AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

This article is part of our AL FAAB Factor series.

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.

We've incorporated grids into the FAAB articles, so users can easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grids, which are sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Rafael Devers would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar high-impact prospects stepping into an everyday role.

As always, 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

PLAYER TEAM POS GRADE 12-Team
Mixed $
15-Team
Mixed $
AL-Only $
Tyler Glasnow TB SP A 3 7 15
Jake Faria TB SP B 2 5 13
Lance Lynn NY SP C 1 4 9
Mike Minor TEX SP C 1 4 Owned
Brian Johnson BOS SP B 1 3 7
Lucas Giolito CHI SP B No 3 7
Adalberto Mejia MIN SP C No 3 7
Brett Anderson OAK SP C No 2 5
Mike Hauschild TOR
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.

We've incorporated grids into the FAAB articles, so users can easily see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

The grids, which are sortable by column (click on the header), include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Rafael Devers would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar high-impact prospects stepping into an everyday role.

As always, 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

PLAYER TEAM POS GRADE 12-Team
Mixed $
15-Team
Mixed $
AL-Only $
Tyler Glasnow TB SP A 3 7 15
Jake Faria TB SP B 2 5 13
Lance Lynn NY SP C 1 4 9
Mike Minor TEX SP C 1 4 Owned
Brian Johnson BOS SP B 1 3 7
Lucas Giolito CHI SP B No 3 7
Adalberto Mejia MIN SP C No 3 7
Brett Anderson OAK SP C No 2 5
Mike Hauschild TOR SP D No No 2
Chance Adams NY SP C No No 1
Drew Hutchison TEX SP D No No 1
David Hess BAL SP E No No 1
Deck McGuire LA SP E No No 1
Roberto Osuna HOU RP C 15 35 55
Jose Leclerc TEX RP D 7 15 35
Chris Martin TEX RP E No 1 4
Cory Gearrin TEX RP E No No 1
Mychal Givens BAL RP E 5 13 29
Ken Giles TOR RP D 4 9 19
Andrew Miller CLE RP C No 3 7
Thyago Vieira CHI RP E No 2 5
Luis Avilan CHI RP E No No 3
Tyler Thornburg BOS RP E No No 3
Adam Warren SEA RP E No No 2
Cionel Perez HOU RP C No No 1
Russell Martin TOR C C 3 7 Owned
Michael Perez TB C D No 2 5
Francisco Arcia LA C D No 2 5
Dan Butler BOS C E No No 1
Dustin Garneau CHI C E No No 1
Ryan O'Hearn KC 1B D No No 3
Tyler White HOU 1B C No No 2
Luke Voit NY 1B D No No 2
Rougned Odor TEX 2B B 19 39 Owned
Jonathan Villar BAL 2B C 5 11 25
Logan Forsythe MIN 2B C 1 4 9
Brandon Lowe TB 2B C No No 2
Tony Renda BOS 2B E No No 1
Kaleb Cowart LA 3B C No 2 5
J.D. Davis HOU 3B D No No 1
Tim Beckham BAL SS B 5 13 Owned
Willy Adames TB SS B 2 5 Owned
Aledmys Diaz TOR SS C 1 4 Owned
Franklin Barreto OAK SS A No No 2
Tommy Pham TB OF B Owned Owned 25
Cameron Maybin SEA OF D No 3 7
Rosell Herrera KC OF C No 1 4
Joey Rickard BAL OF E No No 3
Nick Martini OAK OF E No No 2
Ramon Laureano OAK OF C No No 2
Hunter Dozier KC OF D No No 1
Jake Marisnick HOU OF D No No 1
Drew Robinson TEX OF E No No 1
Mike Gerber DET OF E No No 1

Starting Pitcher

Tyler Glasnow, Rays: This was the weirdest trade deadline in recent memory, by far. With four of the five playoffs spots in the American League all but locked up already, there was a massive talent drain towards the Senior Circuit, and what pieces those four contenders added mostly came from other AL teams. As a result, fantasy GMs who played the "keep my powder dry for the deadline" game with their FAAB (a tactic I always argue against, for what it's worth) got absolutely hosed. Let the memories of 2018 dissuade everyone from using this approach in the future. Anyway, if you need pitching, Glasnow's about your best bet. It's still not completely clear how the Rays will use him after he worked only three innings in his first start, but the team seems set on stretching him out whether he ends up as a traditional starter or primary long reliever on days when they use an opener. The 6-8 righty has a massive ceiling if he can ever iron out his mechanics and get his control under control, and Wednesday's result was encouraging on that front (5:1 K:BB), but for every Randy Johnson who stood tall in the forest, there are a bunch of big galoots like Ryan Anderson who never really developed and got pulped. Glasnow's a high-risk, high-reward add. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Jake Faria, Rays: Out since late May due to an oblique strain, Faria worked in long relief in his first game back, piggybacking with Glasnow, but he'll probably slide into the rotation moving forward. He's a righty off the Tampa pitching assembly line, which means he's capable of solid numbers without a tremendous ceiling, but he should be useful down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $13

Lance Lynn, Yankees: Lynn's time with the Twins didn't turn out as anyone expected, and when he got dealt to the Yankees it seemed as though he'd have to settle for a long relief role, which may well have gotten him cut loose from a lot of rosters where he was hanging by a thread anyway. Surprise! Sonny Gray's the one now in the bullpen, and Lynn's Yankees debut was shockingly good (5:0 K:BB in 4.1 scoreless innings, albeit against the hapless O's.) The righty's control issues could resurface at any time, but there's always the chance he's one of those guys who simply thrives in the high-pressure environment of the Bronx. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Mike Minor, Rangers: The Rangers' de facto ace has actually been pitching really well for a while now, but his early-season numbers were soooooo bad, it's been obscured. The southpaw has a 3.26 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 46:12 K:BB in 58 innings over 10 starts since the beginning of June, seven of them of the quality variety. Minor's the kind of guy who could well have slipped through the cracks in shallower formats, making him a decent consolation prize for the lack of big names switching leagues at the deadline. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Brian Johnson, Red Sox: Johnson keeps winding up in the Boston rotation due to injuries to the team's other starters, and with Drew Pomeranz not looking 100 percent, the younger lefty's stay could be longer than expected this time around. Johnson has a 2.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB in 15.2 innings since the All-Star break, and with the Red Sox offense backing him he could cash in with some wins in addition to useful ratios. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Lucas Giolito, White Sox: Somewhat quietly, Giolito has put together a strong stretch, delivering quality starts in four of his last five outings with a 3.19 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 23:14 K:BB in 31 innings. He's still not getting the strikeouts anyone expected back when he was a top Nationals prospect, and it seems highly unlikely he'll ever be an ace, but this could be a step on the path towards him becoming a somewhat reliable mid-rotation guy. He could also immediately revert to being that guy who struggles to keep his ERA below 6.00. If you need pitching reinforcements, though, it's not like there's any help coming from the NL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Adalberto Mejia, Twins: The Lynn trade means Mejia's spot in the rotation is fairly secure for now, and he celebrated with five one-hit innings against Cleveland on Wednesday, albeit with a 2:3 K:BB. As a young crafty lefty, he's more than capable of putting together a decent stretch, but there will probably be bumps in the road and he's not going to help you much in strikeouts, so don't go overboard in bidding. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Brett Anderson, Athletics: Anderson's now made three starts since coming off the disabled list after the All-Star break, and seven shutout innings against the Tigers have given him a strong line: 2.84 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 9:3 K:BB in 19 innings. The veteran southpaw won't get you strikeouts and is a constant injury risk, but when he's actually fit to be on a mound he is still capable of providing decent numbers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Mike Hauschild, Blue Jays: An aborted Rule 5 pick by the Rangers last year, Hauschild has been toiling away for four seasons with the Astros' Triple-A club in Fresno, watching a parade of more highly touted young arms pass him by on their way to the majors before finally getting cut loose Monday and winding up with the pitching-starved Jays. As you might expect, the 28-year-old doesn't have premium stuff, but he may have picked up a thing or two during that time as he was excellent in his Toronto debut, tossing six scoreless innings with a 5:1 K:BB. He won't keep that up, but the Jays will give him a long look in their rotation just to see whether they might have stumbled onto someone useful. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Chance Adams, Yankees: The 23-year-old made his MLB debut Saturday and didn't fall on his face, but his time in the majors will likely be short as J.A. Happ isn't expected to be sidelined for long. Adams' prospect status has faded in recent years, as much due to the emergence of higher-ceiling arms as his own limited success in the high minors, and he might never be anything more than a swing man in the majors. His best asset, if and when he does get another crack at the rotation, might be the fact that he wears a Yankees uniform. Hess got called back up and was strafed by the Rangers on Friday, and he should be viewed purely as an emergency fantasy option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Drew Hutchison, Rangers: The one-time Blue Jays prospect was pitching well at Triple-A for the Dodgers but had little shot at a big-league job in LA, so he opted out of his contract and was quickly scooped up by the desperate Rangers. Hutchison's 4.92 ERA in 439 career MLB innings is hardly encouraging, but his numbers in Oklahoma City (2.14 ERA, 40:13 K:BB in 42 innings) offer at least a faint hope that he might just be a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

David Hess, Orioles: While teams like the Rays are stockpiling upside arms, and the Jays are beating every bush to try and find rotation help, the O's seem content to rely on the mediocre products of their own sub-mediocre farm system, which is why they'll probably be consistently in the AL East cellar for the next decade. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Deck McGuire, Angels: McGuire will make another spot start Sunday, but to quote Shakespeare, "Out, damned spot! Out I say!" Fantasy hell is murky, and the road to it is paved with too many innings from the likes of McGuire. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Roberto Osuna, Astros: So, the AL saves scene is now a complete mess. Guys like Shane Greene who were supposed to be traded weren't, and multiple teams now have closer situations best described by the shrug emoji. One of those teams, amazingly, is the Astros after they flipped Ken Giles and some high-upside lottery tickets for a very talented PR disaster. If you are sure Osuna will close in Houston, let me ask you a couple of questions. How well will Osuna be able to put his off-field issues out of his head when he's on the mound, especially considering his past issues maintaining his focus and mental health? Also, has Hector Rondon really done anything to deserve getting pushed out of the role completely? The Astros, as a club, tend not to worry about things like "set roles" in their bullpen anyway, and while Osuna could be a big upgrade for them at the back of the bullpen, they don't lack for alternatives if he isn't. The 23-year-old is eligible to be activated Sunday, so most leagues will be bidding fairly blind on him. Good luck. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $55

Jose Leclerc / Chris Martin / Cory Gearrin, Rangers: Leclerc was expected to assume the closer role if Keone Kela got traded, but while Kela is now a Pirate, the Rangers haven't committed to a new closer yet, naming three guys as possible ninth-inning options. Leclerc has the numbers and got the save Saturday, but Martin was pitching well early in the year before getting hurt and it's not out of the question that he gets some chances too. I honestly can't explain why Gearrin's name came up, other than maybe manager Jeff Banister is a big adherent to the Rule of Three. Leclerc – 12-team Mixed: $7; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $35 / Martin – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Gearrin – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mychal Givens, Orioles: In theory, Givens is the new Baltimore closer. The O's haven't had a save situation since sending Zach Britton and Brad Brach packing, though, so for now it's just a guess. Givens does have a big fastball and "closer stuff", for what that's worth, but his recent results haven't been great (4.91 ERA since the beginning of July). The team does have other guys with big fastballs in their current bullpen – Cody Carroll, Tanner Scott and Miguel Castro in particular – so if you're looking for saves lottery tickets, those three guys in that order might be worth a spec buck. It would probably take Givens flopping before any of them get a chance at ninth-inning duty, though. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: $29

Ken Giles, Blue Jays: The former Phillie never really clicked as a closer in Houston, and Giles will now get a fresh start in Toronto. The 27-year-old says he rediscovered the feel on his slider while in Triple-A, but he'll need to prove himself in lower-leverage spots before the Jays give him a crack at ninth-inning duty. The team's current closing options, Tyler Clippard and Ryan Tepera, aren't exactly insurmountable obstacles for Giles, though. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $9; 12-team AL: $19

Andrew Miller, Cleveland: Miller's been out since late May with a knee issue, but if he's 100 percent again he'll give Cleveland a three-headed bullpen hydra as fearsome as anyone's alongside Cody Allen and Brad Hand. Miller probably won't get any saves behind the other two, but at his best he's capable of moving the fantasy needle with his ratios, strikeouts and slightly larger workload than a typical setup man. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Thyago Vieira / Luis Avilan, White Sox: Jace Fry got the first crack at the White Sox closer vacancy and spit the bit, and since then three other guys have gotten saves. Hector Santiago's save was purely because he was the last guy available at the time, but Avilan and Vieira are both possible options to emerge with the job on at least a semi-regular basis. Avilan is pitching really well at the moment (1.08 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 12:0 K:BB in 8.1 innings since the beginning of July) but like Fry he's a southpaw. Vieira just got called up a couple of Fridays ago and has all of 4.1 big-league innings under his belt, but he's got a high 90s fastball and good strikeout numbers in the minors, although the 25-year-old's control needs a lot of work. Given what the team did last year, don't count on anyone to seize the job and become The Man in the ChiSox 'pen. Vieira – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Avilan – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler Thornburg, Red Sox: Surprisingly, Boston didn't bring in any major bullpen reinforcements at the deadline, which is perhaps a sign that they're comfortable with Thornburg being cavalry enough. The 29-year-old missed all of last year and the first few months of 2018 due to thoracic outlet syndrome, and while we have yet to see a starting pitcher make a truly successful recovery from that issue, the jury is still out for high-leverage relievers. Thornburg's velocity has been OK since his return, and a 9:1 K:BB in 8.2 innings is encouraging. Look to him for holds, though, and not saves behind Craig Kimbrel. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Adam Warren, Mariners: Warren was pitching pretty well this year but was buried in a deep Yankees bullpen, but he now finds himself with a path to a key setup role after a trade to the Mariners and Juan Nicasio's knee injury. He's not overpowering, but Warren's the kind of guy who simply gets the job done while maintaining a K//9 around 9.0, which is pretty much the bare minimum for a reliever to be worth fantasy consideration these days. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Cionel Perez, Astros: Chris Devenski's hamstring injury opened a spot back up for Perez. The lefty remains a better keeper or dynasty stash than a short-term asset, and even then his best path to real fantasy value would come via an offseason trade to a team that would give him a shot at starting. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Russell Martin, Blue Jays: The veteran catcher has found his swing since the All-Star break, racking up a .313/.389/.750 slash line with four homers in 10 games. That hot streak has only dragged his season-long numbers up to .182/.326/.311, so there's an excellent chance he's available even in deeper mixed formats. There's no telling when Martin may slip back to mediocrity again, but if he just needed a few days off to get healthier, the 35-year-old could also stay locked in straight into September. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Owned

Michael Perez, Rays: The Wilson Ramos trade leaves a Perez/Jesus Sucre platoon behind the plate for Tampa, and as Perez is the left-handed hitter of the duo, he could emerge with the larger share of playing time if he proves to be reliable. Perez obviously won't keep hitting .421, and for that matter his .284/.342/.417 line for Triple-A Reno might have benefited from some PCL desert inflation, but he doesn't need to have a great bat to have value as long as he's getting consistent playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Francisco Arcia, Angels: Basically everything I just said about Perez applies to Arcia – just sub in Martin Maldonado's name for Ramos, Jose Briceno for Sucre, and Arcia's actual stats instead of Perez's. Perez might have a bit more power potential, though, so if you have to pick one, I'd lean towards the Tampa rookie. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Dan Butler, Red Sox: Butler and his .634 Triple-A OPS will hold down the fort behind Sandy Leon until one of Christian Vazquez or Blake Swihart get healthy.12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Dustin Garneau, White Sox: The former Rockie and Athletic will fill in behind the plate while Kevan Smith is on paternity leave. The only time Garneau was an intriguing fantasy option was when he called Coors Field home, and this stay in the bigs will likely be brief. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Ryan O'Hearn, Royals: O'Hearn is your typical low-BA, modest power high-minors semi-prospect, but he could get consistent at-bats at DH and first base while on Kansas City's bench, and he has homered once already in four starts. If you need power, ehh, why not? 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tyler White, Astros: With their starting middle infield on the DL, the Astros have been mixing and matching as best they can, and the result has been some semi-regular playing time for White. He's gone 6-for-16 with a homer since being called back up, and hitting in the Houston lineup should give him opportunities for counting stats, but Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve should both return next week, sending White back to the bench or Triple-A. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Luke Voit, Yankees: Voit is Greg Bird's new platoon partner, and while he hasn't gotten an extended look in the majors yet, the 27-year-old has put up strong numbers at Triple-A Memphis over the last couple of years in the Cards' system. He could be a poor man's Jose Martinez, and that actually wouldn't be too bad at all. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Rougned Odor, Rangers: And just like that, Odor is back. He's launched six homers in his last seven games and has a .361/.452/.711 slash line since the beginning of July, and while it's hard to dismiss his long period of hibernation at the plate, it's just as hard to overlook his upside if he has figured out what was wrong and fixed it. If he got dumped in shallow leagues prior to this week's power explosion, this is probably your last chance to grab him. 12-team Mixed: $19; 15-team Mixed: $39; 12-team AL: Owned

Jonathan Villar, Orioles: While other teams may have demanded better prospects back for an asset like Jonathan Schoop, the O's front office instead decided they'd be better off trying to rehabilitate a 27-year-old utility player. Villar's been in a pretty steep decline since his huge 2016, and his one reliable fantasy asset – his speed – won't be as big a factor on a team that doesn't like to run much (Baltimore is 25th in MLB in steals, despite being pretty good at it – they're fifth in success rate at 77.6 percent). Still, he's moving from a bench role to a starting gig, and if you've been hoarding FAAB, you don't have many other options for spending it, now do you? 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $25

Logan Forsythe, Twins: I'll forgive the Twins for making Forsythe part of the return for Dozier, because at least Dozier isn't under team control next year. The 31-year-old was a flop with the Dodgers, but maybe he'll be able to rediscover his 2015-16 form now that he's back in the American League and in a starting job. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Brandon Lowe, Rays: Lowe will fill a bench role for the Rays while Daniel Robertson is on the shelf. The 24-year-old was having a breakout campaign in the high minors, slashing .304/.380/.613 with 14 homers in 46 games since a promotion to Triple-A Durham, which makes him an intriguing keeper stash even if his short-term outlook for playing time isn't very exciting. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tony Renda, Red Sox: The 27-year-old has never gotten much of a chance in the majors, and that won't change this time around as Renda will probably head back to Triple-A once Ian Kinsler or Rafael Devers get healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Kaleb Cowart, Angels: He's been bouncing between Triple-A and the majors since 2015, but this may finally be Cowart's chance to prove once and for all whether he can hack it in the bigs. The 26-year-old may not be much of a prospect any more, but he's still got more possible upside than proven mediocrity Luis Valbuena at the hot corner for the Angels. Given his numbers for Salt Lake, Cowart could chip in modest production in homers and steals while hitting for a respectable batting average if he does click. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

J.D. Davis, Astros: Like his teammate White, Davis has been getting consistent playing time recently due to the Astros' infield injuries, but unlike White he hasn't done anything with his opportunities. Expect Davis to be the first guy kicked back to Triple-A once a starter comes off the DL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Tim Beckham, Orioles: Beckham's rounded back into shape at the plate, slashing .321/.409/.482 with a couple of homers in 14 games since the All-Star break. The 28-year-old showed his upside last season, and there's no reason to think he can't put up similar numbers down the stretch in 2018. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $13; 12-team AL: Owned

Willy Adames, Rays: Tampa sent Adeiny Hechavarria packing, seemingly in order to avoid the temptation to use him in place of a developing prospect like Adames. The rookie's been doing his part too, slashing .280/.321/.400 over his last eight games. There could be further ups and downs ahead for the 22-year-old, but at least his playing time seems secure. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Aledmys Diaz, Blue Jays: Lourdes Gurriel's unfortunate injury pushes Diaz back into a prominent role, but his bat may have earned him a playing time increase anyway. The 28-year-old has launched four homers in his last seven games with a .292 batting average, numbers that will play from a middle-infield spot in almost any format. His .737 OPS on the year isn't nearly as impressive, so he could cool down at any time, but with Gurriel out for weeks and none of the Jays' other infield options doing much at the plate, Diaz seems to be in line for a consistent starting job. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Franklin Barreto, Athletics: Barreto continues to bounce between the A's bench and Triple-A. Barring an injury to Marcus Semien or Jed Lowrie, he won't see regular playing time though, and for the most part Barreto remains little more than a keeper-league stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Tommy Pham, Rays: Nobody sums up the sad state of the AL FAAB scene than Pham. He was by far the biggest bat to head over from the NL at the trade deadline – which, frankly, is as backhanded a compliment as it gets given his 51 career homers as a 30-year-old – but then he broke his foot and hit the DL before many leagues ever had a chance to bid on him. Generally I don't list injured players here since they're ineligible to be picked up in so many formats, but the circumstances pretty much require an exception. He's probably out until September, so know what you're getting into if you do (and can) bid. 12-team Mixed: Owned; 15-team Mixed: Owned; 12-team AL: $25

Cameron Maybin, Mariners: Maybin finds himself in a slightly better role in Seattle than he had in Miami, and the team context around him is certainly an improvement, but the 31-year-old still has a very limited fantasy profile at this stage of his career. Look for Maybin to steal an occasional base, but any positive contribution he makes in batting average or power will be a fluke. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Rosell Herrera, Royals: Herrera lost his path to regular playing time in the Royals outfield after the team's deadline acquisition, but now he's getting a look at third base alongside Hunter Dozier. Herrera's got the better bat of the two, slashing a respectable .273/.328/.400 since the All-Star break, but he didn't show much power in the minors and so far hasn't been able to use his speed in the majors. That stolen base upside (26 SBs in 136 career Triple-A games) and his eventual position flex are really the only reasons to roster him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Joey Rickard, Orioles: Until Austin Hays gets healthy and straightened out in the minors, the right field job in Baltimore looks like it belongs to Rickard. The 27-year-old has limited upside, but he could chip in the occasional steal while he's starting. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Nick Martini, Athletics: Martini has surprisingly seized Dustin Fowler's job in center field, sending the more heralded prospect back to Triple-A. There's nothing in the 28-year-old's minor-league profile to suggest he'll be a useful fantasy contributor, though, although he might maintain a decent batting average. If Fowler gets hot down in Nashville, the gig will be his again, and a Martini slump could serve the same purpose. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ramon Laureano, Athletics: The 24-year-old earned his first taste of the bigs with a .297/.380/.524 slash line in 64 games at Triple-A Nashville, a performance that includes 14 homers and 11 steals. Given the rotating cast of center fielders the A's have used this year, there's a chance Laureano's cup of coffee could turn into something more permanent, but he'll need to make the most of his chances to wind up as anything more than a keeper-league stash. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Hunter Dozier, Royals: Dozier's playing time is on the uptick, but his .605 big-league OPS still restricts him to only deep-league consideration. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jake Marisnick, Astros: Marisnick is back on the Astros' bench and providing some offense, homering twice in the last three games, but his track record makes banking on any extended hot streak a very risky venture. He could be worth using in the short term, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Drew Robinson, Rangers: Robinson is back up to provide some outfield depth while Delino DeShields deals with a concussion. Given that the Rangers' only other real option in center field is Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci, Robinson could see some starts, but don't expect much production. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mike Gerber, Tigers: The 26-year-old "earned" his first big-league promotion with a .214/.279/.417 slash line in 69 games at Triple-A Toledo, which tells you how strapped for depth the Tigers are right now. He does have some pop and a smidge of speed, and if (when?) Victor Reyes proves he's not a starting-caliber player yet, Gerber's probably the next guy up for playing time in a corner outfield spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erik Siegrist
Erik Siegrist is an FSWA award-winning columnist who covers all four major North American sports (that means the NHL, not NASCAR) and whose beat extends back to the days when the Nationals were the Expos and the Thunder were the Sonics. He was the inaugural champion of Rotowire's Staff Keeper baseball league. His work has also appeared at Baseball Prospectus.
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