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 Alexander, Rays: The 30-year-old lefty has been pitching well in his opportunities since the All-Star break, posting a 1.26 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB in 14.1 innings over four bulk relief appearances and scoring the win in three of them. With Zack Littell landing on the IL due to shoulder fatigue, Alexander will be a de facto member of the Rays rotation for a couple more weeks at least. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Osvaldo Bido, Athletics: I wrote up Bido last week, but after he reeled off a third straight quality start and second straight scoreless outing Saturday against the Giants, he'll be in high demand. The 28-year-old righty doesn't have much of a ceiling, but he'll take a regular turn for the A's and could stay locked in a while longer. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Matthew Boyd, Guardians: The veteran lefty returned to the majors in style Tuesday, posting a 6:0 K:BB and allowing just one run over 5.1 innings and 80 pitches. Cleveland likely won't let him go too deep in starts, and Boyd hasn't much fantasy utility since 2021, but he'll have a playoff-caliber team supporting him. He gets a two-step this week but it's a volatile one, at the Yankees and home to the Rangers. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Cody Bradford, Rangers: Bradford's pitched well enough when healthy this year that on other teams he would have been in the rotation all year. Texas keeps bumping him to the bullpen in favor of shinier toys, but then when those shiny toys break, the 26-year-old lefty slides right back in. Jon Gray could return early next week, but only in a bullpen role as he ramps up without a rehab assignment, and the Jose Urena/Dane Dunning duo will be the first to lose their spots. That means Bradford should stick around in the rotation this time until Max Scherzer's back, and that might not happen until September. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Cooper Criswell. Red Sox: The James Paxton thing didn't work out, so the Red Sox are turning back to Criswell to round out their rotation. He got lit up in a bulk reliever role Friday in Baltimore, but that can happen to anybody. Prior to that he'd posted a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings since the All-Star break, and that included a start in Coors Field. He hasn't generated many whiffs during that stretch, but he's kept the ball in the yard and produced plenty of weak contact. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joey Estes, Athletics: The 22-year-old keeps providing Oakland with solid innings. Over his last five starts (plus a long-relief appearance mixed in), Estes has posted a tidy 3.23 ERA in 30.2 innings. He's even won two games and collected two quality starts during that stretch. Estes has really only has one bad performance since mid-June, and while his 4.72 ERA looks sketchy, over his last 10 appearances he's delivered a 3.91 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 36:12 K:BB in 53 IP. He's set up for a two-start week, both coming at home against the Rays and Brewers, so while he'll be on the streaming radar, he's earned a little more respect than that. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Brant Hurter, Tigers: Detroit's rotation woes have forced the team to go the opener/bulk reliever route in two spots, but so far it's been working out. Hurter, a 25-year-old rookie southpaw, has made three appearances in the majors in August with a 3.21 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB over 14 innings, but he had a 5.80 ERA for Triple-A Toledo prior to his promotion. The wheels could come off at any time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Davis Martin, White Sox: Martin didn't make his season debut until late July as he completed his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but in four outings since rejoining the big-league staff he has a respectable 3.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, although his 17:10 K:BB in 18 innings is sketchy. Pitching for the ChiSox gives him basically zero win probability, but one of his three actual starts resulted in a QS, and he's posted solid strikeout rates in the minors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Zebby Matthews, Twins: The 24-year-old righty made his big-league debut Tuesday and handled the Royals pretty capably, posting a 5:0 K:BB over five innings to get the win. Matthews' strikeouts spiked in the minors this year, but it's his elite command that remains his strongest asset. Across four levels and 129.1 innings in 2024, he's walked a grand total of seven batters. SEVEN. That's against 114 Ks. With Minnesota fighting for a playoff spot – they're two games back of Cleveland in the AL Central, and 4.5 games up on Boston for a wild-card berth – they really can't afford to keep hoping Chris Paddack figures it out when he's done with his latest IL stint. Matthews also lines up for a two-step this week, at San Diego and home to the Cards, but he stands a very good chance of being more than just a streaming option. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Keider Montero, Tigers: Montero's won three straight starts, and over his last four trips to the mound he's come through with a 3.52 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB in 23 innings. The 24-year-old righty doesn't have elite upside, but with the Tigers going full youth movement as they try to play spoiler down the stretch, he could have a bit more fantasy value than expected. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Bryan Sammons, Tigers: The other bulk reliever for the Tigers, Sammons is a little more interesting than Hurter. The 29-year-old rookie had respectable numbers at Triple-A Toledo before making his big-league debut in late July, and in four appearances for Detroit since his promotion he's produced a 3.38 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB in 18.2 innings. Sammons won't get you a great K/9, but he's lined up for two outings this week, on the road against both Chicago squads. Any time a pitcher has the White Sox on their schedule, they're a streaming option, and the extra turn in Wrigley (the Cubs are 22nd in wOBA against LHP) is appealing too. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

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

Joe Boyle, Athletics (vs. TB, vs. MIL)
Jonathan Cannon, White Sox (at SF, vs. DET)
Carson Fulmer, Angels (at KC, at TOR)
Trevor Rogers, Orioles (at NYM, vs. HOU)
Jose Urena, Rangers (vs. PIT, at CLE)

Relief Pitcher

Seranthony Dominguez, Orioles: Dominguez recorded his second straight save Wednesday, and Craig Kimbrel hasn't nailed down a save since July 7, so while the O's haven't said anything out loud, it certainly looks like they're making a change at closer. To be fair, Kimbrel's 10.24 ERA in 9.2 innings since that save isn't giving them much choice. Dominguez, by contrast, has a 1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB in nine innings since being acquired by Baltimore. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Chad Kuhl, White Sox: The White Sox got their first save since July 10 on Friday, and naturally it went to, uhhh, wow. Kuhl's a 31-year-old journeyman who's never had an ERA below 4.00 in his career, or struck out at least a batter an inning over the course of a full season, but it's not like the team has better options for the ninth inning. Kuhl's ERA since the All-Star break is 5.00; John Brebbia's is 11.74. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Carson Kelly, Rangers: Acquired at the trade deadline to back up Jonah Heim, Kelly has instead hit his way into a timeshare, going 9-for-23 (.391) while starting six of the last eight games with a homer and six RBI. He's had stretches like this before and cooled off, but if you're streaming catchers or are looking for a decent No. 2, Kelly's worth at least a short-term add. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Jose Trevino, Yankees: Fresh off the IL, Trevino arrives back in New York to find that Austin Wells is slashing .346/.411/.538 over his last 20 games, so his chances of reclaiming any kind of significant workload right now are close to nil. Trevino can fill a short-side platoon role though, as Wells has done little year against LHP. If the younger backstop cools down and Trevino's defense and game-calling can tip the scales a bit his way, so much the better. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

First Base

Niko Kavadas, Angels: Picked up from Boston in the Luis Garcia deal, Kavadas will get a chance to be the Halos' primary DH against right-handers. The 25-year-old was slashing .281/.424/.551 with 17 homers in 83 games for Triple-A Worcester prior to the trade, but with a 33.4 percent strikeout rate, and his hit tool is a serious question mark. Kavadas might end as nothing more than a Quad-A bat, but he might also carve out a Rowdy Tellez-like role and have peaks high enough to keep him on the fantasy radar. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers: Torkelson finally showed hints of figuring things out at Triple-A – over his first 16 games after the All-Star break he slashed .288/.416/.627 with five homers, although he'd slowed down since – but his strikeout rate remained elevated. With the Tigers going full youth movement though, they decided that was enough progress and called him back up Saturday, and he responded with a double and a triple in three at-bats against the Yankees. Detroit's infield now features Tork (24 years old), Colt Keith (23), Trey Sweeney (24) and Jace Jung (23), with Dillon Dingler (25) behind the plate and Parker Meadows (24), Justyn-Henry Malloy (24) and Riley Greene (23) patrolling the outfield. Kerry Carpenter's the grizzled veteran at 26. Yowza. That group may not have the pure upside of the Orioles' clutch of kids, but there's still a lot of potential in the Tigers' bunch. Anyway, having all those other prospects around Torkelson should help take some pressure off him, and he won't have to be The Guy after being the first overall pick in 2020. He's had a rough start to his career, but he's far from a lost cause. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Will Wagner, Blue Jays: Wagner checks all the boxes Toronto looks for in a position player. Dad was a big leaguer? Check. Can handle multiple positions defensively? Check. Makes a lot of contact without a lot of power? Check. The 26-year-old has started four of five games since his promotion, all at second base, and he's gone 8-for-15 with three doubles and three RBI, maintaining the momentum he'd had at Triple-A Buffalo following the trade from the Astros. It's not yet clear whether he'll be anything more than another utility player long-term, but Wagner will get a long look over the final weeks as the Jays play out the string. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Second Base

Edouard Julien, Twins: With Byron Buxton and Brooks Lee back on the shelf, Julien is back in the majors. The 25-year-old has started two straight games at second base but gone 1-for-6 with four Ks, continuing the struggles that got him demoted. Julien was looking good at Triple-A St. Paul, slashing .289/.396/.533 over his last 11 games before returning to Minnesota, but he still can't figure out how to get going at the top level. The Twins have too many options, and too much on the line, to give him much slack. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Junior Caminero, Rays: Caminero's already rostered in the vast majority of leagues, so this is just a courtesy reminder to get you to see if one of the game's elite prospects is actually on your waiver wire. Over his last 16 games at Triple-A Durham prior to the promotion, the 21-year-old was slashing .328/.352/.552. He's pretty good. 12-team Mixed: $55; 15-team Mixed: $65; 12-team AL: $75

Jace Jung, Tigers: This week's wave of prospect promotions is becoming the norm for MLB teams. If a player doesn't get called up right at the beginning of the schedule, waiting until the second half of August will keep his rookie status intact for the following season, leaving him eligible for the draft pick haul that comes with a Rookie of the Year Award. Jung isn't a prospect on the level of his brother in Texas, or Caminero, but he's still plenty intriguing. After launching 28 homers between High-A and Double-A in 2023, Jung's dealt with injuries this season but still slugged 14 homers in 91 games for Triple-A Toledo. He's more power over hit, but his strikeout rates have been palatable in the minors, and he should develop into a solid fantasy asset. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Oswald Peraza, Yankees: Jazz Chisholm's elbow injury may not be as bad as it first seemed, but he'll still be out for a while. Oswaldo Cabrera will get first crack at handling the third base job for the Yankees, but Peraza will see some time too. He homered in his 2024 big-league debut Friday, and the 24-year-old had eight HR and 16 SB in 65 games for Triple-A S/WB this year. Peraza could produce useful numbers if he gets a chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ramon Urias, Orioles: Coby Mayo's struggles got him booted back to Triple-A, leaving Urias to handle the hot corner for now. The 30-year-old emerged from a slump to bat .333 (8-for-24) over his last eight games with two homers and seven RBI, and he did pop a surprising 16 homers in a nearly full-time role in 2022. Urias could help over the final weeks of the season, assuming he doesn't get nudged aside by Mayo or a returning Jordan Westburg or whoever again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Shortstop

Trey Sweeney, Tigers: The least well-known of the Tigers' new... hmm, this infield is going to need a nickname, isn't it? Google says the collective noun for tigers is an "ambush" or a "streak", but I'm not sure that helps. Gen-HR? Ugh. Their last initials are T, K, S and J, but Four Jacks is too close to the cursed Four Aces from a bygone Oakland era, plus it leaves out Torkelson. Maybe I'll just wait to see if they're any good before worrying about it. Sweeney came over from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty deal and hit .381 (16-for-42) with six doubles, two homers and four steals in his first 11 games for Triple-A Toledo to earn his promotion. His numbers in the minors weren't anything close to that, but the 2021 first-round pick (of the Yankees, who gave up on him over the winter and sent him west) does at least have a bit of a pedigree, and Javier Baez is long past his expiration date, even if he does have three years and $73 million left on his contract after 2024. Sweeney will get a chance to handle at least a strong-side platoon role at shortstop over the final weeks of the year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Taylor Walls, Rays: Walls isn't an everyday player, but he's getting into the lineup more often in August and providing some value, batting .300 (9-for-30) with five steals in 13 games. He doesn't offer much else, but especially if you're in need of speed, his defensive versatility offers multiple ways to get him into your lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Shay Whitcomb, Astros: The minor-league home run leader in 2023, Whitcomb kept slugging this season and had a .293/.378/.530 slash line in 108 games this season at Triple-A Sugar Land with 25 homers and 26 steals. Houston seems to crank out hitting prospects like this almost at will, but so far only Kyle Tucker has really panned out in the majors. Whitcomb played at least one game at every defensive position except catcher and center field this year for Sugar Land, and while he was expected to replace Jon Singleton at first base after his promotion, Alex Bregman's sore elbow forced the 25-year-old to make his MLB debut at third base instead. A 2-for-3 performance Saturday with a walk and a double is a good way to start. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jacob Wilson, Athletics: Remember like a month ago, when Wilson was the hottest prospect on the planet and Oakland's savior? The 22-year-old strained his hamstring in his big-league debut and has been out since, but he began a rehab assignment Saturday and went 2-for-3 for Triple-A Las Vegas. He'll be handed the starting shortstop job as soon as he's back, and if you need a reminder of what he's capable of, Wilson has slashed .441/.478/.686 over 47 games in the minors this year across three levels. Sneaking him through now, before he actually gets activated, could save you some crucial FAAB dollars. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Outfield

Oswaldo Cabrera, Yankees: Cabrera has started three of four games at third base since Jazz Chisholm suffered his first (and probably not last) injury as a Yankee, going 5-for-12 with a steal, an RBI and two runs. The 25-year-old offers some power and speed and may not be a liability in batting average, and even hitting near the bottom of the Yankees' lineup provides some counting-stat upside. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dylan Carlson, Rays: Avert your eyes, Cardinals fans. It's happening again. Freed from St. Louis, Carlson's playing time has been picking up lately, and through 40 plate appearances in August he's slashing .294/.400/.588 with three homers, a steal, four runs and eight RBI. The 25-year-old has been batting second against lefties but is still getting starts against RHP, and with Jonny DeLuca in a tailspin (.391 OPS in August), the only thing keeping Carlson out of a full-time job could be the fact that he's limited to a corner outfield spot defensively. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Kerry Carpenter, Tigers: The slugger came off the IL with a bang, homered twice in his first game back Tuesday and then adding a third long ball Wednesday. Carpenter will sit against some lefties but shouldn't be in a full-on platoon, and being limited to mostly DH duties should help keep him healthy. He isn't the biggest name, but he should be a definite asset down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Manuel Margot, Twins: With Byron Buxton on the shelf again, Margot's started four of the last five games, going 5-for-17, albeit with zero extra-base hits, one run and one RBI. The 29-year-old outfielder is only 4-for-4 on the basepaths this season, but regular playing time could allow him to add some value with his legs. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Austin Martin, Twins: Martin has also started four of five games since Buxton went down, three in center field and one at second base. The 25-year-old is having a solid August, slashing .278/.350/.261 in 40 plate appearances with seven runs scored, but like Margot he hasn't been offering a whole lot of late in the power or speed departments. Of the two, Martin's got a bit more upside and a bit more versatility, and is probably the one you want in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Gavin Sheets, White Sox: Sheets had a nice start to the season and was slashing .279/.376/.465 at the end of April, but then he fell off a cliff in May and hasn't recovered – until now. Over his last eight games, he's gone 15-for-32 (.469) with five doubles, a homer and seven RBI while bouncing between first base and DH. Andrew Vaughn has also heated up over that stretch, so look for manager Grady Sizemore to keep that arrangement going for a while. Sheets will cool off again soon enough, but he could be worth riding for a week or two. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered