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

Ronel Blanco, Astros: Blanco's 2025 was a predictable step back from his breakout 2024, but the 32-year-old righty still profiles as a decent depth arm for fantasy purposes, and in his first start back from the IL he fanned eight Marlins over 4.2 innings, albeit while serving up two homers and giving up four runs. With Spencer Arrighetti now on the shelf, Blanco's rotation spot seems pretty safe unless Houston goes absolutely wild at the trade deadline. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Slade Cecconi, Guardians: Arguably the strongest AL streaming option in a period with plenty of them, Cecconi gets a juicy two-start week with a road start against the Reds (30th in wRC+, 29th in K rate against RHP) and at home against the Diamondbacks (30th in wOBA, 29th in wRC+ in that split). His own performance of late haven't been great, but since the beginning of June he's produced a 3.64 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 32:14 K:BB over 42 innings, and he's got a golden opportunity for a major ratio correction here. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Randy Dobnak, Royals: Picked up from the Mariners in mid-June in a minor deal, Dobnak joined the Royals' roster in July and has held down the fort at the back of the rotation, posting a 1.42 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over four appearances (two starts) and 19 innings. His 10:9 K:BB is a clear sign of his lack of upside, but right now KC just needs the 31-year-old righty to provide five-ish solid innings every fifth day or so. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Keider Montero, Tigers: Detroit is arguably the linchpin of the entire trade deadline this year. If the Tigers decide to sell, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize will be arguably the top two starters available, Jack Flaherty will likely be on the move too, and pending free agents like Gleyber Torres could bring something back too. (On the other hand, they could also decide to make one final playoff push with Skubal before he hits the open market in a very winnable AL, but I'll get into that below, and even then wouldn't prevent them from still dealing a Flaherty or Mize for help elsewhere.) If there are a bunch of rotation vacancies after Aug. 3, Montero will fill one of them, along with Jackson Jobe (who I recommended as a stash a couple weeks ago) and, umm... well, let's see what they get back for Skubal in that scenario. Montero's been effective in just about any role this season, and over his last 10 appearances (four starts) he's delivered a 1.80 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 34:6 K:BB over 40 innings with five wins and a three-inning save. He also lines up for a two-step this week, at home against the O's and on the road against the injury-ravaged A's. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Hayden Wesneski, Astros: Arrighetti's foot issue leaves a hole in the Houston rotation, and the team hasn't announced yet who will fill in. Wesneski is just about fully stretched out as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery – he threw 80 pitches over 4.1 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, fanning seven while allowing just one unearned run – and that has him on schedule to slide into Arrighetti's spot Wednesday on the road against the Angels, which would be about as favorable a debut opponent as a right-hander could ask for. It's easy to forget now, but Wesneski was a lot more than just a throw-in from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Tatsuya Imai, Astros (at LAA, vs. TEX)
Gage Jump, Athletics (vs. BOS, vs. DET)
Anthony Kay, White Sox (vs. NYY, at TB)
Seth Lugo, Royals (at MIN, at COL)
Bailey Ober, Twins (vs. KC, at SEA)
Jack Perkins, Athletics (vs. BOS, vs. DET)
Kumar Rocker, Rangers (vs. SEA, at HOU)
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays (at WAS, vs. STL)
Noah Schultz, White Sox (vs. NYY, at TB)
Walbert Urena, Angels (vs. HOU, vs. MIL)

Relief Pitcher

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: Bello's looked like a completely different pitcher since rejoining the big-league staff just before the All-Star break, and in two appearances – one a tandem effort with Payton Tolle, and one a bulk relief outing – he's allowed just one run in 9.2 innings with a 10:1 K:BB. Even with Connelly Early shipped to the Nationals, there's no room for Bello in the Boston rotation, but he could still have value as the top long man in the bullpen while guys like Tolle, Patrick Sandoval and Jake Bennett have their workloads monitored for various reasons. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Hogan Harris, Athletics: The Sacramento Exiles keep shuffling around their high-leverage crew, but the one constant seems to be Harris as the top lefty option. His eight saves on the season leads the team (no one else has more than four, although seven other A's have at least two), and two of them have come since the All-Star break. He's also been scored upon just once in his last 10 appearances, producing a 0.93 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB in 9.2 innings over that span, and Harris is making a case to take over the closer role on a full-time basis. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

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.

Franco Aleman, Guardians 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Brady Basso, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Brent Headrick, Yankees 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Patrick Bailey, Guardians: Don't look now, but a Cleveland catcher is actually providing some offense. Over 46 plate appearances in July, Bailey's racked up a .310/.356/.571 slash line with two doubles, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. His track record doesn't offer a lot of hope he'll be able to keep that up, but the 27-year-old switch hitter has at least reined in his strikeout rate, with his 23.9 percent rate in July being a marked improvement on his 29.4 percent rate from 2025. His 90.2 mph AEV and 40.5 percent hard-hit rate are also steps up. To be fair, Austin Hedges is also having a good month at the plate, but he's not getting enough playing time to be on the fantasy radar in mixed formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nick Fortes, Rays: Tampa Bay's said to be looking to trade for a catcher, but Fortes is doing his best to show they already have an answer at the position. The 29-year-old has busted out for 11 hits in his last five games, including a double and two homers, and through 43 plate appearances in July he's erupted for a .390/.419/.659 slash line with three long balls, eight runs and 10 RBI. If he doesn't have to deal with extra competition in August, he could take over the top job after the trade deadline. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jonah Heim, Athletics: With Shea Langeliers potentially set to miss the rest of the year with a knee injury, the starting job at catcher belongs to Heim for the foreseeable future. The veteran switch hitter is hitting just .224 (13-for-58) in July, but that comes with two homers and 11 RBI, and he's been consistently hitting in the heart of the order against LHP. More work against righties likely won't help his batting average given his splits, but it should lead to more counting stats. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Edgar Quero, White Sox: Kyle Teel is injured again, and over four games since he landed on the IL, Quero and Drew Romo have gotten two starts each. Quero has more theoretical upside, but he hasn't shown much progress with his bat this season, even at Triple-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Connor Wong, Red Sox: It's been a minute since Wong had real fantasy value, but the 30-year-old seems to be reclaiming the starting job with Boston while Carlos Narvaez struggles. With the Red Sox getting a jump on the trade deadline, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them bring in another catcher, but for now the playing time split favors Wong, even if he hasn't managed to get an extra-base hit since June 24 – and that was in Coors Field. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Others:

Drew Romo, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Brian Serven, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Austin Wynns, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Orioles: I wrote up CES last week, but the former Cincy prospect has made a strong first impression with Baltimore. Over his first six games since his promotion, he's gone 9-for-24 (.375) with three homers, nine RBI and a very palatable 23.1 percent strikeout rate. Encarnacion-Strand has always had raw power, but if he's figured out how to make enough contact to get to it consistently, he's capable of a breakout over the final months of 2026. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Second Base

Vaughn Grissom, Angels: The Halos are one of the few sure sellers at the deadline, but it's not clear how aggressive they'll be in moving pending free agents like Jorge Soler and Yoan Moncada or arb-eligible assets like Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, Zach Neto and Jo Adell, to say nothing of the Mike Trout question (four years left on his deal at about $37.1 million a season). Grissom has already been pushing his way back into a full-time role, but playing time will be a lot easier to claim if the Angels clear the decks. The 25-year-old has started eight straight games while bouncing between second base and third base, going 9-for-31 (.290) with two doubles, a homer, three runs and five RBI, and he still has time to turn into a useful big-league regular after a rough start to his MLB career in Atlanta and Boston. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers: Lee is also riding the keystone to hot corner shuttle, as Detroit finds ways to keep his red-hot bat in the lineup. The 23-year-old has hit safely in 10 straight games dating back to July 9, going 13-for-34 (.382) during that heater with three doubles, two homers, five runs and eight RBI. If Torres gets flipped, Lee seems like a lock to take over at second base. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Third Base

Curtis Mead, Red Sox: Boston and Washington fired the first trade deadline salvo Saturday, as Connelly Early went to the Nats and Curtis Mead joined the Red Sox. It was a slick bit of business for new Washington GM Paul Toboni, as Mead was picked up in March after being DFA'ed by the White Sox and then turned into a legit starting pitching option four months later, but the Australian infielder has also done his part to get his career back on track. Mead has blasted 17 homers in 87 games this season, and he's gotten better as the campaign's progressed – over 71 PAs in July he boasts a .367/.465/.650 slash line with an 11:13 BB:K. Mead's 22.5 percent Pull Air rate also seems like a perfect fit for Fenway, and he could be rattling balls off the Green Monster (or launching them over it) frequently as the Red Sox push for the playoffs while offering multi-position eligibility at first base and third base, and likely second too as it looks like he'll be shifting over from the hot corner rather than Caleb Durbin. With other GMs in your AL-only league likely waiting to see if bigger names come over from the NL closer to the deadline, there may be an opportunity to get Mead cheaper than he should be going for, too. Just make sure to talk up CJ Abrams and Francisco Lindor to your leaguemates before putting in your bids. 12-team Mixed: Rostered; 15-team Mixed: Rostered; 12-team AL: $25

Josh Smith, Rangers: With Texas' infield turning into a triage unit again, Smith was called back up to help cover for Josh Jung's absence. Smith hadn't figured anything out at Triple-A Round Rock, managing a .655 OPS in 23 games, but he did go 6-for-6 on steal attempts and could help in that category while he's getting playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Ben Williamson, Rays: Williamson's in line for some starts in the short term while Taylor Walls deals with some hyperextended fingers. Williamson is what he is – he has 14 hits in 49 ABs in July (.286), but that includes two four-hit games, and he has just two doubles and zero homers in the mix – but he might give you a decent floor in a pinch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Andrew Velazquez, Royals: The 32-year-old journeyman is filling in at shortstop for Bobby Witt, who has a sore back from carrying the Royals' offense for the better part of five years since his 2022 debut. Velazquez still has some steals upside if he can get on base often enough, but little else to recommend him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Alika Williams, Athletics: The former Pirate has been working the short side of a platoon with Donovan Walton at second base of late, and while neither is supplying much offense, Williams has gone 4-for-10 since the All-Star break with two doubles and two RBI. If the A's lean more heavily into developing younger players down the stretch, the 27-year-old Williams should pass the 32-year-old Walton on the depth chart. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Dylan Beavers, Orioles: Baltimore's center field picture is a bit of a mess right now. Neither Colton Cowser (2-for-31 in July with a 30.8 percent strikeout rate) nor Leody Taveras (6-for-41 with a 30.6 percent K rate on the month) is doing anything at the plate, and Cowser's glove might be the only thing even keeping him in the majors right now. Beavers would be overmatched defensively if he shifted over from right field, but he's at least hitting, posting a .325/.400/.400 slash line over 45 PAs in July, although he hasn't homered since he returned from the IL in late June. The O's are firmly in the wild-card muddle in the AL, and if they decide to start emphasizing offense over defense, Beavers could be one of the biggest beneficiaries, even if he remains limited to a strong-side platoon role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: DeLuca is working his way out of a short-side platoon role, but racking up multiple hits in four of six games since the All-Star break is a good way to incentivize your manager to put your name on the lineup card. During that stretch, the 28-year-old is batting .346 (9-for-26) with two doubles, a homer, a steal, five runs and seven RBI, and the only thing potentially keeping him from seizing the starting job in right field is Victor Mesa's own little power surge coming out of the break. Of the two, though, DeLuca's most likely to keep up a fantasy-friendly pace. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Petey Halpin, Guardians: Halpin has been Mr. Bubble for me the last couple weeks, always making my list of potential write-ups but then getting left off when I look at his actual recent performance. He's stayed in the starting lineup this weekend after Angel Martinez came off the IL, though, and since rejoining the big-league roster in early July he's gone 8-for-35 (.229) with two doubles, two homers and three steals. His speed and defensive chops are his best selling points, but that batting average is also a little unlucky, and he should at least be on someone's bench in deeper leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Heston Kjerstad, Orioles: If Baltimore wants to provide the offense with a jolt without making a big move at the trade deadline, they may have the solution ready at hand. Kjerstad hasn't yet seen time in the majors this year, but he's raking for Triple-A Norfolk with a .345/.375/.552 slash line in July. The 27-year-old could also be a trade chip if the O's do make a move at the deadline, and a fresh start might be what he needs to finally get a real chance to prove himself. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Angel Martinez, Guardians: Martinez came off the IL this weekend and immediately slotted back into the starting nine, hitting leadoff against a lefty Friday and fifth against a righty Saturday. The 24-year-old is one stolen base away from his first 10-10 campaign, which is more impressive than it looks considering he's only played 68 MLB games this season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Others:

Ryan Kreidler, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Alejandro Osuna, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Davis Schneider, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1