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

Luinder Avila, Royals: The 24-year-old right-hander has put together a mostly impressive June, allowing exactly one earned run and lasting at least five innings in four of his five starts this month, nabbing the win in three of them. The issue is that fifth outing, an eight-run meltdown against the Astros on June 12. Avila is neither dominant nor sharp, managing just a 19:15 K:BB in 21.1 June innings, so disaster starts are going to be part of the package. As long as his luck is running good, though, he can help a fantasy staff, and it's not like Cole Ragans is coming back any time soon to reclaim his spot in the rotation. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jake Bennett, Red Sox: Given the state of the Nationals' pitching staff, you have to wonder if they have any seller's remorse when they see what Bennett is doing for the Red Sox. The 25-year-old southpaw was seen as a low-upside swingman type when he was flipped to Boston this winter for higher-ceiling lottery ticket Luis Perales, but since making his big-league debut at the beginning of May, Bennett's produced a 3.27 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 25:7 K:BB over six starts and 33 innings tanks largely to a 53.8 percent groundball rate. Garrett Crochet won't be back until after the All-Star break, and both Connelly Early and Payton Tolle could have some second-half workload concerns, so there is a path for Bennett to get consistent work as long as he stays effective. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: The veteran right-hander's poised to come off the IL on Sunday after missing a couple weeks due to a sprained left ankle (his landing leg). Flaherty had a brutal beginning to the campaign, but he seemed to be turning a corner when he went down, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB over his last four starts and 18.2 innings. He's shown in the past he can get hot for a month or two and carry a staff, and he's only 30 years old, so he shouldn't be falling off a cliff or anything. If you need to gain significant ground in pitching stats, Flaherty's a worthwhile gamble despite his ugly ratios on the season. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Cristian Javier, Astros: Javier's next start seems likely to come in the majors after he got stretched out to 75 pitches in his last rehab start and Kai-Wei Teng got booted to Triple-A after his outing Saturday. Javier had an awful first couple weeks of the season – 13 earned runs in 9.1 innings – before being shut down with shoulder trouble, and he hasn't pitched more than 37 big-league innings in a season since 2023 thanks to Tommy John surgery in June 2024, but the 29-year-old still profiles as a decent back-end starter if he can stay healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Griffin Jax, Rays: Jax's conversion to a starting role appears to be complete, as he's worked exactly five innings in four straight outings while posting a 0.90 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB in 20 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander has expanded his arsenal, using his sweeper half as often as he did in 2025 while leaning more on his sinker and curveball, and the latter pitch has proven to be a lethal weapon against lefties with a 44.0 percent whiff rate. Tampa Bay might know a thing or two about getting the most out of pitchers, and Jax is just the latest example. A two-step this week, with road starts in Kansas City and Houston, makes this a good time to get on board. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dean Kremer, Orioles: The 30-year-old righty is another hurler about to come off the IL, after Kremer built up to 79 pitches in a rehab start Friday. His first two starts of the year were eye-opening, as he racked up a 16:2 K:BB in 11 innings, and while his track record doesn't suggest that pace is sustainable, the spike in Ks was due to increased usage of a split-finger pitch that was getting a 46.3 percent whiff rate early. His injury wasn't arm-related either, as it's been a quad strain keeping him on the shelf. Stashing him before his activation could pay big dividends. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Others:

Cal Quantrill, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Sean Burke, White Sox (at BAL, at CLE)
Erick Fedde, White Sox (at BAL, at CLE)
Zebby Matthews, Twins (at HOU, at NYY)

Relief Pitcher

Mason Barnett, Athletics: Chasing saves in the A's bullpen has been a fool's errand this season, but Barnett's looked very good in June, delivering a 1.35 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB in 13.1 innings over eight appearances. He also has two of the team's last five saves, with Elvis Alvarado (two) and Hogan Harris (one) getting the others. Barnett's profile is more setup man than lockdown closer, as he works off a 95.1 mph fastball and sports a slider and sweeper that both have whiff rates in the 25-30 percent range, but it's been working in June. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Catcher

Victor Caratini, Twins: With Ryan Jeffers sidelined, Caratini's been getting the bulk of the work behind the plate, and through 69 plate appearances in June the veteran switch hitter's slashed .350/.420/.617 with four doubles, four homers, 11 runs and 12 RBI. Jeffers could be back before the All-Star break but isn't yet facing live pitching as he recovers from hamate bone surgery in his catching hand, an injury that's a little more complex for a backstop to recover from. That gives Caratini a couple more weeks, at least, to ride his hot streak. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jonah Heim, Athletics: Speaking of red-hot veteran switch-hitting catchers, Heim's enjoying his time in Sacramento, and over 53 PAs in June he's produced a .319/.377/.702 slash line with three doubles, five homers, eight runs and nine RBI. A lot of that playing time has come at DH while Brent Rooker's been on the shelf, and as of early this week, Rooker hadn't even resumed baseball activities as he deals with a bone bruise in his knee. Tyler Soderstrom also checked out of Saturday's game early with hip soreness, which could take another bat out of the DH mix in the short term. The playing time outlook favors Caratini if you need help at catcher, but the home park favors Heim. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Cooper Ingle, Guardians: If you prefer a big upside swing on a prospect, however, Cleveland's got you covered. Ingle's promotion seemed inevitable ever since Bo Naylor was jettisoned from the 26-man roster in early May, but it ended up taking nearly two months to actually happen, with the 24-year-old slashing .266/.356/.511 over his last 35 games for Triple-A Columbus while he waited for the call. The Guardians gave Ingle some playing time in left field prior to his promotion, but he mighht end up seeing most of his ABs at designated hitter, as the team seems content to let defensive stalwarts Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges handle duties behind the plate. Just so long as Ingle still qualifies at catcher in your league, that's good news for his 2026 fantasy value, and Ivan Herrera's shown how effective that development path can be in St. Louis. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Kyle Teel, White Sox: Teel came off the IL on Monday and homered in his third game back, so he seems fully recovered from the injury woes that delayed the start of his 2026 campaign. The 24-year-old figures to fill a strong-side platoon role, with Drew Romo sticking around to face LHP instead of Edgar Quero, and Teel showed as a rookie last year how much damage he can do against righties, slashing .290/.388/.448 with eight homers in 245 PAs. If someone in your league lost patience and cut him loose, he could be an upgrade on anyone except truly elite catching options. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

First Base

Sean Keys, Blue Jays: A fourth-round pick in 2024 out of Bucknell, Keys has had an impressive breakout in the upper minors this year, slashing .285/.415/.621 over 67 games between Double-A and Triple-A with 21 homers and a 22.6 percent strikeout rate against a 14.3 percent walk rate. He's getting his feet wet in the majors this weekend, and while there's no room for him on the 26-man roster as long as Vladimir Guerrero, Kazuma Okamoto and George Springer are all still around, Keys is a strong keeper stash with Springer in the final year of his current contract. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Romy Gonzalez, Red Sox: Boston's injury-ravaged infield is about to get some reinforcements, as Gonzalez could come off the IL any day now. The 29-year-old might immediately become the team's best option at either second base or shortstop when he does, and last season's .305/.343/.483 slash line with nine homers and six steals in 96 games doesn't seem like a fluke – it came with a 99th percentile hard-hit rate, 95th percentile average exit velocity and 78th percentile barrel rate. He hasn't looked good on his rehab stint as he completes his recovery from March shoulder surgery and will likely have more rust to shake off, but Gonzalez stands a better chance of making an impact for the Red Sox in the second half than guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Sogard, or even Marcelo Mayer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers: Joey Tribbiani's favorite player has taken over as Detroit's starting second baseman while Gleyber Torres is out of action, and since returning to the majors a couple weeks ago, Lee has delivered a .389/.405/.528 slash line in 13 games. He hasn't provided much in the way of counting stats – just one homer and one steal, with two RBI and three runs – and his BABIP will cool down eventually, but he's got some short-term appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

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

Third Base

Max Muncy, Athletics: Zack Gelof getting his hand stepped on has opened up playing time for Muncy, and the 23-year-old has appeared at third base in eight straight games, batting .231 (6-for-26) during that stretch with two homers, a steal and his usual elevated 31.0 percent strikeout rate. He won't help your batting average, but Muncy could chip in some power while getting regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Anthony Seigler, Red Sox: Seigler's started eight straight games at second base and hit safely in the last five, batting .333 (9-for-27) during that span with two doubles and his first career homer, which impressively came off Gerrit Cole. The 27-year-old has lost PAs against lefties to Andruw Monasterio, but Seigler has hit pretty well at Triple-A the last couple seasons and could prove to be a useful strong-side platoon player. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Josh Rojas, Royals 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Denzer Guzman, Angels: Players on certain teams just seem to slip under the radar unless they make a lot of noise, and the Angels are right at the top of the list of rosters cloaked in anonymity. Guzman's a perfect example – the 22-year-old broke out at Triple-A Salt Lake this year while dramatically improving his plate discipline, and in 16 games since being called up by the Halos he's played nearly ever day and slashed .270/.333/.460 with three homers and a steal, numbers with value in just about any format. He's on 4.0 percent of rosters on Yahoo and 1.7 percent of ESPN rosters. Even in the TGFBI, competitive 15-team leagues with an overall winner, he's at just 50 percent. Yoan Moncada's out until August, and it's not like Adam Frazier or even Vaughn Grissom look like better options to get that playing time. Guzman even has multi-position eligibility in some formats with SS and 3B. Unless your roster is absolutely stacked, he's probably an upgrade for you on somebody. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Donovan Walton, Angels: Walton's also in the Halos' version of witness protection, batting .395 (15-for-38) over his last 12 games with three homers and 11 RBI while handling a strong-side platoon role at second base. Christian Moore still isn't the answer at the keystone, so even if the 32-year-old Walton isn't part of the team's future, he's very much contributing in the present. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Tsung-Che Cheng, Red Sox 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Dylan Beavers, Orioles: Activated from the IL on Sunday, Beavers should resume his strong-side platoon role, primarily in right field. Before going down with an oblique strain in early May, the 24-year-old had been heating up, slashing .283/.377/.478 over his last 15 games with a homer, two steals, five RBI and seven runs. He may need time to regain that form, however, after a 1-for-20 showing on his rehab stint. Beavers has tidy five-category upside, but his lack of an everyday job caps his fantasy upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Max Clark, Tigers: Detroit's center field situation is so dire right now, James Outman is getting regular playing time despite striking out in 14 of his 28 plate appearances for the team. The Tigers still aren't quite out of the playoff picture – they're nine games back in the AL Central but the White Sox seem likely to fall back to the pack, while the wild-card scene remains a mess – and with the rotation nearly back at full strength, it'll take just one hot streak to put them right back in contention. That would potentially change the equation on a Clark promotion. If the Tigers pack it in and start looking ahead to 2027, they have no reason to spoil Clark's rookie status for next season and keep him eligible to earn them bonus draft picks. If they push for the postseason in what could be Skubal's last hurrah in Motown before hitting free agency, though, the incentive structure changes. Clark's doing his part to kick the door open too, slashing .333/.397/.474 with a 9.5 percent strikeout rate over the last couple weeks for Triple-A Toledo after slumping a bit in late May and early June. The 21-year-old should still be viewed best as a keeper/dynasty stash, but his odds of making a real contribution in 2026 are probably higher than you think. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Ryan Kreidler, Twins: A hip strain for Kaelen Culpepper at Triple-A has delayed his potential arrival in the majors, and in the meantime Kreidler seems to have overtaken Tristan Gray at shortstop on the MLB roster. Kreidler is batting a mere .455 (10-for-22) over his last seven games with a homer and eight RBI, but even in the minors he's rarely has sustained success, and over 211 career PAs in the majors prior to 2026 the 28-year-old utility player had a woeful .383 OPS and 31.8 percent strikeout rate. There are signs his better numbers are due to a revamped swing and approach and not just small-sample variance, as he's added more than three mph to his bat speed this season, but Kreidler's still not someone you should be counting on for the long haul. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Nick Loftin, Royals: With Maikel Garcia on the shelf due to a hand issue, Loftin's been getting regular run at the hot corner and taking advantage – or at least, he was until this weekend. After batting .400 (12-for-30) over an eight-game stretch from June 15-23, the 27-year-old utility player has gone 0-for-14 in the last four contests. Loftin's a possible source of batting average and occasional steals, and over the last two seasons at Triple-A Omaha he's hit .301 with a 13-for-14 showing on SB attempts over 52 games. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Josh Lowe, Angels: Called back up Wednesday, Lowe has started three straight games for the Halos and gone 4-for-10 with a run and a steal. All four hits were singles and he's struck out three times, but over his last 11 contests for Triple-A Salt Lake he's churned out a .349/.431/.698 slash line with three doubles, four homers,and three steals. Even by PCL desert standards, that's pretty good. Lowe has yet to regain his 2023 form, but the Angels have little to lose by giving him every chance to find it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Kahlil Watson, Guardians: A first-round pick of the Marlins in 2021 whose injury and maturity issues in the low minors seemed so bad the organization gave up on him just two years later, Watson has done very well to even get to the majors. He appeared overwhelmed after his promotion last week, striking out in eight of his first 12 PAs, but since then he's hit safely in five straight games, going 7-for-16 with two doubles, a homer, a steal and a much-improved 1:2 BB:K. Cleveland needs offense from its outfield, but with Chase DeLauter coming off the IL on Sunday, Watson's path to consistent playing time got a little narrower. Even if the 23-year-old's power and speed play, though, he's unlikely to be an asset in batting average. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Ben Malgeri, Tigers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1