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

Gage Jump, Athletics: With injuries mounting in the A's rotation, the organization elected to begin the service-time clock on Jump, a 23-year-old lefty taken 73rd overall in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft with the last Competitive Balance Pick in Round B – which, from one perspective, was the last pick the A's got just for playing in a decaying stadium in Oakland that depressed ticket sales and revenues before packing up and squatting in Sacramento. (takes thesaurus off shelf) Jump has, uhh, leapt quickly up the ladder, and after posting a 56:20 K:BB in 38 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas this year, he got the call. His 4.74 ERA and 1.47 WHIP at Vegas don't, umm, pop off the page, but allowances should be made for PCL desert ballparks. Jump's MLB debut went reasonably well – 5:1 K:BB in five innings, and he didn't serve up a homer – and his 95.9 mph fastball plays up a bit due to deception in his delivery. His slider is a potential plus pitch, and he also works with a sweeper and occasional changeup. He'd already been, ahh, climbing up prospect lists, and he's got the makings of a legitimate mid-rotation arm and maybe more. This doesn't feel like a short-term promotion either, especially with Luis Severino now out along with Aaron Civale. Jump gets a two-step this week, taking on the Cubs and Astros away from Sutter Health Park, so an early investment could pay off quickly. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Anthony Kay, White Sox: It should be no surprise that the surprising White Sox are getting big contributions from surprising players. Kay's one of them, as the unheralded southpaw returned from a two-year stint in Japan to become a rotation stalwart for Chicago. He's delivered at least five innings while allowing two earned runs or fewer in all six of his May starts, posting a 1.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 27:10 K:BB in 32.1 innings on the month. The lack of strikeouts limits his ceiling and his 3.77 ERA on the year has a 5.70 xERA, 5.19 FIP and 4.91 xFIP looming over it, but Kay's current form is hard to overlook. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Troy Melton, Tigers: Tarik Skubal's recovery from elbow surgery looks to be bordering on the miraculous, but he's still probably not going to be back in the Detroit rotation until later in June, while Justin Verlander remains on the sidelines and Casey Mize joined them Thursday. That leaves an opening for Melton, and the 25-year-old right-hander returned last Sunday from his own IL stint and has produced a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 12.2 innings in his first two big-league starts of the season. His 4:4 K:BB is a little concerning, but Melton's shown plenty of strikeout upside in the minors. The 2022 fourth-round pick has gained velocity since being drafted and now sits comfortably in the mid-90s with his four-seamer while also using a sinker, cutter, slider, splitter and occasional curve. Pitchers have been finding success in 2026 working with difference fastball shapes to keep hitters off-balance, and Melton has the arsenal to join that club. You might have missed your chance to get him on the cheap last weekend, but he can still provide value even if you pay full market price for him. 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $31

David Sandlin, White Sox: An 11th-round pick by the Royals in 2022, Sandlin got dealt to the Red Sox ahead of the 2024 season then swapped the color of his laundry in another minor trade this past winter. Boston had begun to convert him to the bullpen, but Chicago moved Sandlin back into the rotation, and the decision appears to be paying dividends. After posting a 0.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 12 innings for Triple-A Charlotte, The 25-year-old righty was brought up to the majors to replace Noah Schultz and dazzled in his debut, allowing just one baserunner – a Byron Buxton solo shot to lead off the game – over six innings Wednesday. Sandlin averaged 97.7 mph with his fastball in his debut while mixing in a curveball, cutter and occasional chanegup, but the fastball's mediocre movement profile can result in some very loud contact. He's also had trouble staying healthy as a pro, which is what prompted the bullpen move, and that debut could wind up being his peak. The stuff is there to develop into a mid-rotation arm, but he's got a lot to prove. Sandlin does line up for a two-start week, facing the Twins again in Minnesota before a trip to Philadelphia, but he's a risky streaming option until he's got a lengthier track record. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Luinder Avila, Royals (at CIN, at MIN)
Shane Baz, Orioles (at BOS, at TOR)
Noah Cameron, Royals (at CIN, at MIN)
Joey Cantillo, Guardians (at NYY, at TEX)
Griffin Jax, Rays (vs. DET, at MIA)
Connor Prielipp, Twins (vs. CHW, vs. KC)

Relief Pitcher

Kyle Finnegan, Tigers: Kenley Jansen hit the IL on Thursday, which makes Finnegan the next man up in the ninth for Detroit. The former Nationals closer didn't make a good first impression in his new/old role though, blowing a save Friday after a couple singles and a safety squeeze bunt. Finnegan does have a 2.03 ERA in 26.2 innings on the season, but that comes with a 1.58 WHIP and awful 15:19 K:BB. The 34-year-old's velocity has been OK, but career-worst strikeout and walk rates aren't encouraging. If Finnegan isn't up to the task, Will Vest might get a look, but he's been shaky too this year and isn't worth more than a minimum bid dart throw right now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Will Vest, Tigers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Royals bullpen – Lucas Erceg has completely fallen apart, getting tagged for eight earned runs in two innings over his last three appearances while blowing two straight saves, and a best-case scenario for Carlos Estevez's return might be mid-June. The door is wide open for someone else to get save chances for Kansas City... the only problem is, there's no obvious candidates. Daniel Lynch has been the team's best reliever this year, but he's a lefty with an arsenal better suited for set-up work, although his slider does have an elite 51.0 percent whiff rate in 2026. Steven Cruz has a big fastball, and a 9.00 ERA and 15.6 percent walk rate in the majors this season. Eric Cerantola was called back up Friday and has been closing at Triple-A Omaha, but he also has trouble finding the strike zone at times. His slider is a potentially plus-plus pitch though, and he looks the part as a burly 6-5 righty, so if you want to throw a dart here, I'd aim for Cerantola as a No/No/$1.

Catcher

Mickey Gasper, Red Sox: Boston interim manager Chad Tracy indicated this weekend that Gasper was his preferred option behind the plate right now against RHP, a role the 30-year-old switch hitter has earned by slashing .340/.380/.404 over his last 16 games. He offers little power and no speed, but regular playing time and a plus batting average are more than enough to provide value at catcher. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Edgar Quero, White Sox: Quero has an awful start to the season and even fell behind Drew Romo on the depth chart a few weeks ago, but he appears to be the guy with all the momentum behind the plate for the White Sox right now. Since May 17, the 23-year-old switch hitter is batting .346 (9-for-26) in 11 games with two homers and eight RBI; over that same stretch, Romo is batting .190 (4-for-21) with one homer and three RBI. Kyle Teel is finally showing signs of progress in his recovery from lower-body issues that have cost him the whole season so far, but he's probably a few weeks away at best. Quero could produce some nice value in the short term. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees: Goldschmidt has broken out of a short-side platoon role and is seeing consistent action against right-handed pitching, while Ben Rice becomes the primary DH due to the absences of Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez. The veteran hasn't stumbled yet under the additional workload, riding a five-game hitting streak into Sunday and slashing .267/.365/.444 over his last 13 games with two homers and eight RBI. Depth chart at first base is hard to come by during the year, so if Goldy's still on your wire and you need some insurance at the position or a replacement for someone like Nolan Schanuel or Munetaka Murakami, he could be able to provide at least a respectable floor. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Second Base

Tristan Gray, Twins: Brooks Lee has officially been shifted to third base, and that's left Gray holding down the fort at shortstop. The 30-year-old utility player has started five straight games on the strong side of an apparent platoon with Orlando Arcia, but Gray offers little fantasy upside other than maybe some occasional power and the whole arrangement feels very, very temporary (see below for the long-term solution). 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Vaughn Grissom, Angels: Grissom continues to hover on the line between being a roster lock in shallow formats or a guy you can leave on waivers, but he's now added first-base eligibility to his portfolio in most leagues, and third-base eligibility may not be far behind. The 25-year-old infielder also has 11 RBI in his last five games, which isn't too shabby. The run production comes with a .213/.279/.361 slash line over his last 16 contests, but his 81st percentile AEV, 84th percentile hard-hit rate and 80th percentile chase rate all say more consistent days are ahead at the plate. While he doesn't have the same truly elite swing profile, there's a solid chance Grissom could wind up being this year's Addison Barger, and a guy who goes on a tear over the summer. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Nick Madrigal, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Rikuu Nishida, White Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Blaze Alexander, Orioles: Alexander's six-RBI effort Wednesday made some headlines, but the 26-year-old utility player was pushing for more playing time before that, slashing .361/.395/.556 over his last 38 plate appearances dating back to May 13 with four doubles, a homer, three steals, six runs and 11 RBI. With Coby Mayo showing some consistency at the plate and Colton Cowser coming around, though, competition for playing time in Baltimore is only getting fiercer. Alexander's best usage is probably as a bench stash who can cover multiple spots in case of emergency rather than an everyday option for your active lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nicky Lopez, Rangers: The veteran infielder got added to the big-league roster Wednesday and promptly started four straight games at second base, as Texas decides to prioritize defense over offense at the position while Ezequiel Duran is covering shortstop for Corey Seager. Lopez did chip in his first MLB homer since Sept. 2024 and just the eighth of his career in nearly 2,400 plate appearances, and that tells you just about all you need to know about his fantasy value. He might snag a steal or two, but the last time he did any significant running in the majors (2024 again) he went 5-for-12 on SB attempts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Oswald Peraza, Angels: Peraza's been getting regular starts of late, mostly at second base, and over his last 10 games he's slashing .333/.400/.528 with two homers, a steal, four runs and four RBI. He's not going back to the bench with both Schanuel and Yoan Moncada on the IL right now and Zach Neto banged up, and much like Grissom, Peraza is getting a chance to prove he can be a long-term piece for the Halos. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Charles McAdoo, Blue Jays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Kaelen Culpepper, Twins: I recommended Culpepper as a deeper-league stash last week, but with Lee now officially at the hot corner, the 23-year-old shortstop is on the radar in shallow formats too. He doesn't have too much more to prove at Triple-A, slashing .272/.375/.494 over his last 20 games with a 12:20 BB:K to go along with five homers and six steals, so the only real question is when the Twins want to add him to the 40-man roster yet. They don't have to do it this winter – the 2024 first-round pick won't be Rule 5 draft eligible until after the 2027 season – and with the potential for a lockout looming, service-time calculations could get complicated. That said, clearing a spot at shortstop in the major-league lineup is a pretty strong sign the team is at least thinking seriously about bringing him up. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Jacob Gonzalez, White Sox: Speaking of top shortstop prospects getting promoted, Gonzalez got the call Saturday after slashing .302/.407/.633 with 18 homers and eight steals over 52 games in a breakout campaign at Triple-A. A first-round pick in 2023, Gonzalez showed flashes of a plus hit tool and batting eye in the minors, but he didn't make anywhere near enough hard contact after being drafted for that to matter. Suddenly, that's no longer an issue – he had a .089 ISO over 45 games for Charlotte in 2025, but that number had spiked to .331 this year prior to his promotion. Gonzalez may be selling out for power, but his foundation of good plate skills makes that approach viable in the majors. He's expected to get a long look at his natural position while dominoes fall around the infield to cover for Murakami's injury, as Miguel Vargas handles first base and Colson Montgomery slides to third base. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Donovan Walton, Angels: Walton appears to be the big winner so far while Moncada's been sidelined, starting six of the last eight games at third base while batting .292 with two doubles, an RBI and five runs. The veteran infielder offers little power or speed, but he was hitting pretty well at Triple-A prior to his promotion, although those sorts of PCL numbers should always be taken with an entire lake of salt. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Kerry Carpenter, Tigers: Out since early May with a shoulder sprain, Carpenter is set to come off the IL on Sunday and bolster a struggling Detroit offense. The 28-year-old only got in a couple rehab games and wasn't exactly in peak form when he went down, so there's little reason to expect him to come out of the gate on fire in his return, but we all know he's capable of carrying a fantasy lineup for a week or two over the summer if he's fully healthy. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Colton Cowser, Orioles: Cowser appears to be ever-so-close to breaking out. The 26-year-old somehow hasn't had a multi-hit performance since April 22, but over 13 games since May 17 he's batting .333 (10-for-30) with three homers and a double, plus a slightly more palatable 28.1 percent strikeout rate. His glove has kept him in the lineup most days, and with his last two homers having been walk-offs, he's got some good mojo on his side. Cowser still needs to hit the ball harder overall and figure out why his groundball rate has spiked, but he may be solving those issues. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Nathan Lukes, Blue Jays: The 31-year-old has hit the ground running since coming off the IL, hitting safely in five straight appearances while going 7-for-16 with two doubles. Lukes offers no speed and just a smidge of power, but he makes consistent contact and could help out in batting average while offering a steady floor in runs and RBI as part of a slumbering Blue Jays offense that could wake up any minute now. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Wade Meckler, Angels: I'm not retracting my estimate of Meckler's upside from last week – I still see him as a fourth outfielder in the long run – but there's no denying he's looked good to begin his tenure with the Halos. Over his first eight games this season, the 26-year-old is batting .308 (8-for-26) with two homers and two steals on the strong side of a platoon in left field. It's entirely possible this is a Dominic Canzone 2025 situation, where he lands in exactly the right role for his skill set, and it's not like the Angels have better options right now. Josh Lowe may have a gaudy slash line to begin his Triple-A purgatory, but striking out nine times in 31 plate appearances doesn't suggest he's actually solved anything. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Tristan Peters, White Sox: Peters has emerged as the best option in center field for the White Sox, and he even got a start against a credible left-handed pitcher this week in Robbie Ray, so Chicago's at least entertaining the notion he might be more than just a platoon guy. (Of course, none of their short-side platoon guys have done anything this year, which likely factored into their thinking, and Peters did go 0-for-3 in that game with three of his four plate appearances resulting in bunts, two deliberate and one swinging.) Overall since May 9 though, the 26-year-old is slashing .304/.371/.518 with six doubles, two homers, seven RBI and nine runs in 20 contests, numbers worth a roster spot even in shallower leagues. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Leody Taveras, Orioles: Streaky Leody is back at it, hitting safely in six straight games and slashing .357/.426/.476 in his last 12 with four extra-base hits, four steals, three RBI and nine runs. The 27-year-old is Baltimore's best defensive option in center field, so if Tavares can provide consistent offense as well he should be able to lock down the starting job. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Taylor Trammell, Astros: The 28-year-old has started five straight games since coming off the IL, four in left field and one in center, and he's hit safely in all five while batting .333 (6-for-18) with two doubles, two RBI and three runs. He also has a 0:7 BB:K, but that's to be expected for a player with a career 34.7 percent strikeout rate in the majors. Trammell's productive stretch likely won't last long, but he's could provide another week or two of useful production. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Stuart Fairchild, Guardians 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Joc Pederson, Rangers: Pederson's another player I wrote up a couple weeks ago as someone who might be waking up at the plate. Since then, all he's done is slash .333/.385/.806 in 39 plate appearances with five homers and eight RBI. The 34-year-old will be streaky and his Ut-only eligibility can be awkward, but he's simply too hot right now to be on waivers. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered