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 free-agent budget you should bid on them.

This year, we're incorporating sortable grids into the FAAB articles, so users can see at a glance how certain players stack up against others and how much they should command in a variety of formats.

These grids include a very basic "player grade" column. This serves as a reflection of a player's skills and role on an A-E scale. Carlos Correa would have been an "A" grade player last year -- that mark will be reserved for similar high-impact prospects stepping into an everyday role.

Not seeing a certain player? Check to see if they were mentioned in last week's article. If there is a player not discussed in either article that you would like to know about, feel free to ask about the player in the comments.

James Shields, White Sox - The Padres waved the white flag on the Shields signing, trading the right-hander to the White Sox on Saturday for Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis, and eating roughly $30 million of his remaining salary to do so. Home runs plagued Shields during his time in San Diego, as the effectiveness of both his changeup and fastball waned, with the latter now more than two miles per hour slower on average than it was during his final year with Kansas City. He was a useful source of strikeouts last season, but Shields' strikeout rate is down five percent from a year ago, the walk rate remains high, and he now goes to a more hitter-friendly park in U.S. Cellular Field. Shields should be picked up in AL-only leagues, but the ratios have been harmful and that doesn't figure to change. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $8; AL-only: $18

Danny Duffy, Royals - Duffy is still in the process of stretching out into a starter, but the lefty made the most of his 76 pitches Wednesday, completing six innings en route to his first win of the season. He gave up three runs on seven hits (including one home run) with six strikeouts and no walks -- his third straight start without a free pass. Dillon Gee's demotion back to Triple-A cemented Duffy into the rotation for the foreseeable future, just beware he's a relatively risky roll this week with road starts at Baltimore and at Chicago on tap. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; AL-only: $12

Jhoulys Chacin, Angels - After a complete-game, 10-strikeout gem to open the week, Chacin labored through five innings Saturday in Pittsburgh, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks. He only managed one strikeout, and considering he's struck out more than four batters just one time in his last eight starts, chances are the 10-strikeout game will look like an outlier in the end. Even so, Chacin has some appeal in mixed leagues, but owners will want to pick their spots carefully. Barring any rainouts, Chacin's next start will come at Yankee Stadium. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $3; AL-only $8

Yovani Gallardo, Orioles - The veteran right-hander made his first rehab start for High-A Frederick this week, going three innings and giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four (59 pitches). While the results were lackluster, he avoided any sort of setback with the shoulder, and it sounds like he may only need one more minor league start to prepare for a return to the major league rotation. However, the strikeouts have vanished for Gallardo, with his K rate falling to just over 10 percent in four starts prior to the DL stint (2.4% K-BB%), and there shouldn't be too many in mixed leagues rushing to pick him up. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $3

Tyler Skaggs, Angels - Reports out of Arizona have been encouraging, and it sounds like Skaggs may soon receive the green light to begin a rehab assignment. He effectively continued his rehab from Tommy John surgery with Triple-A Salt Lake to start the year, but he hit the shelf in late April with biceps tendinitis, and a bout of neck stiffness in May led to another brief shutdown period. Nick Tropeano (shoulder) is not expected to need an extended stay on the DL, but Skaggs could challenge for Tropeano's rotation spot once back to full strength. Skaggs turned in a 3.55 FIP over 18 starts for the Angels as a 22-year-old in his last healthy season in 2014, and he looked good in a couple appearances with the big club in spring training, hitting the mid-90s with his fastball and allowing just two hits over five innings. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $7

James Paxton, Mariners - Only three of the eight runs San Diego scored against Paxton on Wednesday were earned, and he had seven strikeouts against one walk, but it was a forgettable outing nonetheless. Paxton was routinely barreled up, allowing 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, over 3.2 innings. The Mariners don't have many viable options with Felix Hernandez (calf) on the DL, and it seems Paxton will get at least a couple chances to make amends. His 50:14 K:BB with Triple-A Tacoma prior to his recall suggests better days are ahead, but Paxton will need to show more before he becomes a justifiable mixed-league starter. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; AL-only: $5

Relief Pitcher

Alex Colome, Rays - If Colome's owner cut bait upon Brad Boxberger's return from the DL and you really need a closer, it may be time to break the bank. Of course, Boxberger is back on the DL after one appearance and will need 4-to-8 weeks to recover following the setback, and Colome has been utterly dominant in 22 appearances so far this season. His 29.4 percent K-BB% ranks eighth among relievers, and for fantasy purposes, he's been a top-five closer to this point (14-for-14 in save chances). 12-team mixed: $21; 15-team mixed: $44; AL-only: $81

Will Harris, Astros - With another scoreless frame Saturday, Harris lowered his ERA to a microscopic 0.35 through 25 appearances this season. He earned his 15th hold, but Luke Gregerson then proceeded to blow the save on a solo homer by the A's Jed Lowrie, his fifth blown save this season. While the Astros would end up winning regardless, the blown save has to put Gregerson on shaky ground. Ken Giles seems to be slowly regaining the skipper's trust and Michael Feliz is striking batters out at a tremendous clip, but Harris seems to be the preferred setup option right now. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; AL-only: $12

Brad Brach, Orioles - A hamstring strain sent Darren O'Day to the DL and opened the door for Brach to potentially vulture some saves when closer Zach Britton is unavailable over the next couple weeks. Brach has been an excellent source of ratio help to this point, posting a 0.91 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 24 appearances while chipping in more than a strikeout per inning. His value has been boosted further by five wins -- he's behind only Chris Tillman for the team lead. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $7

Edwin Diaz, Mariners - The Mariners expedited Diaz's arrival by moving him to the bullpen at Double-A Jackson last month. With impressive velocity and movement on his fastball, and a breaking pitch that flashes plus, Diaz has the potential to eventually become a major player at the back end of the Seattle bullpen. For now, the 22-year-old should be viewed as a ratios eater with the potential to rack up a few holds. He's especially appealing for rebuilding teams in deep keeper leagues. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $1; AL-only: $7

Jason Grilli, Blue Jays - Grilli was brought in from Atlanta this week to provide depth and experience to the Toronto bullpen. He was the first reliever out of the bullpen in each of his first two appearances with Toronto, recording just the final out of the seventh both times. He should continue to get chances at holds, but there's little appeal anymore with Grilli as a speculative source of saves. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $3

Shane Greene, Tigers - Rather than return Greene to the rotation, the Tigers assigned the right-hander to the bullpen to fill a long-relief role upon his activation from the DL this week. That takes Greene off the radar in standard mixed leagues, but he could become somewhat relevant in leagues that count holds assuming his stuff plays up a little better in shorter spurts. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $4

Catcher

Francisco Pena, Orioles - Pena was called up to replace Caleb Joseph (groin) on the roster, and he provided more offense on one swing Thursday than Joseph did in 24 games before hitting the DL. The 26-year-old hit a two-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 effort, while Joseph has yet to hit a home run or even drive in a run this season. Pena didn't have a single homer with Triple-A Norfolk before getting the call, but had 13 with the Royals' Omaha affiliate last year and as many as 27 in 2014. Plus, Joseph underwent surgery and the O's haven't been able to lean on Matt Wieters too heavily to this point, so there's a case to at least consider Pena in deep two-catcher formats. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $5

First Base

Dae-Ho Lee, Mariners - Following another two-hit game Saturday, his fourth straight multi-hit game, Lee's batting line sits at .319/.354/.582. He's getting it done against lefties, as the Mariners had hoped, but he's hitting right-handers at an even better clip, and hitting for more power. Adam Lind picked it up at the plate in May, but the team figures to keep Lee in the lineup as much as possible while he's hot like this with starts at first base and DH. 12-team mixed: $6; 15-team mixed: $13; AL-only: $28

Jefry Marte, Angels - Marte went 4-for-4 with a home run in his final game of May, but he's hitless since, and Yunel Escobar seems to have turned the page on his recent wrist issue. Those in deeper leagues scouring for some corner infield help may be tempted to take a flier on Marte, as he does have a little power, but his opportunities will remain limited. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: $0; AL-only: $4

Chris Parmelee, Yankees - The Yankees passed on calling up Nick Swisher with Mark Teixeira landing on the DL, and instead went with Parmelee. A .245/.311/.396 career hitter at the major league level, he was batting .252/.343/.444 with seven homers and 21 RBI with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before getting the call. He's the lefty bat, but righty Rob Refsnyder started at first base Saturday and Sunday (both against opposing right-handed starters), suggesting Parmelee will play second fiddle at the position rather than serve in a platoon role. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $2

Second Base

Jurickson Profar, Rangers - While Profar survived Rougned Odor's return from suspension -- he started at DH and led off both Saturday and Sunday -- it's still widely assumed that he'll head down soon for regular playing time. Odor and Elvis Andrus are locked in at the middle infield positions, and Prince Fielder is an albatross at DH, but Profar probably needs to be owned in most leagues at this point. He's been red hot since joining the Rangers and is too good to keep down for long. The situation will take care of itself. Buy the talent now if it's still there. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $9; AL-only: $19

Whit Merrifield, Royals - There's not a ton in Merrifield's offensive profile to get excited about. Sure, he makes contact and has some speed, but he has mostly gap power and isn't walking much. That said, opportunity is a driving force in fantasy, and Merrifield's starting at second base and batting second for the defending World Series champions. He has 11 runs scored and three steals through 11 games, and at a position like second base, that's hard to ignore. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $4; AL-only: $9

Rob Refsnyder, Yankees - With Mark Teixeira on the DL and facing an extended absence, Refsnyder is now poised to see regular time at the first base position. He started at first both Saturday and Sunday against opposing right-handed starters, but Refsnyder will probably lose out on occasional starts to lefty Chris Parmelee. Refsnyder has never flashed much power or speed, so his hit tool and plate discipline will have to carry him. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $7

Shortstop

Alex Bregman, Astros - Yes, I am going to keep beating this drum. Bregman has seen the power dry up a bit lately, but he's still slashing .308/.415/.597 with 12 home runs through 45 games with Double-A Corpus Christi. The question is whether the Astros will actually bring him up anytime soon -- he wouldn't fix all of their problems -- but he's putting together a strong case to bypass the Triple-A level and help the Astros at the hot corner. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $5; AL-only: $11

Tim Anderson, White Sox - At this time last month, Anderson was hitting just .229/.253/.260 with Triple-A Charlotte, but he's caught fire to boost his line to .303/.326/.399. Neither Tyler Saladino nor Jimmy Rollins is doing much to hold onto a starting job, and it's probably just a matter of the Super 2 date passing before we see Anderson get an audition at the major league level. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $4; AL-only: $10

Third Base

Darwin Barney, Blue Jays - Barney is playing primarily at the middle-infield positions, but he's third-base eligible in many leagues as well. The .320 average he's provided may appear somewhat empty to prospective mixed-league owners, but the average, a pair of homers and 15 runs scored have made a him fairly significant net positive in AL-only leagues so far. 12-team mixed: $1; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $7

Outfield

Ryan Rua, Rangers - The 26-year-old is trying to shake the "platoon outfielder" label, posting a respectable .748 OPS against right-handed pitching to this point while also doing his part crushing lefties. Realistically, that's probably what he is long term, but Rua is getting more chances outside of strict platoon situations, and that should continue for another 10 days or so while Shin-Soo Choo remains out. 12-team mixed: $2; 15-team mixed: $4; AL-only: $10

Hyun Soo Kim, Orioles - The Joey Rickard experiment failed, and Kim has stepped up in a major way since taking the reins as the primary left fielder (starting against right-handed pitching). He has gone 8-for-18 to begin June, raising his average to .382 in 68 at-bats. While there isn't much power or speed to speak of here, Kim has exceptional plate skills and makes enough contact to remain in the two-hole for Baltimore. 12-team mixed: $4; 15-team mixed: $8; AL-only: $18

Byron Buxton, Twins - Buxton has hit safely in five straight games since his return from Triple-A Rochester (albeit out of the nine-hole), collecting multiple hits in each of his last two games, and he chipped in his third stolen base of the year Saturday. It's a small sample, but it's good to see Buxton's confidence carry over from Rochester after his disappointing run in Minnesota to start the year. Some may want to wait to start him until he's shown more, but Buxton needs to be rostered outside the shallowest of leagues. 12-team mixed: $6; 15-team mixed: $14; AL-only: $29

Max Kepler, Twins - Like Buxton, Kepler has also shown some signs of improvement since his return, but he's also shown his youth, striking out on three pitches with the bases loaded Friday. There's still quite a bit to like here in dynasty and keeper leagues, but until some of the power and speed starts to translate to the highest level, Kepler can probably be left alone in mixed leagues. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $2; AL-only: $8

Rusney Castillo, Red Sox - Castillo was recalled, as expected, in a corresponding move with Blake Swihart (ankle) hitting the DL, but Chris Young got the start in left field Sunday against right-hander Marco Estrada. There was a lot of intrigue surrounding Castillo when he first signed his massive contract with Boston, but the tools simply have not translated to success against more advanced competition. Even those rebuilding in dynasty and keeper leagues looking to take a flier would probably be wise to focus elsewhere. 12-team mixed: No; 15-team mixed: No; AL-only: $4

Reymond Fuentes, Royals - Fuentes has racked up five hits in his last two games and it looks like he will remain a part of the Royals' corner outfield mix with Alex Gordon and Brett Eibner on the disabled list. The 25-year-old has hit above .300 in parts of four seasons at the Triple-A level and stole 29 bases in 35 attempts last year, but a spot in the bottom-third of the batting order is not especially conducive for stolen base production. 12-team mixed: $0; 15-team mixed: $1; AL-only: $6