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

J.T. Ginn, Athletics: A 10-strikeout near no-hitter is going to land a pitcher on a lot of radars, but Ginn probably should have been rostered already in most formats. While he still has occasional hiccups with his control and his ability to go deep into a game – as he showed in his second outing this past week in San Diego – he's been stingy ever since moving into the rotation. Over nine starts, the 27-year-old righty has a 2.89 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 44:21 K:BB in 46.2 innings. Fifteen of those free passes have come in three starts; he's walked just one batter in each of the other six. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Anthony Kay, White Sox: Kay has quietly gone about his business for the South Siders in May, lasting at least five innings in four straight starts while posting a 2.11 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB over 21.1 innings. The 31-year-old southpaw almost certainly won't keep that up, but he's doing a lot more to keep his spot in the rotation than Erick Fedde is right now. (For the record, there doesn't appear to be anyone ready to push either guy aside right now for the ChiSox. Tanner McDougal is on the shelf at Triple-A, Hagen Smith is still having trouble finding the plate consistently, and Drew Thorpe hasn't yet begun a rehab assignment as he completes a long recovery from Tommy John surgery.) Kay gets a two-step this week with a pair of home starts against the Twins and Tigers, two middle-of-the-pack offenses against LHP, so if you're going to roll the dice on rostering him, this is the time to do it. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 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. That leaves an opening for Melton, and while it hasn't been confirmed yet as I write this, the expectation is that he'll be activated from the IL to handle one end of Sunday's doubleheader in Baltimore. Melton built up to 63 pitches over five innings in his last rehab start May 19, so he'll be on turn and able to handle close to a full workload his first time out of the gate, although he might work behind an opener. The 25-year-old right-hander made a splash in big-league debut last year with a 2.76 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 45.2 regular-season innings before some impressive work in the playoffs, and he's shown more strikeout upside in the minors than his 36:15 K:BB would suggest. 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. Depending on how he looks in his season debut, you might be able to get him cheap this week before he delivers the kind of numbers that draw big bids. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Bryce Miller, Mariners: I typically don't write up a guy again the week after recommending big bids on him, but it looks like Miller is still available in too many leagues and he gets a two-step this week, on the road against the A's and at home against the D-backs, so my hands are tied. In two outings since returning from the IL, he's looked more like his 2024 self, posting a 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB in 11 innings. The 27-year-old righty technically piggybacked with Luis Castillo his last time out, but that arrangement doesn't seem like it will last long. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Kai-Wei Teng, Astros: I held off spotlighting Teng because I didn't think he'd actually stick around in the rotation long enough to get fully stretched out, but he's now pitched at least five innings in back-to-back starts without giving up a run, so whoops, my bad. Teng's 2.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 37 innings on the season come with a shaky 10.3 percent walk rate and he throws a sweeper about 40 percent of the time, so the whole package seems unsustainable, but it's working for the moment and Lance McCullers is hurt again. Teng figured to get a few more weeks to prove me wronger. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Two-start options, Mon-Sun

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Sean Burke, White Sox (vs. MIN, vs. DET)
Aaron Civale, Athletics (vs. SEA, vs. NYY)
Tatsuya Imai, Astros (at TEX, vs. MIL)
Jack Kochanowicz, Angels (at DET, at TB)
Jack Leiter, Rangers (vs. HOU, vs. KC)
Zebby Matthews, Twins (at CHW, at PIT)
Spencer Miles, Blue Jays (vs. MIA, at BAL)
Keider Montero, Tigers (vs. LAA, at CHW)
Kumar Rocker, Rangers (vs. HOU, vs. KC)

Relief Pitcher

Hogan Harris, Athletics: The A's closer situation remains a mess, but Harris might be the most consistent guy in the picture while manager Mark Kotsay shuffles a deck of right-handed relievers around him. The 29-year-old southpaw is up to four saves on the season, including two this past week, despite having walked 19 guys in 24 innings this year. Big yikes. While I'd probably put the over/under line on the season for him at 9.5, it's not like the team has better options to deal with the opposition's best left-handed hitters. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Andrew Morris, Twins: Minnesota's closer situation is also in Jackson Pollock territory, and an MLB-high 10 different pitchers have recorded a save for the Twins this season, with nobody having more than two. That means the door is wide open for someone to claim the gig, and Morris might just be the guy to do it. The 24-year-old righty has legit high-leverage stuff, which is more than you can say for most of this bullpen, as he works off a three-fastball mix headlined by a 95.9 mph four-seamer while also deploying a solid sweeper. He picked up his first career save Wednesday before struggling in his second ninth-inning chance Saturday, settling for a hold after getting bailed out by Taylor Rogers. That usage is a good sign that Morris is at least going to get an audition from manager Derek Shelton. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Anthony Nunez, Orioles: Rico Garcia looked like he was going to be the ninth-inning guy for the O's, but he hasn't collected a save in two weeks. Instead it's been Nunez getting the team's last two saves, and the 24-year-old righty appears to have quality high-leverage stuff, with a 96.1 mph four-seamer backed by a sweeper with a ridiculous 58.7 percent whiff rate, and a changeup at a mere 44.0 percent. Ryan Helsley still lacks a clear timeline for his return, so Nunez could be good for a few more weeks of saves while he establishes himself as a key piece of the Baltimore bullpen. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Taylor Rogers, Twins: Rogers is essentially the better version of Hogan Harris above. He's got a longer track record of success and even two 30-save campaigns on his resume, although it's unlikely that the 35-year-old southpaw will seize a full-time closing role at this stage of his career. Rogers is a matchup guy, but that keeps him in nigh-leverage usage and gives him a decent floor for saves by the end of the year, even if his ceiling is limited. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Kirby Yates, Angels: The Halos seem committed to giving Yates every chance to prove he can still close, which to me seems like they're giving him every chance to build up some value ahead of the trade deadline, but maybe that makes too much sense for one of MLB's most hapless organizations. The 39-year-old right-hander got his first save of the season Saturday, and over 6.1 innings since coming off the IL earlier this month he's produced a 9:3 K:BB. His four-seamer velocity is down to 90.3 mph, however, topping out at 91.3 mph Saturday, and his once-impressive splitter has a meager 24.0 percent whiff rate in his limited 2026 sample. That's not the profile of a reliable late-inning option, but manager Kurt Suzuki already seems like a guy who could be swayed by things like reputation and veteran moxie and all that. That said, Ben Joyce has yet to resume his rehab assignment after being shut back down in early May, and Ryan Zeferjahn's having another bumpy stretch, so the Angels might as well see what they have in Yates. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Others:

Kendry Rojas, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Victor Caratini, Twins: With Ryan Jeffers on the shelf, Caratini's been pushed into a starting role behind the plate that the 32-year-old probably can't handle. He was already showing signs of wearing down with regular playing time between catcher and first base earlier in the year. Still, playing time is playing time, and he could run into the occasional homer as he did Wednesday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Hunter Feduccia, Rays: Feduccia appears to have shoved his way into at least a timeshare for Tampa Bay, and over 27 plate appearances in May he's slashing .348/.360/.565. Nick Fortes has 44 PAs on the month, and a .233/.250/.233 slash line. Fortes has a better defensive reputation, but that only gets you so far, especially with ABS rendering his pitch framing skills far less valuable. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Others:

Alex Jackson, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Justin Foscue, Rangers: Injuries around the Texas infield are mounting. Corey Seager and Josh Smith were both already sidelined, and then Josh Jung left Saturday's game with a sore shoulder, an ominous sign given his history. That's opened the door for Foscue to get consistent playing time, and he's responded by hitting .379 (11-for-29) over his last eight games with three doubles, a homer, four runs and five RBI. He's also struck out 10 times during that stretch, though, so the heater may not last long. The 27-year-old hasn't had big contact issues in the minors, however, posting a strikeout rate no higher than 16.9 percent since he was at Double-A in 2021, so the small-sample argument can cut both ways in his case. Meanwhile his Statcast page is dripping red, although not in enough PAs to make the leaderboards, and his 92.5 mph AEV and 53.6 percent hard-hit rate would both be in the top 25 in the majors. There's a possible breakout brewing here for the 2020 first-round pick. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Nick Sogard, Red Sox: For a third straight season, Sogard finds himself getting way more playing time than he probably should with Boston given his limited profile as a hitter. The 28-year-old utility player has started six straight games since his promotion, bouncing between third base, shortstop and second base while going 6-for-19 (.316) with more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). He's shown some speed in the minors and even a bit of pop occasionally, managing a career slash line at Triple-A of .272/.383/.401, but he should be viewed as just a temp until Caleb Durbin figures out how to play wall ball with the Green Monster. (Somehow, in the move from Milwaukee to Boston, Durbin lost about 10 percentage points off his pull air rate while seeing his groundball rate jump 16 percent.) 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Second Base

Jackson Holliday, Orioles: Given Holliday's roster rates, he got dropped in more leagues than I would have expected before finally being activated from the IL this week. Still only 22 years old, he should settle back in as the starting second baseman, although in the early going he's platooning with Jeremiah Jackson. Holliday racked up 17 homers and 17 steals in 149 games last season, and there's easily 20-20 upside here as he matures if he can stay healthy. He should be rostered. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Third Base

Others:

Oliver Dunn, Rays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Kaelen Culpepper, Twins: I've got no information suggesting Culpepper's promotion is imminent, and Minnesota's the kind of organization that will prioritize service time advantages a half-decade down the road over short-term success, but the demotion of Royce Lewis does at least create a path for the 23-year-old prospect to make his MLB debut this summer. Culpepper's also stepped it up at the plate in May, slashing .268/.398/.549 in 18 games with five homers and five steals for Triple-A St. Paul, and he has a better glove at shortstop than Brooks Lee, who can shift to third base or even second base if Luke Keaschall's struggles wind up having him join Lewis down at Triple-A. If you have a bench spot to churn for an upside stash, Culpepper fits the bill. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

Colt Emerson, Mariners: Or, you could throw a big bid at this week's top prospect who's actually gotten a promotion, Emerson has started six straight games since joining the M's, bouncing between third base and shortstop, and while he's gone just 2-for-17 with six Ks, the 20-year-old hasn't looked completely overmatched. While their age and positions will draw comps, Emerson isn't really an AL version of Konnor Griffin. Emerson's upside hasn't manifested as production quite yet, and he doesn't have Griffin's stolen base potential. At his peak he could be a four-category stud in the middle of the order, but that's probably at least a few years away. It's also not really clear where Emerson will play once Brendan Donovan is healthy, but Seattle won't have to worry about that until some time in June. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Others:

Orlando Arcia, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Donovan Walton, Angels 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Wade Meckler, Angels: A 26-year-old who got a brief look with the Giants back in 2023, Meckler is the latest guy to step through the revolving door in left field for the Angels. His minor-league profile indicates he's got a good hit tool and plate discipline, but not much in the way of power or speed. Meckler's best fit in the long run is as a fourth outfielder, but for now he's got a starting job against right-handed pitching while Josh Lowe tries to get things turned around at Triple-A Salt Lake. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jake Meyers, Astros: Meyers came off the IL on Tuesday and stepped right back into the starting lineup in center field, going 2-for-11 with four Ks in three games before getting a breather Saturday. It's not really clear that the 29-year-old is an upgrade on Brice Matthews, but the Astros appear comfortable going with the reliable floor option at that spot while they sort of more pressing roster issues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alejandro Osuna, Rangers: The 23-year-old is taking full advantage of Wyatt Langford's absence, and over the last 13 games Osuna is slashing .333/.422/.359 with five runs, five RBI and a steal, but just one extra-base hit (a double). Langford is a week or so away from beginning a rehab assignment, so Osuna should hang onto a strong-side platoon role in left field into June, giving him some short-term appeal. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Richie Palacios, Rays: Palacios has seized firm control of the starting job at second base against right-handed pitching, and as injuries keep mounting for Tampa in the outfield, there's always a chance he sees more work out there too. Over his last 10 games, Palacios is slashing .394/.459/.455, and while he hasn't homered since April 5, during that recent heater he's got two doubles, three steals, four runs and nine RBI. Gavin Lux can't seem to get healthy, and Ben Williamson is best suited to be a short-side utility option, so this job could belong to Palacios for the rest of the year. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Others:

Gabriel Gonzalez, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Michael Helman, Rangers 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Ryan Kreidler, Twins 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2
Victor Mesa, Rays 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1
Victor Robles, Mariners 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2