MLB FAAB Factor: Big Additions for the Final Push

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

We've nearly reached the end of the regular season, with just five series remaining on the schedule and just two or three more chances to pick up players in leagues with weekly roster moves. While you can't move very far in the standings at this point in the year, there are still players entering the pool who could give your team a late push. Two exciting call-ups feature in this week's article, as well as a handful of players who only appear for schedule reasons, something which is vital to pay attention to with so little time remaining.

Starting Pitcher

Kumar Rocker, Rangers (0%)

Rocker has had a remarkable journey over the past few years. A potential first-overall candidate in the 2021 draft alongside Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter, he wound up falling to the Mets with the No. 10 pick due to health concerns, and a post-draft medical was concerning enough that the team elected not to sign him. He then underwent shoulder surgery, declined to return to Vanderbilt, and pitched in the independent Frontier League until the 2022 draft, where the Rangers selected him third overall. He then underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2023, seemingly proving the Mets correct, but his performances since his return suggest they should have signed him anyway. In seven starts in the upper levels of the minors, he's struck out 39.6 percent of opposing batters while walking just 3.6 percent, leading to a 1.96 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. Rocker won't be able to shake durability questions for several years, but if you're adding him now, you only need him to stay healthy for a few weeks, which he should be able to do. He makes his MLB debut tonight against the Mariners. FAAB: $5

Landon Knack, Dodgers (12%)

The back end of the Dodgers' rotation has been fluid throughout the year, but for the most part, whoever's been in temporary possession of a starting job has been worth picking up for fantasy purposes. For now, that's Knack, who was called up last week and struck out eight Guardians in six innings Friday while allowing just two runs on three hits. In 11 appearances this season (nine starts), Knack owns a 3.00 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, striking out 24.0 percent of opposing batters while walking 6.0 percent. It's a resume which would lock him into a rotation spot with most organizations, though there's a chance he loses his spot again before the end of the year the next time another Dodgers starter gets healthy. FAAB: $1

Dean Kremer, Orioles (28%)

If you're desperate for wins down the stretch, Kremer is arguably the best option among the widely available starting pitchers. His 7-9 record on the season is nothing special, but projecting wins is really more about projecting opportunity, and Kremer has the ability to consistently pitch deep enough into games for one of the best teams in baseball. On a per-inning basis, he's been remarkably unremarkable, with his 4.10 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 22.2 percent strikeout rate all standing as neither strengths nor weaknesses, but he's a steady starter on a team which gives him enough run support to help you get the coveted "W". FAAB: $1

Griffin Canning, Angels (9%)

Canning earns a spot this week for one simple reason: two of his three remaining projected starts are set to come against the White Sox. Canning has finally stayed healthy this year, but that hasn't brought the breakout many were hoping for, as he's struggled to a 5.35 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 29 outings, striking out a career-low 17.3 percent of opposing batters. It's a replacement-level performance — worth 0.2 wins per FanGraphs and 0.1 per Baseball Reference — but a replacement-level pitcher who gets to face perhaps the worst team in MLB history for the majority of his remaining starts is worth fantasy consideration. Canning's teammate Jack Kochanowicz finds himself in the same situation, but given that his 5.08 ERA and 1.42 WHIP through eight starts comes with a pathetically low 8.0 percent strikeout rate, I don't think I'd be starting him even against the White Sox. FAAB: $1 

Relief Pitcher

Matt Strahm, Phillies (33%)

Strahm did just record a pair of saves earlier this month, but his inclusion here isn't really for teams desperate for saves. The Phillies are still using a committee in the ninth inning, with Carlos Estevez as its leader, though it's fair to say that Strahm has moved ahead of Jose Alvarado within that committee and is the top left-handed option in the Philadelphia bullpen. That might earn him a save or two down the stretch, but Strahm's inclusion here is really for those in daily moves leagues who want to make sure their P and RP spots are filled with competent relievers everyday. In leagues like those, where relievers with great ratios but few save chances are worth rostering, Strahm's 31.9 percent strikeout rate, 5.1 percent walk rate, 2.06 ERA and 0.79 WHIP make him an excellent choice. FAAB: $2

Tyler Kinley, Rockies (14%)

For most of the season, I would advise you to completely ignore the Rockies bullpen. When you combine the team's lack of save chances with its terrible home park, it becomes hard to envision many scenarios where you'd be happy to have any Rockies reliever in your lineup, especially considering that most of them would be nowhere near high-leverage in most bullpens. I would still be far too afraid of blowing up my ratios to look Kinley's way on many of my teams, but at this point in the year, you can soften that stance a bit if your standings call for it. If your position in ERA and WHIP is safe but you're desperate for every possible save, it's time to hold your nose and go get Kinley, who has emerged as the Rockies closer down the stretch despite an awful 5.98 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. (Victor Vodnik did just return from a biceps injury but has pitched in the seventh inning in both his outings since his return.) FAAB: $1

Catcher

Travis d'Arnaud, Atlanta (12%)

For most of the year, d'Arnaud was an overqualified backup catcher, whose .245/.306/.456 slash line (good for a 109 wRC+) would make him rosterable almost everywhere but whose lack of playing time limited his fantasy appeal to deeper, two-catcher formats. Recently, though, he's moved ahead of Sean Murphy on the depth chart, starting eight of 12 games behind the plate prior to a brief stint on the paternity list this week. He returned Thursday, and if he remains the 1A in Atlanta, that should be enough to make him more interesting even in one-catcher leagues. FAAB: $1

First Baseman

Michael Toglia, Rockies (25%)

Go to your league's free agent page, filter to all available Rockies hitters, sort by percent rostered, and add the top couple guys. That's my advice for most teams in most leagues at this point of the year, for one simple reason: 12 of the team's remaining 15 games will be played at Coors Field. Whichever Rockies weren't quite good enough to be on your roster when merely half their games were played in Denver should clear the threshold now that 80 percent of their remaining schedule will be played on the moon. Toglia is the top name to know, as his excellent 17.0 percent barrel rate has more or less canceled out a poor 31.5 percent strikeout rate this season, leading to 23 homers in 100 games and a .219/.308/.471 slash line, but he isn't the last Rockie who will be mentioned today. FAAB: $3

Ty France, Reds (16%)

I wrote up France in early August after he landed in Cincinnati after being waived by the Mariners, though the Reds soon added fellow veteran cast-off Dominic Smith as competition, cutting into the everyday at-bats which were central to France's fantasy appeal. Smith didn't last long, getting DFA'd in early September, and France has since gone back to a true everyday role, making 15 straight starts. With a .292/.338/.446 slash line and a modest four homers in 38 games for his new team, France is providing exactly the sort of boring but capable numbers which seemed possible when he first became a Red. FAAB: $1

Second Baseman

Brendan Rodgers, Rockies (19%)

Rodgers is part of a large group of players whose everyday jobs make them key roster fillers in deep leagues but whose lack of production in those everyday jobs means there's seldom a reason to look their way in shallower formats, where there are enough everyday players to go around. On the season, Rodgers is hitting .270 but has just 13 homers and one steal in 501 trips to the plate. As you'd expect, though, he's far better at Coors Field (889 OPS) than on the road (.574 OPS), and the Rockies play 12 of their final 15 games at home. When you can get the .889 OPS version of Rodgers for 80 percent of his remaining games, that's suddenly a much more interesting player. FAAB: $3

Third Baseman

Kody Clemens, Phillies (1%)

This one is for deep leagues only, but with Alec Bohm on the injured list with a strained left hand, Clemens has stepped up to become the Phillies' primary third baseman, even getting the nod against a lefty for just the second time all year. Clemens doesn't do anything special at the plate, with his .235/.265/.469 slash line in 102 plate appearances this season being good enough for a 99 wRC+, but if he has an everyday role as part of a strong lineup in a good hitters' park, that's worth a pickup in 15-team leagues or in NL-only formats at the very least, even if you have to drop him again once Bohm returns. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

Trevor Story, Red Sox (19%)

Story returned Saturday from a dislocated shoulder, an injury which kept him out for over five months. It's been a brutal run of injury luck for Story since he signed a six-year, $140 million contract with Boston prior to the 2022 season, with a broken wrist limiting him to 94 games in 2022 and elbow surgery limiting him to 43 games in 2023. When available, he's hit just .227/.287/.389 across 149 games, though his 19 homers and 25 steals over that stretch preserve some fantasy appeal. He's gone just 3-for-14 since his return, and it's hard to be confident that his body will allow him to produce at anywhere near his peak levels following all the injuries, but he should at minimum be good for a few steals down the stretch. FAAB: $3

Outfielder

Jasson Dominguez, Yankees (39%)

The Yankees declined to call up Dominguez, their top prospect and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, when rosters expanded at the start of September, but their thinking evolved over the course of the next week and he's apparently now ahead of Alex Verdugo on the organizational depth chart. Dominguez was called up Monday and has been in the lineup for three of four games so far; oddly, the left-handed Verdugo's lone start came against southpaw Cole Ragans, as the switch-hitting Dominguez hits better from the left side. Whether Dominguez is on the large side of an unconventional platoon or in a true starting role, the potential five-category upside he brings makes him a priority addition, though there's of course plenty of risk with a 21-year-old whose own organization seemingly didn't think he was ready this time last week. FAAB: $6

Nolan Jones, Rockies (40%)

As mentioned twice already, the Rockies play all but three of their remaining games at Coors Field, expanding the scope of Colorado hitters who deserve fantasy consideration. That means I'm even willing to take a look at Jones, who has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season after going off the board at an average pick of 72.3 in the NFBC Main Event. He's hit the injured list twice with back issues and has slashed just .214/.310/.314 with three homers in 66 games when available. If not for the Rockies' remaining schedule, I wouldn't give him much thought, but the chance to play four of the last five series at Coors can't be ignored. I'd prefer Michael Toglia (discussed above) if I needed a first baseman or outfielder, but I'd be willing to take a chance on Jones as well. FAAB: $2

Pavin Smith, Diamondbacks (3%)

Smith was the seventh-overall pick back in the 2017 draft, but as a bat-first player who slashed just .240/.319/.379 in 301 career games prior to this season, he had all but completely fallen off the radar. He failed to make Arizona's Opening Day roster and spent most of the first five months in the minors. He got his chance in late August and has since stepped into the large side of a platoon in left field in the absence of Lourdes Gurriel (calf), hitting .263/.370/.605 with four homers in 19 games since his call-up. On the season as a whole, his career-best strikeout rate (15.9 percent) and barrel rate (13.9 percent) are both excellent marks, suggesting he may finally be making good on his potential. FAAB: $1.