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.

The grid below allows readers to see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and what kind of bids they should command in a variety of formats. The grid, which is 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, which are already factored into the recommended bid. Nick Kurtz 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

Kade Anderson, Mariners: The M's cleared some of its rotation logjam by shipping Luis Castillo to the White Sox, but they may not be done. Emerson Hancock's name has been bandied about, and within the last few days George Kirby has had some buzz, although I don't think that kind of trade makes any sense unless the return is something like CJ Abrams. The upshot is, Seattle seems very motivated to clear a spot in the big-league rotation for Anderson, and it's easy to understand why. Selected third overall in the 2025 draft, the 22-year-old southpaw has been almost untouchable at Double-A, producing a 0.94 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 52:5 K:BB over his last seven outings and 38.1 innings. His most recent start July 31 was the first time since May 22 he didn't last at least five innings, so length shouldn't be an issue once he does get the call. If the M's don't deal away another starter, Anderson could also make his debut in a few weeks out of the bullpen as a high-leverage option who can work multiple innings, but the team will likely try to keep his rookie status intact for 2027 either way. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: With Boston set to begin a stretch of 16 straight games without a day off Tuesday, the team is talking about shifting to a six-man rotation. Bello would be that sixth man, and he's earned the promotion with a 0.66 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB over 13.2 innings in three relief appearances since rejoining the big-league roster just before the All-Star break. Nothing's been confirmed yet, but if the right-hander does move back into a starting role, his first start would likely come at home later this week against a sagging A's offense that's missing Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers and some other regulars. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jackson Jobe, Tigers: Welp, Detroit went and done it. With Tarik Skubal dealt to the big bad Dodgers, and Casey Mize likely to follow him out the door, there's a clear path for Jobe to claim a rotation spot once he completes his rehab assignment. The 24-year-old is set to start for High-A West Michigan on Sunday, and after tossing 54 pitches in his prior start July 25, this could be his last minor-league outing. Jobe has legit stuff and was the third overall pick in the 2021 draft, and while injuries have slowed his progress up the ladder, he's still got significant upside. Maybe not Skubal-like upside, but who does? 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jacob Lopez, Athletics: Lopez has looked sharp since rejoining the rotation after the All-Star break, posting a 1.84 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB in 14.2 innings over three starts. J.T. Ginn is expected back this week, but with Luis Severino not expected to come off the IL until September (if he pitches again in 2026 at all), there should be a spot for Lopez as long as he stays effective. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Cade Povich, Orioles: Dean Kremer is now a Twin, so there's an opening in Baltimore's rotation. Povich hasn't exactly been lights out at Triple-A of late, stumbling to a 7.13 ERA over five July starts and 24 innings, but he's still the most likely option to get the call. The right-hander's biggest issue, at any level, remains his ability to keep the ball in the yard – over 211.1 career big-league innings, Povich has managed to serve up 33 homers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

River Ryan, Tigers: Part of the haul for Skubal, Ryan is a tough guy to get a read on. He's got top-shelf stuff, with a riding fastball that can touch 100 mph and a plus slider among his five pitches, and his control has flashed plus as well. A quick glance at his age might raise eyebrows, but the 27-year-old righty is a converted position player, so his arm has less mileage on it than you might expect. His main issue has been staying healthy. Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2025, and hamstring issues have limited him to 36.1 innings this year at Triple-A, although he's produced a 43:8 K:BB and served up just one homer in that time. The Tigers have some moving parts in the rotation – Keider Montero could move back to the bullpen, Sawyer Gipson-Long could get called up, etc. -- but with Skubal gone, Mize likely to be next, and an injured Jack Flaherty also potentially on his way out, it'll be very easy to find room for Ryan once he's cleared to get back on a mound, and you can certainly make an argument that he shouldn't be wasting any more time in the minors. Until he has a clear ETA, though, he's just a stash. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Hayden Wesneski, Astros: Wesneski made his season debut Wednesday and fell just short of a quality start against the Angels but still picked up the win. The right-hander has shown flashes of potential going back to his Cubs days, attacking hitters with six different pitches including a refined sweeper that got a 40 percent whiff rate against the Halos, and the Astros need him to be ready to handle a regular turn the rest of the way in 2026. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Others:

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Shane Bieber, Blue Jays (at HOU, at PHI)
Joey Cantillo, Guardians (vs. NYM, at CHW)
Randy Dobnak, Royals (vs. MIN, vs. CHC)
J.T. Ginn, Athletics (at CIN, at BOS)
Cristian Javier, Astros (vs. TOR, at SD)
Patrick Sandoval, Red Sox (vs. CHW, vs. ATH)
Ian Seymour, Rays (at COL, at SEA)

Relief Pitcher

Steven Cruz, Royals: The clock seems to have struck midnight on Alex Lange's time as a closer, but the great things about bullpens is that there's almost always somebody who can play Cinderella for at least a couple weeks and be the belle of the ball. It's Cruz's turn to wear the glass, err, cleats right now, and the 27-year-old right-hander has two saves since the All-Star break. Both came the day after Lange got one, suggesting he's the 1B option in the ninth at best, but Cruz also has a 2.13 ERA. 0.95 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 12.2 innings since the beginning of July, compared to Lange's 11.88 ERA and 1.80 WHIP during that span. It may not be long before they switch spots, or Cruz claims the ninth inning for himself. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Others:

It's that time of the campaign in standard 5x5 roto AL-only leagues when deploying high-K, non-closing relievers can be more valuable to you than fringy starting pitchers who can wreck your ratios while you chase wins. There's two types of relievers to target here – setup or middle men with elevated strikeouts rates or at least the raw stuff to potentially post a big K%, or long men who can get their Ks in bulk. I'll try to find a couple names who fit the bill and should be available on the cheap every week over the final stretch of the season.

Samy Natera, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Trevor Richards, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Travis d'Arnaud, Angels: While the Halos having a fire sale isn't a shocker, getting rid of Logan O'Hoppe for basically nothing certainly was. O'Hoppe's now trying to find his form in Triple-A for the Rangers, and 37-year-old d'Arnaud is left in the top job behind the plate for the Angels, with the closest thing to an heir apparent being 20-year-old Juan Flores, who has a 1:33 BB:K in 25 games during his first look at Double-A. Yikes. D'Arnaud saw his offensive numbers fall off a cliff last season, and given his age there's no reason to think he's going to rebound, but he's at least headed for consistent at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Jake Rogers, Orioles: With Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman both on the shelf and trade rumors swirling around the latter, Rogers finds himself as the No. 1 backstop for the O's not long after being DFA'ed by the Tigers. The 31-year-old has shown some pop – he slugged 21 homers in 107 games back in 2023 – but he also sports a career .196/.269/.378 slash line over more than 1,200 PAs in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Eduardo Valencia, Tigers: The 26-year-old rookie made Rogers expendable in Detroit, and Valencia's made a quick impact since his promotion, batting .462 (12-for-26) in his first 10 big-league games with four homers, seven RBI and eight runs. He was showing plenty of pop in the minors too, and while Dillon Dingler is entrenched as the No. 1 catcher, the Tigers could take a page out of Atlanta's playbook with Drake Baldwin and start using both guys in the lineup while slotting one at DH. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Yohel Pozo, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Nick Sogard, Red Sox: Baseball men used to be a superstitious, cowardly lot, but it remains to be seen whether the Boston front office will see losing Curtis Mead two at-bats into his tenure with the team as a bad omen that will put the brakes on any potential upgrades at the trade deadline. While the Red Sox sort that out, Sogard is back up to provide depth on the injury-plagued infield. He's shown a bit of speed in the minors, so the best you can probably hope for here is a handful of hits and steals when he's in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Brendan Donovan, Mariners: Set to come off the IL on Tuesday, Donovan could allow the Seattle front office to play the "he's just like a trade deadline addition!" card if they can't work out a real upgrade. The 29-year-old infielder has been sidelined since May 16 due to a groin strain, but he had a career-high .838 OPS when he went down, albeit in just a small 25-game sample. Donovan's track record is that of a solid bat and complementary piece, but he's not the kind of guy who will really move the needle. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Leo Rivas, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Coby Mayo, Orioles: The 24-year-old started five straight games this week before hitting the bench Sunday, three at third base and two at DH, and Mayo went 4-for-16 with a triple, a homer, four runs and five RBI. The numbers look good on the surface, but he also struck out six times, went ohfer three times, and his defense remains shaky. Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are fighting for the same opportunities at the moment, but an Adley Rutschman trade that leaves Samuel Basallo as the No. 1 catcher could put both young, unproven sluggers in the starting nine down the stretch. If you need power and aren't worried about the batting average that comes along with it, grabbing Mayo now could pay off quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Anthony Seigler, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Javier Baez, Tigers: Baez came off the IL on Tuesday but lasted just a couple days as the everyday center fielder before he shifted to shortstop to make room for top prospect Max Clark, with Kevin McGonigle getting bumped to third base. Baez could eventually fade into a utility role, but the 33-year-old will probably find him name on the lineup card nearly every day as long as he's hot at the plate, and in four games since his return he's gone 8-for-19 (.421) with a double, five runs and five RBI. He's notoriously streaky, but his hot stretches can last weeks or even months, so he's worth jumping on. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Andruw Monasterio, Red Sox: The Red Sox get mentioned in connection with just about every shortstop on the market, but Monasterio is doing his best to convince the team their best option is already in the dugout. The 29-year-old has started 10 straight games, slashing .353/.410/.559 in that time with four doubles, a homer, five runs and six RBI. That's way out over his skis, of course, and whatever he's contributing at the plate he might be giving back on defense, but in most fantasy formats his glovework is only a problem if it costs him playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Jonathan Ornelas, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Max Clark, Tigers: I still don't really understand what the Tigers are doing here. By calling up Clark now, they're basically saying they don't care about his rookie eligibility for 2027, and the potential extra draft pick if he has a Rookie of the Year kind of campaign. By trading Skubal though, they're very clearly saying the future is more important than their weak odds of making the postseason this season in a muddled AL. I don't see how you can square that circle – waiting a few more weeks to promote the kid would have been much more in line with those priorities. If you want evidence that Scott Harris is in way over his head, it's that, not the risky but possibly strong package he got back from the Dodgers for two-plus months of a generational ace. None of that takes away from the kind of impact Clark can make, though. The 21-year-old had a .326/.426/.538 slash line over his last 33 games for Triple-A Toledo prior to his recall, and through his first two big-league games all he's done is go 5-for-9 with three extra-base hits, including his first homer. It's entirely possible that Clark, and not any hitter who comes over from the NL at the deadline, will be the biggest FAAB prize available in AL-only formats. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $55

Walker Jenkins, Twins: Byron Buxton's hip issue has cropped up again, and while the 32-year-old center fielder isn't expected to be out too long, Minnesota may have to start thinking about moving him to DH or a less stressful corner outfield spot once he returns. That decision will be made easier if Jenkins keeps raking at Triple-A. Since returning in mid-June from an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, Jenkins has compiled a .319/.388/.543 slash line with four homers, five steals and a razor-sharp 13:18 BB:K over 30 games. The smart move will be to wait until late August to bring him up, preserving his rookie eligibility for 2027, and unlike the Tigers I have no reason to believe the Twins will screw that very obvious move up. Still, playoff pressure could encourage an early promotion, and Jenkins could be worth waiting a few weeks for as a stash. 2-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Spencer Jones, Yankees: Called back up last weekend when Cody Bellinger hit the IL, Jones seems to look a little bit better with every big-league stint. The 25-year-old has racked up six hits with three homers, plus two steals, in his last four games, and his 26.3 percent K rate over the last week is downright palatable. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton still lack clear timelines for their returns, and Bellinger figures to be out until rosters expand in September, so the door is wide open for Jones to finally establish himself as an MLB regular. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Nick Loftin, Royals: Loftin continues to fill in capably for Maikel Garcia at third base, and over 15 games since the All-Star break he's compiled a .292/.327/.417 slash line, albeit with modest counting stats (one homer, four runs and six RBI) as he routinely hits in the bottom half of the order. Garcia will see a hand specialist this week, which could clarify his timeline, but even when he does get back, the Lane Thomas trade opens up some playing time in a corner outfield spot that Loftin can claim once he's not needed at the hot corner. The 27-year-old has little left to prove in the minors with a .275/.371/.437 line with 30 homers and 28 steals in just over 1,000 career PAs at Triple-A Omaha, and while he doesn't have tremendous fantasy upside, Loftin could be emerging as a useful, versatile complementary piece. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

John Rave, Royals: Rave was called back up Thursday, and in the short term he should be the biggest winner after the Thomas trade. He's started three straight games since his return to the majors, two in right field and one in center, and he's gone 5-for-10 with two doubles, a homer and a steal. The 28-year-old has also put up solid career numbers at Omaha, a level he first reached in 2022, and there's really no reason for him to go back. As long as Jac Caglianone is covering first base and Loftin third base, Rave should have a long leash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Victor Robles, Mariners: Seattle is a prime candidate to bring in a big bat at the trade deadline, but until/unless that happens, the team needs to figure out its right-field picture while Luke Raley is out of action. Robles is the most likely candidate to step in, and the 29-year-old switch hitter has managed a .263/.341/.289 slash line in 45 PAs since the All-Star break with a steal, two RBI and five runs. Robles' days of being an exciting prospect are long behind him, but he might be able to nab some steals while getting consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jesus Sanchez, Blue Jays: With Toronto poised to be sellers at the deadline, Sanchez could be on the move, but if he stays with the Jays he's likely to find himself in a nearly everyday role once other expiring contracts like Daulton Varsho and George Springer are out of the picture. Sanchez has had a fairly typical season by his standards around some random injuries, batting a career-high .272 while popping seven homers in 74 games. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Others:

Stuart Fairchild, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Everson Pereira, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Alan Roden, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1