AL FAAB Factor: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

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. Wyatt Langford 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.

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 on our Discord.

Starting Pitcher

Jason Alexander, Astros: Houston's now up to eight starting pitchers on the injured list, with Lance McCullers and Brandon Walter joining the party over the last week. (Somehow, Houston is still in first place in the AL West, although both the M's and Rangers are nipping at their heels, and Seattle has already signaled that they are Going For It with the Josh Naylor trade.) There's probably a George Costanza quote about getting a promotion by default. Maybe this'll be the summer of Jason, but his first start back in the big-league rotation went about as well as you would have expected from his namesake's most famous role, as he gave up five runs on 11 hits over six innings Thursday against the A's. The righty does have a nice schedule coming up, if he sticks around – home against the Nationals this week, then a two-step next week against the Marlins and Yankees – but between guys getting healthy and potential trade deadline additions bumping him, there's little reason to stash him just for that. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shane Bieber, Guardians: Bieber built up to 43 pitches Tuesday in his most recent rehab start and he continues to dominate minor-league hitters, fanning four over three High-A innings in that outing. The target for his next start Sunday is 55 pitches, which probably means at least one more rehab appearance after that, and maybe two. The Guardians are three games back of a wild-card spot, and if the Tigers keep collapsing the AL Central title could be back on the table as well, so Bieber's return in early August might be the spark that ignites a playoff push in Cleveland. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Joe Boyle, Rays: With Taj Bradley booted down to Triple-A, the door is open for Boyle to move into the Tampa rotation for the stretch run. Not only that, the 25-year-old flamethrower will get dropped right into a two-start week, albeit a dangerous one – on the road in Yankee Stadium, then at "home" in Little Yankee Stadium (aka George M. Steinbrenner Field... huh, all roads seem to be leading back to Seinfeld in this week's article) against the Dodgers. Boyle hasn't thrown more than 39 pitches in either of his last two long-relief appearances, so he may be on a bit of a pitch count in the first start, but his upside is undeniable. He's averaging 98.3 mph with his fastball, and the Rays seem to have mostly solved his control issues as he has an 18:6 K:BB in 19 big-league innings this year. If he's still available in your league and you need pitching, you need to pounce. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Kyle Bradish, Orioles: A new name on the Stash Watch list, Bradish began a rehab assignment Thursday after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. The 28-year-old righty looked like he was headed for a monster campaign in 2024 before breaking down, with his K rate jumping up to 32.5 percent over 39.1 innings, and his elite 2023 ratios (2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) were no fluke. He's looking at a mid-August return, so a week or two behind the likes of Bieber or Luis Gil, but Bradish has comparable upside. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Gil, Yankees: The Yankees are being cautious with Gil's build-up, but he tossed 67 pitches (44 strikes) for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, so he likely only needs one more rehab start before rejoining the big-league rotation next weekend. A 17:6 K:BB in 10 rehab innings highlights his immediate upside. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Ryan Gusto, Astros: Gusto got moved back into the rotation because, well, Houston doesn't really have anyone else right now. Like Alexander, he got lit up by the A's in his last start, and it's not exactly clear which of them will get bumped first once reinforcements arrive – Gusto was working in the bullpen prior to Friday's rough outing, but that might he's less likely to lose his spot on the 26-man roster completely. Either way, he's just a temp in the rotation, and a risky one from a fantasy perspective. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Rich Hill, Royals: Bad as the Astros have it in their rotation right now, they haven't had to give any starts to a 45-year-old. Hill, predictably, gave the Royals five perfectly adequate innings Tuesday in his first MLB start since 2023, but his 1:2 K:BB is as big a red flag as you could ask for. If this doesn't work out, Kansas City also has 37-year-old Dallas Keuchel parked at Triple-A Omaha, which is another way of saying the front office is probably working the phones looking for the pitching equivalent to Randal Grichuk before the trade deadline. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cristian Javier, Astros: Javier's rehab moved up to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday and he built up to 49 pitches, likely leaving him a couple more starts away from his 2025 debut. He doesn't have the ceiling that Gil or Bieber do, but his nearly Cy Young-caliber 2022 campaign (2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 33.2 percent K rate over 148.2 innings) wasn't all that long ago for the 28-year-old right-hander. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Troy Melton, Tigers: Called up for his big-league debut Wednesday, Melton got rocked by the Pirates but also posted a 7:2 K:BB over five innings, which is encouraging. The fact that the 24-year-old righty wasn't immediately sent back to Triple-A Toledo afterwards is even more encouraging, and the fifth starter job could be his until Sawyer Gipson-Long gets healthy. Melton had a 2.99 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 73:25 K:BB over 75.1 innings in the high minors prior to his promotion, and he's got real upside simply due to his limited reps – he didn't become a full-time pitcher until college, so there could be big leaps forward coming with his secondary pitches and overall command. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Severino, Athletics: Picking up Severino at this point is essentially a bet that he'll get moved at the deadline. Sutter Health Park has not been to his liking – the veteran right-hander has a 6.68 ERA and 1.62 WHIP at home this season, and a 3.03 ERA and 1.04 WHIP on the road. Whether the A's can find a taker for his contract, or even want to, is another question, but if Severino does get moved to a contender he could end up being one of those overlooked acquisitions that shifts a pennant race. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Patrick Corbin, Rangers (at LAA, at SEA)
Zach Eflin, Orioles (vs. TOR, at CHC)
Logan Evans, Mariners (at ATH, vs. TEX)
Richard Fitts, Red Sox (at BOS, vs. HOU)
Jack Kochanowicz, Angels (vs. TEX, vs. CHW)
Davis Martin, White Sox (vs. PHI, at LAA)
JP Sears, Athletics (vs. SEA, vs. ARI)
Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins (vs. BOS, at CLE)

Relief Pitcher

Seranthony Dominguez, Orioles: Baltimore already shipped out Gregory Soto, so there are definitely scenarios in which Felix Bautista is next, and Dominguez is the last high-leverage man standing in the O's bullpen after the All-Star break. The problem is, Dominguez is at least as likely to get dealt himself, as he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Bautista is on the shelf with a sore shoulder though, so Dominguez should be a short-term option for saves, even if he's just being showcased for prospective renters. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Robert Garcia, Rangers: Garcia has reclaimed the Texas closer role, snagging the team's only two saves since the All-Star break. Luke Jackson also got kicked to the curb, so there's less competition for ninth-inning work. Over his last 12 innings, the southpaw has a 1.50 ERA and 16:5 K:BB. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jon Gray, Rangers: The veteran righty made his season debut Wednesday after suffering a forearm fracture in spring training, and he's made two solid long relief appearances since. There's no room in the Rangers' rotation for him at the moment, and if a spot opens up he'll be fighting Jacob Latz for it, but Gray could still have some deep-league value in his current role, which providing enough upside to be viewed as a stash in a best-case scenario. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Hunter Harvey, Royals: If you're looking for a high-K relief option, especially in formats that value holds, Harvey should be a priority target. He had a great start to the season before being shut down with a shoulder strain, but he hasn't made an appearance since being activated Friday – which is a bit odd considering the Royals played a doubleheader Saturday. He's a free agent in the offseason, so maybe the front office looking to ship him out at the deadline. Assuming he moves back into a high-leverage role for whatever team he's pitching for, Harvey should have some utility down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jack Perkins, Athletics: I jumped the gun last week on Perkins joining the rotation, but his time is coming. J.T. Ginn is a stop-gap, Jacob Lopez is fading, and somebody getting traded remains a strong possibility. Perkins has worked at least three innings in five of his first six big-league appearances and hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of them, and his 2.87 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB over 15.2 innings are in line with his minor-league numbers, and his upside. There's still an excellent chance the 25-year-old right-hander heads into 2026 having established himself as the ace of the A's staff. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Catcher

Tyler Heineman, Blue Jays: Alejandro Kirk took a vicious foul tip off the chin Saturday while working behind the plate, and he was replaced by Heineman an inning later. Kirk wound up on the concussion IL on Sunday, giving Heineman some appeal as the starter for the Jays thanks to his .330/.394/.495 slash line in 106 plate appearances this season. The 34-year-old switch hitter has been in way over his head at that level of production, and he's already cooled down in July (4-for-19 in eight games), but regular playing time in the red-hot Toronto offense carries its own value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

First Base

Josh Naylor, Mariners: The first big-name player to arrive in the AL ahead of the trade deadline, Naylor hit fourth in his Seattle debut Friday, sandwiched between Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena against a righty, and he then hit fifth against a lefty Saturday, flipping spots with Arozarena. It's a prime RBI spot, and while Naylor was in a rut prior to the trade (.237 BA, no homers and one RBI in his final 11 games for Arizona), he could snap out of it at any time. The switch in home parks won't help his HR total, but if you've been keeping your powder dry in an AL-only league, Naylor could well end up being your best option for a needle-moving addition. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $35

Jon Singleton, Astros: The veteran first baseman has seen limited action since getting called up last weekend, but as long as Yordan Alvarez remains out of action, there are at-bats available at DH for someone like Singleton. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

David Hamilton, Red Sox: The keystone has become a bit of a mess again for Boston. Marcelo Mayer is hurt, Kristian Campbell is still trying to regain his confidence at Triple-A, and Romy Gonzalez is needed at first base more often than not. That leaves a path to fantasy value for Hamilton, although Ceddanne Rafaela will be spotting in at second base as well – as least until the team trades away an outfielder for pitching help it desperately needs. Hamilton's got limited upside, but he could swipe some bags if he gets consistent at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Amed Rosario, Yankees: The Yankees brought in Ryan McMahon to handle the hot corner, but they also upgraded their primary utility infielder spot with Rosario, and he could end up platooning at third base with McMahon. Rosario was slashing .299/.333/.483 in 93 PAs against LHP for the Nationals this season, and that's likely to be his main role in the Bronx. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Josh Jung, Rangers: Jung didn't actually post the kind of numbers at Triple-A after his demotion early this month to suggest that he's turned things around, but he was brought back up anyway to help fill in for Jake Burger, and it may have been the right call. Jung has gotten off to a hot start, hitting safely in five straight games for the Rangers and going 7-for-14 with a homer and respectable 3:4 BB:K, and perhaps more importantly, he's been making better contact – he has an average exit velocity of 91.8 mph (87th percentile) in his breakout 2023, but that was down significantly to begin the 2025 campaign. In those five games, a tiny sample to be sure, he's got an AEV of 97.6 mph. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Ryan McMahon, Rockies: Ah, the eternal fantasy dilemma – will moving away from Coors Field absolutely tank someone's fantasy value? McMahon didn't exactly have a lot of value to tank, to be fair, but even his poor .217/.314/.403 slash line on the year came with exaggerated splits (.189/.265/.324 on the road). If you're looking for a good reason to toss a bid his way regardless, I can give you two. The upgraded roster around him is a solid excuse on its own, although the 30-year-old did hit eighth in his Yankees debut Saturday. The second is his swing. McMahon hasn't been much of a pull hitter during his career, but he changed that up in 2025, posting a career-high 18.7 percent Pull Air rate that you'd almost swear was him pre-tailoring his swing for the Yankee Stadium short porch. That's still not Cody Bellinger/Ben Rice territory (both of them top 25 percent in that metric), but it does offer some hope that the switch in home parks might not be a downgrade after all. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $15

Luis Urias, Athletics: Good thing Nick Kurtz is around to take attention away from the rest of the A's infield. Jacob Wilson has been in free fall in July, and with Max Muncy on the shelf, Urias has been pushed into a regular role at second base while Gio Urshela and Miguel Andujar split third-base duties, with Max Schuemann making occasional cameos where needed. Urias has gone 3-for-18 with a solo homer in seven games since returning from the IL a little over a week ago, but he has at least walked three times against only two Ks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Gabriel Arias, Guardians: Arias came off the IL on Saturday and bumped Brayan Rocchio over to second base, and that appears to be the double-play combo Cleveland will run with for now. Arias' lack of consistent contact is an issue, but he's got six homers and three steals in 298 PAs this season, so the 25-year-old does offer some small counting-stat upside if you aren't too worried about your batting average or OBP. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Chase Meidroth, White Sox: Meidroth has been in a groove since the All-Star break, hitting safely in seven straight games while batting .406 (13-for-32) with four doubles and a homer. The 24-year-old is up to 11 steals on the season in 79 games, and his plate discipline skills have survived his first look at major-league pitching, so he looks very much like the White Sox's future (and present-day) leadoff hitter. If you're looking for that skill set, he's still available in plenty of shallower leagues. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Colson Montgomery, White Sox: Montgomery's also found something coming out of the break, homering in three straight games – his first three long balls in the big leagues – while hitting safely in seven of the last eight games with a .300 batting average and 11 RBI. The heater the 23-year-old was on at Triple-A to prompt his promotion has carried over, and through his first 18 MLB contests, Montogmery's slashing .276/.344/.500. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Taylor Walls, Rays: Ha-Seong Kim is back on the IL and Brandon Lowe isn't back from the IL yet, so there's room for both Jose Caballero and Walls in the lineup. Caballero isn't available in most leagues (funny how a guy competing for the stolen-base title is already rostered), but extra playing time for Walls should lead to some steals as well, even if he doesn't offer much else. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Gustavo Campero, Angels: With Jorge Soler's back acting up again, Campero was called back up Saturday and could work on the short side of a platoon in right field with LaMonte Wade. There's a path to more playing time than that – Campero's a switch hitter, and Wade has done almost nothing in an Angels uniform – but the 27-year-old offers little power himself, and at best might be a contributor in BA and SB. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dylan Carlson, Orioles: The former Cardinal prospect was added back to the big-league roster at the beginning of the week, but if you pick him up now, it's in the hope that Ramon Laureano and/or Cedric Mullins get shipped out, and Carlson becomes a starter. He's posted a .294/.421/.451 slash line this season at Triple-A with four homers and four steals in 126 PAs, but he has yet to come close to that sort of performance in the majors since his tantalizing 2021 campaign, stumbling to a .225/.309/.341 line in just over a thousand plate appearances the last three years. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Carlos Cortes, Athletics: With Denzel Clarke out of action for a while, the A's called up both Colby Thomas and Cortes for outfield depth. The former is the bigger name as a prospect, but it's the latter who has started three straight games in right field while Lawrence Butler covers center against RHP. Cortes even hit leadoff in one of those games, and while he has struck out five times in 13 PAs since his promotion, he's also collected four hits and three runs. The 28-year-old stalled out in the Mets' system before becoming a minor-league free agent this past winter, but he's enjoyed hitting in Las Vegas a lot more than he did Syracuse, slashing .322/.414/.603 with 17 homers and a 41:46 BB:K in 71 Triple-A games prior to making his big-league debut. There might be a bit more upside here than it seems on the surface. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: Out since early April with a shoulder issue, DeLuca returns to a Rays outfield that now has Jake Mangum established in a regular role, and Chandler Simpson doing his best throwback 80s impression of Vince Coleman. DeLuca got the start in center field over Simpson in his first game back, but lefty Andrew Abbott was on the mound against Tampa Bay, and the duo might be looking at a platoon. DeLuca is the better defender, but as long as the speedster is getting on base at a good clip (.341/.384/.407 since returning to the majors in late June) and causing a ruckus on the basepaths, his spot should be pretty secure. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Randal Grichuk, Royals: The 33-year-old is probably best suited to a lefty-killer role at this stage of his career, a la Rob Refsnyder in Boston, but Kansas City probably doesn't have that luxury with Jac Caglianone on the IL and the lineup in desperate need of whatever power it can get. Grichuk has just seven homers on the year, but five have come against southpaws, and his overall .240/.277/.457 slash line is more than a little unlucky. The lineup around him hasn't improved, but his path to regular playing time has. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

MJ Melendez, Royals: Speaking of desperation plays to find some power, Melendez is back in the majors. The 26-year-old has 13 homers and a surprising 14 steals in 72 Triple-A games this year, but also a 28.1 percent strikeout rate and 69.3 percent contact rate, numbers which don't indicate he's solved his issues at the plate. With Caglianone out though, Melendez could see semi-consistent playing time in an outfield corner. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

John Rave, Royals: Rave worked his way into a starting role just prior to the All-Star break, and while he has slugged all three of his homers during that 11-game span, he's also batting just .194 (6-for-31). Caglianone's injury should keep him in the lineup, and Rave did launch 21 homers in last season for Triple-A Omaha while stealing 17 bags. More importantly, the Royals have every incentive to see if they have something with him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 

Colby Thomas, Athletics: The A's really don't seem convinced that Thomas is ready to be a regular contributor, and he hasn't done anything to alter that impression. In four games since his latest promotion, he's gone 1-for-9 with seven strikeouts. Despite superficially strong numbers in the desert at Triple-A Las Vegas, the 24-year-old's prospect status is fading quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays: Varsho hasn't been activated yet, but he appears to be tracking toward a Monday return, so if you need outfield help you might as well try to grab him now. The 29-year-old is a drag in batting average, but eight homers this year in only 24 games is hard to ignore if you need power, and his defense keeps him in the lineup when he's able to stay healthy. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Designated Hitter

Joc Pederson, Rangers: Pederson's dreadful start to the season was mercifully cut short in late May due to a hand injury, and he's now had a chance to reset while rehabbing. There are massive amounts of bad luck messing with his .131/.269/.238 slash line, and the 33-year-old's bat speed and plate discipline still seemed strong when he got hurt, so it wouldn't be a big surprise if he came out of the gate on fire after being activated Sunday. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11 

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: Stanton has been a not-quite-everyday DH since making his season debut in mid-June, but that will soon change. His playing time should trend up in the short term with Aaron Judge sidelined, but Stanton will also get bumped to the outfield when Judge is back, as the perennial MVP candidate is expected to be limited to DH himself. Forcing the 35-year-old Stanton to chase down flyballs isn't ideal, but he's looked good at the plate at least, slashing .350/.409/.825 over his last 12 games with six homers and 13 RBI. If he can somehow stay healthy while handling defensive duties, he could be primed for a big surge over the final two months of the schedule. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered