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 upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook. Gunnar Henderson 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

Tyler Anderson, Angels: Anderson had been the prototypical crafty lefty to begin 2024, averaging less than 90 mph on his fastball but still sporting a 0.00 ERA through his first two starts. There's little upside here given his lack of strikeouts, and his 5.43 ERA last season is a reminder of how quickly things could go south for the 34-year-old, but he did deliver a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 2022 for the Dodgers, so if you're scrambling for pitching help, it could be worth seeing how long he can keep it going. His schedule's about to get a lot harder, though – he's in Cincinnati this week, and faces the O's at home his turn through the rotation. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Spencer Arrighetti, Astros: The 24-year-old righty might be Houston's best pitching prospect, but that's very faint praise given the current state of their farm system. Arrighetti got lit up by the Royals in his big-league debut Wednesday, and didn't really show anything to suggest he's ready for a regular role with the Astros. Considering that the team has an entire other rotation worth of arms on the IL though, he'll likely get another turn or two before reinforcements arrive. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Paul Blackburn, Athletics: Blackburn's been brilliant to start the season, firing three straight quality starts with a 0.00 ERA, and even managing to win one of them – no mean feat considering he only won four games in 20 starts last year. The 30-year-old lefty only has an 11:3 K:BB through 19.1 innings though, and the modest spike in K rate that he flashed in 2023 hasn't carried forward so far. This might be a risky time to add him as well – this week's home start against the Cards isn't too scary, but next week he faces the Yankees and O's on the road. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Cooper Criswell, Red Sox: With Nick Pivetta sidelined, Criswell got called up and gave the BoSox four solid innings Saturday. The 27-year-old righty had fired two good outings for Triple-A Worcester before his promotion, and while his upside is decidedly modest, he could be a useful short-term rotation option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Michael Lorenzen, Rangers: Cody Bradford is headed to the IL, opening up a rotation spot for Lorenzen, and the 32-year-old righty immediately gets a two-step, lining up for road starts in Detroit (nice) and Atlanta (eek) this coming week. Lorenzen has posted respectable numbers the last two years since being converted from a relief role, but his 7.0 K/9 during that time tells you everything you need to know about his upside. Pitching for Texas does at least give him decent wins potential, though. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Yariel Rodriguez, Blue Jays: Last week in the comments someone asked me about Rodriguez, and I said he might be a couple weeks away from getting promoted. Whoops. The 27-year-old Cuban made his big-league debut Saturday and while he lasted only 3.2 innings and 68 pitches, they were pretty good ones. The thing working in his favor is that the Jays don't really have other options for their fifth starter spot right now – Bowden Francis flopped, Alek Manoah doesn't look close to ready, and Ricky Tiedemann is struggling to find the strike zone at Triple-A. Rodriguez still needs to get stretched out further before he'll start qualifying for wins and be a viable fantasy option in most formats, and his upside is still somewhat murky given his career path, but he looks like a worthwhile stash until then. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jose Soriano, Angels: Those wacky Angels. They told Soriano this spring he would be stretched out for a rotation job... they just didn't tell him when he'd get it. The 25-year-old right-hander made two long relief appearances to begin the season before getting his first start Wednesday after Chase Silseth hit the IL, and while four runs in four innings isn't great, a 6:0 K:BB against the Rays is certainly encouraging. Soriano's averaging 98.5 mph on his fastball in 2024 but he uses a two-seamer and four-seamer in about equal measure, adding a plus curve, splitter and slider to the mix, and the tools are there for him to have a breakout season. If you are looking for upside as a rotation replacement rather than just a short-term streaming option or a veteran with a floor you can stomach, Soriano might be the best option available on your wire. He's got a tricky two-step this week, with road starts against the Rays (again) and the Reds, and pitching for the Halos doesn't give him much wins potential, but the strikeouts should keep coming. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins: The 23-year-old righty once had a bit of a prospect sheen and was a key piece in the Jose Berrios trade with Toronto back in 2021, but a tough 2023 dropped him off the radar. Woods Richardson looked good in a spot start Saturday during a twin bill in Detroit though, and the fastball velocity he'd lost the last couple years seems to be back, as he averaged 93.1 mph in that start. While his current big-league stint ended basically while I was writing these words – he was up as the 27th man for the doubleheader – neither Louie Varland not Chris Paddack have distinguished themselves in the early going, and Minnesota might not be willing to wait too long for them to turn things around. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

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

Erick Fedde, White Sox (vs. KC, at PHI)
Jon Gray, Rangers (at DET, at ATL)
Cole Irvin, Orioles (vs. MIN, at KC)
Seth Lugo, Royals (at CHW, vs. BAL)
Casey Mize, Tigers (vs. TEX, at MIN)
Reese Olson, Tigers (vs. TEX, at MIN)
Patrick Sandoval, Angels (at TB, at CIN)
Ross Stripling, Athletics (vs. STL, at CLE)
Louie Varland, Twins (at BAL, vs. DET)

Relief Pitcher

James McArthur, Royals: McArthur is solidifying his hold on the closer role in Kansas City after a shaky start to the season. The 27-year-old righty has reeled off four straight scoreless appearances, posting a 6:1 K:BB in 4.2 innings while recording a win and two saves. Meanwhile, Will Smith has a 12.60 ERA and 5:5 K:BB in his six appearances. McArthur is far from a proven commodity, but if he's still available in your league, it's time to rectify that. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Steven Okert, Twins: Minnesota's bullpen usage has been anything but predictable without Jhoan Duran anchoring the unit, and Okert snuck in a save Wednesday after Griffin Jax worked the eighth and Brock Stewart the seventh. It's actually the second time this season Okert was set up to get the ninth with a lead, but the Twins added to their lead the first time and wiped out the save chance. Duran could be back in a couple weeks, but Okert seems to be part of the saves mix until then. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

David Robertson / Kirby Yates, Rangers: It's been, like, three whole weeks since I talked about the Texas bullpen, so I guess this was overdue. Jose Leclerc predictably has struggled, and he's now been yanked out of the closer role, but only temporarily according to manager Bruce Bochy. Leclerc's spent more time "temporarily" out of the closer role than he's spent in it the last few years, but whatever. Both Robertson and Yates are having good starts to their seasons and both have ninth-inning experience, so it's not yet clear who Bochy might call on when the Rangers get their next save chance, but Robertson worked the eighth on Friday with a four-run lead and Yates the ninth. Robertson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Yates –12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Ryne Stanek, Mariners: Andres Munoz posted a career-high 13 saves last season, and his usage to begin 2024 doesn't suggest he's going to top that numbers by a significant margin, as manager Scott Servais seems to like him in highest-leverage spots rather than holding him back for the ninth. As a result, Ryne Stanek has two saves already, the same number as Munoz, and both times Munoz worked the eighth ahead of him. At some point Matt Brash will return and potentially bump Stanek a peg, but for now the journeyman righty with the big fastball could keep collecting a save a week or so. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Reese McGuire, Red Sox: Boston has been using a fairly strict platoon behind the plate to begin the season, and McGuire has taken advantage of his spot on the strong side of it to hit .294 (10-for-34) with two homers and eight RBI. The 29-year-old has never shown much power, even in the minors, but his batting average floor seems fairly safe given his career .260/.305/.381 slash line in over 900 career big-league plate appearances. Connor Wong is also batting .304 (7-for-23), so the Red Sox likely won't fix their catching arrangement if it ain't broke, but Wong's career numbers suggest he's the one with a bit more upside at the plate. McGuire could be worth a short-term add if you've got a revolving door at one catcher spot, but he's unlikely to be a long-term solution. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

First Base

Bobby Dalbec, Red Sox: Boston's infield has been wrecked by injuries, so Dalbec finds himself back in the majors with three guys on the IL and two more banged up. His profile hasn't changed, though – he still whiffs too much to get to what power he has, and his 36.3 percent strikeout rate in the majors might actually be on its way up, not down. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Wenceel Perez, Tigers: A switch hitter with some modest power-speed appeal, Perez made his big-league debut Monday and has seen sporadic playing time in the outfield with the Tigers. If the 24-year-old can string together some hits and Parker Meadows keeps struggling, Perez might become a consistent part of the center field mix, but Matt Vierling would still be ahead of him on the depth chart in that scenario. Perez is best viewed as a deep-league keeper or dynasty stash, in the hopes he emerges with a super-utility role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Lenyn Sosa, White Sox: Sosa has taken over the starting third base role with Yoan Moncada on the shelf, going 2-for-16 with seven strikeouts while starting four straight games. The playing time gives him some marginal value in deep formats, but until the 24-year-old shows something against big-league pitching, he's probably best left on the wire. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Junior Caminero, Rays: With Jackson Holliday up, it's time to look ahead to the next top prospect to stash. Caminero just came off the IL at Triple-A Durham after a minor quad strain, but before getting hurt he was already looking like he was too much for pitchers at that level, going 4-for-12 with a homer and a 2:3 BB:K in his first three games. Tampa Bay's infield is currently down Brandon Lowe, Taylor Walls and Jonathan Aranda, and while the organization doesn't want to rush the 20-year-old Caminero, if he looks ready he'll get the call. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jose Miranda, Twins: Shockingly, Carlos Correa has gotten hurt and landed on the IL. I know, it's hard to believe. Willi Castro and Kyle Farmer were already platooning at third base to cover for Royce Lewis' injury, but now they'll take their act to shortstop, opening up some reps for Miranda. Farmer could get the bulk of the extra time, especially given Miranda's poor defense at the hot corner, but the 25-year-old might hit enough to push his way into more playing time. Miranda's never been able to build on his breakout 2021 though, even at Triple-A, so keep your expectations in check. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler Nevin, Athletics: Oakland's the latest team to see what it might be able to get out of Nevin. The 26-year-old is on his third organization in three years and has a career .203/.310/.294 slash line over 336 plate appearances in the majors, but he raked at Triple-A Toledo in 2023 (.326/.400/.543 with 15 homers in 87 games) and the A's have nothing to lose. Nevin's started four of the last five games, bouncing between first base and left field, but he's gone just 4-for-20 without an extra-base hit. The A's have a track record of successful reclamation projects though and have plenty of playing time available right now, especially with their last successful reclamation job, Brent Rooker, on the shelf. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Abraham Toro, Athletics: Speaking of which, Toro has started six straight games between third base and DH and gone 9-for-25 (.360). The 27-year-old is closing in on 1,000 career big-league plate appearances with a meager .214/.284/.355 slash line, so this is probably his last chance to prove he's not a Quad-A guy. I'm not overly optimistic, but it's not like Eric Chavez is walking through the door of the clubhouse. (Matt Chapman? Carney Lansford? There are plenty of pretty good third basemen to choose from in franchise history if you want a different name drop, and this season feels like the right time to take a walk down Memory Lane with the A's.) 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Kyle Farmer, Twins: Farmer's playing time was ticking up anyway, but he could become a near-everyday player for the Twins as they scramble to replace the entire left side of their infield. The 33-year-old is probably better deployed as a lefty-killer, but with more PAs he'll trade some batting average for counting stats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

David Hamilton, Red Sox: I remain skeptical that Hamilton can be a viable fantasy asset other than as a one-dimensional SB source, but he's got a golden opportunity to prove me wrong given all the injuries on the Boston infield. The 26-year-old is batting .235 (4-for-17) since his promotion last weekend with a solo homer, two steals and three runs, and he should be locked in as the regular shortstop and No. 9 hitter at least until someone like Vaughn Grissom gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jackson Holliday, Orioles: Well, that didn't take long. Maybe Holliday's just a quick study after the O's made vague noises about the things he still had to learn when he began the season at Triple-A Norfolk. The 20-year-old is probably gone in most leagues, but someone might have cut him loose too soon when he didn't make the Opening Day roster. His future's extremely bright, and his present will probably be pretty swell too after he hit .323 with 13 homers and 24 steals across four minor-league levels last year as a teenager. Baltimore's infield is crowded, but they didn't call him up to sit him on the bench. 12-team Mixed: $33; 15-team Mixed: $45; 12-team AL: $65

Pablo Reyes, Red Sox: The 30-year-old infielder is also likely to get pressed into full-time duty in Boston until the roster gets healthier. Reyes doesn't have Hamilton's speed, but he probably offers a better batting average floor, even if he has stumbled out of the gate by going 5-for-27 (.185). 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Outfield

Colton Cowser, Orioles: While Holliday draws all the eyeballs in Baltimore, Cowser has taken over a starting role, hitting safely in eight of his last nine games and batting .464 (14-for-31) with five doubles, three homers, two steals, six runs and seven RBI. The 24-year-old outfielder is a legit prospect in his own right, and while the O's roster still has too many bodies for too few starting spots, it's hard to imagine Cowser getting squeezed, especially with Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins both stumbling out of the gate. Cowser posted a .300/.417/.520 line in 87 games at Triple-A last season with 17 homers and nine steals, so something like a 25-15 campaign isn't at all unreasonable as an upside projection. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: Rostered

Mauricio Dubon, Astros: Dubon is one of those utility players who gets overlooked at the draft table, only to get scooped up quickly during the season once people realize how useful he is. The 29-year-old has seen action at second base, third base, left field and center field already this season, going 8-for-31 (.258) with three runs and six RBI. He's been getting consistent playing time lately with Chas McCormick banged up, and the Astros are an old enough team that someone in the starting nine is always likely to be banged up. Dubon saw 492 plate appearances in 2023, and while that's the high end of his range, he's on pace for over 300. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Nelson Velazquez, Royals: The 25-year-old made a splash in 2023 with 14 homers in 40 games for the Royals, but GMs in shallower leagues could afford to make Velazquez prove it wasn't a fluke. So far in 2024 he's been even better, slashing .333/.385/.521 through 13 games with two homers and seven RBI. He's also struck out 18 times, so his batting average faces some serious regression, but Velazquez's power is holding up. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Matt Vierling, Tigers: As mentioned above, Parker Meadows is scuffling, and while Detroit likes his glove in center field, a .065 batting average (2-for-31) with 15 strikeouts is the kind of performance that gets you sent back to Triple-A to build up some confidence. Vierling was originally supposed to be Meadows' platoon partner, but he's been getting equal work against LHP and RHP so far and thriving against both, batting .306 (11-for-36) with two doubles and a homer. The Tigers do have other options in center – Riley Greene played most of his games there in 2023 – but Vierling should keep finding his way into the lineup as long as he's contributing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered