AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

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. Rafael Devers would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar 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.

Starting Pitcher

Carlos Rodon, White Sox: The 25-year-old lefty looks like he'll make his 2018 debut against the Red Sox on Friday or Saturday, which isn't exactly what you'll call a cushy landing spot. Rodon has been outstanding on his rehab stint, though, posting a 20:2 K:BB over 12.2 innings between Low-A and Triple-A, but strikeouts have never been his problem. It's whether he can rein in his career 3.8 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 marks that will determine how much long-term success he has. Note too that the White Sox haven't officially confirmed his return to the rotation yet – a bad outing for Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday, and the front office could decide he needs a little more time to recover from his shoulder surgery. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: $11

Frankie Montas, Athletics: His Friday gem forced a serious re-evaluation after last week's spec bid writeup. OK, sure, humbling the Royals' offense isn't exactly an epic feat, but there are reasons to believe Montas has finally taken a step forward in his development. Throughout his career – whether in the minors or majors, starting or relieving – he was always a guy who threw really hard but didn't necessarily know where the ball was going, a real-life Nuke LaLoosh. He's taken a less fascist approach this season, though, putting up a 7.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 through nine starts at Nashville before his two outstanding (if not exactly dominant) big-league starts. The A's keep churning through pitchers with unimpressive raw stuff but various amounts of moxie at the back of their rotation. Having someone like Montas there instead, a young hurler with an actual upside, could be just what they need to help stabilize the entire group and make a charge in what's been a surprisingly competitive AL West. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Lance Lynn, Twins: Lynn's finally started to find a rhythm in what was beginning to look like a lost season, giving the Twins quality starts in each of his last three outings and four of six since the calendar flipped to May. There are still major concerns with his control – a 29:15 K:BB in 32.1 innings over that stretch isn't going to set many minds at ease about future blowups – but his overall performance over that six-game run (3.34 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) aren't too far off his career numbers, and should be a decent expectation for him moving forward. In a top-heavy division like the AL Central, he can still be a solid streaming option in shallow leagues when the schedule hands him a start or two against the Royals, White Sox or Tigers. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Nathan Eovaldi, Rays: I'm not prepared to eat crow yet on Eovaldi – I'll take his 127 previous big-league starts as an indicator of what to expect from him in 2018 over Thursday's lonely outing – but six no-hit innings is certainly one way to announce your presence with authority. His stuff has always looked good, even if he didn't get results, and it's not like the Rays have much choice about whether to use him in their rotation right now. It's not like Sergio Romo can start every game. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Matt Moore, Rangers: Moore's return from the disabled list Wednesday went about as well as his pre-injury starts had gone, which is to say, it was a stinker. The one-time top prospect has been even worse in 2018 than he was in 2017 without AT&T Park to soften his ratios, while there are situations and formats where his innings and Ks could be some kind of asset – a deep head-to-head league where you're punting ERA and WHIP, perhaps – for the most part, the left-hander is best left on the waiver wire. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Zack Littell, Twins: Littell will make a spot start in Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox, and the opponent gives him some streaming appeal. The 22-year-old doesn't have a big prospect pedigree, getting by on command and pitchability with a low-90s fastball and average secondary pitches, but his 30:10 K:BB in 28 innings this season in his first taste of Triple-A can't be completely ignored either. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Brad Keller, Royals: The Rule 5 pick has worked his way out of long relief and into the Royals' fifth starter role, but so far he hasn't pitched more than three innings in one of his starts, putting a hard cap on his fantasy value until he can at least start qualifying for wins in the unlikely event Kansas City provides him with enough offense to get one. Keller's 2.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 25.1 innings look nice, but his 16:8 K:BB is a better reflection of his upside. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Relief Pitcher

Sergio Romo, Rays: The Rays have had one save opportunity since Alex Colome was dealt to Seattle, and Romo got it, so maybe he's their closer now as well as 40 percent of their rotation. He's a true renaissance man! Of course, Jose Alvarado is still the better pitcher, and Romo wasn't exactly sharp in his save, coughing up two runs while protecting a three-run lead, so don't go overboard in bidding based on one appearance that wasn't even very good. Still, if you're looking for saves, he could get you some. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Joe Jimenez, Tigers: Jimenez added a save Saturday to his 10 holds on the year, reinforcing the idea that he's the heir apparent to Shane Greene in the ninth inning for Detroit. The Tigers are a surprising second in the AL Central, but also two games under .500 heading into Sunday, and it wouldn't take much to put the team in fire sale mode with Greene representing one of its most desirable assets. If you've got the bench depth to stash Jimenez, he's arguably at the top of the "closers in waiting" list right now given his combination of upside and chance of a quick ascension to the role. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Steven Wright, Red Sox: Wright's looked very good in long relief since coming off the DL, and at the moment he and Drew Pomeranz are essentially tandem starters, as the lefty's struggles have forced the Red Sox to rely on Wright to patch over his missing innings. The knuckleballer will always carry some additional volatility given the nature of his signature pitch, but he could be a worthwhile stash if he eventually bumps Pomeranz from the rotation or an injury otherwise opens up a spot for him, and in deeper formats he could even have value if he stays in long relief with his bulk Ks, decent ratios and a slightly better than usual chance of wins with the Boston offense backing him. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Juan Nicasio, Mariners: The right-hander has rebounded nicely from his mid-May struggles, posting a 0.00 ERA and 16:0 K:BB over his last 8.2 innings. The addition of Colome in the setup role has also allowed M's manager Scott Servais to start using Nicasio for longer stretches, as well – after pitching more than one innings just once in his first 24 appearances this season, he's now done it twice in his last four. Given his career-high 11.8 K/9 this year, more innings can only add to his fantasy appeal and a Ks-and-holds option. If he got dropped after his ERA spiked, it's past time to pick him up again. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Emilio Pagan, Athletics: Speaking of rebounding right-handers, Pagan entered the season as a bit of a deep-league sleeper, holding down the eighth inning in front of unproven closer Blake Treinen. It was Pagan who flopped, though, getting tagged for a run in six straight appearances in April before the A's demoted him to get him straightened out. It seems to have worked – since coming back up, he's racked up a 10:3 K:BB through 7.2 scoreless innings over five appearances. It might take a while for the 27-year-old to regain a high-leverage role, but his strikeout potential shouldn't be overlooked. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Catcher

Max Stassi, Astros: Stassi takes over as the Astros' starting catcher with Brian McCann on the shelf. Stassi's put together a solid campaign so far, and while more playing time could drag down his batting average, the extra runs and RBI still make him a nice short-term pickup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Sandy Leon, Red Sox: Leon's playing time is creeping up thanks to a hot streak that's seen him put together a .341/.396/.545 slash line in 44 at-bats since the beginning of May. He's still not going to start as long as Christian Vasquez is around, but he's also shown in the past he can stay hot for a while (i.e. most of 2016), so he could be worth an add in the hopes the hits just keep on comin'. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: Owned

Blake Swihart, Red Sox: Swihart's definitely been the biggest recipient of the playing time freed up by Hanley Ramirez's release, seeing significant at-bats in five of the last eight games. He's only gone 3-for-17 in those games, but there are effectively years of rust on the 26-year-old's swing, so it's not that surprising. There's multi-position eligibility ahead for Swihart, though – he's seen action at catcher, first base and both outfield corners so far, in addition to DH – and that mix would make him a nice complement to the Eduardo Nunez/Brock Holt duo on the Boston bench. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $3

Tim Federowicz, Astros: The veteran backup got the call when McCann got hurt. Federowicz has a career .562 OPS, so he's really just a break glass in case of emergency guy for two-catcher leagues. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

First Base

Matt Skole, White Sox: A former Nationals prospect who never got a shot in the majors, Skole joined the White Sox as a minor-league free agent and finally got called up to The Show on Monday and promptly homered in his debut. He's your typical low-BA, moderate-power hitter, and he'll probably head back down to Charlotte when Matt Davidson gets healthy, but as least he finally made it. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Sam Travis, Red Sox: Mookie Betts' DL stint opened up a roster spot again for Travis, but he's not closer to a path to regular playing time than he was before with Swihart now getting a look at first base. Travis' .220/.290/.358 line at Triple-A doesn't help, either. His chances of eventually sticking in Boston, even as just a platoon bench bat, are getting dimmer. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Second Base

Brock Holt, Red Sox: You can't exactly say the Red Sox rushed Dustin Pedroia back, but nonetheless he's back on the DL due to knee trouble, so it's back to the usual Nunez and Holt arrangement at the keystone for now. Holt might also see occasional outfield action with Betts sidelined, but he still won't get enough at-bats to be useful in shallower formats, even if he does keep hitting .310. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Third Base

Adrian Beltre, Rangers: Back off the DL, Beltre figures to see less than a full workload as the Rangers try to keep the future Hall of Famer healthy, which complicates his fantasy picture a little. His power was already showing signs of fading away, and the 39-year-old isn't likely to hit for a better average with less playing time, so it's unlikely he'll provide the value expected of him in March if he's only playing 4-5 times a week. That said, 4-5 games a week is better than none. The 39-year-old probably isn't going to make it to 500 career homers (he's 37 short) but he should at least hit 1,500 runs, sitting at 1,486 heading into Sunday. 12-team Mixed: $2; 15-team Mixed: $5; 12-team AL: Owned

Eduardo Nunez, Red Sox: While Nunez should get regular playing time again until Pedroia's knees begin to cooperate, he certainly wasn't providing the value anyone expected in his prior stint as Boston's starting second baseman. Particularly distressing is his 2-for-3 performance on steals through 50 games, given that he swiped six in 38 games last year after joining the Red Sox – forget about the 40 he racked up in 2016 between the Twins and Giants. Any at-bats in Boston's offense can lead to useful numbers, but if Nunez isn't running, he's really just another guy with multi-position eligibility. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: Owned

Kaleb Cowart, Angels: The Angels kept their KC quota intact by calling up Cowart on Saturay when Kole Calhoun landed on the DL. He's been having another solid campaign at Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .302/.352/.456, but as yet that success in the minors hasn't carried forward into the majors, and it'll take a couple of injuries ahead of him on the infield depth chart for Cowart to get a real shot this time around. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Shortstop

Aledmys Diaz, Blue Jays: The Vlad Jr. watch was put on hold when the top prospect got banged up Saturday at Double-A, giving Diaz – himself just back off the DL – a bigger window to try and establish himself as a starter on the Toronto infield for the long haul. The 27-year-old has hit for some power this season, but his .211/.271/.422 slash line isn't very good, and his big 2016 campaign continues to fade into the rear view mirror. Diaz will get playing time, at least in the short term, but don't expect too much. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $2; 12-team AL: $5

Ronny Rodriguez, Tigers: The 26-year-old earned his first cup of coffee in the majors on the strength of a .318/.341/.540 line at Triple-A Toledo this year that includes eight homers and eight steals in 48 games. The Tigers have little to lose by giving the former Cleveland farmhand a long look at second base, but Rodriguez actually being an upgrade on Nike Goodrum or Dixon Machado seems unlikely. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Outfield

Lonnie Chisenhall, Cleveland: Chisenhall is expected to come off the DL on Tuesday, but the Cleveland outfield seems a little more crowded than when he left it. Bradley Zimmer and Michael Brantley are the starters in center and left field, but the team added veteran Melky Cabrera in the meantime, and prospect Greg Allen has been hitting pretty well too. Chisenhall could find himself starting in right but not getting a full workload, but even in a platoon-ish role he should still provide solid production when he's in the lineup. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $4; 12-team AL: $9

Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland: Zimmer beat Chisenhall back into the lineup by a few days, collecting two hits and striking out twice in his first game back. The center fielder's upside remains intriguing, especially in steals, but until he starts making more consistent contact it's hard to see things even fully coming together for the 25-year-old. In fact, he's a lot like the AL version of the Nats' Michael Taylor at this point, a guy whose defense can only keep him in the lineup for so long before his club starts to look for an upgrade offensively. Washington may be getting to that point with Taylor, but Cleveland isn't quite there yet with Zimmer. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: $7

Jon Jay, Royals: Jay's pretty much the ultimate fungible outfield option to plug into a deep-league lineup when necessary. Even when he's hot, as he is right now – four multi-hit games in his last six, .350/.382/.437 over his last 24 contests – he doesn't actually do much other than get hits. Over that 24-game stretch, Jay's got zero homers and two steals, with nine RBI and 16 runs. Still, he won't hurt you, and as a band-aid over a short-term lineup hole, you could do a whole lot worse. 12-team Mixed: $1; 15-team Mixed: $3; 12-team AL: Owned

Randal Grichuk, Blue Jays: Grichuk also came off the DL this weekend and went 0-for-5 in his first two games back, but at least he didn't strike out. Given his awful start to the season, that's a form of progress. The Jays aren't willing to cut bait on him just yet, having parted with a high-ceiling prospect in Connor Greene to get him, but Grichuk will need to start showing something – anything! – at the plate if he's going to hang onto regular playing time on a roster loaded with other outfield options. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: $1; 12-team AL: $4

Ryan LaMarre, Twins: Called back up when Byron Buxton landed back on the DL, LaMarre has started five straight games for the Twins, going 4-for-19 with eight Ks. With the experiment not working, it wouldn't be surprising to see LaMarre begin splitting time with Robbie Grossman until Buxton returns rather than hang onto a starting gig. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $2

Michael Hermosillo / Chris Young, Angels: With Calhoun down, these two are the Angels' best options for right field. Ick. Hermosillo arguably has a smidge of upside, but as both guys hit right-handed there won't be a platoon, which hurts aging lefty-killer Young the most, and instead manager Mike Scioscia might try to ride the hot hand until Calhoun's healthy. Or at least the less ice-cold hand. Hermosillo – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1 / Young – 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1

Carlos Tocci, Rangers: A Rule 5 pick who really doesn't look like he's ready for the majors, the Rangers activated Tocci off the DL to try and make sure he gets enough service time in 2018 that they don't have to waste a spot on him in 2019. That's not a plan that requires him to actually get any playing time, though. 12-team Mixed: No; 15-team Mixed: No; 12-team AL: $1