. Solano doesn't offer much power or speed though, and that playing time will dry up soon, so don't go overboard. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Lenyn Sosa, White Sox: With Chicago losing its entire left side of the infield due to injury, Elvis Andrus has shifted over to shortstop and Sosa has started three straight games at the keystone. The 23-year-old is just 2-for-12, but both hits went for extra bases including a solo homer. Sosa's got intriguing upside – he batted .296 with nine homers in only 57 games at Triple-A last season – but he probably doesn't keep a starting job once Tim Anderson gets healthy. He should, perhaps, be starting over the 34-year-old Andrus even when everyone's available, but as yet there's no hint the ChiSox feel the same way. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Jake Burger, White Sox: While Sosa fills in for Anderson, Burger is helping plug the hole at third for Moncada. The 27-year-old has gone 6-for-17 since his promotion with three homers and six RBI in seven games, but he's not getting everyday at-bats as Hanser Alberto's also in the mix. Moncada could also be back next week. Burger's probably proven he belongs in the majors at this point, but right now Chicago just doesn't seem to have room for him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Tyler Nevin, Tigers: It's maybe too early to write Nevin off as a Quad-A player – he's only had 209 plate appearances in the majors – but at the very least, he's got no reason to still be at Triple-A. The 25-year-old was 18-for-35 at Toledo to begin the season, for pity's sake. Nevin could be looking at a platoon role at third base alongside Nick Maton, but Maton doesn't seem like a starter-quality player despite his fan-friendly nickname and recent late-game heroics. The balance of playing time could begin to tip Nevin's way as the season progresses. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kevin Smith, Athletics: One good thing about hitting rock bottom as a franchise is that you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving playing time to flawed but talented players. Smith strikes out way too much and already has a 0:10 BB:K in 19 plate appearances since his most recent promotion, but he can do damage when he makes contact so it's easy to dream on what might happen if he somehow gets his K rate below 30 percent. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler Wade, Athletics: Wade's sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from Smith, in that he's a veteran player with a proven, and limited, ceiling, but he can still be useful since he does one thing really well, and that's steal bases. The 28-year-old utility player was hitting .286 at Triple-A before getting called up and had gone a perfect 7-for-7 on steal attempts, and he swiped 17 in 144 PAs for the Yankees two years ago. The A's are also still giving regular playing time to Tony Kemp, and nobody knows why. It's not out of the question Wade outplays him and steals his spot – I mean, stealing's his thing. There's a path for Wade to become this year's Jon Berti. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Zach Neto, Angels: While Oakland dithers with veteran mediocrities in their middle infield, its division rival decided that was dumb, and that promoting a their top prospect instead made a lot more sense. The Halos gave future A's second baseman David Fletcher the boot and called up Neto on Saturday, and he could well be the player who draws the biggest bids this weekend, at least on the AL side. The first player from the 2022 draft to make his debut, the 22-year-old had gone 12-for-27 at Double-A with three homers and three steals in seven games to earn his callup. Neto doesn't have sky-high upside, but he's a college bat who's good at everything without maybe being great at anything, although his hit tool could be close. The Angels are hoping he becomes Luis Arraez or Jeff McNeil and wins a batting title or two down the road, but 2023 fantasy expectations for Neto should be kept more firmly in check. Something like 2022 Gavin Lux is probably more realistic for his debut, but that's still a line with value. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Oswald Peraza, Yankees: Credit to the 22-year-old for not sulking after losing the starting shortstop battle in camp to Anthony Volpe. Peraza went down to Triple-A and hit .289 (11-for-38) in nine games with five steals in six attempts, and he got called back up Sunday. It's not immediately clear where he fits in the lineup with DJ LeMahieu healthy and Volpe showing signs of figuring things out, but with Giancarlo Stanton on the IL, DJ could always DH and open up infield at-bats for Peraza. Until his playing-time picture becomes clearer though, bids should be kept conservative unless you really need to gamble on his upside winning out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Outfield

Will Brennan, Guardians: Brennan had some spring buzz, but Cleveland saw a lot of lefties early and that kept the 25-year-old on the bench too often to make him useful. The Guardians' schedule has begun to even out though, and he's now seeing more action than Oscar Gonzalez. Brennan's started six straight games and gone 7-for-21 with three doubles, six RBI and a steal. Like seemingly every Cleveland outfielder, he doesn't offer a lot of power, but he'll rack up hits and steal the occasional base. He's probably better than Gonzalez, and while the team is probably content platooning them, Brennan's got the better odds in the long run of claiming the full-time gig outright. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Conner Capel. Athletics: Capel's seen his playing time tick up since Seth Brown landed on the IL, but he hasn't done a lot with his chances yet, going 4-for-19 with one run, two RBI and one steal over Oakland's last seven games. The 25-year-old is one of the many, many players on the A's roster they found on the scrap heap, and while he probably best fits in the majors as a fourth outfielder, Oakland will give him a chance to show he can be something more than that. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Franchy Cordero, Yankees: The 28-year-old's become an everyday player for the Yankees over the last week, and while he's batted just .192 (5-for-26) with a 1:10 BB:K, three of the five hits left the yard. Giancarlo Stanton was just placed on injured reserve Sunday, so Cordero's playing time isn't going to dry up for a while. If you roster him, don't expect anything more than low-BA power, but the Yankees are at home all this week so you never know, he might have one of those magic, short-porch fueled homestands some random Bronx Bomber seems to produce every year. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mauricio Dubon, Astros: Dubon's emerged as the everyday second baseman for Houston in Jose Altuve's absence, but he hasn't just fallen into the role by default. The 28-year-old has hit safely in 10 straight games, batting .381 (16-for-42) in April with nine runs in 10 games, albeit with only three doubles, two RBI and zero steals on top of that. Hope he stays hot long enough to give you a nice batting average boost before the inevitable cooldown causes you churn his roster spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Travis Jankowski, Rangers: Texas just got Leody Taveras back in the outfield, but as yet that hasn't cost Jankowski any playing time. The 31-year-old journeyman has started five of the last six games, going 6-for-17 with two doubles, a triple, three RBI, five runs and two steals. There's always been a smidge of leadoff appeal in Jankowski's profile, but he's never been able to hit enough to make his speed play consistently. The Rangers are scrambling for a third outfielder that doesn't suck though, and his main competition right now is Robbie Grossman and Bubba Thompson, with Josh Smith needed on the infield. Jankowski's defense might give him the edge in that battle of mediocrities. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kevin Kiermaier, Blue Jays: There are few players in the league more fun to watch than a healthy Kiermaier, and the 32-year-old could be a perfect fit in Toronto after the team lowered the outfield walls as part of its Rogers Centre renovations. Kiermaier's already robbed one soul homer this year, and he could snatch a lot more balls back from the abyss before the season's done. He's doing damage with his bat too, batting .333 (15-for-45) with a homer, a steal, six RBI and seven runs in 12 games. You know an injury's coming sooner or later (probably sooner), but enjoy the ride until then. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nick Maton, Tigers: Maton cemented his spot as a fan favorite in Detroit on Friday by slugging a walkoff homer in the 11th inning off Giants closer Camilo Doval, but that was bound to happen anyway. The question is whether he can cement his spot as a big-league starter. Three home runs in the last five games is impressive, but he's never been that guy in the minors, and if the 26-year-old is selling out for power in an effort to prove himself, his .195 batting average makes a bit more sense. Until he shows otherwise, view Maton as a utility/bench player who's in a bit over his head at the moment. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jake Meyers, Astros: Chas McCormick is suddenly having eye issues, Justin Dirden is off to a slow start at Triple-A, and Corey Julks has a 0:11 BB:K through his first 39 big-league plate appearances. That could leave Meyers as the last man standing for the Astros in center field of McCormick's vision problems prove to be serious. Meyers is struggling himself, batting just .174 (4-for-23) to begin the year with zero extra-base hits, but he could find a rhythm with consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Rob Refsnyder, Red Sox: Boston's first choice to replace Duvall in the lineup seems to be Refsnyder, which, sure, whatever. The 32-year-old is streaky and might bang out some hits with consistent playing time, but that hasn't happened yet – he's going 5-for-25 while starting seven of the last eight games, although he does have a homer, four runs and six RBI. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Brent Rooker, Athletics: One more Oakland retread in the mix this week, what the heck. Rooker, a former Twins semi-prospect, reeled off four straight two-hit games earlier this week with four of his eight hits leaving the yard, which is going to put him at the top of a lot of free-agent rankings if you sort by recent production. The 28-year-old won't keep it up, but the hot streak could earn him a consistent starting role for the A's for a while, and he did slug 28 homers at Triple-A in only 81 games in 2022. He could just be a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Josh Smith, Rangers: Smith's become the Rangers' top option at shortstop with Corey Seager sidelined, but I have trouble believing they can't find a better option somewhere. The 25-year-old has gone 3-for-22 over the last eight games and is still looking for his first extra-base hit or steal on the season, and his minor-league numbers don't suggest he offers anything more than a solid hit tool. The playing time can't be ignored in only formats, but don't expect Smith to make much of it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Leody Taveras, Rangers: Taveras has looked like a guy who missed most of training camp since being activated from the IL, going 1-for-11 with five strikeouts in three games, but the Rangers will let him work off the rust. The athletic 24-year-old teased a possible fantasy breakout in 2022, swiping 11 bags in 99 games and even beginning to show a bit of power, and more importantly for Tavares' outlook in 2023, none of the Rangers' other center field options showed much in his absence. He'll probably be just a cheap steals source, but there's always the chance this is the year he begins to put it all together. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15