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: Garrett Crochet is still a couple weeks or so away from rejoining the staff, so Bello still has some time to save his job. The 27-year-old righty has been outstanding in his last two outings, both in bulk relief, as he posted a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB over 13.1 innings. Payton Tolle doesn't look like he's going anywhere, though, so unless Boston decides to go with a six-man rotation, Bello still seems like the most likely candidate to get squeezed out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 

Tatsuya Imai, Astros: Imai came off the IL on Tuesday but still looked shaky, walking three batters and plunking two others over four innings while getting tagged for six runs. The 28-year-old still has significant upside once, or if, he gets acclimated to MLB, but he has to be viewed as more of a bench stash until he actually shows signs of figuring things out. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Zebby Matthews, Twins: Since the start of the 2024 season, Matthews has an elite 103:21 K:BB over 90 innings and 19 starts at Triple-A. That comes with a 3.70 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, however, and his big-league numbers were rocky coming into 2026 as he still hadn't quite unlocked the right pitch mix and approach for his arsenal, which is anchored by a too-straight mid-90s fastball and sharp slider. The 25-year-old right-hander blanked the Marlins over seven innings in his first MLB action this season though, as he relied a little more on his curve and change to give hitters something else to think about. Matthews has plus-plus control, so there's still mid-rotation upside here if it all comes together, and Minnesota should probably just let him sink or swim in the rotation at this point. He can't be any worse than Simeon Woods Richardson. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Spencer Miles, Blue Jays: A Rule 5 pick out of the Giants' system, Miles has barely pitched since being a fourth-round pick in 2022 due to back trouble and other injuries. The 25-year-old righty looked good enough in the Arizona Fall League that the Jays decided to take a chance on him, and it looks like they got a steal. Working with a two-seamer and four-seamer that both sit about 96 mph, plus a curveball and slider, Miles held his own in a low-leverage long relief role to begin the year, and after injuries and poor performances kept dragging down the rotation, he's gotten a chance as a bulk reliever and posted two straight scoreless outings of at least three innings. On the season, he sports a 2.55 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB in 24.2 innings, and with Max Scherzer falling apart and Shane Bieber still a month or so away from his season debut, Miles could get a long audition in a rotation spot once he's fully stretched out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Bryce Miller, Mariners: Miller made his season debut Wednesday after recovering from an oblique strain, providing 5.1 solid innings in Houston. The 27-year-old righty was outstanding in 2024 but awful in 2025, but elbow trouble offers an easy explanation for the regression. He'll piggyback with Luis Castillo on Tuesday, and it's hard not to see that as a head-to-head competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, with Miller as the favorite given Castillo's rough start to 2026. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Grayson Rodriguez, Angels: The 26-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched in the majors since 2024, and the fact that the pitching-needy Orioles gave up on him isn't encouraging, but Rodriguez is finally healthy enough to make his Halos debut Sunday. To his credit, Rodriguez has dominated on his rehab stint, posting an 18:2 K:BB in 9.2 innings against low minors competition, but it's a massive jump from facing California League hitters to big leaguers. Rodriguez was at one time viewed as a future ace for Baltimore with a mid-90s fastball, plus slider, good curveball and promising changeup, but how much of that arsenal is intact after a litany of injuries and a long layoff is a big question mark. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jesse Scholtens, Rays: Scholtens continues to get the job done as a bulk reliever. The veteran righty has picked up a win in four of seven outings this season, and he's given up more than two runs in only one of those appearances, leaving him with a tidy 3.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB in 32.1 innings. He doesn't have a lot of upside, but Tampa Bay's produced plenty of fantasy value over the years by deploying merely OK pitchers in exactly this role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Others:

Alek Manoah, 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

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Slade Cecconi, Guardians (at DET, at PHI)
Patrick Corbin, Blue Jays (ay NYY, vs. PIT)
Reid Detmers, Angels (vs. ATH, vs. TEX)
J.T. Ginn, Athletics (at LAA, at SD)
Jacob Lopez, Athletics (at LAA, at SD)
Seth Lugo, Royals (vs. BOS, vs. SEA)
Keider Montero, Tigers (vs. CLE, at BAL)
Noah Schultz, White Sox (at SEA, at SF)
Walbert Urena, Angels (vs. ATH, vs. TEX)
Simeon Woods Richardson, Twins (vs. HOU, at BOS)

Relief Pitcher

Yoendrys Gomez, Twins: For once, there hasn't been major turmoil in AL closing situations this week, so there's a window to take a step back and look at the bullpens of teams without a set closer yet to see if any promising candidates have emerged. Gomez is the closest guy to meeting that criteria – the 26-year-old right-hander doesn't have elite stuff, but his mid-90s fastball is solid and he backs it up with a sinker, cutter and sweeper, joining the wave of pitchers throwing three different fastball variations at hitters to try and mess with them. Gomez does have two saves on the year and has yet to give up a run in May, and while in a deeper bullpen he'd likely be on the fringes of high-leverage usage, in Minnesota's crew he seems like a far better bet to get results than replacement-level arms like Eric Orze and Justin Topa. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Hogan Harris, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Bryan Hudson, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Hunter Feduccia, Rays: Tampa rode Nick Fortes as long as it could, but after a hot start at the plate he's reverting to form, slashing .235/.250/.255 since April 20. That's opening the door for Feduccia to see more playing time against RHP, and while it's doubtful the duo will fall into a strict platoon, the former Dodger is batting .294 (5-for-17) in May. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Mitch Garver, Mariners: With Cal Raleigh on the shelf, Garver was set to see a short-term boost in playing time, but then he got scratched Saturday with a sore back. The bid recs here are assuming he turns out to be fine, as set to start for the next week or so. If he winds up on the IL too, then Jhonny Pereda's probably worth an extra buck, but he's a 30-year-old with a career .570 OPS in 130 big-league plate appearances. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Logan O'Hoppe, Angels: O'Hoppe has a rough start to the season and got cut loose in a lot of leagues despite the fact that he'd slugged 39 homers over the prior two years. Now that he's back off the IL and Travis d'Arnaud isn't, though, he'll get a chance to wipe the slate clean. His profile offers some signs of a potential breakout to come, as well. In a small 2026 sample, O'Hoppe has shaved up seven percent off his strikeout rate from last year, and his 114.3 mph max EV is a career high, even if his AEV is down. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Drew Romo, White Sox: Kyle Teel finally began a rehab assignment this week and is closing in on his 2026 debut, but in the meantime Romo has moved past Edgar Quero on the depth chart with a surprising power display. The 24-year-old couldn't hit a homer during his time with the Rockies and didn't even put up particularly good numbers at Triple-A Albuquerque, but now that he's down closer to sea level he's gone yard four times in 13 games for the White Sox plus four more in 17 games at Triple-A Charlotte, because of course he has. Quero's the most likely candidate to get demoted when Teel is activated, positioning Romo to be an adequate second catcher in deep leagues if he keeps up these changes in his approach – his 32.1 percent Pull Air Rate is a match for Cal Raleigh's, and just behind Kyle Schwarber and Byron Buxton, even if he doesn't have the bat speed or pure power of those stars. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Mickey Gasper, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Jhonny Pereda, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees: Over recent years in mono leagues, first base has consistently been the toughest position to find help at during the season. Sure, there was Nick Kurtz, but for the most part it's tough to even land short-term plug-in guys, aside from the occasional super-utility player who gains eligibility at the position. (Vaughn Grissom is on that track this year, if you want to plan ahead). That makes Goldschmidt's recent efforts stand out, even if he's in a short-side platoon role that would normally not draw attention in shallower formats. Over 11 games in May, Goldy's slashing .351/.429/.649 with three homers, seven RBI and eight runs in 42 plate appearances, and the Yankees' rash of injuries to the outfield/DH brigade have opened up some playing time for the 38-year-old against RHP as well. The surge won't last, but you still might be able to catch the end of it before it peters out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Nick Sogard, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Darell Hernaiz, Athletics: With Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy the Younger on the sidelines, Hernaiz has been seeing regular playing time on the left side of the infield and has begun to find a groove at the plate, collecting seven hits in the last five games. The 24-year-old infielder offers little speed and even less power, though, and it's not a great sign for his job security that the A's went out and got Alika Williams from the Pirates. Still, Hernaiz is the guy with the starting job at the moment. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Gage Workman, Tigers: Called up last Sunday to provide some infield depth for Detroit, Workman's seen a surprisingly healthy workload, getting 18 plate appearances while appearing in six straight games and blasting four extra-base hits, two doubles and two homers, with five RBI. The 26-year-old was destroying Triple-A pitching prior to his promotion, slashing .358/.413/.590 with 21 XBH and 12 steals in 35 games, so it's possible this is an actual breakout and not just a nice week. His Statcast page is suggesting the same thing, and while he doesn't have enough PAs to hit the leaderboards yet, his 93.8 mph AEV would be just ahead of Aaron Judge, Ben Rice and Kyle Schwarber. With Colt Keith supplying no power at all and Zach McKinstry best suited for a utility role, there is a path here for Workman to claim the starting job at third base if he keeps this up, although it likely wouldn't happen overnight. For now, consider him a high-priority dart throw. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Shortstop

Andruw Monasterio, Red Sox: Trevor Story is on the IL and potentially headed for core muscle surgery, so shortstop is suddenly a black hole for Boston. Of the current roster options, Monasterio offers the most fantasy upside, although not a whole lot, and he's started two straight games at the position since Story was shut down. There isn't much infield help in the minors either with Kristian Campbell still struggling, unless the organization does something goofy like jump Franklin Arias all the way from Double-A. Monasterio might be able to chip in some steals and adequate counting stats in a full-time role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Anthony Volpe, Yankees: Called up to fill in for Jose Caballero at shortstop, Volpe has started three straight games at shortstop and gone 0-for-6 with two strikeouts and five walks. The 25-year-old has lost a lot of luster since his 2023 debut as the heir apparent to Derek Jeter, and manager Aaron Boone made it clear when Caballero went down that he wouldn't lose his starting job, but a good showing from Volpe might at least salvage some trade value for him, or even make a case for him to stick around and have Caballero shift back into a super-utility role. He's got an awful lot to prove for either of those things to happen, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Braden Shewmake, Astros 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Alika Williams, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Carson Williams, Rays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Henry Bolte, Athletics: The top position player promotion of the week in the AL, Bolte has started four straight games in center field and gone 5-for-13 with two RBI, a steal and a 1:3 BB:K to begin his big-league career. The 22-year-old was putting up dizzying numbers at Triple-A Las Vegas even accounting for PCL desert inflation, slashing .348/.418/.658 with 12 homers and 17 steals in 37 games, and he'd trimmed more than 10 percent off his strikeout rate at the same level in 2025. Bolte's got legitimate five-category upside, and while the A's will probably want Denzel Clarke's glove back in the lineup as soon as he's healthy, Lawrence Butler could be hanging by a thread in right field given his .161/.333/.194 start to May. If Bolte's producing, there's little reason to think he'll be sent back to the minors. 12-team Mixed: $12; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $45

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: Jake Fraley's injury Friday creates a hole in right field that the Rays might not able to platoon their way out of. DeLuca got the start against a right-handed pitcher Saturday, and while he doesn't offer a whole lot with his bat, he's 4-for-4 on steal attempts over 14 games in May as Tampa Bay continues to shift toward a small-ball mentality – the team's tied for second in the majors in SBs, but 26th in homers. If you need a speed boost, targeting the Rays outfield offers a viable solution. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jarred Kelenic, White Sox: Wait, don't go, hear me out. Sure, Kelenic had a career .658 OPS and 30.6 percent strikeout rate in nearly 1,500 big-league plate appearances coming into the season, and his reputation as a bust is pretty much cemented at this point. He's still only 26 though, and with the White Sox having very little to lose, they've given him a shot after he started to show some life at Triple-A Charlotte (his season numbers are terrible, but in the last 10 games before his promotion he slashed .333/.467/.833 with three doubles and five homers.) He hasn't quite kept that up in the bigs, of course, but .257/.333/.371 over his last 12 contests for Chicago ain't bad. In recent years, other certfied busts like Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell also began to carve out careers for themselves at about the same age. Why not Kelenic too? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Cedric Mullins, Rays: Like DeLuca, Mullins is taking advantage of Tampa's green light on the basepaths. The veteran center fielder has four steals in 12 May contests while slashing .308/.372/.385 with a homer, six run and six RBI. Unlike DeLuca, Mullins isn't actually adding much to the team's fortunes with his running, as he's also been caught stealing four times this month. His playing time's fairly secure though, and while his bat will cool down, he could chip in some steals for you until it does. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Tyler O'Neill, Orioles: With Dylan Beavers on the shelf with an oblique strain and Colton Cowser lost at the plate without a map, right field looks like it belongs to O'Neill for at least the next couple weeks. The veteran outfielder is flailing at the plate himself, slashing just .103/.278/.241 over 36 plate appearances in May, but O'Neill has a strong 44.9 percent hard-hit rate and a 7:9 BB:K, so there's at least some hope his luck could turn around soon. That's assuming he stays healthy himself, of course. If not, well, Heston Kjerstad could be coming off the 60-day IL fairly soon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

James Outman, Twins: Speaking of oft-injured outfielders, Byron Buxton's missed the last few games with a sore hip, putting an IL stint firmly in play. If he misses a significant length of time, Outman would be the next man up for Minnesota in center field, potentially in a platoon with Ryan Kreidler. Outman has four hits in three starts in place of Buxton, producing a double, a triple, three runs and three RBI, but his 3:16 BB:K in 45 plate appearances on the season are a strong sign that the plate discipline issues that caused the Dodgers to give up on him are still very much present. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Yohendrick Pinango, Blue Jays: Addison Barger's return from the IL lasted all of one game and one jaw-dropping throw to the plate, as he promptly landed back on the shelf with a sore elbow afterwards. Whoops. That opened a corner outfield spot back up for Pinango, and the 24-year-old has seized hold of it by hitting safely in four straight games while launching his first career long ball in Detroit on Saturday. Over his first 47 MLB PAs, Pinango's slashing .364/.404/.477 with two doubles and seven RBI, and if he keeps up anything close to that pace he'll be hard to dislodge once Barger gets healthy again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Ryan Kreidler, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Jose Siri, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Joc Pederson, Rangers: After a brutal 2025, Pederson started out 2026 in a funk as well, and it looked like the 34-year-old might be washed. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker has stuck with him, though, and Pederson's shown signs of life at the plate in May, batting .261 (6-for-23) over the last nine games with two doubles and a homer. He's limited to a strong-side platoon role, and after one awful defensive effort in right field he probably won't be seeing much action on defense, but Pederson might have something left to offer with his bat after all. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4