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.

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 talent on an A-E scale. Wander Franco 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.

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.

Starting Pitcher

Kris Bubic, Royals: The 24-year-old southpaw returned to the Kansas City rotation Saturday and held Houston scoreless over five innings, although his 3:3 K:BB was far from dominant. That's par for the course for Bubic, who has walked more batters than he's struck out in the majors this season. He's got the potential to eventually become a reliable back-end arm, but he doesn't seem particularly close to getting there, and he'll probably get bumped back to Triple-A once Zack Greinke gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Alex Faedo, Tigers: Faedo has been the poster boy for solid innings since joining the Detroit rotation. The 26-year-old has lasted at least five innings in all six of his outings, but no more than six in any of them, and while his 3.09 ERA and 1.31 WHIP have their uses, his 15.9 percent strikeout rate highlights his lack of upside in formats that emphasize whiffs. In shallower leagues, that basically puts him in the 'good streaming option' category, but those guys can be worth stashing on your bench rather than playing catch and release in the free-agent pool when you want to use them. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dean Kremer, Orioles: Kremer had some very mild sleeper status in the preseason, or maybe that was just me being desperate for arms late in a couple drafts and fooling myself into seeing some upside with the 26-year-old righty. Regardless, he strained his oblique during a warmup session before making his first start of the year and will make his belated 2022 debut Sunday against the Guardians. Kremer looked very, very good during his rehab assignment, including a 13:2 K:BB over seven scoreless Triple-A innings, and he might be stretched out enough to qualify for a win right out of the gate. His upside is probably mid-rotation guy, but Baltimore's staff still needs all the help it can get. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Davis Martin, White Sox: A 14th-round pick in 2018, Martin has done well just to make it to the majors, and he'll get some kind of chance to plug a hole in the White Sox rotation. He made a spot start in mid-May and looked good against the Royals, but his results against the Rays on Friday were much less appealing, and the 25-year-old doesn't have the kind of stuff that makes fantasy GMs want to give him a long leash. With Lance Lynn almost ready to make his season debut, Martin will likely be headed back to Triple-A before long. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Konnor Pilkington, Guardians: Pilkington was going to be down in the two-start streaming pile below (not to be confused with a steaming pile), but then he went and struck out eight Royals on Wednesday. The 24-year-old lefty was a third-round pick in 2018, coming over from the White Sox to the Guardians in the Cesar Hernandez trade last year, but his control issues this year make him tough to trust as he has an 18:9 K:BB over only 12 innings in his first three big-league starts. The strikeouts can't be ignored and do match up with his minor-league performances, so there is some upside here if he starts trusting his stuff and finding the plate a little more often. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ross Stripling, Blue Jays: Hyun Jin Ryu is on the shelf again, and it's fair to wonder if he'll pitch again this season. That pushes Stripling back into the rotation, a role in which he posted a 4.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB in 21 innings over five starts the last time Ryu broke down. Stripling could face some competition from Nate Pearson this time around, as the right-hander is close to joining the big-league staff, but at least initially it will likely be Pearson taking over Stripling's long relief role. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Other two-start options, Mon-Sun (12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $1)

Kyle Bradish, Orioles (vs. CHC, at KC)
Cole Irvin, Athletics (at ATL, at CLE)
Daniel Lynch, Royals vs. TOR, vs. BAL)
Michael Wacha, Red Sox (at LAA, at SEA)

Relief Pitcher

Nate Pearson, Blue Jays: The 25-year-old Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh starter kit has had the worst luck to start his career, and a case of mono landed him on IL to begin 2022 after he seemed set to open the season in the Toronto bullpen. He's made a couple rehab appearances now and is close to getting activated, but Ryu's latest injury changes the landscape a bit on the Jays' staff. Stripling will move into the rotation and pitched well last time he was starting, but Pearson's still the guy with the high 90s heat when he's 100 percent healthy. You never know when a high-upside arm like this might click, and if he gets a chance, Pearson could easily wind up being Toronto's version of MacKenzie Gore. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $4

Catcher

Jose Trevino, Yankees: If you're streaming catchers, Trevino is worth a look. The 29-year-old is splitting starts with Kyle Higashioka but has been raking just about every time he's in the lineup lately, slashing .395/.435/.744 over 46 plate appearances since mid-May with four homers and 12 RBI. It won't last, but cash in while you can. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

First Base

Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals: People keep asking, so I'm including Vinnie P this week, but I genuinely have no sense of when he might get called up. The 24-year-old doesn't seem to have much left to learn at Triple-A after posting a 1.003 OPS with 15 homers through his first 51 games at Omaha, and Carlos Santana has slumped his way out of a starting role, but that doesn't mean the Royals have a clear vacancy in their starting lineup. Hunter Dozier is handling first base while MJ Melendez heads up the DH crew when he's not needed behind the plate, and Emmanuel Rivera is getting a long look at third. Is Pasquantino a better prospect than Rivera? Absolutely, but the latter is the one on the 40-man roster. As a stash, Pasquantino could begin to pay dividends before Father's Day, or he could block up one of your bench spots until after the All-Star break. The best argument for grabbing him now if you can is to avoid the bidding war that will come when he gets promoted. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Second Base

Harold Castro, Tigers: Castro appears to have pushed his way into a starting role, getting the nod in eight of Detroit's last nine games and batting a solid .276 (8-for-29) over that stretch with three doubles and a homer. Players with good position flex who can also contribute offensively have value on a lot of rosters, but the 28-year-old might not quite have the bat to be useful in the shallowest formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ezequiel Duran, Rangers: Picked up in the Joey Gallo deal last year, Duran made his big-league debut Saturday after posting a strong .321/.368/.582 slash line at Double-A with seven homers and seven steals in 45 games. The 23-year-old isn't an elite prospect, but he could emerge as an asset at second base or in a utility role down the road. Duran's a better keeper stash than a re-draft add, but with Andy Ibanez getting demoted Sunday, he has a path to a semi-regular role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Danny Mendick, White Sox: Tim Anderson's groin strain has opened the door to regular playing time for Mendick, and he's responded with four multi-hit performances in five starts since last Sunday. The 28-year-old is probably a better hitter than Leury Garcia, but the latter is the more versatile defender as well as being a switch hitter, so in the long run it will be hard for Mendick to dislodge Garcia from that primary utility role. In the short term, however, Mendick could provide a boost. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ramon Urias, Orioles: Urias is another utility-type guy supplying some value lately. The 28-year-old has started 14 of Baltimore's last 16 games as the team's main third baseman, slashing .296/.333/.556 over that stretch with half his hits going for extra bases, including three homers. Urias showed some improvement at the plate last year, and it's possible he takes another step forward in 2022 after a slow first six weeks. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Third Base

Jake Burger, White Sox: I wrote him up last week, but Burger's already moved the needle in his favor. He's starting to get to his power in the majors, swatting three homers in his last eight games with eight RBI. Most of that action has come at third base, which puts Burger's playing time at the mercy of Yoan Moncada's health and struggles, but Moncada's hasn't yet shown signs of a turnaround, and it's not like Gavin Sheets is doing much – he hasn't homered in almost a month. By the time either of those guys get going, Burger could well have entrenched himself in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jose Miranda, Twins: Miranda's demotion to Triple-A St. Paul last week wound up being mostly hypothetical, as he was recalled the next day when Royce Lewis landed on the IL, but he seems to have gotten the message nonetheless. Miranda's started five of the last seven games and gone 5-for-17 (.294) with three homers and a double, but his 1:7 BB:K during that stretch remains a red flag. The 23-year-old has plenty of upside on offense, but his lack of a defensive home and difficulties making contact in the majors give him a narrow path to a consistent role if he's not straight raking. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shortstop

Elvis Andrus, Athletics: Maybe the 33-year-old feels slighted because that upcoming biopic by Baz Luhrmann isn't about him? Andrus has become the Two-Bag King in recent weeks, slashing .326/.370/.628 over his last 12 games with seven doubles, two homers, a steal, seven RBI and eight runs. That's great production for a middle infielder sitting on a lot of waiver wires, and while GMs specifically looking for speed might pass him up, it's hard to steal a base when you keep hitting yourself to second. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jermaine Palacios, Twins: The next man up at shortstop for Minnesota seems to be Palacios, a 25-year-old who's been knocking around the system since 2015. He's posted some interesting numbers along the way, including 19 homers and 18 steals in 110 games last year at Double-A, but he's never quite done enough to put himself on the prospect radar. He's started six straight games since his promotion, and with Carlos Correa still lacking a timetable for his return from a positive COVID-19 test, Palacios doesn't have much current competition at the six. Of course, he's also gone 3-for-18 in those six games with a 2:6 BB:K and zero steals or extra-base hits. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Outfield

Jackie Bradley, Red Sox: JBJ's having a heck of a couple weeks. Prior to being placed on the paternity list and his wife giving birth Saturday, he'd slashed .318/.362/.568 over his last 14 games with 11 RBI. Boston's offense has been rocking lately, and Bradley's gotten in on the fun, although he still remains a low-upside option hitting near the bottom of the order. He could be a useful plug-in once he's back in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jarren Duran, Red Sox: Duran was the guy called up to replace Bradley in the lineup this weekend, but the 25-year-old has enough upside to be worth picking up if he sticks around, and a 2-for-5 performance Saturday is a good start toward proving he deserves to be in the majors full time. Duran has lit it up at Triple-A this year, slashing .307/.387/.516 with four homers and 11 steals in 37 games, and Enrique Hernandez is making a good case to move back into a bench role given his .620 OPS. Even when Bradley returns, Duran seems ready to get a longer look. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Nick Gordon, Twins: Gordon has been another beneficiary of the Twins' injury woes. He's started nine of the last 10 games, slashing .273/.314/.485 over that stretch with four doubles, a homer, two steals, five runs and five RBI. The 26-year-old doesn't have a huge ceiling, but if you specifically need steals, he should chip in a few while he's handling a regular role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Steele Walker, Rangers: The 25-year-old doesn't have much prospect cache, but he was a second-round pick in 2018 of the White Sox before being sent to Texas the following year in a trade for Nomar Mazara, so somebody saw some upside in him once upon a time. Walker earned his first big-league call-up with a fantastic start to the campaign at Trriple-A, slashing .297/.395/.486 with three homers and three steals in 20 games sandwiched around a concussion with a sharp 9:11 BB:K. Aside from the 80-grade name, there's a path to playing time for Walker on the Rangers given that they have yet to find a consistent left fielder or DH. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2