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: Zach Plesac got (temporarily?) bumped from the Cleveland rotation, leaving Battenfield to fill in until one of the team's injured starters gets healthier, or Gavin Williams forces the organization's hand. Battenfield did his best to muddy the waters further by dealing against the Twins on Friday, allowing two runs over seven innings with a 7:0 K:BB. He even took a perfect game into the sixth inning. The 25-year-old righty doesn't have premium stuff or the prospect pedigree of current rotation-mates Tanner Bibee or Logan Allen, but through his first 24.1 big-league innings he's got a 4.07 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, which isn't bad at all. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Brandon Bielak, Astros: Houston's the latest team to see its rotation get gutted as Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia went down in rapid succession, with the latter needing Tommy John surgery. Bielak is one of the replacements, and at the moment seems like the more likely candidate to get shifted to the bullpen or sent back down to Triple-A when Lance McCullers is ready to make his 2023 debut. Bielak has bounced between the majors and minors for four straight seasons and has a career 5.13 ERA over nearly 100 innings for the Astros, and a breakout doesn't seem to be coming at this point for the 27-year-old righty. There's been some lingering hope increased usage of his changeup might lead to better results – he's gotten a swinging strike on every change he's thrown in 2023... all six of them – but for whatever reason it's never become a prominent part of his arsenal, and presumably the Astros have a good reason for not pushing him to flash it more often. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Alex Faedo, Tigers: A few years ago, the 27-year-old right-hander was seen as part of Detroit's next generation of aces along with Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal, but when he makes his season debut Sunday, Faedo will be the only one of the group actually in the big-league rotation right now. (A's fans of a certain age are having Todd Van Poppel flashbacks right now.) Faedo made his Tigers debut last year but saw his season derailed by hip trouble that eventually required surgery, and that comes on the heels of Tommy John surgery in late 2020, so durability isn't his strong suit. What has been his best asset in the minors is plus command that allow his 93 mph fastball, sharp slider and solid changeup to play up, and that command still appears to be mostly intact as he has a 19:4 K:BB through 18 innings at Triple-A to begin the year. The Tigers suggested Faedo was just being called up for a spot start after the team has to play some doubleheaders that created a rotation crunch, but Spencer Turnbull got demoted to make room for him, and Joey Wentz's spot is probably hanging by a thread anyway. If Faedo looks good Sunday against the Cardinals, he should stick around. It's worth noting Detroit's been limiting his workload so far, as he hasn't lasted longer than four innings or 73 pitches in an outing yet, but if he remains in the majors you have to think that will change quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

J.P. France, Astros: Protected from the Rule 5 draft this winter, France wasn't seen as a top prospect after being a 14th-round pick in 2018, but he's methodically climbed through the system and earned his first promotion to The Show with a 2.33 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB through 19.1 innings at Triple-A. While he doesn't have premium velocity, his deceptive delivery combines well with a fastball/cutter/sweeper mix built for tunnelling, and he supplements them with a curve and occasional changeup. France has legit upside, even if it's more of the mid-rotation variety, and the 28-year-old could be around for a while with Garcia done for the year and Urquidy not guaranteed to be back by the end of the month. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Bryce Miller, Mariners: Miller dazzled in his big-league debut Tuesday, striking out 10 batters without walking anybody over six two-hit innings, but keep in mind that performance came against an Oakland lineup that had Ramon Laureano hitting cleanup and Jace Peterson batting fifth. Not exactly the Bash Brothers there. (I'm not sure why this column has become an A's nostalgia trip, but I'm just rolling with it at this point.) Miller came into 2023 with scouting reports that highlighted two potentially plus pitches in his fastball and slider, but he actually leaned on his cutter more heavily as a secondary offering in his debut. The 24-year-old righty will need to broaden his arsenal if he's going to thrive in the majors – he's talented, but he's no Spencer Strider – so that could pay off in the long run. With Robbie Ray done for the year, the fifth starter job in Seattle is there for the taking. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

James Paxton, Red Sox: Paxton is set to make his season debut during a home series against the Cardinals next weekend, so if he's available and you want to stash him, now's the time. The veteran southpaw has thrown exactly 1.1 big-league innings over the last two seasons and 21.2 over the last three, but he still looked like a useful arm back in 2019, and at 34 years old a comeback isn't off the table. Neither is him leaving his first start after a dozen pitches. Paxton's not a pitcher you can trust, much like Vida Blue after he left the A's, but he might give Boston some decent outings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Louie Varland, Twins: Called back up Wednesday, Varland's second start of the season for the Twins didn't go quite as well as his first a few weeks ago, but he still figures to be a fixture in the rotation with Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda both on the shelf for a while. Varland has a tidy mid-rotation arsenal with good command, a good fastball and good offspeed pitches but nothing quite plus, so the 25-year-old righty could have some further ups and downs as he settles into his rotation spot. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

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

Zack Greinke, Royals (vs CHW, at MIL)
Michael Lorenzen, Tigers (at CLE, vs. SEA)
Jordan Lyles, Royals (vs. CHW, at MIL)
Drew Rucinski, Athletics (at NYY, vs. TEX)
JP Sears, Athletics (at NYY, vs. TEX)

Relief Pitcher

Rico Garcia / Zach Jackson / Sam Moll, Athletics: Oakland isn't going to win many games, but the ones the A's do win are likely going to be close because their offense is terrible, so somebody will stumble into a save now and then. That someone was Jackson on Saturday, and the right-hander does have a 20:9 K:BB through 16 innings with a 2.25 ERA, so he's probably the best option in this bullpen despite his lack of what most would deem closer-worthy stuff. Garcia, called up earlier this week when Jeurys Familia was kicked to the curb, has better raw stuff but doesn't always know where it's going, which means he'll fit right in. Moll has been weirdly hard to hit to begin the year and can get whiffs with a high-spin, low-velocity sweeper that would make Dennis Eckersley proud, and he should be in the late-inning mix as well. I'm not recommending to roster any of these guys in anything outside of AL-only, but if you're desperate for saves, I guess roll the dice on Jackson. Garcia – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Jackson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Moll – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ian Hamilton / Michael King, Yankees: Clay Holmes got the dreaded kiss of death, err, I mean a vote of confidence from Aaron Boone early in the week, and since then both King and Hamilton have gotten saves. Perhaps more concerning was the fact that Holmes worked the eighth inning and got a hold ahead of Hamilton's save Saturday, although Holmes did get the higher-leverage spot against the heart of Tampa's order. That could be the future of the Yankees' bullpen – Holmes as a high-leverage single-inning guy, King as the high-leverage multi-inning guy, and Hamilton falling into ninth-inning duty if the other two have already been used or aren't available – but if Holmes does get taken out of the equation completely, King appears to be the better fantasy option. Hamilton – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / King – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Liam Hendriks, White Sox: Hendriks is already rostered in most competitive leagues and probably has been since the draft, but in case he isn't, he appears to be closing in on a remarkably early return from his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Reynaldo Lopez hasn't been the answer for Chicago as the closer, so Hendriks should plug back into the role very quickly once he's back, assuming he's showing anything close to his 2022 form. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Rostered

Catcher

Freddy Fermin, Royals: The bad news for GMs in keeper and dynasty formats is that MJ Melendez is suddenly in danger of not qualifying as a catcher in 2024, as Kansas City intends to leave him in right field for the time being – and stuck on 10 games played behind the plate. The good news is that Fermin looks like he might be a viable keeper option on his own. The 27-year-old was an international signing back in 2015 and was mainly viewed as a defense-first depth option who could handle a pitching staff but not much else. He's put together a strong batting line for Triple-A Omaha the last two seasons though, and over 422 career plate appearances for the Storm Chasers he's got a .273/.375/.499 slash line with 20 homers. He's carried that momentum forward since his promotion, going 5-for-15 with two home runs, and while he isn't going to unseat Salvador Perez, Fermin could wind up being Perez's heir apparent. Fermin only has deep-league appeal for now, but if Perez starts seeing more action at DH, he could creep onto the redraft radar in mixed formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Connor Wong, Red Sox: Wong has left no doubt who the starting catcher is in Boston since nudging past Reese McGuire on the depth chart, and it's not just his ability to throw out base stealers that's secured the job. Over his last 16 games, Wong's slashing .348/.412/.630 with three homers in 52 plate appearances, a hot streak that his 2022 offensive breakthrough at Triple-A only hinted at. The 26-year-old won't maintain that pace, but consistent playing time plus production isn't a combination you can ignore in any two-catcher league, and I'm not sure he isn't one of the top 12 or 15 options at the position right now even if you're in a format that's swapped out your second catcher spot for an extra Utility hitter or whatever. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Jake Bauers, Yankees: Bauers' knee injury turned out to be nothing more than a bruise, and the 27-year-old journeyman has seen action in three straight games heading into Sunday. His eye-popping 1.272 OPS at Triple-A Scranton with nine homers in 21 games before his promotion remains his top selling point, and with the Yankees scrambling to find hitters after getting wracked by injuries, Bauers should get plenty of chances to repeat that level of performance in the majors and prove that the swing changes he's made this year can finally unlock his power. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ryan Noda, Athletics: The 27-year-old Rule 5 rookie has struck out in 33 percent of his at-bats so far this season, but it hasn't seemed to matter much. Noda has also walked 20.4 percent of the time, and his .263/.427/.488 slash line is looking less and less like a small-sample fluke. (I mean, the sample's getting bigger, so duh.) What hasn't shown up yet is the prodigious power he displayed in the Dodgers' organization – Noda has three homers in 31 games with Oakland, which isn't bad, but he slugged 54 in 248 games in the high minors over the prior two seasons. If he can find another gear, and maybe even shave a few points off that K rate, he could become a dark-horse Rookie of the Year candidate over the summer. Remember when the A's dominated that award, with an Oakland player winning it three times in the 80s and three more in the 2000s? It'd be fitting if the franchise gets one more before John Fisher scams Las Vegas out of a new stadium. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Second Base

Hanser Alberto, White Sox: The ChiSox have run out of third basemen for the moment, with Jake Burger joining Yoan Moncada on the IL, so Alberto could have some short-term value. The 30-year-old utility infielder has started three straight games at the hot corner, but his career .270/.292/.381 slash line in the majors is indicative of his skill set. The best you can hope for while he's getting regular playing time is a fairly empty batting average. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler Freeman, Guardians: Freeman got called back up Saturday when Oscar Gonzalez was optioned down, but it's not clear what role the 23-year-old might have in the majors. He's never played a game in the outfield as a pro, so it seems unlikely he's fill Gonzalez's platoon spot against lefties, but he isn't needed on the infield with everyone healthy. He's having a strong season at Triple-A Columbus though, batting .329 with 10 steals in 10 attempts and a 14:15 BB:K in 22 games, so if Freeman can find his way into the lineup, he could provide some fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Enmanuel Valdez, Red Sox: I profiled Valdez last week and suggested that the BoSox should just give him the starting second base job, and lo and behold, it looks like they have – or at least he's working the strong side of a platoon at the position. A .343 batting average through his first 35 big-league at-bats doesn't hurt either, and the 24-year-old has even flashed some upside on the basepaths, going 3-for-3 on steal attempts. He slugged 28 homers in the high minors in 2022, so power could soon follow the speed once he gets comfortable. He's not a top prospect, but Valdez could wind up providing useful fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Shortstop

Nick Allen, Athletics: The glove-first shortstop is getting regular at-bats with Aledmys Diaz out of action, but once again Allen hasn't been able to do much with his opportunity, going 2-for-12 since his latest promotion. The 24-year-old is probably nothing more than a bench player in the majors – he's compiled 428 plate appearances in his career for Triple-A Las Vegas, and despite playing his home games in a relative hitter's haven he's managed just a .269/.357/.364 slash line. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Maikel Garcia, Royals: I was fairly high on Garcia as a sleeper during the spring as it looked like Kansas City really wanted him to open the season in a utility role in the majors, but instead they sent him down to Triple-A. Nicky Lopez's injury opens the door for the 23-year-old to get his chance, and he's hit the ground running since his promotion, batting .368 (7-for-19) with two doubles and two steals while playing four games at third base and one at shortstop. Garcia might only be a two-dimensional player for fantasy purposes, but he's a lot more interesting than Lopez, and the team still hasn't found a second baseman it trusts. If Garcia keeps hitting, he could stick around even after Lopez is back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

JJ Bleday, Athletics: Picked up from the Marlins in the A.J. Puk trade this offseason, Bleday was a first-round pick in 2019 who was drifting dangerously close to bust territory in the Miami system. The change of scenery has done wonders for the 25-year-old so far, and while his 1.072 OPS in 25 games for Triple-A Las Vegas is remarkable considering his .832 mark for Triple-A Jacksonville the year before, that boost can at least in part be chalked up to his switch to a friendlier home park. What can't be dismissed so easily is the vastly improved plate discipline he's shown in 2023 – after a 27 percent strikeout rate and 16.3 percent walk rate in 85 games for Jacksonville, his walk rate is nearly identical but his strikeout rate has plummeted to 12.6 percent. More and harder contact is a pretty reliable path to a breakout. Bleday has kept raking since his promotion, going 6-for-16 with a double and two homers, and the A's suddenly have two very interesting outfielders they salvaged from other clubs' scrap heaps along with Brent Rooker. If you missed the boat on the latter, you might have gotten a second chance in Bleday, and it's not like Oakland has anything to lose by giving both of them all the playing time they can handle. Ricky Henderson and Jose Canseco aren't walking through that door. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jackie Bradley / Nate Eaton, Royals: Kyle Isbel is on the IL, and Eaton is back on the big-league roster, but only eagle-eyed Royals fans might notice the difference. Neither guy has hit much this season, although Eaton's 1-for-25 start to the campaign was especially futile. He'll split time in center field with Bradley, who also isn't hitting, and somehow this lineup is actually missing Michael Taylor. If you're thinking to yourself, "maybe Drew Waters is the answer!', you would be correct if the question is, "who had the start of their rehab assignment put on pause due to back trouble?" Both – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Brantley, Astros: Brantley is a little more likely to be available than someone like Hendriks, but that's because his ceiling is so much lower. The veteran outfielder has been the ultimate floor play the last few seasons, moving the needle in batting average and doing just enough everywhere else except steals to be useful, but at 35 years old and coming off shoulder surgery, it's possible he may not be that guy any more. If you need help in BA, he's worth stashing ahead of his possible season debut this coming week, but don't go overboard. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Willie Calhoun, Yankees: Like Bauers above, Calhoun's only getting his chance due to multiple injuries, but the 28-year-old is taking advantage, batting .323 (10-for-31) with two homers while starting nine of the last 11 games, mostly at DH. Calhoun was always a bat-first prospect, even if he never actually hit enough to live up to the first half of his scouting report, and he fits the profile of other late bloomers over the years. With Oswaldo Cabrera struggling in left field, the Yankees might be able to find room for Calhoun even after Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are back, so long as he's still producing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Adam Haseley, White Sox: Haseley was once seen as a building block for the Phillies after being the eighth overall pick in 2017, but he never panned out and got shipped to Chicago at the end of spring training in 2022. He didn't do much for the White Sox either until getting promoted from Triple-A Charlotte in mid-April, going 7-for-15 with a couple doubles in sporadic action since. The team has hole in right field and DH with Eloy Jimenez once again sidelined, and Gavin Sheets can't cover both spots at the same time. Haseley will probably fade quickly if he gets regular playing time, even if he's held to a platoon, but the small chance of him having finally figured something out is worth a stash in deep only formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Alex Kirilloff, Twins: Oh, those cheeky Twins. Just as anyone who had Kirilloff stashed had probably dropped him because his rehab assignment came and went without any hint he'd get called up, Minnesota promotes him and demotes the slumping Trevor Larnach... only to then leave Kirilloff on the bench for a few days to cool his heels. The 25-year-old still has upside if he ever gets a chance to show it – he homered three times in 10 games for Triple-A St. Paul this year while batting .316 – but it's becoming increasingly unclear if he'll ever get that chance with the Twins. Seriously though, Kirilloff for Cal Quantrill... who says no, Minnesota or Cleveland? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Gavin Sheets, White Sox: Someone's got to play right field and/or DH for the White Sox, right? Right now that's Sheets, and the 27-year-old has responded to the extra playing time by going, uhh, 5-for-27 over his last eight games. Whoops. The increased workload can't be ignored, and he can provide some pop when he's locked in, but Sheets should best be viewed as someone to stash now, ahead of his next hot streak, rather than a plug and play option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Taylor Trammell, Mariners: Trammell's also seen fairly regular playing time since rejoining the Seattle roster, mostly in left field, and he's also done little with the opportunity by going only 2-for-11. His performance has been more encouraging than Sheets', however. Both of Trammell's hits have left the yard, and his 4:4 BB:K doesn't suggest he's lost at the plate. AJ Pollock continues to give the M's almost nothing, and he's on the verge of fading completely into the short side of a platoon, if not off the roster entirely. Trammell looks like his most likely platoon partner, or full-time replacement in the OF/DH mix. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7