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.

Starting Pitcher

Shane Bieber, Guardians: Bieber came off the IL on Friday and looked rusty against the Orioles, which is understandable in his firs big-league start since early July. The right-hander tossed 81 pitches though, so workload shouldn't be an issue. Bieber's final start of the year should come at home against a Reds team that has been mediocre on the road and against RHP, and which could be eliminated from the NL wild-card race by then, so he could be worth using. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Joe Boyle, Athletics: A fifth-round pick in 2020 by the Reds, Boyle headed to Oakland in the Sam Moll trade this summer and continued to post high strikeout and walk rates in the high minors. He was tough to hit and only served up one homer in 33.1 innings in the A's organization though, earning the 24-year-old righty a promotion to the majors last week. Boyle's averaged 97.5 mpg on his fastball over his first nine innings in the bigs with a 0.00 ERA and a 9:3 K:BB, which is pretty darn good, and he's got a solid slider/curve combo to back up that heater. His control and command will determine whether he's a real rotation option in the long run, but if you're looking at him as a deep dynasty stash, the possibility of high-octane, high-leverage relief work as a second path to value likely makes him worth rostering. After a quality start against the Tigers on Saturday, his last start of 2023 figures to come on the road against a beatable and banged-up Angels squad. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Triston McKenzie, Guardians: McKenzie is set to join Bieber in the Cleveland rotation Sunday – too late to get the team into the playoffs, but he should still squeeze in two more starts before the end of the season. The 26-year-old righty tossed 62 pitches Tuesday in his final rehab outing with Triple-A Columbus, so 75-80 pitches is probably his cap Sunday. That would line him up to take the mound in the Guardians' last game of the year Oct. 1 in Detroit, which combined with his strikeout stuff makes McKenzie the upside play over Bieber if you're picking between the two. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Martin Perez, Rangers: Well, here's a guy I didn't figure I'd be writing up again this season. With Max Scherzer done for the year though, and the Rangers clawing for a playoff spot either via an AL West title or a wild-card berth, somebody's got to step into the rotation, and it looks like that guy is Perez. (If only they still had Cole Ragans kicking around...) Perez has turned his season around in the bullpen, posting a 0.96 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB over his last nine appearances and 18.2 innings, and after lasting 4.2 innings and 64 pitches in his last relief outing Wednesday, the veteran lefty seems ready for a starting assignment again. As a bonus, Texas is one of the few AL teams with a seven-game week to close out their schedule and Perez would potentially line up for two starts, on the road against the Angels on Tuesday and then what could be a division-deciding game in Seattle in the regular-season finale. If you need to gamble to make up ground in the pitching categories, Perez should be your top target. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Luke Weaver, Yankees: Weaver posted ERAs above 6.00 during stops in Cincinnati and Seattle this season, but since being picked up by a Yankees team desperate to plug some rotation holes, the veteran righty has somehow produced a 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB through 9.1 innings. His final start of the season will come on the road against a Blue Jays team fighting to hang onto a wild-card spot, which is far from ideal, but maybe Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake figures out something with his pitch mix that explains his mini-surge – in his two Yankees appearances, Weaver's all but ditched his slider (.458 wOBA) and sweeper (.418 wOBA) and stuck to his fastball, cutter and changeup. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

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

Paul Blackburn, Athletics (at MIN, at LAA)
Alec Marsh, Royals (at DET, vs. NYY)

Relief Pitcher

Garrett Crochet / Bryan Shaw, White Sox: Gregory Santos is done for the year and clearly wasn't the answer at closer anyway, leaving the job wide open in Chicago. Shaw is the boring veteran who has two saves in September, including one Saturday, but Crochet is the 2020 first-round pick that the organization would still likely to see carve out a high-profile role. The 24-year-old lefty has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career and is almost assuredly destined for the bullpen, so the White Sox might as well see if he can stand the heat in the ninth. Crochet – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Shaw – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Chris Martin, Red Sox: Kenley Jansen's been out since Sept. 12 due to COVID-19 and wasn't exactly pitching well when he hit the IL. In his place, Martin has two saves while extending his scoreless streak to 19 innings – he last got tagged for a run July 28. With the Red Sox eliminated from the playoffs, there's no particular incentive to hand the closer role right back to Jansen, so it's entirely possible Martin has another save or two in him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

James McArthur, Royals: McArthur has two saves in the last week, part of a stretch that seen the Royals win nine of their last 10 (including four of five against the Astros, who might feel queasy about that if they miss the playoffs.) Taylor Clarke, profiled last week, has three saves during that surge, while Carlos Hernandez and Collin Snider have one each. McArthur's earned his share with a 0.00 ERA in September, along with a 13:0 K:BB in 12.1 innings, and while the 26-year-old righty doesn't have premium stuff, it plays up due to his 6-foot-7 frame and 86th percentile extension in his delivery. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Chris Paddack, Twins: Paddack is really just a keeper stash, as he'll likely be in a multi-inning relief role over the final week and into the postseason. The 27-year-old righty hasn't pitched in the majors since May 2022 due to his second Tommy John surgery, but he posted a 15:3 K:BB in 9.2 innings on his rehab stint prior to his activation from the IL. The upside he flashed as a Padres rookie in 2019 is a distant memory, but he will be a rotation option for Minnesota next season. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Cionel Perez, Orioles: Felix Bautista is pushing hard to make it back before the end of the regular season, but he's more likely to be activated for the playoffs. Yennier Cano has struggled in his place though, and Perez has two saves in the O's last three games – the first a one-out job to clean up Cano's mess, and the second a clean ninth inning when Cano got the final two outs of the eighth. Baltimore's still trying to win the AL East crown and lock up a first-round bye in the playoffs, so manager Brandon Hyde can't afford to get too cute with his bullpen usage. If Perez is the guy pitching the best right now – he's given up earned runs in just one appearance since July 29 – he could just hang onto the closer role until Bautista's back. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Will Vest, Tigers: Alex Lange is scuffling again, getting tagged for five runs in his last four appearances and opening the door for Vest to get in on the closing action. The right-hander has nabbed two saves in the last week or so, although he blew his most recent chance Friday in Oakland and saw his 11.2-innings scoreless streak end in the process. Despite that stumble, Vest has a 20:1 K:BB over his last 12 games and should stay in the high-leverage mix over the final week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Catcher

Jake Rogers, Tigers: Rogers is having a strong September, slashing .288/.315/.519 with four homers and nine RBI in 13 games. Detroit wants to take a look at Carson Kelly, to see if he has a future with the club, but Rogers – who's only one year younger – should be the starter in 2024, and his development is likely the bigger priority. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

First Base

Nolan Schanuel, Angels: The 2023 first-round pick has been as advertised so far, reaching base in all 26 of his big-league starts so far with a .283/.408/.333 slash line, an 18:16 BB:K and 18 runs scored. He has only two doubles and a homer among his 28 hits, but in OBP formats or even leagues where you need batting average and runs, Schanuel should be rostered. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Second Base

Cavan Biggio, Blue Jays: The magic in Davis Schneider's moustache appears to be exhausted, so the Blue Jays need someone else to step up and try to get them across the finish line and into the playoffs. Enter Biggio, who is slashing .298/.431/.439 in September over 72 plate appearances with a homer, 10 RBI and 12 runs. He qualifies all over the diamond (1B, 2B, 3B and OF in formats that have a 10-game minimum) and is the perfect player to plug into a lineup hit by injuries. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Andy Ibanez, Tigers: Ibanez has settled into an everyday role for Detroit down the stretch, mainly starting at second base while occasionally shifting out to left field, and he's slashing .283/.371/.491 in September with two homers, a steal, five runs and nine RBI. Even when he's hot, Ibanez's team context limits his fantasy ceiling but his multi-position eligibility and solid stick make him useful. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

Junior Caminero, Rays: I definitely didn't see this one coming. With the Rays trying to win the AL East and Brandon Lowe done for the year, the team decided to call up its top prospect in Caminero, and one of the top prospects in all of baseball. The 20-year-old was raking at Double-A, slashing .342/.404/.747 over his final 20 games before his promotion with nine homers and 21 RBI, and the fact that the Rays were willing to add him to the 40-man roster early is a clear sign the organization expects him to be in the AL Rookie of the Year discussion in 2024. It's also hard to imagine Caminero got called up just to sit on the bench. Whatever budget you have left, it's worth chucking in his direction given his upside. 12-team Mixed: $15; 15-team Mixed: $25; 12-team AL: $35

Nick Loftin, Royals: I'm still skeptical the 24-year-old will be anything more than a utility player in the long run, but Loftin's supplying strong fantasy right now, slashing .364/.420/.523 over 50 plate appearances in September with a steal, eight runs and nine RBI. He's starting roghly two-thirds of Kansas City's games, and he only needs to stay hot for one more week. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Shortstop

Kyle Farmer, Twins: Injuries to Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis have pushed Farmer back into a regular role, and he's responded by hitting safely in five straight games and supplying two homers, a steal, eight runs and eight RBI over his last 10 contests. The Twins have maybe the best schedule for offense of any AL team over the final week – three at home against the A's, then three in Coors Field – and Farmer qualifies at 2B, 3B and SS. Get him into your lineup if you can. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Outfield

Jo Adell, Angels: Post-post-post-post-hype sleeper Adell has been on the shelf since early July, but in five games since being activated from the IL he's got four hits, with three of them (two homers and a double) going for extra bases. Of course, he's also struck out eight times in 18 at-bats. The Angels have nothing to lose by letting him stay in the starting nine to close out the year, but the 24-year-old is still a long way from proving he can hack it in the majors. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Evan Carter, Rangers: I'm assuming Carter is long gone in leagues that have still been competitive over the last few weeks, but the numbers suggest the Rangers rookie is still floating around on too many waiver wires. Even with Adolis Garcia back, Carter's playing every day and slashing .325/.440/.675 through his first 20 big-league games with three homers and three steals. What are you waiting for? 12-team Mixed: $25; 15-team Mixed: $35; 12-team AL: Rostered