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.

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Starting Pitcher

Yonny Chirinos, Rays: Tampa continues to deploy Chirinos as a Swiss Army knife when he's in the majors, and for now that means he's filling out the back of the rotation. The 29-year-old stifled Minnesota on Thursday to pick up his third win in eight appearances, and with the Rays offense at his back, he's got real upside in that category as long as he sticks around. He's never been a big strikeout pitcher and his 15:11 K:BB in 34.2 innings doesn't suggest he'll maintain a sub-1.00 WHIP, but regression to his career ratios would still make him a useful arm. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Kutter Crawford, Red Sox: Speaking of useful arms, Crawford has worked his way back into the rotation picture in Boston thanks to a 4.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB over 11 long-relief innings since his promotion in late May. The 27-year-old also lines up for a nice run of potential fantasy utility, assuming he's stretched out enough to begin qualifying for wins after tossing 58 pitches Wednesday – he faces the Rockies at home Tuesday before getting a two-step the week of June 19, on the road against the Twins and White Sox. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Cole Irvin, Orioles: The O's picked up Irvin in the offseason hoping to stabilize the back of their rotation, but the lefty was awful in April and got sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to figure some things out. It seems like he did – he posted a 2.52 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB through 25 innings in May for the Tides before getting called back up and holding the Royals to one run over 5.1 innings Saturday. Like the guys above him in this week's column, Irvin doesn't have big strikeout upside, but his numbers last year with Oakland were solid, and he has a better offense supporting him in Baltimore in 2023. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Kenta Maeda, Twins: With no big-time prospects getting the call in the American League this week and all fantasy eyes on Cincinnati and Elly De La Cruz, it's a good time to try and sneak through cheap bids on injured veterans who are close to returning. Maeda had a deceptively brutal April – 10 of the 16 runs he coughed up came in the start in which his triceps started barking – and while the 35-year-old remains risky in his first season back from 2021 Tommy John surgery, he's looked much better during his rehab stint, posting a 2.00 ERA and 13:1 K:BB through nine Triple-A innings. After working up to 60 pitches Saturday, he could rejoin the Minnesota rotation as soon as this weekend. The fact that Louie Varland got tagged for seven runs in his most recent start and has served up 11 homers in 47 big-league innings this season could encourage the club to make the switch as soon as possible, but it wouldn't be a huge shock if they gave Maeda one more rehab start either, just to make sure he's 100 percent. 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. CIN, vs. LAA)
Hogan Harris, Athletics (vs. TB. vs. PHI)
James Kaprielian, Athletics (vs. TB. vs. PHI)
Reese Olson, Tigers (vs. ATL, at MIN)

Relief Pitcher

Bowden Francis, Blue Jays: Alek Manoah's collapse has left a gaping hole in the Toronto rotation, and with a stretch of nine straight games starting Tuesday on the immediate horizon, the Jays don't have much time to figure out how to fill it. Francis seems the most likely candidate – he made his season debut Saturday in long relief as part of a bullpen game and pitched well, giving up a solo shot to Trevor Larnach but otherwise emerging unscathed over 2.2 innings with a 3:0 K:BB. The 27-year-old righty doesn't have much prospect pedigree, coming over to the Jays in 2021 as part of the Rowdy Tellez trade, but he's got a big-league arsenal with a 95 mph fastball, slider and a slow curve that really began to come into its own last year. Francis posted a 23:4 K:BB over 15.2 innings at Triple-A prior to his promotion but also missed over a month earlier in the season with an undisclosed injury, so it's not clear how much the team will be willing to push him. He also got optioned back down to Triple-A on Sunday, so it'll take an IL move to get him back onto the big-league roster if he does get tabbed for a rotation spot. On the other hand, they don't have any other readily apparent options until Manoah gets fixed or Hyun Jin Ryu returns, and the latter won't happen until after the All-Star break. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Trevor May, Athletics: May moved into a tie for the team lead in saves by picking up two in three days this week. Those are also his only saves of the season, and the person he's tied with (Jeurys Familia) isn't even employed right now, which sums up the train wreck that has been the Oakland bullpen pretty well. May has looked much better since rejoining the team a few weeks ago, posting a 1.04 ERA and 0.58 WHIP over 8.2 innings, albeit with a 5:1 K:BB. The A's don't have anyone better to handle the ninth, and a 120-loss pace still means about 40 wins they could need a closer for. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

First Base

Jake Bauers, Yankees: Bauers has been getting consistent playing time in the outfield corners since late May and has responded by batting .313 (10-for-32) over his last 11 games with three homers and seven RBI. The improvement at the plate the 27-year-old demonstrated at Triple-A this season to earn another shot at the Show appears to be legit, and while he could get squeezed for at-bats when everyone on the roster is healthy, what are the odds that actually happens? Someone's always hurt for the Yankees, and just so long as it isn't Bauers, he should have value. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ryan O'Hearn, Orioles: The 29-year-old was never able to escape his Quad-A label with the Royals, but O'Hearn appears to be proving himself as a bona fide big-league hitter as an Oriole. He's started seven of the last nine games while bouncing between DH, first base and the outfield corners, batting .364 (8-for-22) over that stretch with four doubles and a homer. He doesn't face lefties, and a strong-side platoon role may not be roster-worthy in shallow formats, but his power has always been evident (54 homers in over 1,000 career at-bats at Triple-A) and his current production is hard to ignore. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Second Base

Christian Arroyo, Red Sox: The 28-year-old returned from the IL on Monday and has started three straight games coming into Sunday, but playing time is the only real selling point here. Boston continues to have issues fielding a decent defensive infield, so Arroyo figures to get every chance to solidify the keystone, but last year's .286/.322/.414 slash line probably represents the high end of his range when it comes to offensive contributions. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Vidal Brujan, Rays: It's kind of amazing Brujan hasn't been traded yet. His numbers last year at Triple-A (.292/.369/.440 with 26 steals in 63 games) should be appealing to a rebuilding organization looking for a shortstop or super-utility option, but instead the 25-year-old remains stuck in an organization where he's got more talented players blocking his path. Brujan's most recent promotion comes as a result of Brandon Lowe's back issues, but he's not bumping Taylor Walls or Wander Franco from the lineup. The best-case scenario here is you pick him up cheap, watch him get flipped for bullpen help or whatever, and reap the benefit in stolen bases when he finds a larger role elsewhere. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Edouard Julien, Twins: With Jorge Polanco back on the shelf, Julien is back in the bigs and will likely see most of the starts at second base. The 24-year-old's .293/.435/.496 slash line at Triple-A between stints in Minnesota this year highlights his upside, and he offers the potential for five-category production, although maybe not at an elite level – think 15/15, not 30/30. Polanco may not be back until July, or even after the All-Star break, with this latest hamstring issue though, so at least this time Julien could get a real chance to establish himself. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Third Base

Jace Peterson, Athletics: Trying to peg which veteran Oakland utility infielder is going to get playing time and produce in any given period kind of feels like a game of three-card monte, but if you picked Peterson last week, congrats, you managed to find the red queen. This time. The 33-year-old has reclaimed a starting spot, this time at second base, by batting .417 (10-for-24) with two homers and three stolen bases to begin June, although it should be noted half those hits and both long balls came in one game Tuesday (against Mitch Keller, inexplicably). While the power and batting average could evaporate overnight, Peterson can still be an asset in steals if he remains in the starting nine. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Kevin Smith, Athletics: Smith is getting another look at shortstop, because it's not like Oakland has anything to lose, but his contact issue remain. The 26-year-old has a 32.5 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A this season, and his PCL-inflated .282/.338/.634 slash line is just a mirage. He could run into the occasional homer or steal a base now and then when he actually gets on base, but don't expect consistent production. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Will Brennan, Guardians: Brennan is on an absolute tear right now, banging out multiple hits in eight of his last 11 games and slashing .455/.489/.727 over that stretch with two homers, a steal, four runs and eight RBI. The offense-starved Guardians have handed right field over to the 25-year-old, and while he'll inevitably cool down, he could still settle in as a player who makes plenty of contact and chips in modest power and speed totals. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Willie Calhoun, Yankees: The 28-year-old has slugged his way into a fairly regular role in the Yankees' lineup, slashing .310/.356/.571 over his last 12 games with two homers and eight RBI. Like Bauers above, Calhoun's playing time depends largely on how healthy the guys ahead of him on the depth chart are, but with Aaron Judge nursing a toe injury and Harrison Bader back on the shelf, there's room for him right now in the DH mix. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Kerry Carpenter, Tigers: Carpenter's timing was pretty good this week – he returned from the IL just as Akil Baddoo got hurt and switched places with him, leaving plenty of playing time available. Instead of DHing, Carpenter could now see more action in left field, but either way he should see regular at-bats against righties, although he probably won't escape a platoon role. The 25-year-old slugged 36 homers across three levels last season and has five hits in eight ABs since his return, and he's capable of building a hot streak over the next week or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Colton Cowser, Orioles: The perceived need to bring Cowser up to cover center field for Baltimore while Cedric Mullins is out may have lessened due to Aaron Hicks' play so far, but Hicks could go cold at any moment. Meanwhile, Cowser has gone 5-for-13 with a double, a homer and a 7:5 BB:K through five games in June at Triple-A Norfolk since returning from a quad strain, and he really doesn't seem to have much left to prove in the minors. The O's have been slow-rolling their top prospects this year, but they're in the thick of the race for the AL East crown and sit atop the wild-card standings, so at some point guys like Cowser and Jordan Westburd have to get their chance. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Adam Duvall, Red Sox: The veteran outfielder and early-April hero returned from his fractured wrist Friday and promptly went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. I've been banging this drum for a couple weeks now, ever since Duvall's return began to draw near, but there is absolutely no reason to think that 15-for-33 run at the beginning of the season is anything close to what he'll produce the rest of the way. He's 34 years old and managed a .756 OPS with a 30.5 percent strikeout rate in nearly 1,000 at-bats over the prior three seasons. That's just who he is. Yeah, he launched 66 homers during that time too, and I'm not saying he won't provide some power, but it will almost certainly come with a mediocre or worse batting average. That's even before you consider that Jarren Duran has shown his upside in center field during Duvall's absence, and if the Red Sox fall out of playoff contention, they'll want to give playing time to the kid who's nearly a decade younger. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mauricio Dubon, Astros: Jose Altuve is healthy right now, but Dubon's been hitting too well for Houston to take him out of the lineup, or indeed even out of the leadoff spot. The 28-year-old utility player has hit safely in seven straight games to begin June, going 13-for-34 (.382) over that stretch with a homer, two steals, five runs and five RBI, and as long as he retains a premium spot in the batting order, he'll have value. He's currently getting a look in left field, as Yordan Alvarez's injury opens up some playing time in the DH/OF mix, but he'll also shift back to the infield when Altuve or Jeremy Pena need a breather. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Aaron Hicks, Orioles: The 33-year-old was kind of a desperation pickup for the O's after they lost Mullins, but after finally wearing out his welcome in New York, Hicks has gone 8-for-25 (.32) with a 6:5 BB:K in nine games for Baltimore as he tried to salvage his career. There's no telling no long he might keep it up – his .215/.337/.342 slash line over the last three seasons was no fluke, and it came with plenty of injuries of his own – but the Orioles will try to get by with him as a stopgap until Mullins is healthy, or one of Hicks or Cowser forces the team's hand. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Trevor Larnach, Twins: Larnach returned to the Twins on Tuesday following a bout of pneumonia that cost him a couple weeks, and after going 0-for-10 in his first four games back he banged out two hits Saturday. He figured to handle the strong side of a platoon in left field, at least until Joey Gallo and Byron Buxton are healthy, but Larnach's window to prove he belongs could be a small one. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Billy McKinney, Yankees: The Yankees' parade of reclamation projects continues with McKinney, who made his debut with the club in 2018 but has played for five other teams since. The 28-year-old has four hits in four games since his promotion for Wednesday's doubleheader, with three of them going for extra bases, and he could wind up platooning in center field with Isiah Kiner-Falefa until Bader is back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dylan Moore, Mariners: Moore came off the IL on Tuesday but didn't get his first start until Saturday, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts as Seattle's second baseman. The 30-year-old has stolen 42 bags over the last two years, and the job at the keystone remains up for grabs, but there isn't much else to get excited about in his profile. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nick Solak, Tigers: Detroit's injury issues in the outfield got the team to beat the bushes looking for help, but all the front office was able to come up with was Solak. The 28-year-old numbers have steadily declined since his solid rookie season in 2019, but that hint of promise has been enough for him to keep getting looks, if not opportunities – while he has yet to see action in the majors this season, he's been on the 40-man roster for five different teams since the beginning of 2023, bouncing through Cincy, Seattle, the White Sox and Atlanta before landing with the Tigers. How he fits into an outfield currently missing Baddoo, Riley Greene and Matt Vierling isn't clear yet, but Zach McKinstry can't play everywhere. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Taylor, Twins: The veteran center field has been on a roll the last couple weeks, batting .303 (10-for-33) over his last 12 games with three homers and four steals. Taylor's strikeouts mean a cold spell could be right around the corner, but he's locked into a starting role and his .713 OPS would be his best mark since 2017. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Designated Hitter

Yainer Diaz, Astros: With Alvarez sidelined, Diaz has an opening to carve out consistent playing time at DH. The 24-year-old has seen most of his action at catcher this season though, and a backstop with a .275/.295/.462 slash line who's getting 3-4 starts a week is going to have value in most two-catcher formats. If Martin Maldonado doesn't return in 2024, Diaz could also be Houston's starter next year, so GMs in shallower dynasty or keeper leagues may want to scoop him up now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4