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 in the comments or on our Discord.

Starting Pitcher

Mick Abel, Twins: Finally called up by Minnesota on Saturday, Abel got roughed up by the White Sox, which isn't exactly a great way to introduce yourself to your new organization. The right-hander had been dominant at Triple-A after being acquired from the Phillies though, posting a 1.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB in three starts and 15.1 innings, so we'll give him a mulligan on Saturday's outing. Abel has had a long, winding path to the big leagues after being the 15th overall pick in 2020, but his control has taken a massive step forward this year – he walked 78 in 108.2 Triple-A innings in 2024, but just 38 in 89.1 innings at the level this season between St. Paul and Lehigh Valley. He's got the stuff to be at least a mid-rotation starter, as his four-seamer has averaged 96.2 mph in the majors, and he complements it with a two-seamer, slider, curveball and work-in-progress changeup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Ryan Bergert, Royals: Part of an under-the-radar move at the trade deadline, Bergert is beginning to look like a steal for Kansas City. In four starts for his new club, the 25-year-old righty has a 2.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB in 22.1 innings, featuring a 93.4 mph fastball, slider and sweeper while flashing an occasional sinker and changeup. There's nothing in his minor-league resume that suggested future ace, so there could be major regression coming, but everything seems to be working at the moment, and he's got a cushy schedule coming up – his next two starts are against the White Sox and Angels. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shane Bieber, Blue Jays: Toronto got everything they could have hoped from Bieber's return from Tommy John surgery, as the 2020 AL Cy Young winner struck out nine Marlins over six two-hit, one-run innings Friday. The Jays are easing him into a regular routine and sticking with a six-man rotation this week, so he'll have six days rest before taking the mound again to face the Brewers in the World Series preview of Rob Manfred's nightmares. It appears to be all systems go for Bieber though, and if you need a starting pitcher you can really move the needle across the board, he's your best bet to combine strong ratios with plus strikeouts and win upside. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $55

Kyle Bradish, Orioles: Bradish is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday, which could drop him right into a two-step, at home against the Red Sox and then on the road in San Francisco. The right-hander isn't a proven ace the way Bieber is, but he's got a 2.81 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 9.56 K/9 over the last two seasons for the O's. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Taj Bradley, Twins: Minnesota's revamped its rotation this weekend, with Bradley being the second high-upside arm added to the group along with Abel. The former Ray had an 18:2 K:BB in 14.1 innings for Triple-A St. Paul since being acquired for Griffin Jax, but that comes with a 7.53 ERA and four homers allowed, which doesn't suggest that the issues that caused Tampa to give up on him have been solved. If he pitched well Sunday against the White Sox, which is entirely plausible, bidding could get a bit silly given his name recognition. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Joey Estes, Athletics: With Jack Perkins landing on the IL, Estes will rejoin the big-league rotation. The 23-year-old righty has been awful in the majors this season and not a whole lot better at Triple-A Las Vegas, but if you're desperate for innings and don't really care how good they are, he should at least be cheap. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Richard Fitts, Red Sox: The right-hander has been sitting in the bullpen unused since being called up Thursday and he hasn't pitched as any level since a start Aug. 15 for Triple-A Worcester. Whether that makes Fitts more or less likely to get plugged into Boston's rotation vacancy I can't say, but his prior 10 starts in the majors have been a mixed bag at best, as he has a 4.83 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 34:13 K:BB over 41 innings. If he does get the nod though, he could get a two-step on the road in Baltimore then at home against the Pirates, which at least would make him a viable dart throw. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Garcia, Astros: Garcia is close to wrapping up his rehab assignment after getting stretched out to 84 pitches with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday. The results haven't necessarily been there for the right-hander – over five rehab appearances in the upper minors he has a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB in 18 innings – but with Lance McCullers looking downright awful Friday, the Astros might view Garcia as the better option. Houston also starts a stretch of 13 games in 13 days Tuesday, so they could just roll with a six-man for a couple turns and see who wants the job. Garcia hasn't been on a big-league mound since May 1, 2023, so easing him into duty probably makes the most sense. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Kyle Harrison, Red Sox: Boston has a vacancy in its rotation after kicking Walker Buehler to the bullpen, and while Fitts is an option, Harrison might make more sense. The 24-year-old southpaw is roughly on turn, last pitching for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, and the changes the organization wanted to make to his arsenal and approach seem to be paying off – over his last seven starts and 33.1 innings, he's posted a 2.16 ERA and 9.7 K/9, albeit with a 1.47 WHIP and 5.4 BB/9. If the Red Sox are going to catch the Jays in the AL East, they'll need a real boost in the rotation, and Fitts just doesn't seem to be that guy. Harrison might be. If he does get called up, he could get a two-start week as well, on the road in Baltimore then at home against the Pirates. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 

Jack Leiter, Rangers: The 25-year-old righty is coming off the best start of his career after fanning 10 Guardians over seven scoreless innings Saturday, but Leiter had been showing signs of improvement before that. In seven outings since the All-Star break, he's delivered a 2.55 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 42:19 K:BB over 35.1 innings with three quality starts and three wins. He also lasted fewer than five innings in three of those starts, so he's still prone to some inconsistency, but the upside is beginning to emerge often enough to offset it. It wouldn't be a surprise if he put together a strong finish to the campaign against September lineups. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Lance McCullers, Astros: McCullers came off the IL on Friday after missing a month with a blister issue, but the time off didn't solve his control issues as he walked five batters in four innings. Over his last six starts for the Astros dating back to June 10, the 31-year-old righty has a brutal 9.38 ERA, 2.21 WHIP and 21:22 K:BB in 24 innings, and with the team in a dogfight for the AL West crown against the M's, it's fair to wonder how long Houston will put up with that level of performance once Garcia is back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Parker Messick, Guardians: The latest arm off the assembly line from Cleveland's pitching factory, Messick was impressive in his big-league debut Wednesday, giving up one run in 6.2 innings with a 6:1 K:BB against Arizona. The 24-year-old lefty had a breakout year in 2024 at Double-A and didn't slow down much at Triple-A this year, with a higher walk rate potentially due to the smaller roboump strike zone. Messick deployed five pitches in his debut, with his plus changeup getting eight whiffs on 19 tosses, and having a legitimate out pitch should help him continue to find immediate success. There's a chance he gets bumped from the rotation when John Means comes off the IL, but Slade Cecconi's 5.71 ERA since the All-Star break gives him a pretty tenuous hold on a spot. If Messick is pitching well, he could stick around. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Bryce Miller, Mariners: Miller came off the IL on Tuesday, but spending two and a half months on the shelf didn't seem to help him solve whatever issue he was having prior to getting shut down with elbow inflammation. He's still a 27-year-old righty who posted a 2.94 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 180.1 innings last year, so it's hard to write him off, but Miller might need to just put 2025 behind him and wipe the slate clean ahead of next spring. Counting on him to rebound over the final weeks of the current campaign might be little more than wishful thinking. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Martin Perez, White Sox: The erratic veteran southpaw rejoined the rotation Wednesday and held Atlanta to one unearned run over 5.1 innings with a 5:0 K:BB. Perez is usually good for one or two inexplicably sharp stretches a season – he had a 0.73 ERA and 13:5 K:BB over 12.1 innings and two starts to begin 2025 – and he's set up for a two-step this week, at home against the Royals and Yankees, so if you're throwing darts to try and gain ground in pitching categories, he's as good a target as any. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Cam Schlittler, Yankees: The rookie righty has been looking very good in August, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB over 21.2 innings and four starts, and he teased a perfect game against the Rays his last time out. Schlittler lines up for an incredibly enticing two-start week, at home against the Nats and on the road against the White Sox, and if for some reason he remains on the waiver wire in your league, there's no excuse to leave him there. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ian Seymour, Rays: The 26-year-old lefty will get an audition in the rotation Monday in Cleveland, and if he does well he might get a second road start this weekend against the Nationals, which is a pretty sweet two-step. Seymour has yet to make a start in the majors, but he's topped 60 pitches in each of his last two long relief appearances and has posted impressive numbers at Triple-A Durham the last two seasons, producing a 2.51 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 167:39 K:BB over 140 innings. He doesn't have the extreme strikeout upside of Joe Boyle, the pitcher he's replacing, but the deception in his delivery allows his arsenal to play up. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

J.T. Ginn, Athletics (vs. DET, vs. TEX)
Shane Smith, White Sox (vs. KC, vs. NYY)
Jose Soriano, Angels (at TEX, at HOU)
Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles (vs. BOS, at SF)

Relief Pitcher

Reid Detmers / Luis Garcia, Angels: Kenley Jansen seems to be pitching through a rib issue, and while there's been no hint from the Halos that an IL stint is in his future, the veteran closer has been tagged for runs in three of his last five appearances and the team is rapidly fading out of the wild-card picture. If he gets shut down, Detmers still looks like the next man up – although it was Garcia who got the save Wednesday while Detmers worked the eighth. Time, after all, is a flat circle, so of course Garcia is back in the saves mix after spending about 20 minutes as the Angels' closer ahead of the trade deadline last year before getting shipped out. Since then he's bounced through three other organizations with mediocre results before winding up back in Anaheim at this year's deadline. He's not good, unlike Detmers, but that doesn't seem to matter much with this team. Detmers -- 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Garcia – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Hunter Gaddis, Guardians: Cade Smith may be cracking under the pressure of being the closer, getting tagged for runs in three straight appearances and blowing his last two save chances. The Guardians don't tend to make hasty moves at the back of the bullpen, but if he does get lifted from the role, Gaddis should be the next man up. Since the All-Star break he's posted a 1.80 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB in 15 innings, and while he doesn't have elite strikeout upside, Gaddis gets the job done with a mid-90s fastball, slider and occasional changeup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Hogan Harris, Athletics: Harris has two of the last three conventional saves for the A's (Osvaldo Bido got a three-inning save Thursday, and Tyler Ferguson worked the 10th on Wednesday after Harris and Michael Kelly combined on a scoreless ninth to get the game to extras), and he's clearly part of the high-leverage mix. He's has strung together six straight scoreless appearances since getting called back up in early August, posting a 7:2 K:BB in eight innings over that stretch, but he doesn't exactly have a classic closer's arsenal, and none of his pitches have even a 30 percent whiff rate this season. Rostering the southpaw would be a pure opportunity play, but opportunity drives at least 75 percent of a closer's value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Justin Topa, Twins: Speaking of which, Topa has Minnesota's last three saves dating back to Aug. 5, and he looks to be the guy for Rocco Baldelli. Since Jhoan Duran got shipped to Philly at the deadline, Topa's posted a 0.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9:4 K:BB in 10.2 innings while using a mid-90s sinker to headline a four-pitch mix. It's a setup profile at best, but the Twins don't have anybody better in the bullpen right now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Catcher

Samuel Basallo, Orioles: Basallo should have gotten snapped up already after making his big-league debut last Sunday, but in formats like the NFBC where he wasn't even added to the player pool until this week, you get one last chance to grab shares in the phenom. The 21-year-old has a clear path to playing time with Adley Rutschman on the shelf, and while he hasn't hit the ground running at the plate, his pedigree and Triple-A numbers are too outrageous to ignore. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Carter Jensen, Royals: Since missing a few games in the middle of the month with a minor wrist issue, Jensen's gone 8-for-21 (.381) with a double, two homers and a 7:4 BB:K. The Royals have been leaning on Luke Maile lately to give Salvador Perez a break from catching duties, but that's the most short-term solution possible, and Maile's gone 0-for-12 with five Ks in his four starts over the past week. The organization might be waiting for September roster expansion to bring Jensen up because of Reasons, but a promotion at some point before the end of the season seems inevitable. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Kyle Teel, White Sox: It appears as though Teel has won the battle for the starting catcher job with Edgar Quero. Teel's started five of the last seven games behind the plate and got the nod at DH in the other two, while Quero only has three starts (two at C, one at DH) in the last week. Teel's also hitting near the top of the order against RHP, and over 25 games since the All-Star break he's slashing .302/.362/.488 with four homers, 13 RBI and 14 runs. If he's still out there in a shallower league, his playing time has caught up to his talent, and there's no longer a good reason to leave him on the wire. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Jac Caglianone, Royals: For a team that in theory is right in the thick of the AL wild-card race, sitting three games back of the M's for the final spot, the Royals sure aren't acting with much urgency when it comes to getting their best 26-man roster out there. Jensen remains in Triple-A, while Caglianone's rehab stint has dragged on past the point of absurdity. In 10 games for Triple-A Omaha he's slashing .386/.449/.750 with four doubles and four homers, and it's hard to imagine he wouldn't be an upgrade on Nick Loftin or John Rave. Hits weren't falling in for him in his first look at big-league pitching, but that mostly seems like a whole lot of bad luck – his .153 BABIP in 161 plate appearances is countered by a max EV in the 91st percentile, a 42.2 percent hard-hit rate, and a triple-digit gap between his wOBA (.216) and his xwOBA (.332). A monster finish to the season once he's activated wouldn't be a big surprise, and his current numbers should keep his price tag lower than it was when he first got called up. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Nathaniel Lowe, Red Sox: Picked up off the scrap heap after being dumped by the Nationals, Lowe has started three straight games against RHP and gone 5-for-14 with two doubles and a homer since joining the BoSox. He'll cool down at some point, but the veteran offers Boston a solution at first base on the strong side of a platoon, at least in terms of raising the floor on what Abraham Toro had been doing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Rowdy Tellez, Rangers: Injuries have left Tellez in the same role for the Rangers, as he's started four starting games at first base against RHP. He offers some low-BA power in a strong-side platoon role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Second Base

Adam Frazier, Royals: Who needs a top prospect with elite power potential in the lineup when you have Frazier? The veteran utility player is batting .299 (20-for-67) in August... with almost nothing else to recommend him, as he's got two homers, zero steals, eight runs and 10 RBI in 20 games over that span. If you need a boost in BA though, he should keep getting playing time, even after Cags is activated. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

David Hamilton, Red Sox: Called back up Thursday, Hamilton has started the last two games against RHP as the Red Sox try to get Ceddanne Rafaela back into the center field mix. Hamilton's looked good this time around, going 4-for-8 with a triple, a steal and four runs, but he's a 2.5-category guy at best in roto formats even if he gets steady playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Michael Helman, Rangers: The 29-year-old was promoted when Evan Carter began his latest IL stint and immediately got a start in center field against southpaw Logan Allen. Helman's shown a bit of power and speed in the minors, but he may not have the hit tool for those skills to play in the majors, and a temporary short-side platoon role won't give him many chances to chance that perception. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brice Matthews, Astros: Houston's roster is healthier than it was the last time Matthews was in the majors, and while he's got intriguing upside on the basepaths, the 23-year-old will need to solve his strikeout issues before being a reliable fantasy asset. For now, he's little more than a dynasty stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Cody Freeman, Rangers: Another Ranger getting a look due to the team's rash of injuries, Freeman is handling third base against RHP while spotting in elsewhere against LHP, but he's gone just 4-for-22 since his promotion, albeit with more extra-base hits (two) than strikeouts (one). Texas would prefer it if Josh Jung got going and reclaimed the job at the hot corner, but Freeman should get steady playing time until he does, and the 24-year-old has produced strong numbers at Triple-A this season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Yoan Moncada, Angels: Moncada's on a rare heater (for him, anyway), batting .313 (10-for-32) over his last 10 games with two doubles and three homers. His 25-homer campaign for the White Sox in 2019 was a long, long time ago, but he's put up some intriguing metrics when healthy in 2025 – his 13.1 percent Barrel rate is actually higher than 2019, and his 45.4 percent hard-hit rate is his best mark since then. If he can stay in the lineup, he mighht just have a big finish to the season. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Shortstop

Jeremiah Jackson, Orioles: Even with Dylan Beavers in the majors and Ryan Mountcastle and Colton Cowser off the IL, Jackson's been able to keep a prominent role. In part that's because Jordan Westburg is back on the shelf, but Jackson's also earned his playing time with a .339/.361/.492 slash line over 18 games in August. The 25-year-old showed some power and speed in the minors, and while those haven't shown up yet in the majors, his contact rate has taken a massive jump in 2025 at all levels. The athletic talent has always been there – he was a second-round pick of the Angels back in 2019 – so Jackson may just be a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Carson Williams, Rays: Tampa Bay's top prospect got the call Friday when Taylor Walls and Ha-Seong Kim both wound up on the IL at the same time, and Williams promptly homered in his big-league debut. He's got enviable fantasy tools, posting back-to-back 20-20 campaigns in the high minors, but the big question with the 22-year-old was whether he'd make enough contact in the majors for his athleticism to show up. The best-case scenario here might be a right-handed Jazz Chisholm, and his defense grades out good enough that he should get plenty of chances to work things out. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Outfield

Jhostynxon Garcia, Red Sox: Well, I wasn't expecting this promotion. The Red Sox created a Jhostynxon-level event when they promoted the Password on Friday. (I may not have been expecting him to make his MLB debut this year, but that doesn't mean I wasn't prepared with bad puns in case he was.) The 22-year-old looked overmatched in his debut, striking out three times and drawing one walk in four plate appearances, but his breakout campaign in the minors featured a .931 OPS and 17 homers in 66 Triple-A games. There's no clear path to regular playing time for him in the outfield without an injury, and the organization had just started trying him out at first base when it called Garcia up, so he's a better keeper stash than redraft target. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Victor Robles, Mariners: Activated from the IL on Saturday, Robles immediately slotted back in as Seattle's right fielder and stole a base. The 28-year-old salvaged his career with his 77-game run with the M's last year, but he's still got to prove that wasn't just a small-sample mirage given his struggles with the Nats. Robles is also likely facing a 10-game suspension for this completely idiotic move at Triple-A on his rehab assignment, so if you do grab him now, be prepared to have him sitting on your bench for the first first or two. If you need steals though, he could move the needle for you in September. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Designated Hitter

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: Even at 35 years old, few players in the game offer the kind of power Stanton does when he's healthy and locked in, and guess what? He's healthy and locked in. Despite not playing every day, he's gone yard six times in nine games since Aug. 11 while batting .423 (11-for-26) – so yes, more than half his hits during that stretch have been homers. Stanton is still capable of carrying a fantasy roster for a short period, so if he's available, take advantage. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered