AL FAAB Factor: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

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

Sean Burke, White Sox: The namesake of my favorite goalie back in my own netminding days, Burke has done a pretty good job of denying the opposition's offense himself of late. The 25-year-old righty has given up two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, although the sixth was a seven-run stinker in Houston. During that span, Burke's posted a 3.55 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 35:10 K:BB in 33 innings, and he's even picked up a couple wins. There are actually glimmers of hope with the White Sox right now – faint ones, but still glimmers – and their pitching staff might not be a fantasy black hole in the second half of the season, so if Burke keeps pitching reasonably well, his win probability could tick up. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dietrich Enns, Tigers: The 34-year-old southpaw spent the last three seasons kicking around Japan and Korea with unimpressive results, but his return to MLB went surprisingly well Thursday as he one-hit the A's over five shutout innings. Enns improved his curve on the other side of the Pacific, and his new kick-change could be a true difference-maker, getting tracked by Statcast with a spin rate of just 928 rpm, which is mind-boggling – Clay Holmes' kick change has a spin rate of 1,139 rpm, and the only pitches that I've even seen consistently in three digits instead of four are knuckleballs, although it's not in that territory (Matt Waldron's tends to clock in at around 300 rpm). Enns' overall arsenal still pegs him as a likely back-end starter though, and he'll get bumped back to Triple-A if Reese Olson is ready to return this week. Enns may have shown enough to be the sixth starter for a staff that's been rather brittle so far in 2025 however, so in AL-only formats with deep benches he could be worth stashing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Richard Fitts, Red Sox: Fitts had some preseason sleeper buzz and was living up to the hype through three starts, but a pectoral strain derailed his campaign. He returned in late May, gave up six runs in four innings over two appearances before being optioned down, then rejoined the rotation Wednesday for four solid innings against the Halos. Tanner Houck is closing in on a return, so Fitts' stay in Boston could be brief once again, but he might have some short-term value. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Adrian Houser, White Sox: Houser's breakout with the South Siders has been nothing short of stunning. The 32-year-old right-hander had a couple decent seasons earlier in his career with the Brewers, but over the last three years he'd managed just a 4.76 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 283.1 big-league innings. After failing to earn a spot with the Rangers, Houser joined the White Sox rotation in late May and immediately made an impact, delivering quality starts in six of his first seven outings for Chicago with a 1.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB over 42.2 innings. The lack of Ks limits his ceiling, and there's no concrete explanation for his numbers – his velocity has ticked back up a bit, he's swapped his mediocre slider for a curve that gets more whiffs as one of his main offerings, and all his pitches in general have a little more movement this season, but he still relies heavily on getting weak contact off his two-seamer. Regression seems like it could hit at any time, but the White Sox might be able to flip him to a pitching-needy contender before then. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Rostered

Dean Kremer, Orioles: The Baltimore staff continues to dig itself out of a deep early hole. Kremer's ERA stood at 7.04 at the end of April, but he's been steadily chipping away at it since, and over his last six outings he's gone 3-2 while posting a 3.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 32:9 K:BB through 34.1 innings. He'll still just a streaming option in shallower formats, but he at least seems like a reliable one at the moment. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: After dealing with a mysterious thumb issue that he was able to power through, but for only about 50 pitches, Scherzer returned to the Toronto rotation Wednesday and looked... OK. The most encouraging number from the outing was that he tossed 83 pitches, as opposed to his actual results. The 40-year-old's name still carries some cache, and the Jays' offense has been among the best in the league over the last couple months, so don't get caught overbidding for a guy whose days of being an ace are long behind him. Scherzer can still help out, but he won't anchor your fantasy staff. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Marcus Stroman, Yankees: Out since April 11 due to a knee injury, Stroman will rejoin the Yankees' rotation Sunday. It's been a while since the veteran righty has been a fantasy asset and he struggled on his rehab assignment, but he should be able to provide New York with some innings until Luis Gil is healthy and built up, which may not happen until at least late July. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

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

Via RotoWire's Probable Pitchers grid

Tyler Anderson, Angels (at ATL, at TOR)
Patrick Corbin, Rangers (vs. BAL, at SD)
Colton Gordon, Astros (at COL, at LAD)
Emerson Hancock, Mariners (vs. KC, vs. PIT)
Jacob Lopez, Athletics (at TB, vs. SF)
Michael Lorenzen, Royals (at SEA, at ARI)
Trevor Rogers, Orioles (at TEX, at ATL)
Shane Smith, White Sox (at LAD, at COL)
Michael Wacha, Royals (at SEA, at ARI)

Relief Pitcher

Matt Brash, Mariners: Brash has been outstanding since making a belated season debut in early May – he has yet to allow a run with a 17:6 K:BB in 18 appearances. The right-hander nabbed his first save of the year Tuesday, and while he won't bump Andres Munoz aside as Seattle's closer, Munoz did work the eighth inning in that contest. If manager Dan Wilson transitions Munoz back into more of a fireman role, it would lead to more ninth-inning work for Brash, giving him some additional appeal beyond the possibility of a Munoz injury. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Jack Perkins, Athletics: The 25-year-old right-hander emerged as one of the A's top pitching prospects last year, and he;s done nothing but improve his stock in 2025, dominating in the PCL for nine starts before being promoted to the majors for the first time last week. His future is in the rotation, but the A's are taking things slowly with him, perhaps with an eye on an innings cap for the season – he threw only 78 innings in 2024, and 107.2 in 2023. Perkins' first two appearances for the Sacramento Exiles have come in long relief, but it's probably not a coincidence that he's essentially piggybacking JP Sears right now given the latter's 7.56 ERA over his last nine outings. A Sears trade would immediately slot Perkins into the rotation, and the rookie's looked ready for the assignment with 6.1 scoreless innings to begin his career. He's still just a stash right now, but one with significant upside. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Grant Taylor, White Sox: Among those glimmers of hope I mentioned for the White Sox earlier is a real, live closer. Taylor's been filthy since his promotion, posting a 2.70 ERA and 10:1 K:BB in 10 innings while averaging an easy 99.4 mph with his fastball, and he's collected saves in two of his last three appearances to move him into a tie with Brandon Eisert for the team lead. The ChiSox have mostly gotten by with a committee of spare parts in the ninth inning the last couple years – they haven't had anyone record double-digit saves since Liam Hendriks in 2022 – but Taylor is being clearly positioned to end that. How many save opportunities he actually gets is a different question, but he should see the bulk of whatever chances Chicago can muster in the second half. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Catcher

Samuel Basallo, Orioles: Full disclosure – I don't actually expect the Orioles to spoil Basallo's rookie eligibility for 2026. He'll probably get a late-season cup of coffee, and then slug his way into a 26-man roster spot next spring and try to net the organization an extra draft pick in 2027. However, Adley Rutschman's oblique injury combined with Gary Sanchez's defensive shortcomings do create a scenario for an earlier debut, even if he's probably be up already if the O's were seriously considering it. It's not like Basallo has much left to prove at the plate in the minors. The 20-year-old has 15 homers, a .962 OPS and a 36:47 BB:K in 53 games for Triple-A Norfolk, and he's really mashed the pedal to the floor in June, slashing .323/.463/.645 in 80 plate appearances. Obviously he's one of the best dynasty assets outside of the majors in the AL right now, but redraft GMs with a bench spot to churn may want to stash him now, just in case. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Victor Caratini, Astros: Yordan Alvarez has just begun swinging a bat in anger again (as someone with Alvarez shares, I can relate), so Caratini's run as a near-everyday player seems likely to carry straight through to the All-Star break. The 31-year-old backstop has been supplying some surprising power lately, going yard three times in his last 10 games with eight RBI, and the Houston lineup has gotten more productive as the weather has warmed up. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Rostered

Gary Sanchez, Orioles: The 32-year-old isn't going to win any Gold Gloves, but the O's will live with his defense as long as he makes up for it with his bat. He's done that so far, batting .333 (9-for-27) with two homers and nine RBI in eight games since Adley Rutschman went down, and Sanchez appears to have a firm hold on the starting job. However, another performance like Tuesday's, when he essentially cost Baltimore the game with his inability to throw out baserunners or corral throws to the plate on close plays, might have the front office re-thinking that plan. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Second Base

Zack Gelof, Athletics: There's still no firm return date for Gelof, but he should be back in the A's lineup pretty soon after racking up six hits, including three doubles and a homer, in his last three rehab games for Triple-A Las Vegas. Contact has been the biggest issue for the 25-year-old in his career, but he does have some intriguing power-speed upside if he can get to it in game situations, and the A's still seem to view him as a potential building block for their never-ending rebuild. There's room for him to get consistent playing time once he's activated. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Donovan Solano, Mariners: Solano has been more than a short-side platoon option at first base since Rowdy Tellez was cut loose and Luke Raley activated from the IL, although a huge series at Wrigley last weekend had something to do with that. Over his last eight games the veteran utility player's batting .433 (13-for-30) with two homers and 11 RBI, but most of that production came in Chicago. If you're churning a spot to chase hot streaks he's worth a look, but you may have missed your chance already to skim the cream off the top. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Lenyn Sosa, White Sox: Sosa has yet to flash a lot of power in his MLB career, but he's been swinging a pretty big stick since coming off the IL a couple weeks ago. Over his last 11 games, he's batting a respectable .270 (10-for-37) but half the hits have gone for extra bases – two doubles, a triple and two homers. Statcast backs up the improvement to some extent, as Sosa's average exit velocity of 91.1 mph in 2025 is over two ticks higher than last season. He still chases too much and is at beast a bargain bin Adolis Garcia without the steals, but it's a profile that can still have some value when he's locked in. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Will Wagner, Blue Jays: Called back up Saturday, Wagner gives the Jays a lefty-hitting utility complement to Ernie Clement. The 26-year-old had regained some confidence at the plate in the minors, slashing .268/.388/.439 over his last 10 games for Triple-A Buffalo with four doubles, a homer and an 8:8 BB:K, but he doesn't have a clear path to consistent at-bats. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Third Base

Royce Lewis, Twins: The 26-year-old looks set to return from his latest injured list stint this coming week, although Minnesota could be cautious with Lewis and not bring him back until the weekend. The dynamic kid who slugged 15 homers in 58 games back in 2023 has been in little evidence the last couple years as injuries have piled up, and over his last 435 big-league plate appearances he's slashing just .225/.292/.414 with 18 long balls. Lewis' upside can't be completely ignored, but in shallower formats it's getting harder to justify waiting for it to surface again. 12-team Mixed: $3; 15-team Mixed: $7; 12-team AL: $15

Shortstop

Ha-Seong Kim, Rays: Neither Taylor Walls not Jose Caballero have done much as Tampa's shortstop of late, so Kim could be dropped right into the starting role as soon as he's deemed ready. His performance on his rehab stint doesn't suggest that'll be soon, though, as he's gone just 4-for-25 (.160) with zero extra-base hits since dealing with some hamstring tightness. Kim should be able to provide fantasy GMs with a big second-half speed boost (the Rays leads the majors in steals) once he returns, and given how George Steinbrenner Field seems to be playing, the 29-year-old might even be an asset in homers once he fully shakes off the rust from his shoulder surgery. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Outfield

Dominic Canzone, Mariners: Is Canzone actually Seattle's solution in right field? The 27-year-old has been raking over the last week or so, batting .320 (8-for-25) over his last seven games with four solo homers and only two strikeouts. He has nothing left to prove at Triple-A (career .307/.377/.550 slash line in nearly 1000 plate appearances at the level), and the M's have no better options in a corner outfield spot with Luke Raley needed at first base. As long as Canzone keeps hitting, he should keep playing. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Chase DeLauter, Guardians: Cleveland has babied the fragile DeLauter through the early part of the schedule, and it might be paying off. The 23-year-old has gotten on base in 26 straight games with Triple-A Columbus and has hit safely in 13 straight, slashing .367/.458/.633 over the latter stretch with three homers and more walks (nine) than strikeouts (six). His ability to make contact and raw power have always been there, but he's ironed out some of the kinks in his swing mechanics that minimized how much his lower half was contributing, and the Guardians, as always, need help in the outfield. (Nolan Jones does have a .260/.356/.380 slash line in June, but that's been his best month of 2025 by far). With Cleveland only 1.5 games back of a wild-card spot, it might be time to see what DeLauter can do in the majors. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $3

Sam Haggerty, Rangers: With Wyatt Langford banged up again, Haggerty's playing time is on the upswing. Over his last 10 contests, the 31-year-old is batting .310 (9-for-29) with three steals and a 7:8 BB:K, and while all three pilfers came in one game against a hapless Gary Sanchez, Haggerty's still providing BA/OBP and scoring runs when he gets into the lineup, which is most of the time these days. The Rangers need offense wherever they can find it, so they'll ride Haggerty's hot streak as long as they can. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ramon Laureano, Orioles: The O's can't get Laureano out of the lineup, and with Dylan Carlson bumped back down to Triple-A, they seem OK with that outcome. Laureano is batting .286 (10-for-35) over his last 10 games with two doubles, two homers, a steal, nine RBI and 10 runs while also providing good defense in right field. Tyler O'Neill could be back before the All-Star break, but if the front office starts clearing out veterans like Ryan O'Hearn by then, it won't matter much in terms of Laureano's playing time. Unless he's one of the guys traded, of course. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Chandler Simpson, Rays: Called back up Tuesday, Simpson is already doing his thing again on the basepaths, swiping two bags on three attempts in five games. It still remains to be seen whether his defense is adequate enough for the Rays to keep him in the regular lineup, and his lack of power can make him tough to roster, but if you have points to gain in steals, no one will be entering the player pool who can make a bigger impact in that category. 12-team Mixed: $5; 15-team Mixed: $11; 12-team AL: $21

Taylor Trammell, Astros: The one-time Reds and Mariners prospect has never hit enough in the majors to get to his power and speed, but Trammell's still only 27 and might yet be able to carve out a modest career for himself. He's getting a look in the Astros' injury-ravaged outfield, and while an 0-for-6 showing with three Ks so far suggests he still has the same old issues at the plate, Houston's mostly given up on the Jose Altuve experiment in left field and the current alternative to Trammell is Cooper Hummel. There's a window for Trammell to grab a significant role if he can start making contact. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Matt Vierling, Tigers: Vierling returned from the IL, again, on Saturday, and he got a start in center field against a right-handed pitcher in Bailey Ober. His path to consistent playing time seems a lot narrower than it did back in May however, with Parker Meadows healthy, Colt Keith staking a claim to the starting job at third base, and Zach McKinstry doing just fine as the super-utility guy. Vierling may have to settle for a short-side platoon role around the diamond unless injuries begin to pile up. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3