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

Paul Blackburn, Athletics: The 29-year-old lasted four innings in his season debut Monday, holding Atlanta to one run while striking out six over 81 pitches. In most formats, Blackburn is going to be in the streaming mix, but he posted decent enough numbers last year to potentially be viewed more as staff filler in deeper leagues. It's hard to imagine him moving the needle in wins though given the roster "supporting" him in Oakland, and despite Atlanta's hacking, he likely doesn't offer much in strikeouts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ronel Blanco, Astros: Where does Houston keep finding these guys? Blanco had been spinning his wheels in the Triple-A bullpen since 2019, but this year the organization decided to try out the 29-year-old in a rotation role, and in his first big-league start Thursday he delivered an entirely respectable effort in getting the win over the Angels. The Astros don't get another day off until June 12, so Blanco's only up as a temporary sixth starter, and his track record suggests his control is shaky at best. All that said, he might nab another win or two and give you some Ks before he likely heads back to Sugar Land in a couple weeks. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Griffin Canning, Angels: Canning's started to find his footing, and over his last three starts he has a 2.95 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB in 18.1 innings. Those numbers will help any fantasy staff, but the Halos' usage of a six-man rotation does cap the fantasy value of everybody not named Shohei Ohtani due to the lack of two-start weeks. Canning's got decent enough upside as a mid-rotation guy, though, so he's capable of extending this strong stretch for a while. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Mike Clevinger, White Sox: Out since May 17 due to a sore wrist, Clevinger blanked the Tigers over five innings in his return Friday. Quality of the opposition notwithstanding, the 32-year-old has yet to regain the form he flashed in Clevelend prior to Tommy John surgery in 2020, but his velocity has crept up a bit compared to last year, even if his swinging strike rate is down to a career-low 9.5 percent. He's widely viewed as damaged goods, but he can still provide some useful innings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Zack Greinke, Royals: Greinke has quietly turned back the clock, posting a 2.30 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB over six starts and 31.1 innings since the beginning of May. The 39-year-old's value takes a hit in formats that score quality starts – he hasn't lasted six innings in an outing since April 16 – but it's not like the Royals' offense is rewarding him with many wins either. Greinke can provide some nice ratio ballast while he's locked in, but don't hesitate to churn his roster spot if he reverts back to his April form (6.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP). 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Hogan Harris, Athletics: The fun thing about a team that's just completely bottomed out and is basically holding open auditions for jobs all over the diamond is that guys nobody's ever heard of, or had written off, get a chance to salvage their careers and keep their dreams alive. Harris was a third-round pick in 2018, but injuries and significant control issues in the minors kept him far off the prospect radar. Despite walking 20 batters in 30.2 innings over eight starts for Triple-A Las Vegas this year and having a disastrous big-league debut in April (five walks, six earned runs in a third of an inning), the 26-year-old southpaw got another look over the last week or so as a bulk reliever. Somehow, he produced a 10:1 K:BB in 10 innings while only giving up two runs. There's little reason to think Harris will keep up that pace, but he does have a solid arsenal with a mid-90s fastball, potentially plus changeup and work-in-progress cutter and curve. Plus, Oakland has absolutely nothing to lose seeing what he can do. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Daniel Lynch, Royals: Those who took a stab on Lynch and were able to activate him for last Sunday's outing got good value for a minimal investment. The 26-year-old lefty struck out 13 batters in 10.1 innings over his first two starts of the year with a 4.35 ERA, but it should be noted that he was at home facing the Nationals and Rockies, and also benefited from two unearned runs. The 2018 first-round pick has been a model of inconsistency since making his MLB debut a couple years ago. Don't expect too much. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Reese Olson, Tigers: Olson put himself on some prospect lists last year with an eye-popping 168:38 K:BB over 119.2 innings at Double-A, but scouts remained divided due to command that wavered at times and left a lot of very hittable pitches over the heart of the plate. He does have the arsenal to succeed in the majors though, mixing both two and four-seam fastballs with a sharp slider and changeup, and his big-league debut Friday against the White Sox went well. I'd have to take my socks off to count up all the injured starters for Detroit right now, with Eduardo Rodriguez joining their ranks Tuesday, so Olson has a clear path to a rotation spot at least into late June, when guys like Tarik Skubal might start trickling back into the mix. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Bryan Woo, Mariners: This early 90s one-hit wonder earworm has been stuck in my head ever since it was announced Woo was getting called up, so now I'm inflicting it on you. You're welcome. The 23-year-old righty's big-league debut could hardly have gone worse Saturday, as the Rangers hung six runs on him in only two innings, but his 4:1 K:BB displayed his upside. Truth be told, I wonder if Woo was tipping his pitches. He does that thing where he pulls the ball out of his glove briefly right at the beginning of his motion after setting his grip, and at least from the center-field camera, it was pretty clear what pitch he was about to throw. Whether Texas batters could see it too, or whether the issue was nerves and a lack of command within the zone, it seems correctable in the long run. Woo's got quality stuff and might get another chance in the M's rotation with Marco Gonzales on the shelf, but for now he should be viewed only as a keeper or dynasty stash and not someone who will help you much in 2023. Then again, if you need to take a big swing or two to help your staff, his poor debut could create a buy-low opportunity on a top prospect who otherwise might have generated a bidding war... 12-team Mixed: $1; 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)

Brandon Bielak, Astros (at TOR, at CLE)
Mike Mayers, Royals (at MIA, at BAL)
Joey Wentz, Tigers (at PHI, vs. ARI)

Relief Pitcher

Grant Anderson, Rangers: A 21st-round pick of the Mariners in 2018 (a round which no longer exists), Anderson had a bit of a breakout last year at Double-A and struck out 78 batters in 56 innings. He's kept up that dominance in 2023, both at Triple-A (38:10 K:BB through 21.1 innings) and since his late-May promotion to the majors, as eight of his first 11 outs for Texas have come via strikeout. The 25-year-old righty doesn't have a big fastball, sitting in the low 90s, and instead has thrown his slider nearly half the time so far, but what he does have is a deceptive sidearm delivery that's all flailing limbs and a big leg kick. It's somewhat reminiscent of vintage Orlando Hernandez, really. It doesn't seem like a high-leverage package, but if big-league hitters never quite figure him out, Anderson could quickly become a very important figure in a Rangers bullpen that hasn't had much consistency this season outside of Will Smith. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Trevor Richards, Blue Jays: Richards is basically a one-pitch pitcher, but that one pitch is a nasty changeup, and when he's on a roll he can make just about any batter look silly. He's on exactly that kind of roll right now, striking out multiple batters in 12 of his last 13 appearances and posting a 2.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB through 19.2 innings over that stretch. He's also started to work into higher-leverage spots, picking up two holds in his last four games. One look at his 2022 stats tells you how quickly that success could evaporate, but he's got AL-only value while it lasts. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Jose Trevino, Yankees: Trevino came off the IL on Tuesday and immediately started three of the next four games, so it seems pretty clear he's the No. 1 guy behind the plate for the Yankees. The playing time has value in deeper two-catcher formats, and the 30-year-old did show a bit of pop last season, even if his overall ceiling is fairly limited. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

First Base

Mike Ford, Mariners: The 30-year-old has 13 homers in 49 games with a .302/.427/.605 slash line at Triple-A Tacoma this year, and Seattle hasn't been getting much production from its DH spot (dead last in OPS at .497), so the M's have little to lose by giving Ford a look. Aside from his 2019 season with the Yankees he's never produced in the majors though, so he likely isn't the solution. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Second Base

Jonah Bride, Athletics: Bride is getting a look at the hot corner for the A's after slashing .308/.416/.577 through 43 games at Triple-A Las Vegas. The 27-year-old's resume suggests he's got a decent hit tool and batting eye but not much power, but at this point, whatever Oakland fans are left would probably be thrilled if he's the second coming of Dave Magadan. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Romy Gonzalez, White Sox: The 26-year-old homered in three straight games last week, a hot streak that came just as Elvis Andrus was getting ready to come off the IL. They're also his only three homers on the season, which makes it tough to judge exactly what's going to happen at the keystone in Chicago now that Andrus is healthy. Manager Pedro Grifol will probably try to find ways to keep Gonzalez's bat in the lineup while he's thriving, though, because the White Sox need all the help on offense they can get. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Josh Donaldson, Yankees: I was kind of stunned to see how few rosters Donaldson is still on, but the 37-year-old's MVP days are far behind him. Since joining the Yankees last year he has a .219/.303/.382 slash line in 571 plate appearances with 18 homers and 66 RBI, and while that level of production does still have some value, it's not the kind of player you wait around for when he's hurt. He should see consistent playing time at least, but someone in your league will probably overbid based on the brand name. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Shortstop

Elvis Andrus, White Sox: The 34-year-old returned from an oblique strain this weekend, but the strong numbers he posted in the second half for the White Sox last season are starting to look more and more like a dead cat bounce. Andrus does have five steals in 40 games this year, but that's been about the extent of his fantasy contributions. Chicago would probably be better off shifting him into a bench role and letting Romy Gonzalez be the starter at second base, but there's no guarantee they figure that out any time soon. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Yankees: The Wheel of Injured Outfielders continues to spin for the Yankees, and this week it landed on both Harrison Bader and Greg Allen. With Giancarlo Stanton now back, the team might always shift Aaron Judge over to center field again, but instead it's IKF who could be emerging as the top option, starting two of the last four games in center. Kiner-Falefa has become a near-everyday player over the second half of May, and through his last 14 games he's batting .283 (13-for-46) with three homers, 10 runs and 12 RBI. Any consistent playing time in this offense has the potential to deliver solid fantasy numbers, and the 28-year-old still retains his shortstop eligibility from 2022, which is a nice bonus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Royce Lewis, Twins: Lewis returned to action with a bang, homering in two of his first three games and racking up six RBI while starting five of the last six contests at third base. The 23-year-old's upside has never been in question, only his ability to stay healthy, and there may not be many more impacts prospects left who will get the call in the AL this season. If you're going to blow your budget on someone, Lewis should probably be the guy. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $45

Zack Short, Tigers: With Zach McKinstry needed in right field, the other Zac(k) has taken over as the super-utility infielder for Detroit, seeing consistent action while bouncing between second base, third base and shortstop. Short has responded by batting .308 (8-for-26) over his last 11 games with two homers and a steal, which his minor-league track record suggests is about a 90th percentile outcome for him. His glove could keep him in the lineup, but his bat could go cold any moment, so don't get too attached. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Jordan Westburg, Orioles: This is another pure stash, as I have no insider info that Westburg is going to get promoted any time soon. In fact, I'm on record as saying the O's may not call him up until late in the season to try and cash in on a 2024 Rookie of the Year performance from him, similar to what the Diamondbacks did with Corbin Carroll last season. On the other hand, I've been known to be wrong every now and then, and Westburg has little left to prove at Triple-A, slashing .309/.384/.608 through 50 games with 15 homers and five steals. There's also the little matter of Jorge Mateo's disappearance – after his blistering April, Mateo's slashing .132/.167/.154 since the beginning of May. If Baltimore is serious about making the playoff this year – and they should be – they cannot keep trotting out someone at shortstop who makes Mark Belanger look like Cal Ripken at the plate. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Outfield

Will Brennan, Guardians: Brennan has suddenly flipped the switch, banging out 10 hits in his last five games including two doubles and a homer, and while the sample is still too small to be fully confident in a second-half breakout, Cleveland is desperate for someone to step up and become a consistent contributor in right field. The 25-year-old was a preseason sleeper for a reason, and he did slash .316/.367/.471 last year in 93 games at Triple-A Columbus. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Aaron Hicks, Orioles: It's kind of incredible to consider how long the Yankees stuck by Hicks despite the fact he gave them very little after his big 2018 campaign. They finally cut the 33-year-old loose though, just in time for the O's to scoop him up after Cedric Mullins got hurt. It would be pure bliss for Yankee haters if he turned things around in Baltimore while New York was still footing the bill on the bulk of his contract, but he's got a .219/.331/.360 slash line over his last 1,130 plate appearances. That's hard to look past. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Trevor Larnach, Twins: The 26-year-old has been out since May 21 due to pneumonia (!), but he could get activated Sunday to take the spot of Joey Gallo, whose hamstring issue hasn't been getting better. Larnach has a hot start to the year before cooling down quickly, but it's at least possible he wasn't feeling 100 percent before getting an official diagnosis. As he has been seemingly ever since being a first-round pick in 2018, his perceived value rests more on projection than actual production. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jake Marisnick, Tigers: With Riley Greene on the shelf, Marisnick is the stop-gap in center field for Detroit. The 32-year-old should see regular playing time, but he has a .228/.281/.383 slash line for his career and has bounced between six different organizations over the last four years for a reason. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Designated Hitter

Mitch Garver, Rangers: Out for about two months with a knee injury, Garver returned Saturday as the DH and banged out two hits including a homer. The 32-year-old has played four of his seven games this season behind the plate, creeping ever closer to qualifying at catcher once again, and his power stroke appears to be back – Saturday's long ball was his third of the year. If you need catching help and can stash him on your bench or at Ut until he regains his eligibility, he could be a big asset the rest of the way. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9