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: This is just getting silly. Over his last five starts for Double-A Arkansas, Anderson has a 0.00 ERA, 0.51 WHIP and 39:3 K:BB over 27.2 innings. The 21-year-old lefty is consistently going at least five innings and has absolutely nothing left to prove in the Texas League, but Seattle doesn't like putting top pitching prospects through the PCL meat grinder and is already juggling six starting-caliber arms in the big-league rotation, so Anderson's kind of stuck until that logjam ahead of him clears. The current plan is to piggyback in one spot with different guys, so they each get a periodic breather, but that just seems like a set-up to help Anderson ease into things once he does get promoted. The trade deadline will be six weeks away come Monday, and you have to think the M's will try to move someone like Luis Castillo or Emerson Hancock to make room for Anderson's late-season MLB debut. If you can afford to stash him for that long, or want to gamble on them finding a deal they like sooner rather than later, grab Anderson now. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Shane Bieber, Blue Jays: With Bieber confirmed to make his season debut Monday, you're safe to get the jump on bidding for him in leagues where you can bid on players while they're still on the IL. The veteran right-hander posted some alarming numbers on his rehab assignment, including a 5.68 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB over 12.2 innings for Triple-A Buffalo, but the Blue Jays can't afford to wait for him to round into form. Bieber does get dropped into a Texas two-step, with home starts lined up against the Astros and Rangers, and both are middle of the pack this season against RHP. That makes for a tougher decision on whether to have him active right away or pick him up purely as a second-half stash, but if you need to take some chances on upside to make up ground in pitching categories, Bieber certainly offers it. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Casey Mize, Tigers: Activated from the IL on Wednesday, Mize also gets a two-start week at home against the Yankees and Astros, which is less appealing than Bieber's slate – the Yanks sit third in the majors in wRC+ and wOBA against RHP. Mize is the safer option in the long run though, producing a 2.58 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 52:13 K:BB in his first 52.1 innings this season, and he's showing glimmers of upside in 2026 with a career-high K rate (25.2 percent) and career-low hard-hit rate against (35.7 percent). 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Others:

Ryan Johnson, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Elmer Rodriguez, Yankees 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 (purely as keeper stash)

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Sam Aldegheri, Angels (vs. BAL, vs. ATH)
Luinder Avila, Royals (at TB, at CHW)
Jake Bennett, Red Sox (at COL, vs. NYY)
Aaron Civale, Athletics (at SF, at LAA)
Anthony Kay, White Sox (vs. CLE, vs. KC)
Jack Leiter, Rangers (at MIA, at TOR)
Zebby Matthews, Twins (vs. LAD, vs. COL)
Kumar Rocker, Rangers (at MIA, at TOR)

Relief Pitcher

Yoendrys Gomez, Twins: Minnesota finally seems to have settled on a closer. Gomez has four saves in June, with only two other Twins relievers (Andrew Morris and Travis Adams) getting one each during that time, and the 26-year-old righty has earned the role with a 2.16 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB in 8.1 innings this month. It's somewhat fitting that Gomez was picked up off the scrap heap in early May after being DFA'ed by the Rays, but he does have somewhat credible high-leverage stuff with a 95.2 mph four-seamer and a sweeper with a 37.1 percent whiff rate, while also mixing in a cutter and sinker. In a deeper bullpen he might be working the sixth or seventh innings, but in this one, he's the Twins' best option right now in the ninth. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Kendry Rojas, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Austin Wells, Yankees: Neck issues and headaches have kept Wells out of action since June 5, but he's returning to the lineup Sunday. The 26-year-old has had a rough season so far with a .533 OPS and just four homers in 47 games, but Ali Sanchez isn't a realistic threat to get regular playing time, and Ben Rice has yet to see any time behind the plate this year. The Yankees will give Wells every chance to regain his form and reassert himself as the starter, because they don't have any better options. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Tyler Heineman, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Rhys Hoskins, Guardians: With Chase DeLauter shockingly sidelined by something other than a lower-body injury and Jose Ramirez also on the shelf, Hoskins has found himself as a regular part of the 1B/DH mix for Cleveland in June. The 33-year-old has started 10 straight games, but he's done little with that opportunity, slashing a miserable .103/.146/.231 with one homer in 41 plate appearances and a 1:17 BB:K. The strikeouts are more a sign that he's being overly passive at the plate than anything else – he has a chase rate in the 93rd percentile for the year – but he needs to do more damage when he makes contact to make that approach work. The Guardians are just scrambling to fill out a lineup card every night right now, so Hoskins' playing time is way safer than it should be given his recent numbers, but he's tough to recommend without some kind of sign he might be about to heat up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Second Base

Vaughn Grissom, Angels: Grissom has started three of four games since coming off the IL, getting two starts at first base against the LHP and one at DH against a righty, and he seems set to consistent playing time on a roster that's currently missing three key regulars (Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Yoan Moncada) and a bunch of depth players. Grissom's most notable skill this season has been his ability to make contact – his 11.3 percent K rate is in the 95 percentile – but he isn't a Luis Arraez clone, as his 43.8 percent hard-hit rate is more than acceptable. The 25-year-old might never live down having been traded for Chris Sale, but right now he looks like a solid floor option in deeper formats with a smidge of ceiling. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers: With Gleyber Torres on the shelf again, Lee is getting a look as the starting second baseman, and over six games since his return to the majors he's batting .316 (6-for-19), albeit with little in the way of counting stats. The 23-year-old has shown a bit of power and speed in the minors, but his 4:28 BB:K over 106 plate appearances in his first taste of the big leagues this year is a good sign he's probably overmatched. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Christian Moore, Angels: Given the downright obscene nature of MLB's latest proposal to the players in CBA talks, which would basically offload a ton of prospect development (and, most importantly from the owners' perspective, prospect developments costs) onto college programs while also reducing free-agent salaries by preventing players from reaching it in their primes, it might be better to look at the Angels' recent proximity-obsessed draft history as a test case rather than simply mismanagement. Moore's become one of the poster boys for the Halos' recent run of scouting ineptitude as Konnor Griffin went one pick after him in the 2024 draft, although there were other college hitters like Cam Smith and Carson Benge who were selected later in the first round and have raced ahead of him as well. Moore made his MLB debut in 2025 and face-planted due to a 33.7 percent strikeout rate, and while he showed some progress at Triple-A Salt Lake while adjusting to a potential super-utility role, that may have been nothing more than another desert mirage, as the 23-year-old has fanned seven times in nine PAs since getting called back up Thursday. There's some upside here, sure, but little reason to believe the Angels will be able to help Moore reach it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Raynel Delgado, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Luis Urias, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Caleb Durbin, Red Sox: There's been a lot of 'two steps forward, two steps back' for Durbin of late, but he's on the upswing again and injuries have thinned out his potential competition for playing time at the hot corner. The 26-year-old has six hits, half of them for extra bases, over the last three games, but that comes after an 0-for-14 stretch. Over his last 19 contests dating back to May 28 though, Durbin's slashing .304/.315/.594 with four homers, three steals, 11 runs and 13 RBI, and those are numbers too good to be floating around on the waiver wire. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nicky Lopez, Rangers: Texas has Ezequiel Duran covering for Corey Seager at shortstop right now, and that's allowed them to give Lopez regular run at second base, especially with Josh Smith exiled to Triple-A. Lopez offers little more than contact skills and some speed, but over 19 games since joining the Rangers he's batting .309 (17-for-55) with two steals. If BA and SB are the categories you specifically need help in and you don't mind the drag on the power categories, Lopez has some utility. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

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

Shortstop

J.P. Crawford, Mariners: With Colt Emerson getting a chance to stake his claim to the starting shortstop gig, Crawford has shifted over to the hot corner since coming off the IL. The defensive switch may be getting into his head, as he's gone just 1-for-14 in five games (four starts) at third base. Brendan Donovan still looks like he's a couple weeks away from his own return, so Crawford will get some time to adjust, but there's a big -playing time squeeze coming for somebody. It's not out of the question it'll be Emerson and not Crawford though, given the rookie's .200/.245/.480 slash line and 34.0 percent strikeout rate in June. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Andruw Monasterio, Red Sox: Monasterio's started three of the last four games at second base while Marcelo Mayer covers shortstop, but playing time might be the 29-year-old utility player's only selling point. Monasterio's got a fairly empty .235/.279/.374 slash line on the season in 122 PAs, and his minor-league resume doesn't hint at untapped upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Taylor Walls, Rays: Walls is a throwback shortstop who has a great glove but offers very little offense. He's at least stealing some bases of late though, and over 44 PAs in June he's slashing .257/.349/.286 with four RBI, five runs and six stolen bases in 14 games. They're the kind of numbers that might have landed him on an All-Star team in 1980 if he'd kept it up for a couple months rather than a couple weeks. If you are already at a point in your season where you're hyper-focused on gaining ground in SBs and don't mind any erosion in the rest of your counting stats, Walls could be a fit. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: DeLuca came off the IL on Friday and promptly homered, but he was on the bench Saturday against a tougher right-handed pitcher in Cade Cavalli. The 27-year-old is likely to be Tampa Bay's primary option in right field, but that won't necessarily translate to a full starting workload. Over 550 PAs for the Rays the last three seasons, DeLuca's slashed .242/.291/.369 with nine homers and 29 steals, and that's probably a reasonable expectation for his performance for however long he stays healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Alejandro Osuna, Rangers: Sent down to Triple-A on June 5 to make room for Wyatt Langford, Osuna made a quick return to the majors when Evan Carter got hurt. Over five games during his latest MLB stint, Osuna's gone 4-for-16 with two RBI and three runs, seeing most of his time in center field but also getting a start in left. The 23-year-old offers decent contact skills and speed but little power, which is why he's a fringe big-leaguer and not a regular, but he's got a fairly clear path to at-bats in the short term. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Jose Siri, Angels: Mike Trout's injury has left Siri as the Angels' best defensive option in center field, but the 30-year-old has actually been making a solid contribution at the plate in June, slashing .262/.333/.500 over 50 PAs on the month with three homers, eight runs and a surprising 14 RBI. That won't last, but Siri could be a useful option to plug a hole in your outfield for a week or two. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Lane Thomas, Royals: Kansas City's latest wave of injuries has left the team with a regular outfield of Thomas in center field flanked by Isaac Collins in left and a John Rave/Starling Marte platoon in right, with Kameron Misner trying to crash the party. Thomas at least is taking advantage, hitting safely in five straight games and slashing .278/.381/.556 over 63 PAs in June with three doubles, four homers, 10 RBI and 11 runs. Kyle Isbel probably won't be back until after the All-Star break even if he's able to avoid surgery to address his plantar fasciitis, a condition Thomas knows all too well. Thomas' June numbers are looking a lot like his pre-injury breakout form from his Nationals days, and with a long runway for consistent at-bats, the 30-year-old might just have another good fantasy season in him. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Trei Cruz, Tigers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Connor Joe, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Jarred Kelenic, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Junior Perez, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
John Rave, Royals 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Weston Wilson, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1