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

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: Next week is the final week of the regular season. We made it, gang! Bello is making a late play to be part of Boston's postseason rotation plans, assuming the team's doesn't completely collapse over the final week and blow a wild-card berth. The right-hander is coming off an 11-K gem in Tampa Bay, and since finding his form again at Triple-A and being called back up just before the All-Star break, he's produced a 2.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 46:11 K:BB in 51.1 innings while mainly working in long relief. Bello lines up for one more start at Fenway next weekend, but it comes against the Cubs – their PCA-led offense has been one of the toughest against righties all year. There is a chance Chicago has nothing to play for at that point and rests some key guys, though. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Yusei Kikuchi, Angels: The best of the two-start options for the final week, Kikuchi gets two road starts against the A's and M's – that first one is in a dangerous ballpark, but the southpaw hasn't allowed a homer in three September starts. Seattle also ranks 29th in wOBA against LHP and 21st in K rate in that split, while the A's are 24th in K rate and 18th in wRC+. Kikuchi's control has been shaky since coming off the IL and he's failed to last five innings in his last two starts as a result, which isn't ideal by any means, but a 3.14 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14.1 innings highlight his upside in those matchups. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Connor Prielipp, Twins: Prielipp's quietly having a nice finish to his rookie season. The 25-year-old southpaw has won three of his last five starts and lasted at least five innings in four of them, posting a 2.70 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 24:4 K:BB in 26.2 innings. His last outing is a tricky one though, coming at home next weekend against a Rangers squad that figures to be in the thick of a battle for the AL West crown. Texas ranks fourth this year in wOBA against LHP and second in wRC+, but 20th in K rate – depending on which categories you're targeting in the final week, the ratio risk could be worth chasing those strikeouts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays: It's a minor miracle that the Jays are even alive in the AL wild-card race given the state of their pitching staff. Yesavage hasn't pitched for Toronto since early August due to a knee injury, and in his one rehab outing for Triple-A Buffalo he recorded only two outs, but he'll come off the IL for Monday's game in Baltimore, with another start coming next weekend at home against Cincy if that game actually matters. Having Yesavage active is obviously a big risk given his limited workload and rust, but both potential opponents offer strong matchups (the O's are 18th in wOBA against RHP and 27th in K rate, while the Reds are 28th and 30th in those splits) and if the 23-year-old righty gets used as a bulk reliever instead of an opener, he'll have some win upside. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Brady Basso, Athletics (vs. LAA, vs. HOU)
Shane Baz, Orioles (vs. TOR, at NYY)
Cristian Javier, Astros (at SEA, at ATH)
Anthony Kay, White Sox (at KC, vs. COL)
Daniel Lynch, Royals (vs. CHW, vs. CLE)
Max Scherzer, Blue Jays (at BAL, vs. CIN)

Relief Pitcher

Felix Bautista, Orioles: Bautista will make a late-season cameo after all, getting activated from the IL on Saturday after last pitching in the majors July 20 of last year, missing 14 months due to shoulder surgery. The right-hander's surface numbers looked OK on his rehab stint at Triple-A (2.35 ERA, 9:4 K:BB in 7.2 innings), but in his most recent outing for Norfolk on Tuesday, his fastball was sitting 94-95 mph and topped out at 96. That's nowhere close to the velocity he had a few years ago, when he was at his peak. The O's are still hanging on by a thread in the AL wild-card race, so they might give him a chance to work the ninth again just to try and provide the roster with an emotional boost, but I don't think you can count on him to get any saves over the final week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Rico Garcia, Orioles: If Bautista isn't closing, then Garcia probably is. Garcia has three of the team's last four saves, and he worked the ninth in the fourth game, only for it to go to 10 innings. Since the beginning of August, the right-hander's produced a 3.44 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB in 18.1 innings – hardly dominant, but better than Andrew Kittredge over that same span. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jeff Hoffman, Twins: Yoendrys Gomez's cinderella run at the Twins' closer appears to have struck midnight, as the 26-year-old has blown his last two save chances and has a 13.50 ERA over his last 10 appearances with a 10:10 K:BB. Travis Adams got a save Friday, but that was likely because Hoffman was unavailable, having pitched three of the prior four days. Hoffman's got a 2.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB in 17 innings for Minnesota since being picked up from Toronto, and while his struggles as the Jays' closer played out on the biggest stage possible, the spotlight won't be as bright on a Twins team that could be eliminated from the postseason by the time you read this. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Clarke Schmidt, Yankees: Schmidt's future is probably still in the rotation, so he's an excellent stash candidate if you can get him cheap, but he's close out 2026 working in the bullpen. In his first big-league appearance since last July 3, the right-hander worked two-thirds of an inning Wednesday and got both outs via strikeout, although he also gave up two hits. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox: With Aroldis Chapman nursing a lat injury and focused on getting healthy for the playoffs, Whitlock figures to be Boston's primary closer for the final two series of the season, with lefty Erik Miller also a matchup option in the ninth. Whitlock hasn't given up an earned run so far in September and has a 0.98 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 22:2 K:BB in 18.1 innings since the All-Star break, and he's picked up two saves this month, including one Thursday. If you're scrounging for every save you can get, he seems like your best bet. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Catcher

Danny Jansen, Rangers: Jansen's reclaimed the starting job behind the plate, hitting safely in eight straight games while batting .455 (10-for-22) with two doubles, a homer and seven RBI over that stretch. Elias Diaz is still in the mix, but Texas faces lefties in three of their final six games, so Jansen should get the start in all three of those contests plus one or two of the games against RHP. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Orioles: CES has started nine straight games, splitting his time between third base and DH, and hit .294 (10-for-34) during that span with three doubles, two homers, five RBI and seven runs. He's still only 26, and Baltimore has every incentive to see if he can be part of the solution in 2027. Even if Blaze Alexander comes off the IL in the final week, the O's will need him at second base more than at the hot corner. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Second Base

Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers: It's my last chance this season to make the joke that Lee is Joey Tribbiani's favorite baseball player, so you can be damn sure I'm going to take it. Detroit is playing for next year, so Lee has bumped pending free agent Gleyber Torres aside at second base, and the 23-year-old has collected multiple hits in four of his last eight games while batting .355 (11-for-31) with six extra-base hits, including two homers, and eight RBI. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Brice Matthews, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Max Schuemann, Yankees 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Others:

Tommy White, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ben Williamson, Rays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Ben Ross, Twins: With Kaelen Culpepper likely done for the year due to a hamstring strain, Ross is getting a look at shortstop, starting three of the last four games while Ryan Kreidler got the nod in the fourth. Ross did hit 20 homers and steal 21 bags in 121 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A, so he's got a smidge of upside, but he's also struck out eight times in his first 15 big-league plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Taylor Walls, Rays: Walls is capable of getting hot for a week or so and helping rather than hurting in batting average, but he's never shown much power. If you pick him up for the final stretch, it should be to chase stolen bases – his 21 steals in 120 games this season is one shy of his career high. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Victor Mesa, Rays: The 25-year-old remains locked in, slashing .352/.407/.611 over 59 PAs in September with three homers, three steals, eight RBI and 13 runs in 16 games, and he's escaping his platoon role, getting the nod in two of Tampa's last three games against LHP. If Mesa's still available in your league, and you need offense, he should probably be your top target. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: Rostered

Richie Palacios, Rays: Palacios does still remain on the bench against most left-handed pitching, but he's been wrecking righties of late, slashing .297/.395/.730 over 43 PAs in September with five homers, four steals, eight runs and an eye-popping 14 RBI in 15 games. The Rays are one of the few teams with seven-game weeks to close out the year, and while they line up to face some tough southpaws (Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Cristopher Sanchez), it's possible they'll duck Sanchez if the Phillies are locked into a wild-card spot by next weekend and are setting up their postseason rotation. If not, that still leaves four-plus games in which Palacios can keep doing damage. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jose Siri, Angels: The Halos are just playing out the string, so they really don't have much reason to give the 31-year-old Siri extended playing time, but they also don't have better options for center field when Mike Trout is DHing, which has been more often than not of late. Siri's taking advantage of those opportunities, and over his last 11 games and 35 PAs he sports a .333/.371/.576 slash line with two doubles, two homers and three steals. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Tommy Pham, 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
Davis Schneider, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Bryce Teodosio, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1