AL FAAB Factor: Fantasy Baseball 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. Wyatt Langford 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

Noah Cameron, Royals: After getting sent back down to Triple-A Omaha before I had a chance to write him up following his MLB debut in late April, Cameron is set to stick around for a bit this time, as both Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo are on the shelf for Kansas City. Cameron did walk five batters in his first start, an understandable case of nerves, but he's delivered two quality starts in two outings while allowing only one run in 12.2 innings. The 25-year-old lefty doesn't have premium velocity, but his plus changeup and command allow his fastball to play up, and he adds a slider, cutter and curve to the mix. All around, it's a solid mid-rotation profile. Neither Lugo or Ragans are expected to miss more than a couple weeks, so Cameron is still a better keeper stash than redraft asset, but he could provide you with some useful short-term innings. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Slade Cecconi, Guardians: Acquired from Arizona in the Josh Naylor deal this winter, Cecconi strained his oblique in camp but was plugged right into a hole in the big-league rotation when he came off the IL on Saturday. An 8:0 K:BB in five innings against the Reds will open some eyes, but missing bats hasn't been a big issue for the 25-year-old righty – keeping the ball in the yard has, so the homer he gave up to Will Benson can't be overlooked. Cecconi has good life on his mid-90s fastball and worked in five other pitches in his Cleveland debut, but his pro career has been dotted with nagging injuries, and that loss of reps since he was drafted in 2020 has left him with work to do on his command. He's in the right organization to get the most out of his arsenal in the long run, but it's not clear what the Guardians' rotation plans will be once Ben Lively gets healthy. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

J.T. Ginn, Athletics: After landing on the IL in late April with a sore elbow, Ginn is expected to rejoin the A's rotation Monday and drop right into a two-start week that'll see him take on the Angels and Phillies in Sacramento. The 25-year-old righty dominated during his rehab stint at Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 1.26 ERA and 24:4 K:BB through 14.1 innings, but he's never had sustained success in either the upper minors or the big leagues with his sinker-heavy approach. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Colton Gordon, Astros: The Astros' broadcast team freaked out the fan base Wednesday when they said Hayden Wesneski was set to miss the rest of the season, but the team has yet to confirm that, and this is the same broadcast team that took half a game against the Rangers to notice that Sam Haggerty was in center field and not Evan Carter. I'm not treating that as a done deal just yet. Even so, Gordon seems set for more than just a couple turns through the rotation. The 26-year-old southpaw didn't impress in his big-league debut Wednesday and doesn't offer more than back-end profile, but over 32 starts for Triple-A Sugar Land since the beginning of the 2024 campaign he's delivered a respectable 3.59 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 167:47 K:BB in 165.2 innings. There's no cavalry coming for the Houston staff either, barring a trade. Spencer Arrighetti isn't even out of his cast yet from his thumb injury, much less ready to begin a rehab assignment, while Luis Garcia's recovery from Tommy John surgery remains in limbo. For what it's worth, Gordon gets a two-step this week, on the road in Tampa before a home tilt against the M's. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Zebby Matthews, Twins: Minnesota finally pulled the plug on Simeon Woods Richardson, and with David Festa dealing with a dead arm period at Triple-A, it'll be Matthews' turn to try and make the leap for good. A Sunday start in Milwaukee isn't an ideal spot for a guy who served up 11 homers in 37.2 innings during his big-league debut last year, but Matthews seemed to tighten up his command this season at Triple-A St. Paul, posting a 1.93 ERA and 38:9 K:BB through 32.2 innings while getting taken deep only once. The 24-year-old righty has a mid-90s fastball and an array of good, but not great, off-speed and breaking offerings, and even a slight improvement in his ability to locate his pitches could lead to a breakout. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Keider Montero, Tigers: With Casey Mize on the shelf due to a hamstring strain, Montero will actually stick around long enough to be in the majors for a FAAB period. The 24-year-old right-hander was one of the pitchers this season to take advantage of the Rockies' inability to hit even at home, tossing eight innings of one-run ball at Coors Field on May 8, but he's lasted at least five innings in only one of his other three starts and four appearances. Montero's overall 4.68 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 18:11 K:BB through 25 innings aren't impressive, but he could get a two-start week this period (on the road in St. Louis and at home against the Guardians) if Mize needs to miss more than the minimum. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $2

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Logan Allen, Guardians (at MIN, at DET)
Patrick Corbin, Rangers (at NYY, at CHW)
Hunter Dobbins, Red Sox (vs. NYM, vs. BAL)
Kyle Hendricks, Angels (at ATH, vs. MIA)
Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics (vs. LAA, vs. PHI)
Dean Kremer, Orioles (at MIL, at BOS)
Davis Martin, White Sox (vs. SEA, vs. TEX)
Jose Soriano, Angels (at ATH, vs. MIA)
Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles (at MIL, at BOS)
Will Warren, Yankees (vs. TEX, at COL)

Relief Pitcher

Shawn Armstrong, Rangers: Luke Jackson took a comebacker off his pitching hand Monday and hasn't pitched since, although he was warming up Saturday if a save situation has arisen. (Robert Garcia ended up working the ninth with Texas up by four.) In his absence, Armstrong went 2-for-2 in converting save chances, although he made a mess in the seventh inning Friday. Bruce Bochy seems to prefer keeping Garcia and Chris Martin in high-leverage setup roles, even though (or maybe because) they've been the Rangers' best relievers this season, so Armstrong could be the next man up in the ninth if Jackson's 5.54 ERA and 1.54 WHIP eventually get him pulled from the closer job. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Cam Booser / Jordan Leasure / Mike Vasil, White Sox: The ChiSox are on pace to win fewer than 50 games again, so who closes for them when they do have a late lead remains the mootest of fantasy points. Leasure has the closest thing in the bullpen to a classic ninth-inning profile, but he has zero saves and has been used in a set-up role, where he's been marginally successful. Booser looks like the team's top lefty and got a save Sunday, and through 5.1 innings in May he's posted a 1.69 ERA and 5:2 K:BB. Vasil's largely been used as a multi-inning option, but he did get a save Wednesday. My advice is still to just stay away from the whole situation, but if you do have to roster one, I suppose Leasure has a modicum of upside. Booser – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Leasure – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Vasil – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Yimi Garcia, Blue Jays: Jeff Hoffman's been a disaster in May, getting tagged for three or more runs in three of seven appearances en route to a 19.80 ERA in five innings. Garcia also has a couple rough outings early in the month, but he appears to have righted the ship since and notched a save Wednesday. There's been no indication Hoffman's about to lose his spot in the ninth, but his ratios are too ugly to simply hand-wave away. Garcia should be stashed in basically every league where it makes sens to stash potential closers. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Eric Lauer, Blue Jays: Quietly, Lauer has been giving the Jays some very good innings in a swingman role. Over three appearances and eight innings in May, the veteran lefty has a 1.13 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 10:1 K:BB. Toronto's fifth starter spot remains a sore spot, and while Spencer Turnbull will get a shot at filling it in a couple weeks – and hey, maybe Max Scherzer will even get healthy again someday – Lauer seems like a big part of the plan until then, either piggybacking with the likes of Jose Urena or Yariel Rodriguez, or working behind an opener. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Garrett Cleavinger / Mason Montgomery, Rays: With Pete Fairbanks pitching well and having just a $7 million club option for 2026 left on his contract, and Tampa Bay three games under .500, the trade rumors should start flying thick and fast any day now. Predicting who Kevin Cash will land on as his next closer is always a crapshoot, but Edwin Uceta's struggling and Manuel Rodriguez still isn't delivering the kind of strikeout numbers you'd expect from his raw stuff, as his 97 mph fastball is simply too straight. That leaves Cleavinger, who's been the Rays' best reliever in 2025, and Montgomery, the top prospect converted to relief due to control issues who can scrape 100 mph. Either one's worth a dart throw. Cleavinger – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered / Montgomery – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Charlie Morton, Orioles: The 41-year-old looked washed to begin the season, but since moving to a long relief role, Morton seems to be figuring things out. Over his last three appearances, all of two innings or longer, he's posted a 1.93 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB in 9.1 frames. There's always a chance Morton moves back into the rotation if he keeps pitching well, but even if he stays in the bullpen, bulk Ks with good ratios and an occasional vultured win is still a profile with value in deep formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Carlos Narvaez, Red Sox: Connor Wong just came off the IL a couple weeks ago, but Narvaez has reclaimed the starting job by batting .382 (13-for-34) in May with a homer, six runs and six RBI in 11 games. The 26-year-old has a better defensive profile than Wong, so even after his bat cools down he's likely to retain significant playing time, and he showed some decent pop at Triple-A in the Yankees' system the last couple years. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

First Base

Jake Burger, Rangers: Burger's reset in the minors only lasted about 10 days, but it seems to have worked. The 29-year-old slugger has hit safely in six straight games since his return, batting .350 (7-for-20) with two doubles and a homer while only striking out five times – a big improvement on the 30.5 percent K rate he had at the end of April. Burger still possesses the power that saw him launch 63 homers the prior two seasons, so if he got cut loose, snap him up. 12-team Mixed: $11; 15-team Mixed: $21; 12-team AL: Rostered

Third Base

Addison Barger, Blue Jays: OK, pinkie-swear, this is the last time I do a note on Barger. (For a while, anyway). The 25-year-old has gone from "bench player hitting the snot out of the ball but not getting results" to Toronto's starting third baseman, who's still hitting the snot out of the ball and slashing .353/.405/.647 over his last 10 games. He could see his playing time decline a bit on the lineup shuffle-happy Jays when Andres Gimenez is back, but Barger is an option in right field if he has to share the hot corner with Ernie Clement again. Honestly though, even John Schneider wouldn't be dumb enough to take Barger out of the lineup too often if he's hitting anything close to the way he is now. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: Rostered

Kody Clemens, Twins: Minnesota's inability to keep its roster healthy has opened up playing time for Clemens, and the 29-year-old utility player has gone 8-for-18 (.444) with a double and two homers while appearing in six straight games between first base and second base. He can also handle the outfield corners, but the Twins seems to prefer him as infield depth. Clemens is purely a short-term play, but riding him while he's hot is a viable option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

DJ LeMahieu, Yankees: Activated from the IL on Tuesday, LeMahieu has been eased back into the lineup, but the 36-year-old should eventually take over as the regular second baseman for the Yankees in the absence of Jazz Chisholm. LeMahieu doesn't offer much at the plate at this stage of his career, but double-digit homers and a not-awful batting average still seem within reach. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Oswald Peraza, Yankees: With Oswaldo Cabrera probably done for the year due to an ankle injury, Peraza might be the next man up for the Yankees at third base, although he's been alternating starts with Jorbit Vivas this week as the latter has also been spelling LeMahieu at the keystone. A Vivas-Peraza platoon is possible, but Vivas is batting .172 (5-for-29) through his first 14 big-league games and isn't doing much to suggest he deserves the larger share of the playing time. Peraza's also struggling, but he's at least shown some upside in the minors, including 13 homers and 23 steals in 92 games at Triple-A last year. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Ramon Urias, Orioles: The O's old man of the infield is back off the IL and getting regular work with Jordan Westburg banged up. Urias is consistently overlooked among all the high-profile kids, but he consistently delivers useful numbers when in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Shortstop

Ryan Fitzgerald, Twins: The 30-year-old made his big-league debut Friday after Carlos Correa bumped noggins with Byron Buxton on a pop-up to shallow center that landed both guys on the concussion IL. Fitzgerald was having a nice season with Triple-A St. Paul to earn the promotion, slashing .328/.426/.528 with four homers and three steals in 35 games, but the rest of his resume suggests he's got only modest power, makes poor decisions on the basepaths and has a questionable hit tool. The Twins need bodies on the infield in the short term, so he could get more starts, but Fitzgerald's upside seems limited. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox: All this time I've been focusing on Roman Anthony and trying to figure out how Boston would make room for him in the majors, and now it looks like Mayer will be the next prospect called up instead. The 22-year-old shortstop is slashing .273/.345/.474 for Triple-A Worcester with eight homers in 39 games, and he's begun to get work at second base at about the same time as Kristian Campbell has started to see practice reps at first base. Of course, the Red Sox could just mothball Trevor Story instead to clear a path for Mayer – Story's slashing .129/.196/.165 since April 22 with a 33.7 percent strikeout rate. Either way, the wheels seem to be in motion, and if Mayer does get the call, it won't be to sit on the bench. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Chase Meidroth, White Sox: Little's gone right for the ChiSox once again, but they may have found something in Meidroth. Picked up from Boston this winter as part of the haul for Garrett Crochet, Meidroth is slashing .294/.368/.392 over 15 games in May with one homer, three RBI and nine runs scored while cementing himself in the leadoff spot. The on-base skills aren't a surprise, but his contributions on the basepaths have been – he's 4-for-4 on steal attempts this month, which is pretty good for a guy who never stole more than 13 bags in a season in the minors. He offers more value in OBP formats, but even as a poor man's Nico Hoerner, he can be useful in standard 5x5. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Nick Sogard, Red Sox: Until Boston has a better idea (see the Mayer writeup above), Sogard appears set to get the bulk of the playing time at first base, splitting starts against RHP with Abraham Toro while seeing all the work against southpaws. Both guys are switch hitters, so this could come down to Alex Cora riding the hot hand, but at the moment neither one is forcing the issue – Sogard's gone 6-for-21 since joining the roster, while Toro's gone 4-for-22 with the only homer between them. Sogard offers a bit more speed, at least. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Trey Sweeney, Tigers: Sweeney refuses to slow down at the plate, and through 55 plate appearances in May he's now slashing .358/.364/.547 with three homers, 10 runs and 13 RBI. The 25-year-old also has a 1:14 BB:K, so some regression is definitely coming, and there's the question of what the Tigers will do with Javier Baez if he's still turning back the clock once the likes of Parker Meadows are back to handle center field. For now though, Sweeney's too locked in to ignore. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Taylor Walls, Rays: Walls has been playing nearly every day in May, and he's responded by batting .289 (11-for-38) with a .364 OBP and a couple steals. The 28-year-old offers no power, but Ha-Seong Kim now looks like he's at least a month away from debuting for the Rays, so somebody's got to play short. Might as well be Walls. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: Rostered

Outfield

Will Brennan, Guardians: Cleveland shuffled up its outfield while waiting for the return of Lane Thomas, and Brennan has started three of four games against RHP since his latest promotion. He's also gone 0-for-8 in those games, so this arrangement may not last long, but the 27-year-old was slashing .304/.340/.419 in 35 games at Triple-A prior to getting called up. If he starts banging out some hits, he could stick around in a platoon role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Sam Haggerty, Rangers: Evan Carter suffered a quad strain this weekend that has put him on the IL, so Haggerty figures to handle the strong side of a platoon alongside Kevin Pillar for at least a couple weeks. Haggerty's put up consistently impressive numbers at Triple-A, with a career slash line of .304/.390/.482, 16 homers and 54 steals in 647 plate appearances, but to this point the 30-year-old hasn't gotten a real chance in the majors. Even if the power doesn't translate, he should swipe some bags with regular playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

DaShawn Keirsey, Twins: Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner are both on the IL while Willi Castro is limping again, so it's the Twins' outfield depth that's being tested this week. Keirsey has started four straight games, going 3-for-17 with a homer and six strikeouts, but his minor-league numbers indicate he's more likely to contribute in steals with extra playing time. Don't expect too much, but his .302/.372/.478 slash line at Triple-A last year does offer the possibility of some upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ramon Laureano, Orioles: Colton Cowser has begun taking batting practice as he works his way back from a thumb injury, and we don't know yet if new manager Tony Mansolino will shake up the O's lineup or put more emphasis on developing young guys like Heston Kjerstad, but Laureano was getting regular playing time in left field during Brandon Hyde's final days and is batting .367 (11-for-30) over his last nine games with two homers, a steal, four RBI and eight runs. That's going to be tough for Mansolino to send to the bench, especially with Tyler O'Neill headed back to the IL. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Matthew Lugo, Angels: Lugo appears to have moved ahead of Kyren Paris as the thumb in the dike in center field, and it's easy to see why. Since making his MLB debut last weekend, Lugo's gone 8-for-21 (.381) with six of his hits going for extra bases, including three homers. He's also struck out six times against zero walks, but Ks weren't a huge problem for the 24-year-old in the minors. A second-round pick of the Red Sox in 2019 who was sent west at last year's trade deadline in a deal for veteran reliever Luis Garcia – a deal that, incidentally, is beginning to look like an absolute heist for the Halos, as they also got promising high-leverage arm Ryan Zeferjahn – Lugo put up a combined .287/.376/.578 slash line with 17 homers over 79 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024. If he stays healthy, his power is legit, and he could bash his way into a regular job even after Mike Trout returns. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Carson McCusker, Twins: Somehow, "Carson McCusker" isn't a name from the notorious SNES Fighting Baseball game in the '90s. Instead, he was a 26th-round pick of the Brewers in 2017 who went to college to improve his stock, only to then go undrafted in 2021. Getting his first promotion to the majors just ahead of his 27th birthday after crawling his way up from the independent leagues, McCusker was destroying Triple-A pitching this year, slashing .350/.412/.650 with 11 doubles and 10 homers in 35 games for St. Paul. The Twins are shorthanded in the outfield, so McCusker could get a real look in right field until Buxton and Wallner get healthy. His elevated strikeout rate make him a risky dart throw, but there's some fantasy potential here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Rob Refsnyder, Red Sox: Of all Boston's current outfielders, Refsnyder's the one with actual experience at first base, although he hasn't seen action there since 2020. The 34-year-old should be a pure platoon bat – career .806 OPS against LHP, versus a .640 mark against RHP – but for some reason the Red Sox keep giving him work against righties. If he picks up extra playing time at 1B though, he could be useful outside of leagues with daily moves. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Matt Vierling, Tigers: The 28-year-old utility player is still working on his timing during his rehab stint at Triple-A Toledo, but his 20 days are running out and he should be activated this week. Jace Jung's already been sent down to Triple-A and Zach McKinstry's slashing .200/.273/.320 in May, so Vierling should get significant run at third base right out of the gate. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3