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

Ronel Blanco, Astros: With Jose Urquidy now set to join Justin Verlander on the shelf to begin the season, Blanco will step in as Houston's fifth starter. He's earned that assignment with a 0.00 ERA and 18:4 K:BB through 15.2 innings this spring, giving up only six hits, and his career numbers at Triple-A (3.89 ERA, 1.213 WHIP, 223:88 K:BB in 189.2 innings) suggest he's got some upside. A dip into more advanced metrics also paints an encouraging picture – he had three different pitches rate above 100 in Stuff+ last year, and his mid-90s fastball, slider and curve play up thanks to extension that was in the 85th percentile. Blanco's already 30 years old after a slow climb through the minors, but the Astros know how to maximize a pitcher's arsenal. He might just be their latest surprising pitching stud. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Joe Boyle, Athletics: Picked up from the Reds last year, Boyle could be this year's Mason Miller for the A's. While staying healthy was the biggest obstacle for Miller to overcome though, finding the plate is Boyle's issue. He's struck out 19 batters in 18.1 Cactus League innings... and walked 15. the smidge of success he had in the majors at the end of 2023 created some hope he can figure things out, but at the moment he looks more like a ratio-killer than a breakout arm, despite the early-spring buzz. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Carlos Carrasco, Guardians: Cleveland hasn't yet announced who its fifth starter will be to begin the season while Gavin Williams is out, but the fact that Carrasco has been told he'll be on the Opening Day roster probably makes him the favorite – it seems unlikely the team would make room for him on the 40-man just to use him in long relief, and Ben Lively, the other main candidate to round out t he rotation, has experience in the bullpen. Carrasco was absolutely brutal last season for the Mets, and at 37 years old he might simply be done, but the right-hander did post pretty good numbers for New York in 2022. Cookie has some great years in Cleveland earlier in his career, so maybe he can turn back the clock in familiar surroundings. His spring numbers weren't bad, but weren't good either – 9:6 K:BB in 14 innings with only one homer allowed. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Garrett Crochet, White Sox: The least likely Opening Day starter possible, Crochet has made exactly zero starts as a professional, including 72 major-league appearances. Back when he was drafted in the first round in 2020 though, he was viewed as a genuine pitching prospect, and maybe even the next Chris Sale. Injuries dumped cold water on that idea pretty quickly in his career, but the 24-year-old southpaw has looked healthy in camp and gotten stretched out, producing a 14:1 K:BB through 12.2 Cactus League innings along the way. The upside is enticing, but keep in mind that even if this conversion to the rotation works, Crochet has still never thrown more than 54.1 innings in a season, and he managed only 25.0 frames last year after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's best viewed as a keeper or dynasty dart throw who might not blossom until 2025 if everything clicks for him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Bowden Francis, Blue Jays: Alek Manoah is still having somewhat mysterious arm trouble, this time with his shoulder, and he won't be in the Opening Day rotation. That creates a spot for Francis, who had a solid spring with a 15:4 K:BB over 18.2 innings and only one homer allowed. The 27-year-old doesn't have premium stuff, but he was stingy in relief last year for Toronto and posted good numbers in the Triple-A rotation. In the long run, Francis is probably just keeping a spot warm for top prospect Ricky Tiedemann (see below), but the Jays want to limit Tiedemann's innings this season. Even if he eventually falls back into a swingman role, there should be plenty of work for Francis. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Luis Gil, Yankees: The identity of New York's fifth starter remains a mystery, and the team has no shortage of candidates. Luke Weaver is the boring veteran option. Will Warren is the top prospect option, but he's not yet on the 40-man roster. Clayton Beeter and Cody Poteet could also be in the mix. The guy who's had the best spring, though, is Gil. The 25-year-old righty has fired off a 23:6 K:BB in 15.2 Grapefruit League innings, looking fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery that cost him most of 2022 and 2023. Gil's also added a changeup to his fastball-slider mix, and his lack of an offspeed offering was always the biggest knock on him as a prospect. The No. 5 job could be a revolving door all season, and Gil isn't expected to handle a big workload, but he may be the favorite to begin the year in the role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Cole Irvin, Orioles: The 30-year-old southpaw got a bit of Driveline-fueled buzz early in camp after popping 95.9 mph with his fastball – he averaged 92.1 mph last year, and that was while working as a swingman and not a full-time starter – but that quickly evaporated when Irvin couldn't control his amped-up stuff. He has a brutal 8:10 K:BB through 12.1 Grapefruit League innings, but nonetheless he'll begin the year in the O's rotation due to the injuries to John Means and Kyle Bradish. If Irvin can keep his velocity gains and begin to figure things out, there's still some sleeper appeal here, but aside from deep AL-only formats you'll want to make him prove it first. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Lorenzen, Rangers: The 32-year-old right-hander didn't sign with Texas until Tuesday, but the team hasn't ruled out using him in the rotation right out of the gate. (If he's deemed not quite ready, Cody Bradford would fill in for a turn or two.) Lorenzen is just an innings-eater, managing a 17.8 percent strikeout rate last season over 25 starts (29 total appearances) for the Tigers and Phillies, but he's on the right team and has the right offense behind him to turn that profile into some wins. If you play in an old-school 4x4 format that doesn't use strikeouts as a scoring category, so much the better. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jose Soriano, Angels: The Halos have been stretching out the 25-year-old right-hander in camp, and the results have been encouraging – Soriano's rung up a 19:3 K:BB through 14.1 Cactus League innings and allowed only one homer. Given all the lackluster rotation options the team has, that tease of upside should be more than enough to lock him into a starting role, but of course a team this inept can't even figure that much out. Manager Ron Washington has hinted Soriano will be deployed in the bullpen to begin the season instead, because Robert Stephenson isn't available. It makes very little sense, which is why I expect the Angels to do it, but Soriano still looks like an interesting dart throw as a starter. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Soroka, White Sox: Once a young arm on the rise for Atlanta, Soroka is now just trying to salvage his career after multiple Achilles injuries an d other issues. He's pitched only 46 big-league innings since 2020 and struggled in seven appearances (six starts) for the NL East champs last season, but the 26-year-old right-hander has looked better in camp with the White Sox, posting a 17:5 K:BB through 13 Cactus League innings and allowing only one homer. Soroka is a massive wild card, but you only have to look at his one healthy campaign in 2019 to see the upside. There's really no comp for a player coming back from his particular combination of injuries though, so there's really no way to know whether he'll regain anything close to that form. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ricky Tiedemann, Blue Jays: Ah, pitching prospects. TINSTAAPP truthers aside, nothing sets the hearts and FAAB wallets of fantasy GMs aflame quite like a young hurler with ace upside. The fact that the last few years have seen higher success rates for young pitchers in the majors – I mean, just look at Seattle's rotation, or Cleveland's – only makes the risk-reward ratio juicier. Tiedemann has that kind of upside with his fastball-slider-changeup combo dominating hitters from a nasty portside arm slot, but injuries limited him to just 44 total innings across all levels in 2023 before he added a handful more in the Arizona Fall League. The Blue Jays won't push the 21-year-old too hard this season, but they might be pushing him faster than expected, as he hasn't been ruled out for a start in the opening week of the season with Kevin Gausman's status up in the air. The target seems to be about 100 innings for 2024, but if the team's deemed Tiedemann ready, the Jays will want as many of those innings as possible to come in the majors. He's a better keeper/dynasty stash, but he could have redraft value this year too. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Relief Pitcher

Yimi Garcia / Erik Swanson, Blue Jays: Jordan Romano might not be ready for Opening Day as he deals with a (hopefully) minor elbow issue, so there could be a handful of save chances up for grabs in the Jays bullpen. Garcia is the favorite to get them, largely because Swanson's also dealing with a forearm issue, Garcia has been a strong setup option for Toronto the last couple years, collecting seven wins and 41 holds over 134 appearances with a 137:31 K:BB, but Swanson did post better numbers in 2023 so if he's healthy, he might get the nod in the ninth instead. Chad Green might also factor in, but even in deep AL-only formats, there's little reason to roster him yet. Garcia – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2 / Swanson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Michael Kopech, White Sox: The Pale Hose have already cycled through four or five closing candidates, and we haven't even gotten to Opening Day yet. Kopech is the biggest name left in the mix, and it's easy to believe he'll be the next failed starter with a big arsenal to thrive in relief. The 27-year-old hasn't exactly taken to his new role this spring though, posting a 13:7 K:BB in 10 innings. He was also not being limited to one-inning stints, which suggests he might be deployed in a multi-inning role rather than the eighth or ninth inning. Kopech did have some success in the bullpen back in 2021, chalking up 14 holds, but the White Sox won 93 games that season – they'll be lucky to win half that numbers in 2024. Don't overpay for the recognition factor here. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Jordan Leasure, White Sox: Picked up from the Dodgers last year, Leasure boasts a triple-digit fastball and struck out 76 batters in 47.1 innings in the high minors in 2023. He also walked 24 batters though, and his control hasn't looked any better in camp as he posted an 11:5 K:BB through 9.1 Cactus League innings. Chicago would need to open a spot on the 40-man roster to get him into the Opening Day bullpen, but that's not really much of an obstacle if the team thinks he's ready. If I had to name a 2024 saves leader for the ChiSox right now, Leasure would be the guy, but that doesn't mean I expect him to get more than 10-12. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Griffin Jax / Brock Stewart, Twins: An oblique strain will land Jhoan Duran on the IL to begin the season, opening up some save opportunities for other Minnesota relievers. Jax is seen as the likeliest option to fill in after two solid seasons in a setup role – since 2022 he's collected 13 wins and 41 holds with a 3.60 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 146:39 K:BB through 137.2 innings. If the Twins decide to keep him in his familiar eighth-inning role though, Stewart is an appealing alternative. The 32-year-old never made it as a starter with the Dodgers or Blue Jays due to the usual litany of injuries, and while those issues persisted in 2023, he was dominant in relief when he was on the mound thanks to a massive uptick in velocity. Stewart's shown no signs of regression this spring, posting a 6:1 K:BB in five innings, and at the very least he should be set for a high-leverage role. Jax – 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7 / Stewart – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

David Robertson / Kirby Yates, Rangers: As expected, Jose Leclerc is set to begin the season as the Texas closer, but we've seen this movie before, and his 7:3 K:BB through 4.1 spring innings doesn't suggest his control issues are behind him. As such, it's not too early to start stashing ninth-inning alternatives. Robertson has 38 saves over the last two seasons, and while there's a reason he recorded them with four different teams, he can still be an effective high-leverage reliever at 38 years old. Yates had a 41-save season for the Padres back in 2019, but injuries have derailed his career since. The 36-year-old has looked great in camp though, firing up an 11:1 K:BB in 6.2 innings, and if he's all the way back, he might be the Rangers' best option to close. Robertson – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Yates – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Carson Kelly, Tigers: Jake Rogers is expected to be the starter behind the plate for the Tigers, but he might not see a big workload increase from 2023, when he got 365 plate appearances. As a result, Kelly might see more playing time than anticipated. The 29-year-old fizzled out the last couple years in Arizona and hit just .173 in 19 games for Detroit late last season, but as recently as 2021 he was supplying solid numbers for a late-round catching option. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brian Serven, Blue Jays: With Danny Jansen getting his first IL stint of the season out of the way early, Alejandro Kirk will start behind the plate for Toronto to begin the season, with Serven as his backup. The former Rockie doesn't offer a lot at the plate, but he might run into a homer or two before getting bumped off the big-league roster. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Jared Walsh, Rangers: Walsh wasn't able to build on his breakout 2021 campaign, and he's coming off a nightmarish 2023 in which his career looked like it might be in jeopardy due to migraines. He hasn't exactly returned to form this spring, posting an 8:17 BB:K over 52 Cactus League plate appearances while batting .233, but with Nathaniel Lowe starting the season on the IL, the Rangers will give Walsh a chance to show he can still provide some thump to a big-league lineup. He's more likely to be off the roster by May than a fantasy darling again, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Second Base

Enmanuel Valdez, Red Sox: With Vaughn Grissom set to miss the beginning of the season, Boston will roll with a platoon at second base. Valdez figures to handle the strong side of it, with Pablo Reyes facing LHP. Valdez held his own in his MLB debut last season, and while he didn't make a lot of contact this spring, what contact he did make was pretty solid – he batted .167 (7-for-42), but six of the hits went for extra bases, including three homers. The pop is legit – he went yard six times in 49 big-league games in 2023, and slugged 28 in 126 games in the high minors in 2022 – so he could provide some sneaky value in March and April. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $3

Third Base

J.D. Davis, Athletics: Cut loose by the Giants after they signed Matt Chapman, Davis decided to stay in the Bay Area and take a starting job with Oakland rather than a bench role with a contender, at least for now – he has to know they'll probably trade him in a few months if he's playing well enough to have value. The 30-year-old is basically just a guy at the plate, offering moderate power with a meh batting average, and he gets a downgrade in the offense around him, but Davis should hit in the heart of the A's order, and having a starting position player dropped into the pool in AL-only formats after early drafts is likely to cause a piranha-like feeding frenzy of FAAB bids. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $15; 12-team AL: $25

Tyler Freeman, Guardians: The 24-year-old appears poised to move into a super-utility role this season, potentially serving on the short-side of a platoon in center field while also supplying depth in the infield. Given that Cleveland has shaky starting situations in center and at shortstop, that gives Freeman a couple paths to value if he can make a contribution at the plate. He did hit .294 (10-for-34) this spring with three steals in four attempts, but he's need to add some kind of power to his solid hit tool if he's going to become anything more than a fungible bench player. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Curtis Mead, Rays: Injuries have created a clear path to regular playing time for the 23-year-old, as Jonathan Aranda is out of the DH picture for a month or more and Harold Ramirez might be needed more often in the outfield. Mead is more professional hitter than a reliable defender at any position, but his bat has looked good this spring – he's hit .279 (12-for-43) with a 5:4 BB:K. If he gets off to a hot start as a plus source of OBP with a bit of power, he'll make Aranda obsolete, and maybe Ramirez too. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Gio Urshela, Tigers: Signed in late February, Urshela appears set to begin the season as Detroit's starting third baseman, although the club hasn't made that official yet. The 32-year-old has hit below .285 only once in the last five seasons, but he offers no speed and only moderate power, which limits his fantasy appeal. If a younger Tiger steps up at some point at claims the starting job at the hot corner, Urshela could also easily slide into a utility role after seeing action at all four infield spots for the Angels last year. He's all floor and no ceiling, but that's still a useful guy to have on your bench in deeper formats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Shortstop

Pablo Reyes, Red Sox: Working the short side of a platoon at second base doesn't give Reyes a lot of fantasy value, but in AL-only formats, you often have to take whatever playing time you can get, especially if you have a hole to fill – like, say, if Vaughn Grissom is on the shelf to begin the season. Reyes hit .287 last year for Boston with seven steals in 185 plate appearances, so he could make a bit of a contribution if he gets a chance. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

JJ Bleday, Athletics: Oakland's made a habit of salvaging careers in recent years, which is what happens when your roster is almost completely bereft of talent and you go into camp every year scrambling to find players with anything to recommend them. This year's successful reclamation project might be Bleday, a first-round pick of the Marlins in 2019 who's stumbled to a .183/.296/.335 slash line in his 541 big-league plate appearances to date. The 26-year-old has torn it up at the plate this spring, and while Cactus League offensive inflation has to be taken into account, hitting .372 (16-for-43) with six extra-base hits and a 5:5 BB:K is still pretty good. The A's don't have a clear opening in their starting outfield/DH picture, but Esteury Ruiz could get bumped aside if he can't offer something more at the plate, Brent Rooker might have been a flash in the pan, and Lawrence Butler is still unproven. If Bleday keeps hitting, he'll get playing time. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Estevan Florial, Guardians: Unlike the A's, the Guardians have given up on their speedy center fielder who can't hit a lick, as Myles Straw was put on waivers this week. They're likely to go with a platoon in center until someone seizes the job, but Florial's the only lefty hitter in the mix, which gives him the edge for playing time. The 26-year-old has had a brutal spring though, batting .156 (7-for-45) with 21 strikeouts, and those contact issues are what caused the Yankees to give up on him in the first place. Florial has plenty of power-speed upside, producing a 25-25 season at Triple-A in 2023, but if he can't make consistent contact, Cleveland will look elsewhere. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Kyle Isbel, Royals: Drew Waters' power-speed potential still drew some attention from fantasy GMs this spring, but it'll be Isbel as Kansas City's starting center fielder to begin the season. The 27-year-old is better defender, so that might always have been the outcome, but Isbel made the decision easier for the Royals by batting .306 (11-for-36) this spring with a couple steals and a 4:6 BB:K. His last full season at Triple-A in 2021, he swiped 21 bags, so if you came up short in steals at the draft table, Isbel could be a low-cost solution. Of course, he'll likely need to improve on his career .281 OBP for that to happen. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Richie Palacios, Rays: Another guy with some early Driveline helium, Palacios hit .313 (15-for-48) this spring with three homers, and he appears to be in line for at least the strong side of a platoon in left field to begin the season for Tampa Bay with Josh Lowe banged up. The 26-year-old was a player who made lots of contact in the minors, but rarely quality contact, so if he's improved his swing, it's not hard to see a breakout coming. There's no clear starting role for Palacios if everyone's healthy, but the Rays always seem to find a way to get someone playing time if they're contributing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4