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

Paul Blackburn, Athletics: Oakland general manager David Forst fell asleep at the trade deadline, failing to move guys like Ramon Laureano (who got DFA'ed this weekend instead) or Trevor May (a free agent this winter), but I suppose you can make an argument that it was worth keeping Blackburn as he's under team control for two more seasons. The 29-year-old right-hander is pitching well enough that you have to think he could have gotten some kind of decent return from a team like the Reds, though. Over his last three starts, Blackburn has a 1.56 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB in 17.1 innings, and while he may not get many wins pitching for Oakland down the stretch, but he should provide some decent ratios ballast. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jhony Brito, Yankees: The Yankees' decision to mostly tread water at the trade deadline makes a little more sense in light of Domingo German's off-field issues, and full credit to the organization for supporting him rather than trying to nurse him through the pressure of a playoff race over the next couple months. They did get Nestor Cortes back, but with Luis Severino still struggling, there could be room for Brito to see semi-regular starts down the stretch. The 25-year-old is risky even as a streaming option, however. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Xzavion Curry, Guardians: Cleveland's theme song this season seems to be Que Sera, Sera. If the Guardians win the AL Central, great; if not, well, they came out of the trade deadline with Kyle Manzardo. Either way, it looks like Curry will plug the final hole in the rotation until someone else gets healthy again, and after not working more than three innings in an appearance to this point in the season, the 25-year-old might finally get stretched out enough to be worth considering as a pick-up. He's posted strong ratios in his limited role, but his 41:17 K:BB through 59 innings offers a better picture of his limited upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jack Flaherty, Orioles: The right-hander started to come around in July, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB in 29.2 innings over his final starts as a Cardinal, and a trade to the O's into the heart of a pennant race spurred Flaherty to a one-run, eight-K quality start in his Baltimore debut Thursday. He'll be viewed as a consolation prize if you don't land Justin Verlander or even his former teammate Jordan Montgomery, but Flaherty was delivering ace-level numbers as recently as 2021 before shoulder trouble dragged him down. If he's 100 percent healthy again, he could prove to be a difference-maker. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $21

Dallas Keuchel, Twins: Part of the fascinating fallout of the trade deadline is looking at what teams do when they can't address a need with a deal. The Twins didn't pick up any rotation depth, something that looked like a mistake when Joe Ryan landed on the IL on Thursday with a groin strain, so now they're down to veteran retread Keuchel to take his spot in the short term. The 35-year-old southpaw has been awful in the majors the last couple years, but his numbers in six starts for Triple-A St. Paul were solid and he did put together a surprisingly good pandemic campaign in 2020. Expecting Keuchel to return to fantasy relevance is probably asking too much, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Zack Littell, Rays: Tampa Bay did add rotation depth at the deadline, acquiring Aaron Civale, but it wasn't enough as Shane McClanahan left his start the next day complaining of forearm tighteness. Eep. That leaves 27-year-old journeyman Littell in a starting role, but he's actually been pretty good lately, tossing a quality start in his last outing and posting a 2.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB through 21.1 innings since the beginning of July. What upside he has comes from hsi team context, but he could end up being decent staff filler down the stretch if the Rays have been able to work their magic on yet another arm multiple other teams had given up on. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jordan Montgomery, Rangers: The lefty won his Texas debut Friday, fanning six in a six-inning quality start, and this looks like it will finally be the year Montgomery reaches double digits in wins. He's been sharp since the beginning of June, posting a 2.43 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 59:19 K:BB in 66.2 innings over that stretch, and having the Rangers' offense at his back is a massive upgrade on the Cardinals' disappointing attack. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $25

Cole Ragans, Royals: Way back in the spring, Ragans landed on deep sleeper lists thanks to a huge spike in velocity. Things didn't pan out in Texas, but after being acquired in the Aroldis Chapman trade, Kansas City plugged the 25-year-old southpaw into the rotation Wednesday, Ragans went out and blanked the Mets for six innings with an 8:1 K:BB. His control will make him volatile – he walked five batters in his final start with Triple-A Omaha before his promotion – but he's got the stuff to retire big-league hitters if he can learn to harness it. He also lines up for two starts this week, at Boston and home against the Cards, so if you need a big swing to make a move in the pitching categories, he's an intriguing option. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Hyun Jin Ryu, Blue Jays: Ryu finally made his season debut Tuesday against the Orioles and pitched a little better than his final line indicated, lasting 80 pitches. Toronto's running with a six-man rotation until the middle of the month due to a lack of off days, and while Ryu could get bumped to the bullpen after that tough stretch, Yusei Kikuchi and Alek Manoah would both have to be pitching really well for that to happen. Ryu's lack of strikeouts limits his upside, but if he's healthy again he should supply solid ratios, and he gets a promising two-step this week, on the road against the Guardians (29th in wRC+ against LHP) and at home against the Cubs (15th). 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jesse Scholtens, White Sox: The unheralded 29-year-old rookie hasn't had an ERA under 4.00 in the minors since 2017, a season split between Low-A and High-A, but with the White Sox desperate for pitching after the trade deadline, Scholtens figures to get a long look in the rotation. He came through with a quality start against the Rangers on Monday, and he might have a little more strikeout upside than he's shown so far (29:13 K:BB through 44 innings), but for the most part he looks like a back-end starter at best. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Chase Silseth, Angels: Griffin Canning's calf injury will keep Silseth in the rotation for now, but really, the 23-year-old shouldn't need someone else getting hurt to claim a starting spot. He's won two straight starts for the Halos, giving up a single run in each and posting a 14:2 K:BB through 10.2 innings, and he would seem to have little left to prove in the high minors. If the Angels ends up missing the playoffs in part because they chose Tyler Anderson over their most big-league ready pitching prospect, they deserve what they get. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Noah Syndergaard. Guardians: The Amed Rosario-for-Syndergaard deal looks a lot more logical in light of Cleveland then flipping Civale for Manzardo, but it still leaves the rotation weaker. Syndergaard's debut with the Guardians on Saturday went about as well as expected based on his recent performances – six innings, four homers allowed, three Ks. The veteran righty will provide some innings, but they'll be dangerous ones. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jose Urquidy, Astros: Urquidy's kind of been forgotten about in the wake of all the other injuries on the Houston staff and Verlander's repatriation, but the right-hander will rejoin the rotation Sunday. He's been out since late April and had a rough start to 2023, but if he's healthy he should be a solid source of low-K ratios with a decent win potential. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Justin Verlander, Astros: It was like the 40-year-old never left. Verlander's 2023 debut for the Astros on Saturday resulted in seven innings of two-run ball against the Yankees, although he got out-dueled by Cortes and the New York bullpen. Verlander has a 1.64 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 41:20 K:BB through 49.1 innings over his last eight starts, and while he might not have the strikeout ceiling he did even a couple years ago, the future Hall of Famer is still the most likely arm to make a big impact on AL-only leagues over the final two months of the season. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $45

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

Joey Wentz, Tigers (vs. MIN, at BOS)

Relief Pitcher

Matt Brash, Mariners: Andres Munoz has taken over closing duties for the M's with Paul Sewald in Arizona, and while he's converted three straight save chances to kick off August, he's also walked eight batters in his last 10.2 innings. (Of course, he's also struck out 16.) If Munoz's control becomes a real issue, Brash could get his chance at the ninth inning. He's also picked up a save in the last week, and over his last five appearances he's also collected two wins and two holds, so his value as a high-leverage arm isn't in question. Since the beginning of July, Brash has a 1.93 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB through 14 innings, but picking him up now is less about his own performance and more a bet than Munoz will spit the bit. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Austin Cox / Carlos Hernandez, Royals: Scott Barlow's now in San Diego, so Kansas City's closer is... uhh... Hernandez is the team's top high-leverage arm, but there's no guarantee he escapes a fireman role – in two appearances since Barlow was shipped out, he's worked the 10th inning in a tie game at home (traditional closer usage) and the seventh to protect a one-run lead (far from traditional closer usage). Cox got the save in the latter contest, but the 26-year-old would probably be a LOOGY if that was still a thing, so it's hard to imagine him seeing regular opportunities. There are a handful of other guys you could throw darts at if you are so inclined – Nick Wittgren, Dylan Coleman – but the best stash might actually be Will Klein, who has a 29:13 K:BB through 18.1 innings at Triple-A. Of the options actually in the big-league bullpen though, Hernandez is the best of a bad lot. Hernandez – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Cox –12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jordan Hicks, Blue Jays: Hicks got his first save as a Jay on Friday, but he's actually appeared in three games for Toronto already as manager John Schneider mixes and matches his high-leverage options while Jordan Romano is out. Hicks is the best of the bunch though, and his strikeout upside gives him a floor if he winds up collecting holds instead of saves on occasion. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $11

Reynaldo Lopez, Angels: Carlos Estevez continues to dance on the edge of a complete implosion, surrendering nine runs over his last three appearances, although thanks (?) to some shaky defense behind him, five of them were unearned. The right-hander has a 14:8 K:BB over his last 10 innings, and if he gets pulled as the closer, it would be incredibly ironic if Lopez stepped in after flopping hard in that role in Chicago. He's turned his season around after a poor first six weeks though, and since the beginning of July he's posted a 0.69 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB in 13 innings. Those kind of numbers give Lopez value even if he isn't getting saves, and despite his struggles he's got a career-high 30.8 percent strikeout rate in 2023 along with a career-best 98.4 mph fastball average. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Josh Winder, Twins: If, like me, you have little faith in Keuchel being adequate, it's reasonable to consider who would be the next man up, or at least who would soak up the long relief innings after the aging southpaw gets chased in the third. The Twins may not want to tax Winder's oft-injured arm with a starter's workload, but it's hard to deny how good he's looked out of the bullpen – over two separate stints on the big-league roster since mid-June, the 26-year-old has a 1.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB through 13.2 innings, tossing between 32 and 40 pitches in five of his six appearances. In formats where bulk innings have value, he's worth grabbing in case his usage catches up to his performance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

David Fry, Guardians: All of a sudden, Fry is Cleveland's starting first baseman. No wonder they traded for Manzardo (who, if he were healthy in the minors, would absolutely have been featured in this week's article.) With Josh Naylor on the shelf, Fry started three straight games before giving way to Gabriel Arias on Saturday. To be fair, he went 0-for-10 in those three starts, but his big appeal is his catcher eligibility, not the likelihood he actually hits like a first baseman. Fry has a .250/.308.429 slash line in 91 plate appearances this season with four homers and 13 RBI, but that'll do just fine as a second catcher in deep leagues if it comes with consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ryan Jeffers, Twins: Jeffers continues to rake, to the point that he's made himself worth considering in two-catcher mixed leagues even if he doesn't have a starting job. While splitting time behind the plate with Christian Vazquez, Jeffers is slashing an absurd .421/.511/.789 since the All-Star break with four homers and 11 RBI in 46 plate appearances. He won't maintain that pace of course, but if you have a revolving door in one catcher spot, he should be the next guy to walk through it. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

First Base

Jake Bauers, Yankees: Anthony Rizzo finally has an explanation for his prolonged slump, but unfortunately it's post-concussion syndrome, so there's no telling when he might feel right again. With him on the IL though, Bauers will take over as the starting first baseman, although his exposure to left-handed pitching will be limited. He's started seven straight games, batting first or second in the order in five of them while batting .296 (8-for-27) with two doubles and four homers. He's also got a 0:12 BB:K over that stretch, and his batting average will be volatile, but Bauers should provide plenty of counting stats. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

C.J. Cron, Angels: Cron's back where it all began for him – he made his debut with the Angels in 2014. The 33-year-old first baseman has yet to homer in six games for his new/old club, but he's a solid power source and has been hitting third since returning to the Angels. Even when Mike Trout gets healthy, it's hard to see Cron dropping lower than cleanup in this lineup, and he's arguably the best to cross leagues at the trade deadline. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $25

Second Base

Curtis Mead, Rays: Tampa's top high-minors prospect, Mead got called up Friday and made his first big-league start Saturday, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. The 22-year-old is the proverbial professional hitter whose ultimate defensive home might be DH, but for now he'll get a chance to show he can be at least adequate at the lower ends of the defensive spectrum. Mead profiles as a Yandy Diaz type of high-average hitter with maybe more power upside, and he should be Diaz's eventual replacement in the lineup – the 31-year-old has an affordable contract extension kicking in next offseason, but that might just make him a more valuable trade asset. In the short term, Mead probably heads back to Triple-A when Taylor Walls gets healthy, so he's best viewed as a keeper stash – the second set of bid recommendations is for those formats. 12-team Mixed: No/$1; 15-team Mixed: No/$3; 12-team AL: $1/$7

Josh Rojas, Mariners: Seattle moves on from one disappointing second baseman to another, as Kolten Wong gets DFA'd to make room for Rojas and his .572 OPS on the season. The 29-year-old did steal 23 bags last year for Arizona, so Rojas does have some fantasy intrigue if he can claim a regular starting role, but for now he's keep fighting for playing time with Jose Caballero and Dylan Moore, just as Wong was. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Davis Schneider, Blue Jays: The Jays really, really need a spark, and they may have just found one in a 28th-round pick from the 2017 draft. Schneider got called up Friday, homered over the Green Monster off James Paxton in his first career at-bat, then collected three more hits Saturday as manager John Schneider (no relation) ran the kid back out there. The 24-year-old infielder came out of nowhere to post a .275/.416/.553 slash line in 87 games for Triple-A Buffalo this season, and the power and patience look like they could play at the highest level. Schneider has a tough path to consistent playing time – Kevin Kiermaier got benched to make room for him this weekend – and in the end, he could settle in on the short side of a pseudo-platoon as Whit Merrifield bounces between second base and left field, but if he keeps hitting, he's going to be hard to remove from the lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Trevor Story, Red Sox: The never-ending reeeehab, ah-oh-hah ah-oh-hah ah-oh-hah. Boston has decided they're going to use every single second of Story's rehab assignment, leaving him in Triple-A through Wednesday before finally, presumably, activating him from the 60-day IL. It's not like he's looked rusty either, hitting .276 (8-for-29) with Worcester in nine games with three doubles and two homers. The 30-year-old can't counted upon to be an impact bat down the stretch after stumbling to a .737 OPS in his Red Sox debut last season, but even in a down year he managed 16 homers and 13 steals in 94 games. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Luis Urias, Red Sox: An under-the-radar move at the trade deadline, Boston picked up Urias as a reclamation project from Milwaukee, and while he's never fully realized his potential in the majors, the 26-year-old did slug 23 homers in a season as recently as 2021. With Story ticketed for the starting shortstop job, Urias figures to get a long look at second base, especially with Christian Arroyo DFA'd to make room for him on the roster – a lineup that would allow Justin Turner to shift back to DH. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Mike Moustakas, Angels: With Cron now handling first base, Moose has taken over a strong-side platoon role at third, starting five of the last six games. The defensive shift hasn't slowed down his bat though, and in 19 contests since the All-Star break the 34-year-old is slashing .282/.309/.487 with four homers and 13 RBI. It's been a minute since Moustakas kept up that level of production for any length of time, but in the short term he should be a solid addition to a lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 

Shortstop

Paul DeJong, Blue Jays: With Bo Bichette's knee barking, the Jays elected to take no chances and shipped a relief prospect to St. Louis for a shortstop rental in DeJong, although in theory he's got club options worth $27.5 million over the next two years on his contract. The 30-year-old has played very good defense this season and hit enough again to be worth a big-league roster spot, but he's just a low-batting average power option at a middle infield spot in fantasy terms. Once Bichette is back, DeJong will head to the bench. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Brayan Rocchio, Guardians: Called back up Wednesday, Rocchio will start his fourth straight game Sunday, although it's a little curious that two of those starts have come at third base. The 22-year-old still looks like Cleveland's shortstop of the immediate future with Amed Rosario gone, but Gabriel Arias has hit well enough recently to remain in the mix. Rocchio was slashing .333/.431/.471 at Triple-A since the beginning of July but with just one homer and three steals in 21 games, so his fantasy upside is a bit murky, but his hit tool is legit. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Outfield

Dairon Blanco, Royals: No matter who's running the Royals, the blueprint always seems to trend back toward recreating the go-go 70s and 80s, and trying to find the next Willie Wilson or Amos Otis. Blanco's the latest guy who doesn't do much more than run, but he's been running up a storm since his promotion, swiping 12 bags in 15 attempts this season in only 79 plate appearances. One-category players have tenuous value even in the deepest formats, but Blanco could fit on the right roster if steals are tightly packed and you don't mind taking zeros in other counting categories. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dominic Canzone, Mariners: Part of the package the M's got for Paul Sewald, Canzone has posted strong numbers at Triple-A Reno the last couple years, but the 25-year-old still has to prove he can do it somewhere other than PCL desert ballparks. With Teoscar Hernandez staying put at the trade deadline, Canzone doesn't have the clearest path to a starting role, but he'll be in the corner outfield mix at least until Jarred Kelenic gets healthy. Working in his favor is a solid hit tool and relatively low strikeout rate, so it's just the quality of his contact that needs to hold up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Randal Grichuk, Angels: While he was making his Angels debut when he joined the team after the trade deadline, like Cron, Grichuk had a history with the organization – he was picked 24th overall in the 2009 draft, one spot ahead of Mike Trout. Good thing he was the guy they traded to the Cardinals for... David Freese? Yikes. Anyway, Grichuk was having a nice season with Colorado, even posting decent numbers away from Coors Field, and he's held down the starting spot in left field since his arrival, going 6-for-22 (.273) with two solo homers. Once Trout is off the IL, though, he'll be fighting with Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfroe for playing time, which puts a bit of a damper on his rest-of-season value. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $11

Cade Marlowe, Mariners: Marlowe's looked good since he started getting regular playing time, batting .357 (10-for-28) over his last 11 games with two homers and two steals, and with Kelenic probably out until September, he's got a clear path to playing time for at least the next four weeks. The 26-year-old will likely see his batting average decline, but he could also begin to flash more speed than he's shown so far after swiping 25 bags in 69 Triple-A games prior to his promotion. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Trayce Thompson, White Sox: Now on his third stint with the White Sox, Klay's kid brother will give the White Sox some outfield depth down the stretch, either as a short-side platoon partner for Oscar Colas or maybe more if the younger player can't get it going. Thompson's had his moments in his career, but he's 32 years old with a a .215/.303/.426 slash line over nearly 1,000 big-league plate appearances, so he is what he is. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1