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. Julio Rodriguez 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.

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Starting Pitcher

Jhony Brito, Yankees: The Yankees' rotation is so threadbare right now, manager Aaron Boone had to backtrack on comments suggesting Luis Severino (11.71 ERA since the beginning of July) would get dropped from the rotation, simply because the team has nobody left to replace him. Brito (and Randy Vasquez, listed below) have been added, but they're taking the spots of Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon. I'm using the term "rotation" loosely because the Yanks have joined the ranks of teams heavily deploying openers and bulk relievers, so guys like Brito, Vasquez and even Severino are more likely to work as primaries right now than get traditional starts. Anyway, Brito looked good over five innings against the Marlins on Saturday, and the 25-year-old does have quality stuff, just not the consistent command to be anything more than a streaming option in shallower formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Alex Faedo, Tigers: Faedo continues to bounce between the Detroit and Toledo rotations, and it's not clear if he'll stick around once Spencer Turnbull is deemed healthy enough to get another look. Like most young pitchers, Faedo can go from great (six one-hit shutout innings against the Padres) to meh (failing to get out of the fifth against the Twins) quickly, so even as a streamer he's risky, but the upside is there if you need to gamble. The 27-year-old righty also lines up for two starts this week, at Minnesota and Cleveland, just to amplify the risk/reward equation in the short term. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Emerson Hancock, Mariners: Seattle promoted their 425th pitching prospect of the season (rough estimate) this week in Hancock, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft. There's a reason guys like Bryan Woo got called up ahead of him, but Hancock appears to be putting the injuries that stalled his development behind him. The 24-year-old righty hasn't regained the velocity he lost, but he's sharpened his other pitches to compensate and now features an above-average slider and changeup rather than relying on his fastball. His control and command are spotty, though. He lines up for two starts this week – at Kansas City, then at Houston – but Woo could return after that, so is best viewed as either a churn-and-burn option for the short term, or a keeper/dynasty stash in deeper formats, and not someone who will help you a great deal over the next six-seven weeks. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Zack Littell, Rays: Littell continues to give the Rays solid innings they desperately need in their rotation despite fringy stuff, delivering two straight quality starts and posting a 3.29 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 22:1 K:BB through 27.1 IP since the beginning of July. The 27-year-old righty also lines up for a road two-step, against the Giants and Angels, so if you are trying to pile up wins and bulk Ks, ratios be damned, you've got a lot of options to choose from this week. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Cole Ragans, Royals: Anyone with budgets left after the trade deadline could find themselves tempted to throw most of it at Ragans after the southpaw fanned 11 in a win over Boston on Monday, but his follow-up start Saturday against St. Louis was less than inspiring. Ragans' command hasn't yet caught up to the velocity spike he experienced this offseason, so the 25-year-old will be a volatile play down the stretch, but Kansas City will let him take his lumps and learn on the job. It's entirely possible the Royals end up winning the Aroldis Chapman trade decisively if Ragans is all the way back from his two Tommy John surgeries. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Jesse Scholtens, White Sox: I gave a fairly lukewarm endorsement of Scholtens in last week's article, but after watching him match up with Brandon Woodruff on Saturday, I have to admit the 29-year-old rookie looks legit. He's given the ChiSox three straight quality starts in August, leaning mainly on a low-90s fastball and slider while mixing in a curve, and his stuff plays up due to 91st percentile extension on his delivery. Signed out of the Padres system as a minor-league free agent this winter, Scholtens suddenly looks like a viable mid-rotation arm. Chicago may have stumbled upon a keeper here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Randy Vasquez, Yankees: It's still not clear whether the 24-year-old righty will end up as a reliever in the long run due to his control and command issues, but the Yankees need Vasquez to soak up some innings right now as a starter or bulk reliever, so that's what he's going to do. His strikeout rate at Triple-A this season (91 in 75.2 IP) is no fluke, as he features plus movement on his mid-90s fastball and a borderline plus curveball, with the change still lagging behind. The Ks haven't shown up consistently in the majors yet, but that will just serve to keep the bidding for him reasonable. Grab him now before he has that one huge game that makes everyone anoint him as the Next Big Pinstriped Thing. Be warned – his outing this week will come in Atlanta, so unless you're desperate he's likely more future stash than immediate help. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

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

Jordan Lyles, Royals (vs. SEA, at CHC)

Relief Pitcher

Beau Brieske / Jose Cisnero / Jason Foley / Tyler Holton, Tigers: Alex Lange hasn't been officially removed from the closer role, but he could be hanging on by a thread. Over his last three appearances and 2.1 innings, five of those seven outs have come via strikeout, which would be great if he hadn't also walked nine batters. Lange's last save came July 23, and since then the four guys I've listed here have all picked up at least one save. A committee seems likely, but Foley's 97 mph sinker has produced a 2.08 ERA since the All-Star break, and while Cisnero's had some bad luck since the break with his more classic late-inning arsenal, he does have an 18:2 K:BB in 10 innings over that stretch. Brieske's the only one with multiple saves during Lange's sabbatical from closing, but he's more like the guy A.J. Hinch will turn to if he needs to deploy his better relievers in high-leverage spots prior to the ninth. If you feel like you have to chase one, Foley's your best bet by a nose over Cisnero. Brieske – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Cisnero – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3 / Foley – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Holton – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Reynaldo Lopez / Jose Soriano, Angels: Speaking of closers who can't find the plate, Carlos Estevez stepped back from the brink Wednesday with his first save in August, but he's got a 13:9 K:BB in 11.1 innings since the ASB. Lopez, just back from the bereavement list, has an 11:2 K:BB in six innings since joining the Halos and looks more like the 2022 version of himself – y'know, the guy who was a much-hyped saves sleeper this spring. Soriano, meanwhile, has settled into a high-leverage role with four holds in his last seven appearances to go with a 13:5 K:BB in 10 innings. Both guys have closer-worthy stuff when they are able to harness it, but until manager Phil Nevin actually pulls the plug on Estevez, neither is anything more than a dart throw. Both – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 

Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox: Whitlock is ticketed to come off the IL on Sunday, but the Red Sox have indicated he'll be used in a multi-inning relief role rather than rejoining the rotation. That's not necessarily a bad thing for his fantasy value, as Boston turned around Nick Pivetta's season by using him in that capacity and has also gotten surprisingly useful numbers from the unheralded Chris Murphy in a bulk relief role. The rotation is filling up though with Tanner Houck also on track for activation soon, so opportunities for a primary pitcher role behind an opener could be limited. Whitlock might instead find himself working the seventh and eighth ahead of Kenley Jansen rather than the second through fifth frames. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

First Base

Brandon Belt, Blue Jays: Belt has kicked things into gear in August, batting .343 (12-for-35) with four doubles and three homers in 10 games. The veteran first baseman is still limited to a strong-side platoon role and may not see enough playing time to have real value in shallow formats unless Toronto's got a righty-heavy schedule for the week, or you have a deep bench and can make daily moves to get him in against RHP. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jon Singleton, Astros: Nope, didn't see this one coming. A decade after he was a top prospect in the Astros' system before flaming out, Singleton rejoined the organization and suddenly finds himself not only in the majors, but getting a look as the starting first baseman with Jose Abreu on the shelf. The 31-year-old's .289/.409/.567 slash line through 82 Triple-A games this season came with 22 homers, and while his first crack at a comeback in Milwaukee didn't really take, his two-homer game for Houston on Friday opened plenty of eyes. I have no idea whether that performance is going to be the beginning of a storybook run or just a lovely grace note on his career, but if you need an affordable power boost, Abreu's back issues could keep him out for more than the minimum. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Second Base

Trevor Story, Red Sox: Story finally made his season debut Tuesday and started four straight games before getting a breather Saturday. He went 3-for-15 with seven strikeouts, but some rust is to be expected, and the fact that he stole a base in that stretch is at least a good sign he's truly feeling 100 percent. The 30-year-old can't counted upon to be an impact bat down the stretch after stumbling to a .737 OPS in his Red Sox debut last season, but even in a down year he managed 16 homers and 13 steals in 94 games. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Shortstop

Nick Allen, Athletics: The 24-year-old shortstop has a good enough glove that he doesn't need to be a great hitter to hold down a starting job in Oakland, but so far his .205/.252/.284 career slash line hasn't been even close to adequate. Allen is trying his best to change that, batting .308 (8-for-26) with two of his seven career MLB homers plus three steals in eight games. The sample size is small, but again, he doesn't need to be Marcus Semien to earn consistent playing time. Walt Weiss will do. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Elvis Andrus, White Sox: The veteran infielder is back in the starting role at second base for the White Sox thanks to an 11-for-30 (.367) surge over his last eight games with a homer, two steals and nine RBI. Andrus' competition, Zack Remillard, is slashing just .176/.192/.255 since the ASB, so the bar is low, but the 34-year-old did sock 17 homers and steal 18 bags last year, so a good six-week run to close out the 2023 campaign isn't out of the question. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Osleivis Basabe, Rays: While not one of Tampa's top prospects, Basabe was having a strong season for Triple-A Durham to earn his first big-league promotion. The 22-year-old should be viewed as a bargain bin Taylor Walls or Vidan Brujan – he doesn't have the former's glove or the latter's speed, but Basabe profiles as a future utility player with defensive versatility, a solid hit tool and good, just not elite, wheels. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Lawrence Butler, Athletics: A sixth-round pick back in 2018, Butler had something of a breakout season in the high minors this year, slashing .281/.347/.473 between Double-A and Triple-A with 15 homers and 21 steals (on 23 attempts) in 89 games. He doesn't project to be a superstar, but an Andrew Benintendi-like career could be in the cards, and there's certainly plenty of opportunity available on Oakland's ragged roster. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

J.P. Martinez, Rangers: Signed out of Cuba back in 2018, Martinez had a tough adjustment to stateside ball and flopped hard in his first taste of Triple-A competition last year. The Rangers never gave up on the athletic outfielder though, and the 27-year-old earned his first big-league promotion in 2023 with a .312/.427/.565 slash line in 67 games for Round Rock with 12 homers and 33 steals. There are some superficial Leody Taveras comps here, but Taveras in about three years younger and a better defender. Still, Martinez's contact rate has improved enough that a big-league career at least seems plausible now, even if he's more likely to be a fourth outfielder than a true fantasy asset as a starter. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Dylan Moore, Mariners: With J.P. Crawford on the IL and the Seattle outfield still at less than full strength, there are multiple paths to playing time available at the moment for the team's Swiss Army knife. Moore has been doing his best to force his way into a consistent role with his bat too, slashing .368/.442/.868 in 43 plate appearances since the All-Star break with 10 of his 14 hits (five doubles, a triple and four homers) going for extra bases. Jose Caballero and Josh Rojas are also part of the middle infield mix for the M's, but at least while he's dialed in, Moore has by far the most interesting fantasy upside of the three. He could also go ice cold at any time, however. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Josh Smith, Rangers: The biggest beneficiary of Josh Jung's injury has so far been Smith – the 26-year-old started the last three games at third base coming into Sunday, while Ezequiel Duran spotted in elsewhere in the lineup. Smith hasn't done much with the opportunity yet, but he has shown a flicker of fantasy upside in the high minors and regular playing time could allow him to get comfortable in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nelson Velazquez, Royals: The 24-year-old made his big-league debut last year with the Cubs and showed a bit of power, but mostly struggled. Dealt to the Royals at the deadline for Jose Cuas, Velazquez has a clearer path to at-bats in Kansas City, and homering in his first two starts for his new club won't hurt his chances of carving out a role. It's not clear where he'll fit once Drew Waters is back from the bereavement list, and expecting him to turn into KC's new Jorge Soler is asking too much, but Velazquez could develop into a solid bat if he can keep his strikeouts in check. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3