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

Ty Johnson, Rays: Tampa continues to shuffle the deck on its rotation looking for... well, an ace is probably aiming too high. They'd take any face card at this point, or even just a solid 10. Mason Englert is getting an audition this week (and a two-step – see below) as the fifth starter, but his track record isn't encouraging. Joe Boyle, meanwhile, got hammered for six runs in 1.1 innings in his most recent Triple-A start Thursday, and he has a 23:12 K:BB in 15 innings for Durham. That could leave Johnson as the next young arm to get a look if the Rays decide to go that route. The 24-year-old right-hander missed the first month of the year with back trouble, but since making an early May season debut he's delivered a 1.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB in 28 innings over six starts. Johnson still has only two reliable pitches, a fastball that sits 92-94 mph and a devastating slider, but both pitches play up due to a funky delivery that somehow features both a short arm action and good extension thanks to his lanky 6-6 frame. Stolen from the Cubs a couple years ago as the "throw-in" in the Isaac Paredes trade, Johnson's worth stashing now if you can, as he doesn't seem far away from his MLB debut. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Jack Perkins, Athletics: The A's still really like Perkins' arm, but their inability find a consistent role for him may be stunting his development as much as his injuries. One week he's a high-leverage volume reliever, the next he's closing, and now they're shifting him back to the rotation because why not. In his first start of the season Friday, the right-hander got tagged for five runs in four innings but also had a 6:2 K:BB, which is pretty much his season in a microcosm. Over 32 MLB frames this year, Perkins has a 6.19 ERA despite a 39:9 K:BB and just two homers allowed, numbers better reflected in his 3.30 xERA and 3.74 xFIP. If the A's just leave him alone and let him get comfortable, he could still become a building block for their future. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Brandon Young, Orioles: The overlooked 27-year-old righty has delivered three straight quality starts for Baltimore, and since the beginning of May he sports a 3.12 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 34.2 innings over six outings. Young doesn't have much strikeout upside and is purely staff filler, but right now he's good staff filler, and he shouldn't be floating around in the free-agent pool in any league where pitching depth is at all hard to find. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Kade Morris, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Mike Paredes, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Chris Bassitt, Orioles (vs. SEA, vs. SD)
Patrick Corbin, Blue Jays (vs. PHI, vs. NYY)
Mason Englert, Rays (vs. BOS, at LAA)
Stephen Kolek, Royals (vs. TEX, vs. HOU)
Grayson Rodriguez, Angels (vs. HOU, vs. TB)
Trevor Rogers, Orioles (vs. SEA, vs. SD)
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics (vs. MIL, vs. COL)

Relief Pitcher

Yoendrys Gomez, Twins: I'm still reluctant to fully endorse any Minnesota reliever as a saves source, but Gomez has been the team's best high-leverage arm overall since the beginning of May, posting a 0.64 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB in his last 14 innings with three saves and five holds. Those ratios give him a solid floor even if manager Derek Shelton keeps giving random save chances to the Eric Orze's and Travis Adams' of the world. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alex Lange, Royals: Speaking of managers sending mixed signals with their bullpen usage, Matt Quatraro finally pulled the plug on Lucas Erceg as the Royals' closer earlier this week. He said he would play matchups in the ninth... and then promptly gave three straight save chances to Lange over the next four days, with the right-hander converting them all. Lange doesn't have a classic late-inning arsenal, instead throwing five different pitches at least 10 percent of the time, but he mainly relies on a 95.4 mph sinker, a plus slider with a 40 percent whiff rate, and a good changeup. He's also got a 0.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB over his last 12 innings. Erceg's a mess and Carlos Estevez (shoulder) still doesn't seem particularly close to returning, so Lange could get some time to lock down the closer role before he gets any competition. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jacob Latz, Rangers: Latz continues to get the job done as Texas' closer and no one else is in the mix right now, but for some reason he remains available in a lot of shallower formats. The southpaw has been scored upon in only two of 12 appearances since he picked up his first save in late April, posting a 2.35 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB in 15.1 innings while converting nine of 10 chances. There are bigger-name closers out there with less value and higher roster rates. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Will Vest, Tigers: Since Kenley Jansen landed on the IL, only two Detroit pitchers have gotten saves – a four-inning long relief job from Enmanuel De Jesus, and a traditional one from Vest on Monday. It's also hard to overlook the fact that Vest has a 7.88 ERA in eight innings since coming back from his own IL stint in mid-May, however, having been scored upon in three of seven appearances. Kyle Finnegan, meanwhile, has a 2.57 ERA over that same stretch, albeit with a 1.57 WHIP and 3:3 K:BB in seven innings. In short, the back of the Tigers' bullpen is in about the same shape as their rotation right now. Throw a dart at Vest if you need to, but keep your expectations low. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Kyle Higashioka, Rangers: A number of brand-name catchers hit the IL this week in the American League, but Higashioka is the only really enticing replacement, as he should see close to a starting workload while Danny Jansen's on the shelf. Higashioka has also hit safely in five straight games, going 8-for-16 with two doubles and a homer, so he could be poised to take advantage of the opportunity. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Elias Diaz, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
J.C. Escarra, Yankees 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Sam Huff, Orioles 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Collin Price, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ali Sanchez, Yankees 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Kody Clemens, Twins: Clemens getting reps in center field might have been the Twinsiest thing to happen this season, but the 30-year-old is at least hitting well enough to justify a bit of creativity in making sure his bat stays in the lineup. Over his last 20 games, he's slashing .263/.289/.537 with four homers, 10 runs and 10 RBI, getting only one day off during that stretch. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nolan Schanuel, Angels: The 24-year-old missed a little over the minimum with an ankle sprain suffered in late May, returning to the lineup Saturday and going 0-for-3. Schanuel's value in shallower 5x5 roto formats has always been borderline, but that also means he was more likely to get dropped rather than stashed while he was on the IL. He is what he is, but he's still got a decent floor, if little ceiling. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

LaMonte Wade, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Michael Massey, Royals: Massey seems to tease a breakout at least once a season, and he's been giving fantasy GMs that come-hither look again over the last week, going 12-for-28 with three homers and seven RBI in seven games. The 28-year-old has a career .245/.283/.392 slash line in over 1,400 plate appearances for Kansas City, however, so there's little reason to believe he's suddenly going to find another level. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Third Base

Caleb Durbin, Red Sox: It's been a tough adjustment to Boston for Durbin, but the 26-year-old seems to finally be getting comfortable. From May 28-June 3 he rapped out an extra-base hit in six straight games, and over the course of a current eight-game hitting streak he's slashing .344/.333/.563 with seven RBI. He won't supply much over-the-fence power, but Durbin's swing should be tailor made to crack doubles off the Green Monster. Instead, his Pull Air rate cratered to begin the year, going from a respectable 20.4 percent in 2025 to 13.0 percent in 2026. If that gets sorted out, he should be able to put together a solid second half of the season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Royce Lewis, Twins: After slashing .333/.403/.900 with 10 homers in 15 games for Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins brought Lewis back to the majors, but it's still not clear what they intend to do with him. Brooks Lee has remained at third base while 30-year-old journeyman Tristan Gray has inexplicably continues to get the bulk of the reps at shortstop, despite a three-error game earlier this week. Instead, Lewis' first start after his recall came at second base while Luke Keaschall got a breather. I can understand deciding that Lee isn't the answer in the long term at shortstop, but that infield arrangement isn't a viable alternative. Minnesota still needs to do everything they can to try and get Lewis back to the level he flashed at the plate back in 2023, so I would expect him to find his way back into the starting job at the hot corner at some point, but this is an organization more than capable of some very head-scratching choices. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Josh Rojas, Royals 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Anthony Seigler, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Patrick Wisdom, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Jacob Gonzalez, White Sox: I wrote up Gonzalez last week ahead of his big-league debut and gave him a strong recommended bid line, but if no one in your league bit last week sight unseen, it's time to correct that. Through his first six MLB games, the 2023 first-round pick is batting .316 (6-for-19) with his first homer and a respectable 2:6 BB:K which looks even better when you consider four of the Ks came against Joe Ryan in his second career game for Chicago. Gonzalez has been playing nearly every day at first base with Munetaka Murakami on the shelf, but if he keeps performing at a high level, the White Sox will find a spot for him even after the Japanese slugger gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Red Sox: IKF has been a nearly everyday player of late, handling the short side of a platoon at shortstop with Marcelo Mayer and covering the keystone more often than not against RHP. Over his last 15 contests, that's resulted in a .319/.385/.426 slash line with two doubles, a homer, a steal, eight runs and eight RBI. As long as the playing time volume is there, Kiner-Falefa can be a useful floor option with a bit of steals potential and multi-position eligibility. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Outfield

Andrew Benintendi, White Sox: Benintendi's a perennial bubble guy in shallower formats, but since mid-May he's been hitting like a guy who should be an active lineup regular. Over his last 17 games, the 31-year-old is slashing .288/.354/.559 with four doubles, four homers, 10 runs and 13 RBI, and three of those four long balls have come in his last seven contests. He'll cool down eventually, but right now he's a worthwhile guy to plug a hole in your outfield with. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Spencer Jones, Yankees: If you need to fill an Aaron Judge-sized hole in your lineup, I guess it makes sense to turn to a guy who's 6-foot-6. Jones was called back up this weekend and went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI in his return to the majors, but one good game doesn't erase a brutal May that saw the 25-year-old bat just .167 with a 44.4 percent strikeout rate over 27 plate appearances in his first taste of The Show. Jones probably isn't ready, and while Judge could be out until after the All-Star break, the Yankees should get Jasson Dominguez and Giancarlo Stanton back before then, giving the rookie a small window to figure things out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Nathan Lukes, Blue Jays: Lukes has just kept raking since making his return from a hamstring strain in late May, and over his last 11 games and 47 PAs he's slashed a mere .390/.457/.512 with two doubles, a homer, three RBI and seven runs. The 31-year-old has limited fantasy upside outside of his contact skills, but he's routinely hitting near the top of the order against RHP, which gives him some nice runs upside as long as the hits are falling in. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Wenceel Perez, Tigers: Perez has just six hits over his last nine games but four of them have left the yard, while he also sports a very respectable 19.4 percent strikeout rate. That adds up to some extreme bad luck on balls in play, highlighted by his absurd .164 BABIP on the season – over 100 points lower than his career mark. The 26-year-old still has a woeful .168/.230/.315 slash line in 161 PAs, but he's been getting fairly regular playing time even with Kerry Carpenter off the IL, and Perez's luck could turn any day now. This could be a good time to scoop him up cheap if you need outfield help. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5