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 role on an A-E scale. Shohei Ohtani would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects stepping into 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.
 

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

Starting Pitcher

Aaron Civale, Cleveland: Danny Salazar managed to stay healthy for all of four innings, so Civale will return to Cleveland on Monday and line up for a two-start period, facing Texas at home and Minnesita on the road. The 24-year-old has been impressive at three levels this season – in his one big-league start June 22, he blanked the Tigers for six innings – and while he doesn't have the stuff to be a future ace, his solid four-pitch arsenal should allow him to handle an assignment at the back of the rotation. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ross Detwiler, White Sox: Detwiler rejoined the ChiSox rotation Saturday and was effective against the Phillies, coming one out shy of a quality start with a 6:1 K:BB. The veteran southpaw is purely staff filler, but the team doesn't have any better options for that spot right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Zack Greinke, Astros: Yeah, that's just what Houston needed, another freaking ace. Greinke will slot in as the Astros' No. 3 starter, which is borderline criminal, but he doesn't whiff a dozen batters every nine innings like Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole do. Of course, he's not a bum in that department – Greinke fanned his 2,500th career batter earlier this season – but the 35-year-old relies a little more on guile these days, which was good enough for a 2.90 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with Arizona. If you need pitching in an AL-only format, don't hesitate to blow your remaining budget on him. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $99

Brendan McKay, Rays: McKay rejoined the Rays rotation Thursday and looked good, fanning seven over 5.1 innings in Boston. At this point it seems likely Tampa will continue bouncing the lefty around in an effort to limit his workload – he did throw only 78.1 innings last year – but he should be effective when he's on the mound, having posted a 25:2 K:BB through his first 24.2 big-league innings. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Daniel Norris, Tigers: The 26-year-old is teasing a breakout again, posting a 1.76 ERA and 16:4 K:BB through 15.1 innings over his last three starts. Norris is the king of looking like he's finally going to put things together and then collapsing like a rickety old wooden bridge once too many fantasy GMs have bought in and piled on, but maaaybe this is the time he won't. It's your FAAB money. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ivan Nova, White Sox: Nova's finally pitching like he did in Pittsburgh, putting together a 2.97 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB through 36.1 innings since the beginning of July. The right-hander's lack of strikeouts does limit his fantasy appeal, as does pitching for the White Sox, but he could still give you solid innings down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Pedro Payano, Rangers: The 24-year-old rookie is the fifth starter du jour for Texas, giving the team two respectable road outings on their recent west coast swing. Payano doesn't have a plus pitch, but his mid-90s fastball and solid curve and changeup seem suited to a back-of-the-rotation or bulk reliever role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Sean Reid-Foley, Blue Jays: SRF rejoined the Jays rotation Tuesday and blanked the Royals for five innings, albeit with a 4:4 K:BB. On a team which has as many starting pitchers on the IL as on the active roster, that's probably good enough to ensure him a job for the rest of the season. Reid-Foley still has a bit of promise after striking 95 in 82 Triple-A innings this season, but without better control he'll be too risky to use in most fantasy formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tanner Roark, Athletics: The second-best starter to cross over from the NL at the trade deadline, Roark could fly under the radar given the higher-profile targets available, but don't dismiss him as just another arm. He stands to benefit from his new home park and better infield defense behind him, and his numbers in Cincinnati were already decent. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $11

Aaron Sanchez, Astros: Why do teams trade struggling but talented pitchers to Houston for pennies on the dollar? Why? We all know what's going to happen. Sanchez's participation in Saturday's combined no-hitter might end up being the pinnacle of his career, but he looked vastly improved by emphasizing his best pitch, a curveball, and all but scrapping a four-seam fastball that just wasn't getting the job done. The 27-year-old isn't even a lock to hang onto a rotation spot the rest of the year – if he's struggling when Brad Peacock gets healthy, the bullpen will beckon – but if Sanchez keeps dealing, Houston will find a key role for him. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Patrick Sandoval, Angels: Sandoval will make his big-league debut Monday after posting a 98:42 K:BB through 80.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. The 22-year-old's numbers took a big step back at Salt Lake as he began to nibble to try and avoid homers, something he will get punished for if he keeps it up in the majors, but the southpaw's low 90s fastball, 12-to-6 curve and developing changeup offer a quality arsenal if he puts everything together. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

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

Chris Bassitt, Athletics (at CHC, at CHW)

Jakob Junis, Royals (at BOS, at DET)

Ariel Jurado, Rangers (at CLE, at MIL)

Wade LeBlanc, Mariners (vs. SD, vs. TB)

Mike Montgomery, Royals (at BOS, at DET)

Zach Plesac, Cleveland (vs. TEX, at MIN)

Devin Smeltzer, Twins (vs. ATL, vs. CLE)

Trent Thornton, Blue Jays (at TB, vs. NYY)

Drew VerHagen, Tigers (vs. CHW, vs. KC)

Jacob Waguespack, Blue Jays (at TB, vs. NYY)
 

Relief Pitcher

Nick Anderson, Rays: The fireballer missed his chance to close in Miami after being sent out the door right after Sergio Romo was dealt, but Anderson still figures to handle a significant role in Tampa. The easy expectation is for him to fill Ryne Stanek's vacated opener/setup spot, but Diego Castillo may be shifting into that assignment instead, which could open up some save chances for Anderson as the No. 2 righty behind Emilio Pagan. No matter when he gets used, he should strike guys out – he's fanned four in two scoreless innings for the Rays after ringing up 69 in 43.2 frames for the Marlins. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Anthony Bass, Mariners: The Seattle bullpen is officially a wasteland after the team sent Hunter Strickland and Roenis Elias to the Nationals at the trade deadline, but somebody will have to close for them on the rare occasions they generate save chances. Bass looks like the most viable option at the moment, posting a 1.86 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB in 9.2 innings over his last nine appearances. The 31-year-old has found some extra heat this year, with his 95.4 mph average fastball being a career high, but he's also on his fifth team in eight years for a reason. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joe Jimenez, Tigers: The future is finally now for Jimenez after being Detroit's Closer of the Future for at least four years now. He's been stuck as the understudy that long largely because he's never pitched well enough to force the issue, though – the righty has a big 95 mph fastball, but his 5.75 ERA and 1.31 HR/9 over 123.2 career innings is a product of how little movement or deception the pitch has. Opportunity makes the 24-year-old the Tigers reliever worth chasing in the wake of the Shane Greene trade, but if you don't think Jimenez will be able to handle the ninth-inning pressure, consider throwing a buck at Buck Farmer (0.00 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 11:3 K:BB in 10 innings since the All-Star break) or Trevor Rosenthal (2.25 ERA, 11:7 K:BB in eight innings since joining Detroit). 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jose Leclerc, Rangers: Chris Martin is off vivaing his vida in a pennant race in Atlanta and Shawn Kelley is still brittle, so the Rangers closer job belongs to Leclerc once again. His latest stint isn't off to a terrific start – four earned runs and a 1:5 K:BB in his last three appearances, including a blown save – but he should keep the job at least until Kelley is off the IL, if only so Texas can see whether Leclerc belongs in the ninth-inning conversation in 2020. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Sergio Romo, Twins: The Twins added a number of late-inning bullpen pieces at the trade deadline, but Romo looks like the No. 2 man for saves behind Taylor Rogers after getting the call Friday when Rogers was unavailable. The 36-year-old hasn't posted big strikeout numbers this season and his ratios are merely OK, but he could be a good add in saves+holds formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Justin Shafer, Blue Jays: Ken Giles could return from his sore elbow as soon as Sunday, but Shafer got the first save in his absence Wednesday and likely would have gotten another one Friday if he wasn't under the weather. The 26-year-old doesn't have dominant stuff but he pounds the bottom of the zone and keeps the ball in the park, an increasingly rare skill these days, and appears to be Giles' ninth-inning understudy in Toronto. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Catcher

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Rangers: The Rangers may have given up on the idea of IKF being a full-time catcher, but they haven't given up on him. The 24-year-old takes over as the team's starting third baseman after Asdrubal Cabrera got dumped to the curb, but it's still not really clear how much offensive upside he actually has – he isn't suddenly going to turn into Josh Donaldson. The good news is, he's already played 37 games behind the plate this season, which means he'll retain catcher eligibility in most formats right through 2020. Even if he doesn't hit well for a third baseman, just getting regular at-bats in a lineup will make him valuable at catcher. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Martin Maldonado, Astros: For the second straight season, Maldonado joins the Astros at the trade deadline, and the veteran backstop made an immediate impact by guiding Aaron Sanchez and three relievers to a combined no-no Saturday. Robinson Chirinos is currently dealing with a sore shoulder, but assuming the issue isn't serious he'll remain the starter, so Maldonado's value should remain low. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jake Rogers, Tigers: Part of last year's return for Verlander, Rogers struggled to make useful contact at Triple-A Toledo this season but still got called up Tuesday and could get a chance to establish himself as the starter behind the plate. His .302/.429/.535 line at Double-A prior to his initial promotion in May highlights his upside, though, and it's not like the Tigers' depth chart features a lot of competition. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Kevan Smith, Angels: The Angels somewhat surprisingly parted ways with Jonathan Lucroy, leaving catching duties in Anaheim in the hands of Smith and Max Stassi. Smith's been the better hitter of the two this season, although injuries have limited him to only 38 games. A timeshare seems likely, which would make both backstops unrosterable outside of deep two-catcher formats, but if you have to pick up one, Smith seems the safer option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Max Stassi, Angels: On the other hand, Stassi might have the higher ceiling. His .446 OPS in 31 games with Houston this year was miserable, but he's shown solid power potential in the minors and the 28-year-old did post a .168 ISO in 88 games last season. With consistent playing time, he could rebound down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Garrett Stubbs, Astros: Stubbs got called up to fill in while Chirinos is getting healthy, but his stay in the majors will likely be a short one. He's an intriguing stash in dynasty and keeper formats and should be back in September, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jose Trevino, Rangers: With Kiner-Falefa focused on third base, Trevino will back up Jeff Mathis behind the plate for Texas. The 26-year-old hasn't posted interesting offensive numbers since he was in the high minors in 2016, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Seby Zavala, White Sox: Welington Castillo is on the bereavement list, so Zavela will back up James McCann for a few days. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

First Base

Jesus Aguilar, Rays: The 29-year-old slugger appears to have been a one-year wonder for the Brewers, but the Rays figured it was worth giving Aguilar a chance to find his 2018 form again as part of their 1B/DH mix. He's gone 2-for-3 with two singles and three walks in two games since joining Tampa, but unless he really catches fire it's hard to see him in anything more than the short side of a platoon. If you have a limited remaining budget and need to gamble on a power bat, though, Aguilar might be your best option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mike Ford, Yankees: Injuries are piling up for the Yankees again, with first Luke Voit and then Edwin Encarnacion going down. That leaves DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela as the starters at the infield corners, but if either of them need a breather, Ford can slot in at the cold corner. The 26-year-old has put together a big year for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and while he hasn't gotten many hits in his brief looks at big-league pitching, his 9:10 BB:K in 11 games suggests he hasn't been overmatched. With more consistent playing time, he could be productive. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Matt Skole, White Sox: Skole barely qualifies as a Quad-A player at this point in his career, as he's never dominated Triple-A, but he'll get another cup of coffee in the majors and give the White Sox some depth at first base and DH. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Matt Thaiss, Angels: Thaiss has started to flash his power, going 9-for-23 (.391) over his last eight games with four homers. It's not yet clear whether he'll be able to stick at third base long-term, but if the Angels can somehow clear Albert Pujols' contract off the books it would be a moot point, and at least for the rest of 2019 they'll give the kid every chance to prove he can be at least adequate defensively at the hot corner. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned
 

Second Base

Breyvic Valera, Yankees: Valera will give the battered Yankees infield a little extra depth, although he could get bumped from the roster again once Didi Gregorius is 100 percent. The 27-year-old has consistently put up excellent batting averages at Triple-A over the last few years, but his modest power and speed contributions might not translate to the majors even if he did receive regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
 

Shortstop

Bo Bichette, Blue Jays: The last of the Jays' trio of second-generation stud prospects to get called up (well, unless you're higher on Griffin Conine than I am), Bichette immediately slotted in as the team's starting shortstop and has looked like he was born to hit, going 11-for-27 (.407) in his first six big-league games with four doubles, a homer and a 3:4 BB:K. The 21-year-old is already hitting at the top of the order, and with Vlad Guerrero Jr. heating up behind him, that could prove to be a very valuable lineup spot down the stretch. Bichette has five-category upside, although he's in an organization that hasn't run much historically, and even before he reaches his peak, he seems poised to put up some very intriguing numbers. Barring a somewhat surprising callup for Jo Adell or Luis Robert, Bichette will probably be the last elite AL hitting prospect to get promoted in 2019. 12-team Mixed: $19; 15-team Mixed: $39; 12-team AL: $75

Jurickson Profar, Athletics: The latest Franklin Barreto experiment is over, putting Profar back in the starting lineup for Oakland at second base – at least until the club is ready to commence its first Jorge Mateo experiment. Nothing's really changed for Profar otherwise, though – he's slashing .170/.231/.447 since the All-Star break in 52 PAs with four homers, as his miserable season continues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
 

Outfield

Keon Broxton, Mariners: It tells you something about the state of the Seattle roster than even Baltimore castoffs are finding regular playing time with the M's. Broxton has started four straight games since being picked up off the scrap heap for the third time in 2019, going 3-for-16 with a homer and seven strikeouts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Cave, Twins: Byron Buxton has been avoiding serious injuries all year like he'd been practicing dodging wrenches over the winter, but he finally got caught with one this week – a partially dislocated shoulder that could sideline him into September. The Twins will roll Max Kepler over to center field and give Marwin Gonzalez more work in right, but Cave was also called up and could see semi-regular action as the fourth OF. The 26-year-old flashed some power last year with 13 homers in 91 games, so he could be a useful deep-league asset down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ryan Cordell, White Sox: Cordell and his .577 career OPS are back to provide some bench depth for the White Sox. Man, it'll be nice when Eloy Jimenez and Robert are everyday fixtures in this outfield and they won't need to waste significant at-bats on guys like this any more, won't it? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Travis Demeritte, Tigers: Acquired from Atlanta along with Joey Wentz in the Greene trade, Demeritte was immediately called up and installed as Detroit's starting right fielder to fill the hole created by the Nicholas Castellanos deal. The 24-year-old was the big oversight in my recent Long Game column highlighting players who'd seen their dynasty-league value get a bump as a result of deadline deals – I should get some sort of black mark or punishment for that. Demeritte was having a breakout campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett, and while his track record suggests he could have volatile batting averages, his power and patience should translate to the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Derek Fisher, Blue Jays: I've long been a proponent of Fisher and thought he never really got a fair shake in Houston, so keep that in mind with my bid recommendations. His tenure in Toronto also got off to maybe the worst start possible – he got hit in the face misplaying a flyball at pretty much the exact same time the two pitchers he was dealt for, Sanchez and Joe Biagini, were part of that combined no-hitter for the Astros. Ulp. That said, he's still a guy with a career .289/.379/.520 slash line in over a thousand plate appearances at Triple-A with 50 homers and 40 steals, so Fisher's got nothing at all left to prove in the minors. Lourdes Gurriel has one outfield corner on lock for the Jays, but there's still plenty of playing time up for grabs in the other two spots if the 25-year-old can find a rhythm and stop letting balls hit him in the face like he's Justin Long failing to dodge a wrench. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Scott Heineman, Rangers: Heineman made his big-league debut Friday after missing the beginning of the year recovering from shoulder surgery, but then slashing a blistering .372/.435/.581 with six homers and four steals in 33 games for Triple-A Nashville once he got healthy. The 26-year-old looks like another one of the endless parade of outfielders who have come through the Rangers system in recent years and posted intriguing power-speed numbers without being able to replicate them in the Show, but with Joey Gallo sidelined, Heineman could see some semi-regular playing time and try to buck that trend. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nick Martini, Athletics: Martini is finally back in the majors after once again hitting well at Triple-A, but he needed Ramon Laureano to get shaken (not stirred) up for it to happen. With Stephen Piscotty healthy again, though, it's not clear how much playing time Martini will get – he's started only one of four games since his promotion, and Piscotty was still on the IL for three of them. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Stephen Piscotty, Athletics: The 28-year-old missed the entire month of July with a knee injury, but he's now back in right field and looking to salvage something from what has been a tough campaign. Piscotty has only nine homers in 77 games after slugging a career-high 27 last year, but if he can stay healthy he could still put together a solid eight-week run. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Yasiel Puig, Cleveland: The biggest hitting prize to join the Junior Circuit at the trade deadline, Puig was something of an enigma during his Dodger days, as his obviously elite athleticism never quite translated into top-shelf production, but he's already one steal, seven homers and 10 RBI away from setting new career highs, and he'll slot into the heart of a Cleveland offense that suddenly looks a lot more dangerous than it did early in the year. It you wait were waiting for a bat at the deadline who could make a difference for you, your choices are pretty much Puig or Bichette, and only one has a big-league track record. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $90

Franmil Reyes, Cleveland: Reyes doesn't have the brand name that Puig does, but he was a big get in his own right for Cleveland. The 24-year-old has prodigious power, having slugged 27 homers in 99 games for San Diego in his first full big-league season, and while his batting average could be volatile, he has less competition for at-bats with his new squad than he did on a crowded Padres roster. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $65

Victor Reyes, Tigers: With Castellanos gone, Christin Stewart hurt and JaCoby Jones being JaCoby Jones, Reyes seems poised to get at least semi-consistent at-bats down the stretch. Taken from Arizona with the first pick in the 2018 Rule 5 draft, the 24-year-old is still trying to figure out how to tap into the power implied by his 6-5 frame, but he might end up being a Jason Heyward kind of hitter rather than a masher. The development time he lost last year doesn't seem to have impacted him at Triple-A, as he's posted a .304/.334/.481 line with 10 homers and 10 steals in 74 games for Toledo this season, and the Tigers would have little to lose by seeing what he's capable of. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3