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 role on an A-E scale. Shohei Ohtani would have been an "A" grade player last year – that mark will be reserved for similarly high-impact prospects stepping into 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.

AL FAAB | NL FAAB

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Starting Pitcher

Tom Eshelman, Orioles: The 26-year-old has turned in two entirely adequate outings since joining the O's rotation, and he even lasted the five innings necessary to get a win in the last one. Eshelman offers little strikeout upside and is a ratio risk, but with Baltimore still playing over its head he could sneak away with some more W's, making him a plausible streaming option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Kyle Hart, Red Sox: Hart is the latest pitcher to come through the revolving door that is the back (and, really, the middle) of the Boston rotation, and after an ugly big-league debut, he could be the latest guy to go right back out it too. The 27-year-old southpaw didn't show much in the minors either, but as a 19th-round pick in the 2016, it's impressive he even made it to The Show. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Matt Manning / Casey Mize, Tigers: Neither of Detroit's prized pitching prospects have officially gotten the call as I write this, but it seems like it's only a matter of time before at least one of them makes their debut. (Plus, Jan over at the NL column had all the exciting young players to talk about this week, like Alec Bohm and Luis Garcia, so I was feeling left out.) With Ivan Nova now on the IL, the Tigers basically only have two real starters in Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull and are trying to Tampa it up in the other three spots with guys like Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Tyler Alexander. The team has yet to announce who's taking the bump Monday though, so naturally rumors are flying. The one argument against a callup is that, unlike the O's or Marlins, the Tigers aren't playing like they think they can sneak into a playoff spot, so service-time considerations could still be their top priority. In the event either one of Mize or Manning do get promoted to take Monday's start, expect FAAB bids to fly hot and heavy. Manning / Mize – 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $55

Adam Plutko, Cleveland: Cleveland suddenly has two big holes to fill in its rotation after Zac Plesac and Mike Clevinger decided to be idiots, so Plutko will go from being a luxury-item sixth starter to someone taking a regular turn for the foreseeable future. I'd say he doesn't have a lot of strikeout upside, but minor-league numbers don't seem to matter much when right-handers with seemingly only above-average stuff get to Cleveland, so who knows what'll happen with Plutko. The 28-year-old's biggest issue is keeping the ball in the park – if he can do that, he should be just fine. 12-team Mixed: $4; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $11

Clarke Schmidt, Yankees: If one of the Tigers young guns doesn't get the call Monday, maybe Schmidt will. The 24-year-old got stretched out to five innings at the Yankees' alternate site Wednesday, so on normal rest he could come up early in the week. The question is who he's bump aside – Jordan Montgomery is currently Monday's scheduled starter, but J.A. Happ hasn't pitched since Aug. 5 and has an ERA in double digits. If Montgomery slides back to Sunday – he'd be on normal four days rest, having delivered a quality start against Atlanta on Tuesday – it would be a strong sign Schmidt is coming up to take Happ's spot. 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: $55

Relief Pitcher

Jorge Alcala, Twins: One of the reasons Minnesota was willing to deal away the Burninator, Brusdar Graterol, in the offseason was because they also had this guy. Alcala may not quite have Graterol's triple-digit burnination, but a 97 mph average fastball is still pretty sweet. Alcala only converted to the bullpen late last year after never quite clicking as a starter in the minors, but in seven appearances between Triple-A and the majors he posted a 12:3 K:BB and 0.00 ERA in 9.1 innings, and that success has carried over into 2020. Alcala isn't seeing consistent high-leverage work yet, and the Twins have plenty of depth at the back of their bullpen, but he's the kind of pitcher to who could force his way into a more prominent role quickly. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Anthony Banda / Jalen Beeks / Trevor Richards, Rays: With Charlie Morton and Yonny Chirinos currently on the shelf, it's back to Plan B (the B stands for Bulk reliever) in Tampa. Richards could get stretched out as a "real" starter, but he has yet to last more than 4.1 innings in an outing this year and his changeup-heavy approach gets a lot less effective the third time through the order. Banda got a three-inning save in his first appearance after being added to the roster, while Beeks has had some bumps in the road in 2020 but still sports a 19:3 K:BB in 12.2 innings. If any of the three start getting regular primary duties behind an opener, they all have the talent to provide a nice fantasy windfall in the wins column while, at minimum, not hurting you elsewhere. Banda – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4 / Beeks – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5 / Richards – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Scott Barlow / Josh Staumont, Royals: Trevor Rosenthal looks like he's back in his 2014-15 form – the years he racked up 93 saves for the Cards with an 11.0 K/9 – but that doesn't mean he's the only Royal reliever with some fantasy intrigue. Barlow has added a whopping four mph to his average fastball since 2018, and that extra oomph had led to a 32.7 percent strikeout rate through 13 innings, along with a 2.08 ERA, a win, a save and two holds. Staumont doesn't need any extra gas, as he's one of those guys who can touch triple digits already. His control can still waver, but when you're putting up a Josh Hader-like 44.2 percent strikeout rate, the occasional walk won't hurt you. Staumont's got four holds in 10 appearances and seems to be the top eighth-inning option for manager Mike Matheny, and if something were to happen to Rosenthal, the 26-year-old right-hander should be the next man up to close ahead of faded vets Greg Holland or Ian Kennedy. Barlow – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Staumont – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Hansel Robles, Angels: If Robles' early-season horror show caused him to get dropped in your league, it might be time to look at scooping him up. He's reeled off five straight scoreless appearances since his last blown save with a 7:1 K:BB over 4.1 innings, chopping his ERA in half in the process. The fact that it's still over 10.00, and that Ty Buttrey has been fine in the ninth inning over that same stretch, will keep Robles under the radar on your waiver wire, but if Buttrey spits the bit as closer, the 30-year-old seems ready to reclaim the role. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Tanner Scott, Orioles: O's manager Brandon Hyde seems to apply hydra rules to his closer spot at times – cut off one head, and two more rise to take its place. Cole Sulser's five saves make him the man right now, but the fact that Miguel Castro and Travis Lakins (who?) have one apiece suggest a new head could pop out at any time. Scott's long been viewed as a potential high-leverage arm once he sharpened command enough on his high-90s fastball and plus slider, and he might finally have gotten there – his 13.8 percent walk rate is shaky, but a 37.9 percent strikeout rate covers for a lot of other flaws. Scott's got four holds in eight appearances, a 1.13 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP, so even if he doesn't get any save chances to provide value in 5x5, he can help stabilize your ratios. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Gregory Soto, Tigers: Yes, I focused a lot on non-closing relievers this week, but we're about a third of the way through the season now, and that's about the time in a regular campaign when I'd start looking at those sorts of guys. Plus, there are a lot of them floating around the AL that have serious upside and could break out as the next Hader or Nick Anderson, becoming a reliever so dominant they don't need consistent saves to be worth a roster spot. Soto has that kind of ceiling too. The 25-year-old southpaw struggled in his conversion to the bullpen in 2019, but this year he's been outstanding right out of the gate, sitting with an average fastball of 97.7 mph and posting a 38.9 percent strikeout rate against a 5.6 percent walk rate. He has yet to give up a run and has three holds in nine appearances, and Joe Jimenez has seen his own velocity fall this season (93.7 mph, when he was averaging almost two ticks better in 2018) while remaining maddeningly inconsistent as closer. Jimenez becoming the Corey Knebel or Jeremy Jeffress to Soto's Hader seems a more likely scenario by the day. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Catcher

Anthony Bemboom, Angels: Why this guy isn't nicknamed Bing, I will never understand. Bemboom was called up Saturday to provide extra catching depth while Jason Castro recovers from neck stiffness. Max Stassi will handle starting duties, but Bemboom could spot in against tough righties. Whether he can do anything with that playing time if he gets it is another question, of course. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Rangers: IKF still qualifies at catcher and is still playing every day at third base for Texas, but if that wasn't enough to get him rostered in a shallow league, maybe this will help – he's now stolen five bases in six attempts through 17 games. He doesn't offer much power, and his .290 batting average is being supported by a seemingly unsustainable .367 BABIP, but if he keeps running, that's just nit-picking. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Joseph Odom, Mariners: Joe Hudson's out and Odom is in as Austin Nola's backup behind the plate. Odom had a .592 OPS in 81 games at Double-A last year, so, yeah. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Perez, Rays: Mike Zunino has a .095 batting average, so no matter how good he is defensively behind the plate, the Rays have little choice but to find alternatives. That's led to more playing time for Perez as the two essentially split starts, but as yet it hasn't resulted in Perez hitting any better than Zunino. If you're chasing at-bats though, he's worth a look in case he gets at least lukewarm with his bat. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Jose Trevino, Rangers: Trevino will back up Jeff Mathis while Robinson Chirinos is out, and having to back up a 37-year-old with a career .554 OPS tells you all you need to know about how the Rangers view him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Cheslor Cuthbert, White Sox: Cuthbert's still only 27 years old, but the former Royals top prospect doesn't look like he's ever going to put it together. He'll provide some bench depth for Chicago while Leury Garcia is on the shelf, but don't expect him to suddenly figure things out. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Mike Ford, Yankees: Once again, Yankees are dropping like flies. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are both back on the IL, and DJ LeMahieu may be about to join them. That's opened up playing time for Ford, who's started five of the last seven games. He only has three hits during that stretch, but all three have gone for extra bases and he's produced six RBI, so he hasn't been invisible. Just as he did last year, Ford will probably put up solid numbers while he's a regular. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $16

Second Base

Derek Dietrich, Rangers: The 31-year-old has gone from the Reds to the Cubs to the Rangers over the last month, but Dietrich might stick around for a bit in Texas after homering in his second start for his new club. He gives the Rangers a veteran alternative at the keystone if they finally decide to pull the plug on Rougned Odor, and Dietrich has proven in the past he can get hot with his power stroke for short periods, but for now he'll just be a bench bat for the most part. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Ildemaro Vargas, Twins: Picked up from Arizona after being designated for assignment, Vargas earned some prospect buzz over the last few years with big numbers at Triple-A Reno, but chances are good that was only a PCL desert mirage. He'll give the Twins another versatile option off the bench, but on a team that already has Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza, being third on the super-utility depth chart likely won't lead to much playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Tyler Wade, Yankees: If LeMahieu lands on the injured list, Wade will step back into the starting role at second base or potentially into a platoon with Thairo Estrada. Wade would be on the strong side of it though, giving him some possible upside in steals and not much more. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Dawel Lugo, Tigers: With C.J. Cron done for the year, Jeimer Candelario has slid over to first base and left a hole at third. It looks like Willi Castro will get the first crack at filling it, but if he isn't ready for a starting job yet, Lugo would be the next man up. He put together a solid .333/.370/.489 line in 68 games for Triple-A Toledo last year, so the 25-year-old does have some upside in a consistent role, but for now he'll wait his turn. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Shortstop

Jonathan Arauz, Red Sox: Predictably, Jose Peraza isn't working out at second base for Boston, but rather than turning back to Michael Chavis the club has decided to give Rule 5 pick Arauz a longer look. I'm not sure whether that says more about how Arauz has impressed the coaching staff, or about Chavis' defensive limitations, but either way the new guy has seen consistent playing time this week and responded with a five-game hitting streak during which he's gone 9-for-17 with a double and four RBI. His minor-league numbers in the Houston organization don't suggest much fantasy upside at all – the 11 homers he hit in 115 games between High-A and Double-A last year were a career high, he's never swiped double-digit bags, and the last time he had a batting average over .252 was in Low-A – but maybe the 22-year-old is a late bloomer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Willi Castro, Tigers: The 23-year-old was added to the roster Tuesday and has started three straight games at third base since, going 4-for-10 with a homer and three RBI. Castro had a strong season for Triple-A Toledo last year, slashing .301/.366/.467 with 11 homers and 17 steals in 199 games, but his major-league debut was something of a bust. With Candelario now manning first base, Castro will get a long look at the hot corner, and the second time might be the charm. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7 

Jose Iglesias, Orioles: I guess I can't ignore this any longer. Now 30 years old, Iglesias has become a 'have glove will travel' sort of player the last few years, giving teams without a better option solid defense at shortstop but not much offense. This season, though, he's decided to hit .400 through his first 16 games as an Oriole. Sure, why not. He hasn't been entirely a slap hitter either; he doesn't have a homer, but nine of his 22 hits have been doubles, so it could only be a matter of time before a few of them leave the yard. Is this sustainable? Iglesias is a career .276 hitter, so his hit tool isn't a complete wash, but a .458 BABIP seems a wee bit on the high side. I'm guessing no, but then again, he only needs to keep it up for another month or so to make history. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Danny Mendick, White Sox: Leury Garcia has joined Nick Madrigal on the IL, so Mendick is now the starting second baseman for the White Sox by default. To be fair, he's earned it with a .316/.366/.421 slash line through 41 plate appearances in August, but even with that line he only has three RBI and four runs through 12 games. If the hits stop coming, Ryan Goins could cut into his playing time as well. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Dylan Moore, Mariners: While Moore has seen action this season at three infield spots, he's spent most of his time in left or right field and has been fairly productive while doing so. He's only hitting .222 in August, but the 28-year-old has three homers and five steals in 13 games. The latter number is more likely to be for real – Moore swiped 23 bags on 30 attempts over 121 games in the high minors in 2018. He's still best suited for a utility role in the long run, but for now he's starting and running, and that means fantasy value. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Outfield

Clint Frazier, Yankees: At long last (maybe), Frazier is getting his chance to start for the Yankees. Added to the roster Tuesday after Stanton went down, he moved into the regular spot when Judge hit the IL as well, and all the 25-year-old has done is go 7-for-11 with three doubles, two homers and eight RBI in his three starts since. Granted, most of that damage came against Boston and Atlanta rotations that combined have maybe two decent starters, but even taking advantage of good opportunities is a step forward for Frazier. Mike Tauchman could cut into his playing time if he slows down or starts kicking the ball around on defense again, but the Yankees have every reason to give Frazier a long look in the starting nine, even if it's only to rehabilitate his trade value before everyone gets healthy again. 12-team Mixed: $21; 15-team Mixed: $31; 12-team AL: $45

Robbie Grossman, Athletics: Grossman may have temporarily hit his way out of his platoon role, slashing .348/.559/.913 since Aug. 7 with three homers, two steals, five RBI and seven runs in seven games. The 30-year-old won't keep that up, but the A's need whatever production they can get from their outfield, so as long as he's raking, he'll be playing. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Manuel Margot, Rays: Here's another guy on an absolute heater out of nowhere. Maybe it was the chance to hit in the park that would have been his stomping grounds had the Red Sox not traded him to the Padres before he got to the majors, or maybe it was just Boston's awful pitching staff, but whatever the cause, Margot went 10-for-14 with three RBI and five runs during this week's four-game set at Fenway. With Austin Meadows and Kevin Kiermaier both healthy it's hard to see how Margot maintains a consistent starting spot no matter how well he's hitting, but he's always has the talent, he just never put it all together in San Diego. There's always a chance this week's eruption was more than revenge. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Rostered

Cameron Maybin, Tigers: Maybin came off the IL on Friday and was immediately plugged back into the starting lineup, and he responded by going yard. Huzzah! It's still not clear what a 33-year-old journeyman like Maybin is doing getting starts for a rebuilding team, but as long as he is, he'll have some value. Just don't expect a repeat of what he did with the Yankees last year – that kind of magic apparently only happens in pinstripes. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Cedric Mullins, Orioles: With Austin Hays out of action, Mullins will get another chance in the O's outfield. He's likely never going to hit enough to be a useful big-league starter – even at Triple-A last year he only hit .205 through 66 games – but he's got some wheels and could be a cheap source of steals, if you keep your expectations modest. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Tyler Naquin, Cleveland: Cleveland currently has six guys vying for playing time in the outfield – seven if you count Franmil Reyes, although he's basically a full-time DH – so predicting how many at-bats any of them will get is a fool's errand. Naquin came off the IL on Tuesday and, after being used as a pinch hitter that night, has started three straight games. He's only gone 2-for-13, though, which hardly sets him apart from the likes of Bradley Zimmer or Oscar Mercado. The team knows what it has in Naquin – the 29-year-old is a solid platoon option in an outfield corner, but nothing more than that – but that familiarity could work against him, as more athletically talented players (like Mercado and Bradley) are likely to get more chances to see if they can blossom. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Kevin Pillar, Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi's injury pushes Pillar up into the starting lineup, but that's a double-edged sword for his fantasy value. On the one hand, more playing time usually means more counting stats. On the other, there's no way he maintains a .313 batting average for much longer with additional exposure to right-handed pitching, although so far, so good on that front – he's gone 7-for-17 while starting the last four games. If you need outfield help, Pillar doesn't have the upside of some other options, but he might have the safest floor. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dwight Smith, Orioles: DJ Stewart got exiled to alternate camp, so the left field job in Baltimore belongs to Smith for now. He's had a decent August, slashing .278/.357/.444 through 12 games, but that's probably about his ceiling. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Bubba Starling, Royals: Starling is off the IL and back into a bench role, mainly as a defensive sub. The injuries to Franchy Cordero and Nick Heath do leave less competition for playing time, but Starling isn't likely to do much if he does get additional opportunities. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1