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.
| PLAYER | TEAM | POS | GRADE | 12-Team Mixed $ | 15-Team Mixed $ | AL-Only $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yusei Kikuchi | LA | SP | C | 1 | 4 | Rostered |
| Jacob Lopez | ATH | SP | C | 3 | 7 | Rostered |
| Cody Bradford | TEX | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Noah Cameron | KC | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Joey Cantillo | CLE | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Grayson Rodriguez | LA | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Patrick Sandoval | BOS | SP | C | Min+1 | Min+1 | Min+1 |
| Hayden Wesneski | HOU | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Franco Aleman | CLE | RP | D | No | No | 1 |
| Scott Blewett | ATH | RP | E | No | No | 1 |
| Sean Newcomb | CHI | RP | D | No | No | 1 |
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.
| PLAYER | TEAM | POS | GRADE | 12-Team Mixed $ | 15-Team Mixed $ | AL-Only $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yusei Kikuchi | LA | SP | C | 1 | 4 | Rostered |
| Jacob Lopez | ATH | SP | C | 3 | 7 | Rostered |
| Cody Bradford | TEX | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Noah Cameron | KC | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Joey Cantillo | CLE | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Grayson Rodriguez | LA | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Patrick Sandoval | BOS | SP | C | Min+1 | Min+1 | Min+1 |
| Hayden Wesneski | HOU | SP | C | Min | Min | Min |
| Franco Aleman | CLE | RP | D | No | No | 1 |
| Scott Blewett | ATH | RP | E | No | No | 1 |
| Sean Newcomb | CHI | RP | D | No | No | 1 |
| Ricky Tiedemann | TOR | RP | C | No | No | 1 |
| Miguel Ullola | HOU | RP | D | No | No | 1 |
| Mickey Gasper | BOS | C | C | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| Kyle Teel | CHI | C | B | No | 2 | 5 |
| Edgar Quero | CHI | C | C | No | No | 1 |
| Justin Foscue | TEX | 1B | C | No | No | 3 |
| Daniel Schneemann | CLE | 2B | D | No | No | 1 |
| Josh Smith | TOR | 3B | C | No | 1 | 4 |
| Isiah Kiner-Falefa | BOS | SS | C | No | No | 3 |
| Alika Williams | ATH | SS | C | No | 2 | 5 |
| Cam Cauley | TEX | SS | D | No | No | 1 |
| John Peck | DET | SS | D | No | No | 1 |
| Ben Ross | MIN | SS | D | No | No | 1 |
| Denzel Clarke | ATH | OF | C | No | No | 3 |
| Jasson Dominguez | NY | OF | B | No | No | 3 |
| Gabriel Gonzalez | MIN | OF | C | No | No | 2 |
| Nick Loftin | KC | OF | D | No | No | 3 |
| Nathan Lukes | TOR | OF | C | 2 | 3 | Rostered |
| Wade Meckler | LA | OF | C | No | 1 | 4 |
| Victor Mesa | TB | OF | C | No | No | 2 |
| Lazaro Montes | SEA | OF | B | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| Heliot Ramos | NY | OF | C | No | No | 3 |
| Eli White | BOS | OF | D | No | No | 2 |
| Nate Eaton | BOS | OF | D | No | No | 1 |
| Stuart Fairchild | SEA | OF | D | No | No | 1 |
| Rece Hinds | BAL | OF | D | No | No | 1 |
| Heston Kjerstad | BAL | OF | D | No | No | 1 |
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
Yusei Kikuchi, Angels: It's a tough week if you need starting pitching, but Kikuchi is showing signs of life. The southpaw has produced back-to-back quality starts after a shaky return from the IL on Aug. 23, and in those two outings he sports a 1.38 ERA and 12:4 K:BB in 13 innings. His remaining schedule appears manageable, as well – two of his last four projected starts come against Seattle, the worst offense in the league against lefties per wOBA, and the A's aren't a particularly scary opponent either. Only the Nats might be a prudent fade. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered
Jacob Lopez, Athletics: The best of the streaming two-start options this week, Lopez pairs a juicy matchup against the Mariners with one against the Blue Jays, 29th in both wOBA and wRC+ against southpaws. He's also been outstanding since the All-Star break, putting together a 2.36 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 60:18 K:BB over his last 49.2 innings. Cleveland and Houston offer manageable opponents in his final two scheduled outings as well. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered
Two-start options, Mon-Sun
Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid
Cody Bradford, Rangers (at SEA, at ARI)
Noah Cameron, Royals (vs. ARI, at BOS)
Joey Cantillo, Guardians (at BAL, at MIN)
Grayson Rodriguez, Angels (at BOS, at WAS)
Patrick Sandoval, Red Sox (vs. LAA, vs. KC)
Hayden Wesneski, Astros (at PHI, at TB)
Relief Pitcher
Others:
Franco Aleman, Guardians 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Scott Blewett, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Sean Newcomb, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ricky Tiedemann, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Miguel Ullola, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Catcher
Mickey Gasper, Red Sox: Gasper's hot streak somehow didn't protect him from a demotion when Roman Anthony and Trevor Story came off the IL, but Boston quickly reversed course when William Contreras replaced them on the shelf. Gasper's started six games at first base since Contreras went down, batting second in each, and all he's done is go 6-for-22 (.273) with a double and three homers. The 30-year-old switch hitter's 17 long balls between Triple-A and the majors this year is already a new career high, and if the Red Sox end up making any noise this season, Gasper's emergence will be a big part of the story. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15
Kyle Teel, White Sox: This has been a lost season for Teel due to injuries, but he returned from the IL on Friday (again) and should be the starting backstop for the White Sox down the stretch. Acquired from Boston last season in the Garrett Crochet deal, Teel's .786 OPS in 2025 is a better reflection of what he can do when 100 percent than his .556 OPS in 2026. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5
Others:
Edgar Quero, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
First Base
Justin Foscue, Rangers: Foscue has been kept in a fairly strict short-side platoon role, but he's doing so much damage against lefties that the Rangers are finding every excuse to get him into the lineup. Over 71 plate appearances since the beginning of August, he's produced a .277/.338/.554 slash line with nine of his 18 hits going for extra bases, including four homers. Those playing time limits cap his value in shallower formats, but there's a path to escaping them – the only regular infielder in the Texas lineup who bats left-handed is Corey Seager, so Foscue may only need to be adequate against same-handed pitching to earn more reps. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4
Second Base
Others:
Daniel Schneemann, Guardians 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Third Base
Josh Smith, Blue Jays: Smith's having a remarkable transformation at the plate in Toronto. After seeing his bat speed droop to a career-low 68.3 mph with Texas this season, the Jays' coaching staff suggested some mechanical adjustments that have added nearly six mph to that mark. The utility infielder has a .242/.375/.515 slash line with three homers in 17 games for his new squad, and this feels a bit like Addison Barger's emergence early last season, before the results began to catch up to the process. Smith's got experience all over the diamond and the Jays love to mix and match their lineups, so if he keeps raking, manager John Schneider will find a spot for him, either somewhere on the infield while a starter gets a breather, or maybe bumping a struggling Jesus Sanchez aside in left field. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4
Shortstop
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Red Sox: IKF was a lesser part of the wave of reinforcements Boston got from the IL in early September, and over three games this month he's gone 2-for-9 with a double and three RBI. His .699 OPS on the season would tie his career, but Kiner-Falefa can still swipe an occasional base and provide a solid batting average when he draws into the lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
Alika Williams, Athletics: Injuries and a 16-game deficit in the AL West have conspired to give Williams a look as the regular shortstop, and he's responded with a six-game hitting streak and a .313/.353/.583 slash line since Aug. 14 with eight extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple and two homers), one steal, six RBI and eight runs in 16 contests. The former Pirate doesn't offer a lot of power or speed, but he's consistently hit for good batting averages at Triple-A, and over 903 career PAs at that level he's produced a .289/.360/.431 slash line with 20 homers and 10 steals. That basically makes him a bargain bin Jacob Wilson, but the real thing's done for the year due to shoulder surgery, so the A's have little to lose by seeing what Williams can do. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5
Others:
Cam Cauley, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
John Peck, Tigers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ben Ross, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Outfield
Denzel Clarke, Athletics: Clarke's started three of five games in center field since coming off the IL, going 1-for-10 with a walk. It's his defense that will keep him in the lineup, and his biggest impact could come on the pitching staff, but there's some steals upside here -- he swiped 36 bags in 116 games at Double-A in 2024, his last full season in the minors, and he's never been caught stealing in the majors. going 8-for-8 in his first 73 MLB contest. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
Jasson Dominguez, Yankees: With Trent Grisham sidelined, Dominguez will get another look in the majors. He's still only 23, but a change of scenery in the offseason is beginning to look like the best thing that could happen to the Martian. That said, he did slash .327/.400/.429 over his last 12 Triple-A games prior to getting his September promotion, so maybe this is the time things begin to click for him in pinstripes. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
Gabriel Gonzalez, Twins: Gonzalez put together some dazzling seasons as a teenager in the low minors a few years ago and slashed .344/.429/.509 in 55 Double-A games in 2025, but injuries have been the story of his career of late. The 22-year-old got called up just before rosters expanded and has been limited to a short-side platoon role, with his defensive limitations putting up further hurdles to his playing time. If the Twins fall out of playoff contention, though – they're 3.5 games back of a wild-card spot heading into Sunday, but would need to leapfrog three other teams to get it – getting reps for Gonzalez could become a higher priority. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Nick Loftin, Royals: It's still not clear if Maikel Garcia will play again this year, and Loftin's holding in own at the hot corner in his place, slashing .295/.354/.500 over his last 12 games with three doubles, two homers and a steal. The 27-year-old utility player doesn't offer much power or speed, but the playing time could be there the rest of the way. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
Nathan Lukes, Blue Jays: The streaky Lukes is raking again, delivering five multi-hit performances in his last 12 games while slashing .364/.404/.614 with two doubles, three homers, eight runs and 12 RBI. With the Blue Jays trying to lock down the third wild-card spot in the AL, they need all the offense they can get, so Lukes should be a fixture in the lineup as long as he's producing. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered
Wade Meckler, Angels: Meckler is just about a one-category guy, but that one category is batting average, so if that's tightly bunched in your league the 26-year-old could end up providing a lot of bang for your FAAB bucks. Since coming off the IL in late August, he's collected multiple hits in four of eight games while batting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles, five RBI and six runs. Meckler isn't going to move the needle in the power department and will only steal the occasional base, however. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4
Victor Mesa, Rays: It's easy to forget that at one time Mesa had a little prospect cache in the Marlins' system, after he and his older brother (second-generation players both named after their dad) defected from Cuba in 2018. Mesa made his pro debut at 17 years old in rookie ball the following year and finally made his MLB debut in 2025, but Miami's new regime cashed him in over the winter after he produced an .887 OPS in 42 Triple-A games but struggled at the top level. The Rays have limited his exposure to left-handed pitching, and he's had trouble staying healthy, but over his last 14 games dating back to Aug. 5 he's churned out a .298/.327/.532 slash line with a double, two triples, two homers and three steals. He's also been an outstanding defender in right field with a cannon for an arm and plus-7 Outs Above Average, so Tampa will love with his growing pains at the plate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Lazaro Montes, Mariners: There weren't many big-name prospects left to be called up in the AL by the time rosters expanded in September, with Montes really being the only premium dynasty asset to debut. The 21-year-old could turn out to be the next Yordan Alvarez if everything clicks, but for now he's just a kid who strikes out too much to be reliable. Montes homered in his MLB debut but he's fanned in six of his first 14 plate appearances, and a sore hip creates extra uncertainty over his performance down the stretch. In keeper formats you'll want to stash him away, but in redraft he's the kind of guy you target only if you need to have some big gambles pay off if you're going to gain ground. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15
Heliot Ramos, Yankees: Ramos hasn't risen to the occasion since being acquired by New York, slashing a meager .145/.289/.261 in 24 games for the Yankees with just one home run. He's lost bat speed over the last couple years, but the 26-year-old still has plenty of red on his Statcast page – 92nd percentile in AEV, 91st in hard-hit rate and 90th in barrel rate. With Trent Grisham hurt, Ramos only has to be better than Jasson Dominguez to get regular playing time, at least until Aaron Judge is ready to return. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3
Eli White, Red Sox: With Ceddanne Rafaela on the shelf, White could end up seeing steady playing time in the short term in center field thanks to his solid defense. He's also hit safely in five straight games with three doubles and five RBI, and the veteran depth outfielder can chip in with the occasional homer or steal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Others:
Nate Eaton, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Stuart Fairchild, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Rece Hinds, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Heston Kjerstad, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
