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

Jason Alexander, Astros: With injuries building up again in the Houston rotation and Lance McCullers exiled to a low-leverage relief role, Alexander has emerged as an entirely acceptable fifth starter. (It's really too bad he's not a Yankee though, for the sake of column material if nothing else.) The 32-year-old righty has given the Astros at least five innings in six straight starts, posting a 2.65 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 32:8 K:BB over 34 innings during that span. His career track record says he won't keep that up much longer, but with only a few weeks left in the season, you don't need him to. He might be better viewed as a stash this week – he's got a road start in Toronto on Tuesday, but next week he gets a two-step at home against the Rangers and M's. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joey Cantillo, Guardians: Cantillo was called back up Tuesday as Cleveland shifted to a six-man rotation, so they can get a better look at their young arms for the rest of 2025. (How John Means fits in there is a problem for next week, or even later.) The southpaw was sharp against Boston, fanning seven over six one-run innings, and he probably didn't deserve to get demoted in the first place – over six big-league starts since the All-Star break, he's got a 3.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 33:18 K:BB in 31.1 innings. Cantillo will need to take a step forward with his control to be truly reliable, but the upside is evident. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Slade Cecconi, Guardians: At this stage of the season, two-start weeks against soft opponents are gold, which makes Cecconi a priority target if he's available in your league. The 26-year-old right-hander has been erratic at best lately, getting tagged for five or more runs in three of his last five outings as he struggles to keep the ball in the yard, but he's got a 15:0 K:BB over his last three starts and 17.1 innings. He also gets home tilts against the Royals and White Sox this week, teams that rank 29th and 26th respectively in HR/FB off righties while also sitting in the bottom six in wRC+ in that split, and that's the big selling point here. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Caden Dana, Angels: Called up Wednesday for his first start in the majors this season, Dana put together five entirely adequate innings against KC, and hie figures to stay in the rotation the rest of the way. The 21-year-old righty has flashed some real upside while battling unfavorable run environments in the PCL, including a 13-strikeout effort against Reno on Aug. 22, but the fact that the organization even had him at Salt Lake instead of leaving him at Double-A Rocket City suggests the Halos don't really view him as a future star. Still, the marketing potential in Dana alone – think of the jerseys for a Ghostbusters Night! -- should keep him in the Show if he can find a way to keep big-league hitters from crushing his too-straight four-seam fastball. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Mitch Farris, Angels: Farris was promoted straight from Double-A to make his big-league debut Tuesday, and he held the Royals to one run over five innings. Acquired from Atlanta over the winter, the 24-year-old southpaw posted a 142:55 K:BB in 116 innings for Rocket City, and he looks like a back-end rotation option at best at the highest level given his low-90s fastball, and merely OK slider and changeup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Luis Garcia, Astros: Garcia finally made his season debut when rosters expanded, getting the win Monday in a quality start against the Angels. Houston got the right-hander some extra rest, but that lines him up for a possible two-step this week, with road starts in Toronto and Atlanta. Even at his best, Garcia just solid rather than a difference-maker, but someone to stabilize the back of the rotation is exactly what Houston needs right now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tigers: Chris Paddack wasn't cutting it, and Keider Montero was switched to a short-relief role a while ago, so Sawyer-Gipson was the next man up in the Detroit rotation. The 27-year-old righty has some real upside, posting a 35:8 K:BB in 32.2 Triple-A innings this year, but he's served up six homers in 29 innings for the Tigers, including two against the Mets on Tuesday. Given that his next outing will be in Yankee Stadium, he's probably not someone you want to rely on if you're fighting for every point in ERA, but he's got some keeper stash value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Stephen Kolek, Royals: Called back up when Seth Lugo landed on the IL, Kolek picked up the win Saturday with seven strong innings against the Twins. Over two turns in the rotation for the Royals, the 28-year-old righty has a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings with a 7:1 K:BB, and while he might only get one more start before Lugo is back, the team might elect to keep him around over a mediocre Michael Lorenzen or a fading Noah Cameron with a wild-card spot potentially on the line over the next few weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Luis Severino, Athletics: Severino missed nearly a month with an oblique strain, but he picked up where he'd left off Tuesday with five shutout innings against the Cards. The veteran right-hander hasn't given up more than three runs in a start since the All-Star break, posting a 2.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 26:7 K:BB in 28 innings over his last five starts as he tries to put a rough start to his A's tenure behind him. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL:$11 

Tyler Wells, Orioles: Wells nearly missed the entire 2025 campaign after getting one of those fancy new internal brace surgeries on his elbow last June, but he made it back for September and picked up the win Tuesday with five solid innings against the Padres. The 31-year-old righty hasn't really gotten a chance yet to show that his 2023 breakout was legit, but considering that his next two starts line up to come against the Pirates this week and the White Sox next week, a 3.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP seem like viable targets. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Ryan Bergert, Royals (at CLE, at PHI)
Noah Cameron, Royals (at CLE, at PHI)
Yoendrys Gomez, White Sox (vs. TB, at CLE)
Kyle Hendricks, Angels (vs. MIN, at SEA)
Adrian Houser, Rays (at CHW, at CHC)
Jacob Latz, Rangers (vs. MIL, at NYM)
Will Warren, Yankees (vs. DET, at BOS)
Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins (at LAA, vs. ARI)

Relief Pitcher

Yennier Cano, Orioles: Cano seems to have climbed his way back into the high-leverage mix for the O's, getting the save Wednesday and working the ninth inning at home Friday in a tie game against the Dodgers to get the win when Samuel Basallo walked it off. The righty has a modest five-appearance scoreless streak going, and while he's never been able to repeat his breakout 2023, Baltimore doesn't exactly have better options for late-inning work right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jordan Leasure, White Sox: The White Sox continue to bounce Grant Taylor around in different roles as they keep their options open for how they want to use him next year, and while he clearly has the potential to be a dominant closer if they just left him in that role, it's pretty clear at this point they aren't going to do that. Instead, Leasure has snapped up the team's last three saves, and it's not like he doesn't have quality stuff too, averaging 96.3 mph with his fastball this year while getting a 40.5 percent whiff rate with his slider. Since the beginning of August, he's delivered a sharp 2.30 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 24:4 K:BB in 15.2 innings, which looks closer-ish to me. The only worry is how many more save chances the White Sox will get him, but they are 9-6 over their last 15 games. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Catcher

Harry Ford, Mariners: The 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Ford got called up to get his feet wet in the majors in September. The 22-year-old won't see many starts behind Cal Raleigh, either now or in the near future, but his .283/.408/.460 slash line with 16 homers over 97 games for Triple-A Tacoma highlights his upside. Mitch Garver has a mutual $12 million option on his contract for 2026, and if Ford seems ready to be the backup, the M's can probably put that money to better use, making the kid a decent keeper stash in deep two-catcher formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mickey Gasper, Twins: With Ryan Jeffers joining Christian Vazquez on the IL, Gasper will likely see the majority of the playing time behind the plate, with Jhonny Pereda as his backup. Gasper's hit well at Triple-A the last couple years, but the 29-year-old doesn't offer much more than the potential for an occasional homer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Carter Jensen, Royals: Kansas City finally brought Jensen up in September, and he's started two of the last three games at DH as the team is back to using 35-year-old Salvador Perez as an everyday catcher. Perez's deployment behind the plate tends to ebb and flow, so Jensen will likely start needing his glove soon, and his bat looked very ready at Triple-A Omaha. With the roster mostly healthy and the Royals clawing for a wild-card spot – they're one game back of the Mariners for the last spot heading into Sunday's action – competition for DH at-bats is fierce, so Jensen will need to hit to earn regular playing time, but he's got more upside than just about anybody else you're likely to find on the waiver wire right now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Edgar Quero, White Sox: ...except for maybe Quero. The White Sox may finally be committing to having both their young catchers in the lineup at the same time, and Quero has started four straight games – two at C, two at DH – while hitting consistently in the top half of the batting order. The 22-year-old switch hitter has made it hard to keep him on the bench. Over his last 21 games dating back to Aug. 12, Quero's slashing .348/.392/.478 with three doubles, two homers, 10 runs, 10 RBI and an impressive 13.5 percent strikeout rate. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Jake Burger, Rangers: Burger's had trouble staying healthy since the All-Star break, but he came off the IL when rosters expanded and has gone 3-for-15 with a triple, a homer and three RBI over four games in September. He's started at first base in three straight games, two against righties and one against a lefty, and he offers the Rangers their best option at the position over Rowdy Tellez or a revolving door of utility infielders if he can re-discover his 2023-24 form. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jac Caglianone, Royals: Cags got activated from the IL on Monday and didn't get eased into the lineup until Wednesday, but he's started three of the last four games, the last two in right field. He's drawn two walks and gotten two hits in that time, but his bat really didn't need time to warm up given his .385/.467/.692 slash line over 16 Triple-A games on his rehab stint. Hits weren't falling in for Caglianone 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. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Logan Davidson, Angels: The 27-year-old switch hitter made his big-league debut earlier this season with the A's, and after being waived he bounced briefly through the Astros' system before winding up back in the majors with the Halos in September. Davidson doesn't have a lot of upside when his numbers aren't being inflated in the PCL, but with Nolan Schanuel on the shelf, he might be occasional action at first base backing up Oswald Peraza. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Romy Gonzalez, Red Sox: Boston keeps trying to take Gonzalez out of an everyday role, but injuries keep pushing him back into one, and he seems to take advantage every time. The 29-year-old has started nine straight games, mostly at second base, and gone 16-for-36 (.444), albeit with zero extra-base hits or steals and only three runs and six RBI. With Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony done for the regular season, Wilyer Abreu sidelined as well, and Nathaniel Lowe needing a platoon partner at first base, Gonzalez should be a fixture in the Red Sox lineup on the right side of the infield. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Curtis Mead, White Sox: Mead's been an everyday player since late August, racking up a .294/.321/.412 slash line with six doubles, three RBI and nine runs scored in his last 13 games. Miguel Vargas should be back from the IL this week, but the White Sox have been having more success of late by prioritizing playing time for their kids rather than veteran retreads. Vargas is only 25 and fits into the former category, but the 24-year-old Mead is more likely to have a future with the organization than someone like Mike Tauchman, and he should stay in the 1B/3B/DH mix even when the roster is mostly healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Chris Taylor, Angels: Taylor's been getting an inexplicable amount of playing time since coming off the IL in September, bouncing between second base and the outfield corners and going 2-for-13 with a double. The 35-year-old offers nothing but position flex at this stage of his career, but if the Halos are going to keep trotting him out there, the at-bats will have some value in deep AL-only formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Oswald Peraza, Angels: The Angels have decided to take a longer look at Peraza while Schanuel is on the shelf, and the former Yankee has started five straight games and six of the last seven at first base. During that span, he's batting .280 with a double, a homer and three steals, with the latter being the thing that makes him a potential FAAB target. The 25-year-old has flashed plenty of speed in the minors, going 23-for-30 on SB attempts in 92 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year and 6-for-6 in the majors this season. Schanuel could be back this week (he was taking batting practice this weekend) and Jorge Soler might not be far behind him though, so while Peraza probably deserves to be in the lineup somewhere, this is the Angels we're talking about. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Emmanuel Rivera, Orioles: Rivera has hit safely in seven straight games as the primary sub for Jordan Westburg, going 10-for-29 (.345) with eight RBI but zero extra-base hits. Even if his playing time doesn't dry up when Westburg returns, his hot streak probably will, but Rivera could be a useful short-term plug-in for deep fantasy lineups. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Blue Jays: Waived by the Pirates just before Sept. 1 in a salary dump disguised as an act of charity to get a veteran player onto a playoff contender, IKF wound up returning to the Jays in a utility infield role. He's started two of five games in September, and if the shin bruise Bo Bichette picked up Saturday on a collision at home plate costs him any playing time, it's likely Kiner-Falefa who will benefit. He doesn't offer much more than a decent batting average and an occasional steal, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Andrew Benintendi, White Sox: Benintendi has been on one of his tears, slashing .261/.403/.574 over his last 16 games with four homers, nine RBI and 10 runs. The White Sox are playing better in general, which lifts his floor, but the 31-year-old hasn't had an OPS over .750 for a full season since 2022. He's worth a dart throw to see if he can keep riding this momentum through to the end of the month, though. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

JJ Bleday, Athletics: Speaking of outfielders who run hot and very cold, Bleday's launched four homers in his last four games while going 7-for-14 with six runs and nine RBI. He hadn't had a multi-hit performance since Aug. 9 prior to that though, batting .108 (4-for-37) with zero RBI during the cold spell, and which version of him to get if you dare to add him to your roster is anyone's guess. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Nate Eaton, Red Sox: Boston's injury situation in the outfield has opened up playing time for Eaton, and he's seen action in five straight games while batting .400 (6-for-15) with one double and three RBI. The former Royal doesn't have a lot of upside, but at-bats is at-bats, especially at this time of the year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Dominic Fletcher, White Sox: With Luis Robert probably not suiting up again this season, Fletcher has been called up and inserted into the outfield mix, starting both games since his promotion (one in CF, one in LF) and going 2-for-7 with two doubles. The 28-year-old doesn't have significant upside though, and the White Sox might decide they can put his playing time to better use once they get a bit healthier. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dustin Harris, Rangers: Evan Carter's done until 2026, and while Michael Helman has done a yeoman's job filling in, the Rangers might prefer to take a look at a younger center fielder down the stretch if they fall out of playoff contention. Harris was slashing .285/.369/.435 at Triple-A Round Rock with 33 steals in 37 attempts over 91 games, essentially offering a bargain bin version of Carter's fantasy skill set. If he gets a chance, he could move the needle in SBs over the final weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Trevor Larnach, Twins: Larnach hasn't homered in 20 straight games, but he's done just about everything else during that stretch, slashing .316/.381/.382 with five doubles, six runs, seven RBI and even a rare steal. He's started the last two games against southpaws as he begins to escape a platoon role, and it's probably just a matter of time until the power returns. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jake Mangum, Rays: Mangum just keeps racking up hits. Over his last 16 games, the 29-year-old has a .393/.413/.475 slash line with five doubles, four RBI, seven runs and six steals. Jonny LoDuca could come off the IL this week, but the Rays have little reason to take Mangum out of the lineup as they make a late, desperate push for a wild-card spot. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Parker Meadows, Tigers: Meadows came off the IL on Friday and immediately sat against a lefty (and not even a really good one, it was Martin Perez), so there's no reason what his role will be. The 25-year-old has never been able to get going this season due to injuries, but he still has some power-speed upside as a strong-side platoon player. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jake Meyers, Astros: Activated from the IL on Saturday, Meyers slotted righht back into center field and as the No. 9 hitter. The 29-year-old has had a useful year when healthy, slashing .306/.366/.401 with 14 steals in 90 games, and especially if you need batting average and/or steals, he's probably worth a roster spot down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jhonkensy Noel, Guardians: Big Christmas has started three of six games since returning to the roster in September, going 3-for-17 with a solo homer. The 24-year-old Noel will handle a short-side platoon role and could run into a couple more long balls to close out the season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Alejandro Osuna, Rangers: Osuna's started three of the last four games in an outfield corner in a strong-side platoon role as Texas juggles multiple OF injuries, and since returning to the majors in September he's gone 5-for-11 with three RBI and a steal. The 22-year-old's first big-league stint didn't go so well, but he's still got some upside if his hit tool has adjusted to MLB pitching. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Richie Palacios, Rays: Palacois came off the IL when rosters expanded and has started four of five games this month against RHP, bouncing between DH, 1B and LF. He has just one hit in 11 at-bats to show for it though, and while the return of the righty-swinging LoDuca won't directly impact Palacios' role, it could squeeze him for playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Victor Robles, Mariners: Let's try this again. Robles got written up a couple weeks ago when he came off the IL but then had to serve a suspension, getting added back to the lineup Saturday and going 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. The speedster should start in right field over Dominic Canzone, and his SB upside makes him worth picking up if you need help in that category, even if he can't match last year's performance at the plate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

George Valera, Guardians: The one-time top prospect has seen semi-regular playing time in September, going 2-for-8 with three strikeouts in his MLB debut. Valera hasn't played more than 90 games in a season since 2022, but the 24-year-old could still put together a decent career if his health cooperates. He doesn't have speed or much of a hit tool though, so any fantasy value he has will come from putting balls over the fence – over 972 career plate appearances at Triple-A he's produced a .232/.337/.428 slash line with 39 homers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2