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 upside on an A-E scale, prioritizing skills and talent above role and playing time outlook. Gunnar Henderson 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

Samuel Aldegheri, Angels: Acquired from the Phillies in the Carlos Estevez deal, the Italian-born lefty made a bumpy big-league debut Friday thanks to some shaky defense behind him. Aldegheri made the jump directly from Double-A (which is typical for the Angels, who avoid sending their top pitching prospects to wander in the desert at Triple-A Salt Lake if they can help it) and had a 39:13 K:BB through six starts and 27.1 innings at the level with zero homers allowed, so he was clearly ready for the next challenge. Given his team context and need for further development – in addition to being stuck back at home during the pandemic, he missed most of 2022 with shoulder trouble – Aldegheri is a better keeper stash than redraft option, but he's got a solid four-pitch arsenal that could give him mid-rotation upside if his command and changeup both take steps forward. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Alex Cobb, Guardians: The veteran righty will come off the IL on Sunday to face the Pirates after missing a couple turns due to a split fingernail. Cobb doesn't offer tremendous upside due to a lack of Ks, but Cleveland's gotten good results from Matthew Boyd, and Cobb figures to be relatively reliable as well over the final weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Caden Dana, Angels: Of the two pitchers the Halos have called up this week, Dana is considered the better prospect. The 20-year-old righty was rocking at Double-A Rocket City, posting a 0.89 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 42:8 K:BB over his last six starts and 40.1 innings, and the Mariners' strikeout woes make them a very intriguing opponent for his big-league debut Sunday. Dana was drafted in the 11th round in 2022, but that undersells him – he slid due to a college commitment and got a $1.5 million signing bonus that suggests the Angels viewed him as more like a second-round talent. He's got a mid-90s fastball and three secondary pitches, and while he's far from a finished product, he's got the upside to hit the ground running in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jacob deGrom, Rangers: The 36-year-old has now made a couple rehab starts as he looks to pitch in the majors for the first time since April 2023, and unsurprisingly deGrom has been dominant against minor-league hitters, although he has yet to work more than two innings in an outing. The quality of his stuff remains elite – he hasn't posted a WHIP above 1.00 since 2017 – it's just a question of how long it will be until he breaks down again. Texas is also all but eliminated from the wild-card race, so the team may decide to prioritize keeping deGrom healthy for next spring rather than pushing him hard in a meaningless September. Still, whatever innings he gives your fantasy squad should be great, so he's worth stashing now before he gets activated in a couple weeks. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Reid Detmers, Angels: Detmers may have figured something out at Triple-A. Over his last three starts for Salt Lake, he posted a 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB in 21 innings, numbers which offer a reminder that the 25-year-old southpaw was viewed as a potential breakout candidate coming into 2024. He'll rejoin the rotation for a Tuesday start against the Dodgers, which isn't exactly a reward for his hard work, but even when he was struggling earlier this year he was getting strikeouts. Detmers could fly under the radar this FAAB period, but the upside is there. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Joey Estes, Athletics: Estes just keeps quietly rolling along. The 22-year-old righty hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a start since a rough outing at Fenway on July 9, and during his hot streak he's posted a 2.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB in 50 innings. The lack of strikeouts limits his appeal in shallow formats, but those ratios will play in any league, and if Ks aren't a priority for you for whatever reason, Estes simply shouldn't still be on the wire. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Jack Leiter, Rangers: The 24-year-old righty was called up as the 27th man for Wednesday's twin bill and didn't exactly dominate against the White Sox, but the Rangers seem committed to giving him a long look in the rotation in September. Leiter has taken a step forward at Triple-A, touching 99 mph with his fastball, and over his last nine appearances for Round Rock he has a 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and eye-popping 63:18 K:BB over 42 innings. Texas' rotation could get crowded over the final weeks, and I'm not entirely ruling out the possibility that Kumar Rocker (who's been even better than Leiter lately) gets called up too, but with the club focused on 2025 they have no reason not to give Leiter a regular turn. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Casey Mize, Tigers: Out since late June due to a hamstring injury, Mize returned to the rotation Friday and gave Detroit six mediocre innings against the Red Sox, which is about what you'd expect. The first overall pick in the 2018 Draft has never lived up to that billing, but he's perfectly adequate rotation filler when he's healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Clarke Schmidt, Yankees: It's basically a race between Schmidt and Luis Gil to see who makes it back off the IL first, and Schmidt appears to be in the lead. The Yankees could even elect to go with a six-man rotation in September when they're both back, depending on how the battle for the AL East crown is going with the O's. Schmidt's been sidelined since late May due to a lat strain, but in two rehab starts in the high minors he's given up two runs with an 11:2 K:BB in 6.2 innings, so he seems pretty close to ready. As he's not fully stretched out, if he gets plugged into the rotation this week he may not last long enough to qualify for a win, but he's capable of providing good ratios and some Ks. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

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

Chris Flexen, White Sox (at BAL, at BOS)
J.T. Ginn, Athletics (vs. SEA, vs. DET)
Brant Hurter, Tigers (at SD, at OAK)
Zack Littell, Rays (vs. MIN, at BAL)

Relief Pitcher

Manuel Rodriguez, Rays: Rodriguez has two of Tampa's last three saves, and the third was an extra-inning job for Garrett Cleavinger when the righty had worked the ninth in a tie game, so it seems safe to say he's at least the preferred option for manager Kevin Cash right now, if not the locked-in closer. Rodriguez has been charged with runs only once in his last 14 appearances, posting a 1.42 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB over that stretch, so even if he doesn't rack up big save numbers for you, the rest of his numbers should be useful. Pete Fairbanks also doesn't appear close to a return, having just begun playing catch again Saturday. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

First Base

Yuli Gurriel / Nick Loftin, Royals: The loss of Vinnie Pasquantino is a tough blow to the Royals' playoff hopes, and Gurriel and Loftin have both been added to the roster since. Loftin started two straight games, one at first base and one at DH, but went 0-for-7 with two strikeouts, and his upside is limited. As for Gurriel, he's 40 years old and had a .245/.304/.359 slash line last year, but he's getting the start Sunday. Between Salvador Perez getting more time at 1B and the potential for other players to get into the mix as well, neither guy has much appeal other than as a warm body in deep formats. Both – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kyle Manzardo, Guardians: Manzardo will be Cleveland's hitting call-up for September, but there isn't a lot of room for him in the lineup with Josh Naylor entrenched at first base and guys like Jhonkensy Noel playing nearly every day. Manzardo hadn't exactly turned things around at Triple-A either, slashing .247/.385/.494 for Columbus with six homers in 25 August contests. If he gets hot, the 24-year-old could take on a regular role at DH, but first he'll need to get a chance to get hot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Anthony Rizzo, Yankees: Ben Rice's demotion was a clear sign that the Yankees will give Rizzo the starting job at first base back, as DJ LeMahieu and his .526 OPS on the year aren't even really an option as a platoon partner. Rizzo still has name value, but it's important to remember he hit the IL in June with a thoroughly mediocre .223/.289/.341 slash line and just eight homers in 70 games. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Second Base

Justin Foscue, Rangers: I can't be the only one who hears this in their heads when they see "Foscue, Rangers", right? The 25-year-old was on a roll at Triple-A prior to his September promotion, slashing .302/.371/.556 with five homers over his last 15 games, and with Texas looking ahead to 2025, Foscue might end up being more than just a short-side platoon partner for Nathaniel Lowe down the stretch. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: There are a few players in this week's column who are producing numbers out of line with their playing time, which makes them tough to evaluate. McKinstry is at the top of that pile – he's muscled his way into a semi-regular spot in the lineup thanks to an 11-game hitting streak in which he's slashed an absurd .533/.563/.733 with a homer, five steals, five RBI and seven runs. He's got enough defensive versatility to keep falling into playing time somewhere as long as he's locked in at the plate, but you're still rolling the dice that his heater won't evaporate as soon as you add him to your roster. The steals especially are very tempting, though. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Luis Urias, Mariners: Urias seemed out of Seattle's plans entirely when he was sent to Triple-A in late May, but an August hot streak earned the 27-year-old infielder a promotion. Unfortunately, that hot streak may have already ended – he'd gone just 3-for-17 over his last six games for Tacoma, and in his first game back with Seattle on Saturday, he went 0-for-3 with two Ks. Urias could be little more than a short-side platoon partner for Josh Rojas at third base, and even that might be optimistic. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Enmanuel Valdez, Red Sox: With David Hamilton on the IL, second base is open again for the Red Sox, and Valdez will duke it out with Nick Sogard (and apparently Connor Wong? Weird) for that playing time. Valdez does have 17 homers in 110 games between Triple-A and the majors this season, but he doesn't offer much more than occasional power. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Coby Mayo, Orioles: Mayo didn't seem to have a clear role available to him until Ramon Urias wound up on crutches after Saturday's game due to a sprained ankle. If Mayo heats up, Urias won't have a starting job waiting for him when he gets healthy. The 22-year-old prospect has undeniable upside given his .293/.369/.574 slash line at Triple-A this year, but he looked a little overmatched, or maybe just nervous, at the beginning of August when he made his MLB debut. This time around, he might be more comfortable, but the O's also can't afford to give him a lot of leash as they slug it out with the Yankees for the AL East title. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Shortstop

J.P. Crawford, Mariners: The veteran shortstop returned from a month-long absence Wednesday and was plugged in right back at the top of the batting order, going 0-for-9 but drawing five walks in his first three games back. Crawford's numbers have been bad in 2024, with his .198 batting average and .640 OPS being career lows, but that lineup placement at least gives him some counting-stat upside if runs are a priority for you. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Leo Jimenez, Blue Jays: His window for usefulness is closing with Bo Bichette beginning to ramp up, but Jimenez closed out August in style by slashing .283/.358/.543 over his last 14 games with three doubles, three homers, eight runs and 10 RBI. The Blue Jays for some reason keep using Ernie Clement at shortstop as well (I guess they can't kick their utility player addiction, even after getting rid of Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Cavan Biggio) but at least until Bichette is back, they really have no reason not to just give Jimenez all the playing time he can handle. He's the better defensive player, to boot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nick Sogard, Red Sox: Sogard offers a little more of an offensive ceiling than Enmanuel Valdez does (.283/.390/.446 with 13 homers and 10 steals in 96 Triple-A games this season), so that could earn him the majority of the playing time at second base while David Hamilton is out. An everyday workload, and shallow-league utility, might be asking too much though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jacob Wilson, Athletics: Wilson rejoined the Oakland lineup last week, starting four of five games after his activation but going just 2-for-12 with a couple walks. The 22-year-old has already flashed his upside at Triple-A though, and no amount of PCL inflation or small-sample skepticism can make a .396/.448/.613 slash line look anything but impressive. Especially if you need to make a move in batting average, Wilson figures to be your best option as a late-season add. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Outfield

Addison Barger, Blue Jays: A number of young Toronto hitters are busy trying to make their cases for 2025 roster spots, and Barger heads up the list. The 24-year-old has hit safely in nine straight games, batting .364 (12-for-33) over that stretch with two doubles and three homers with most of his playing time coming at third base. Barger could also see more action in right field in September if the Jays give up on George Springer, who slumped again to a .607 OPS in August. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Seth Brown, Athletics: Brown's another guy out-hitting his part-time role. While he is on the strong side of a platoon, his recent numbers are worthy of a guy playing every day, as he's slashing .381/.458/.524 over the second half of August with two homers, four runs and 10 RBI in his last 48 plate appearances. Those homers are his only XBH during that time though, which is a bit of a warning sign his hot streak could end at any time, and Tyler Soderstrom is beginning to ramp up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Zach DeLoach, White Sox: DeLoach is getting added to the roster in September and doesn't figure to immediately slot into regular playing time, but Dominic Fletcher and Andrew Benintendi aren't exactly imposing competition. DeLoach's big selling point is his speed, as he's swiped 20 bags in 22 attempts at Triple-A this season, but he doesn't offer much else from a fantasy perspective. The best-case scenario here is the AL version of the Nationals' Jacob Young. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jonny DeLuca, Rays: The streaky outfielder is hot again, slashing .306/.375/.444 over his last 10 games with two doubles, a homer, four steals, four RBI and six runs. The Rays aren't quite out of the wild-card picture yet, sitting six games back of the final spot in the AL with three teams between them and the Twins, so DeLuca should keep getting starts as long as he's producing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Ben Gamel, Astros: This is purely a short-term play, as Gamel is a total journeyman whose playing time will take a hit once Kyle Tucker is back. He's playing every day for Houston right now though, and since joining the team he's batting an improbable .364 (12-for-33) and even hit his first homer since 2022 on Friday. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Nathan Lukes, Blue Jays: The 30-year-old isn't a prospect, but Lukes was tearing up Triple-A prior to his promotion, slashing .340/.392/.404 in 13 games since returning from a thumb injury, and he's gone 5-for-9 for the Jays, with four of the knocks (including a double and a triple) coming in Saturday's rout of the Twins. Toronto will probably give him semi-regular playing time to see if he can be a useful bench piece in 2025. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mickey Moniak, Angels: Another guy who's been posting silly numbers lately, Moniak has homered four times in the last four games as part of four straight multi-hit performances. The 26-year-old is one of the streakiest hitters in the league, but he wrapped up August with a .359/.397/.719 slash line despite a 2:18 BB:K in 19 games as a strong-side platoon player. He won't keep it up for long, but this late in the season, even one more week like that could move the needle in a close race. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Tommy Pham, Royals: Pham's had a bad season and has yet to make an appearance for the Royals since they grabbed him off waivers from the Cards, but when their usual outfield options include guys like Adam Frazier and Kyle Isbel, you have to figure the 36-year-old will get a chance to show he isn't done. Pham fits best as a short-side platoon player, but it's not out of the question he finds a spark and takes over a more consistent role while Kansas City pushes for a playoff spot. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Designated Hitter

Jonathan Aranda, Rays: After missing about two months at Triple-A with an oblique strain, Aranda needed only six games following his activation to prove he was ready for another crack at the majors, going 10-for-23 (.435) with four homers and nine RBI for Durham. It's not clear exactly how the 26-year-old will fit into the 1B/DH mix, but if he hits, Tampa Bay will find at-bats for him, and it's getting close to the 'now or never' point in his career for him to establish himself as an asset in the big leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4