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: With the All-Star break upon us, it's the perfect time to how many bench spots you have to devote to prospect stashes, whether that's to bolster your own roster or add some assets you can flip for short-term help. The trade deadline will shake up rosters and create openings for top youngsters, and there may be no player in the minors who looks more ready for his major-league debut than Anderson. The 22-year-old southpaw has been embarrassing Double-A hitters all year and has a 1.36 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 108:10 K:BB through 72.2 innings. Seattle's in the enviable position of having too much pitching, to the point that the team's been trying to make a 5.5-man rotation work by piggybacking guys once every turn, but having Anderson kicking down the door for a promotion gives them the option to trade a big-league starter for help elsewhere. He might also make a late-season debut in the bullpen, giving them a multi-inning, high-leverage option while letting him getting his feet wet. The latter scenario is less preference from a fantasy perspective, of course, but he'd be one injury or slump away from moving into the rotation. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $5

Ronel Blanco, Astros: A number of pitchers figure to come off the IL after the break, and few teams could use rotation reinforcements more than Houston. Blanco's 2025 was a predictable step back from his breakout 2024, but the 32-year-old righty still profiles as a decent depth arm, and over 9.2 innings so far on his rehab assignment he's delivered a 1.86 ERA and 8:3 K:BB in the high minors. Blanco only threw 27 pitches in his most recent outing July 7, and it's possible the Astros bring him back as a long reliever the way they did with Cristian Javier, but Lance McCullers doesn't look like he's ever going to regain anything close to his pre-injury form, and Spencer Arrighetti has an 8.74 ERA since the beginning of June. If the Astros are going to contend, they will need rotation upgrades, and they may not have the prospect capital to find it on the trade market. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Jackson Jobe, Tigers: Detroit is doing its best to create some uncertainty over whether they'll be big sellers at the deadline. The Tigers have won nine of their last 11, putting them within 2.5 games of a wild-card spot in the AL morass and keeping them within striking distance of the AL Central lead. Jobe's pending return from Tommy John surgery gives them a chance to get creative, though. While dealing Tarik Skubal would be, hmm, let's say 'counter-productive' if they're planning to make a charge, they could sell high on Casey Mize and replace him in early August with Jobe, who's been popping triple digits on his fastball on his rehab assignment. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Yusei Kikuchi, Angels: Out since late April, Kikuchi's angling to be back in the Halos' rotation by the end of July, which would give him a chance to make one start before the trade deadline. While dealing Reid Detmers is more likely, the Angels could also easily move Kikuchi, who's signed through 2027 at about $21 million a year. Joining a contender would improve his fantasy fortunes, as Kikuchi hadn't picked up a win in seven starts before getting injured. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Grayson Rodriguez, Angels: Rodriguez came off the IL on Friday and gave the Angels a decent enough outing after missing about a month with back trouble. The 26-year-old righty has been awful this season, but the Angels will be patient with him given all the reps he's missed since 2023 due to various injuries. Rodriguez's window to develop into an ace has probably closed for good, but he could still wind up being a useful big-league starter if he can stay on the mound. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Bailey Ober, Twins: The 31-year-old right-hander's had a bumpy campaign, both in terms of health and performance, but Ober returned Thursday and gave the Twins five stingy innings. Keeping the ball in the yard has been a big problem for him this season – he's served up eight homers in his last 19.2 innings – and with MLB's balls mysteriously showing a much lower drag rate this summer, leading to longer flyballs and more home runs, that's a bad flaw to have. Still, Ober generally doesn't walk a lot of guys, so if he can limit the damage to solo shots and not three-run blasts, he could still have a solid second half. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Hayden Wesneski, Astros: Acquired from the Cubs two winters ago in the Kyle Tucker trade, Wesneski's Houston tenure was put on pause after just six starts due to Tommy John surgery, but he's closing in on his return. The right-hander built up to 61 pitches in his most recent rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Sugar Land, and over 8.2 innings in the high minors he has a 2.08 ERA and 10:1 K:BB. Of the Astros' returning arms, Wesneski seems the safest bet to get a rotation spot right out of the gate. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Relief Pitcher

Andrew Kittredge, Orioles: Oh cool, another team keeping people guessing on how it's going to handle the ninth inning. Tyler Wells got saves July 3rd and 4th, but since then Kittredge has the O's last two saves, with Wells working the eighth in that first game. Kittredge is certainly pitching well enough to get the closer job – he's been scored upon just once in his last 12 appearances with a 0.87 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 8:2 K:BB in 10.1 innings – but so is Wells, and Ryan Helsley is still expected back at some point this year (and Felix Bautista too). Someone in your league's probably going to bid too much on Kittredge, because someone's always desperate for saves, but he doesn't have a clear enough path to the full-time gig to be worth blowing your budget on. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Kirby Yates, Angels: Yates is slowly pulling away from the pack in the Angels' bullpen... just in time to become a tradeable asset. Over his last 12 appearances, the veteran right-hander has a 0.84 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB over 10.2 innings while converting both his save chances, and the odds of him getting traded to a contender who needs closing help rather than setup depth are fairly low. New GM John Mozeliak isn't likely to bungle the trade deadline the way Perry Minasian usually did, but it's always possible Yates stays put. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Catcher

Ryan Jeffers, Twins: Jeffers came off the IL on Friday and immediately resumed his starting role behind the plate for Minnesota. The 29-year-old had the best first half of his career before going down with a broken hamate bone that cost him nearly two months, but he doubled in his return so he might not need to shake off any rust. A repeat of his .948 OPS over the final months is asking a lot, but at worst he sould be able to supply good power numbers even if his batting average and OBP fade. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Eduardo Valencia, Tigers: Called up for his big-league debut while Dillon Dingler was dealing with a minor thumb issue, Valencia homered twice in his first three MLB games after launching 16 long balls in 76 games at Triple-A and 24 over 103 games in the high minors in 2025. The power is legit, but there's no room for him on Detroit's roster, and he needs to improve his work behind the plate to avoid a future as a DH. Jake Rogers is a free agent this winter though, so if the Tigers sell off pieces at the deadline, he could be Dingler's backup over the last couple months. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Brian Serven, Athletics 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Ralphy Velazquez, Guardians: Cleveland tends to promote from within rather than trading for help at the deadline to make a playoff push, which puts Velazquez firmly on the radar for an August big-league debut. Kyle Manzardo keeps regressing and Rhys Hoskins is washed, so first base remains the easiest spot for the Guardians to upgrade. The 21-year-old Velazquez is still a bit more projection that current game-day power, but over his last 18 games for Triple-A Columbus he's slashing .333/.432/.493 with three homers and an 11:11 BB:K. The yellow caution flag is how the organization handled Chase DeLauter's debut last year, when they made sure to keep his rookie eligibility intact, and Velazquez could follow the same path. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2 

Shortstop

Angel Genao, Guardians: For various reasons, the pickings among AL infield prospects is pretty slim, but Genao seems ready to get a look. The 22-year-old has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games for Triple-A Columbus, amassing a .438/.532/.688 slash line with three homers, four steals and a somewhat absurd 13:4 BB:K. In the long run he's a threat to take Brayan Rocchio's job, but like Velazquez, Cleveland could elect to prioritize keeping his rookie eligibility intact for next season rather than putting their best lineup on the field while pushing for the playoffs. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Athletics: The 23-year-old had emerged as the A's preferred option at second base, but with Zack Gelof back on the shelf, Kuroda-Grauer has shifted to third base the last couple games. Wherever he's been playing he's been hitting, producing a .439/.452/.537 slash line while starting 11 straight contests. He hasn't provided any homers or steals, and his minor-league numbers suggest he doesn't have much to offer beyond his hit tool and a bit of speed, but a .336 batting average in 86 games across three levels this year is hard to ignore. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Outfield

Max Clark, Tigers: The chances of Clark getting called up for the stretch run depend entirely on what the Tigers do at the trade deadline. If they deal Skubal, Mize and some other expiring contracts, they have zero incentive to promote Clark to fill their center field void. If they instead decide the best way to get Skubal to re-sign is to make a playoff run, then the 21-year-old becomes a much more appealing option. Clark's had an up and down 2026 at Triple-A Toledo, but over the last month he's got a .316/.404/.495 slash line in 23 games with four homers and eight steals, and more walks (13) than strikeouts (10). 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Walker Jenkins, Twins: I don't actually expect to see Jenkins called up early enough to spoil his rookie status, but there is a world in which Byron Buxton gets dealt at the deadline and the Twins go full young movement. Since recovering from a shoulder sprain and getting back in the lineup at Triple-A St. Paul, the 21-year-old has a .314/.364/.529 slash line with seven extra-base hits in 13 games, and he's got five-category upside once he fully develops. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler O'Neill, Orioles: O'Neill's doing his best to slug his way out of a short-side platoon role. So far in July, he's gone 4-for-15, and all four hits have left the yard. Neither Colton Cowser not Dylan Beavers is doing much for the O's, so the door is open for O'Neill to get more playing time at thier expense. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Alan Roden, Twins: Roden's gotten steady playing time since his promotion, going 3-for-11 with two walks and three RBI. The 26-year-old might be modern equivalent of a Quad-A player – he has a .308/.408/.507 career slash line at Triple-A in a full season's worth of action, but hasn't gotten many chances in the majors. If the Twins move on from guys like Trevor Larnach at the trade deadline, Roden could finally get a longer look. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Tolbert, Royals: Back-to-back five-hit performances and an MLB record of 12 straight hits have given Tolbert some gaudy numbers on the season, but the 28-year-old speedster remains in a short-side platoon role. In deep formats he might play enough to have some fantasy value, especially if you need steals, but that's about it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Petey Halpin, Guardians 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Joey Meneses, Athletics: With Nick Kurtz on the shelf, Meneses should get a playing-time boost between 1B and DH. The 34-year-old has gone just 2-for-17 since joining the big-league roster, but he was raking at Triple-A Las Vegas, which to be fair isn't necessarily that impressive. The best-case scenario here is probably that he runs into a few homers without hurting your batting average. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3