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The offseason is officially no more, but Spring training is here, and with it comes the daily influx of baseball news that fantasy managers have missed in the last few months. Lineup news, actual games happening, constant waiver wire moves, pitching assignments, and bullpen usage.
Baseball is back and so too is fantasy baseball, with drafts either starting in the near or not-too-near future for many. This column aims to cover any and all fantasy baseball news, big or small, and how it pertains to your fantasy team. Spring training or the regular season, it's covered here.
Has a player who’s usually been hitting in the middle of a lineup suddenly batting eighth or ninth for an extended period? The fantasy implications will be covered here. The same goes for injuries and injured placements and whether or not you should consider picking up a player who was recently called up. Basically, any kernel of fantasy news and its relevance to fantasy managers could be covered here. Today, the news of the day is the fantasy impact of a pair of signings: Mike Moustakas joining the Colorado Rockies and Will Smith inking a deal with the Texas Rangers.
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Fantasy Baseball Impact Of Mike Moustakas Joining The Rockies
The veteran infielder joined the National League West franchise on a reported minor league deal, per a tweet from The New York Post's Jon Heyman on March 5. Heyman tweeted the following:
The Rockies are currently without starting second baseman Brendan Rodgers due to a shoulder injury. Alan Trejo could be taking over for Rodgers at second base, which is probably a fantasy situation to stay away from, something I covered last week.
Moustakas, who has experience playing second base in his career, reportedly won't be part of the second base mix in Colorado, per a tweet from MLB.com's Thomas Harding on March 7. Instead, the veteran will reportedly play the infield corners and hit at designated hitter. Harding tweeted the following:
With C.J. Cron entrenched at first base and Ryan McMahon moving over to second base, Moustakas' best bets for playing time will come at the hot corner and designated hitter.
And while the Rockies don't have set starters at either spot, they aren't necessarily short of options either. Colorado has a couple of younger options at third, including Nolan Jones and Elehuris Montero. At designated hitter, the club could opt to rotate outfield options Kris Bryant, Charlie Blackmon, Yonathan Daza, and Sean Bouchard.
And while the move to Colorado has the potential to boost some of Moustakas' numbers, he might be looking at something of a timeshare at either position, especially third base with Jones and Montero, a pair of players who were both well-regarded as prospects.
Though even if Moustakas does separate himself and earn a regular spot in Colorado, he may only be an option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues.
The veteran didn't top a .215 batting average in either of his final two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, seeing his on-base percentage finish below .300 in each campaign as well. Overall, in 491 plate appearances dating back to the start of the 2021 season, the infielder hit .211 with a .289 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, and a pair of stolen bases. He also didn't make much in the way of loud contact, with a 5.9% barrel rate, a 32.8% hard-hit rate, and a .285 wOBA.
Fantasy Baseball Impact Of Will Smith Signing With The Rangers
Smith joined the Rangers on a one-year, Major League deal, per a tweet from the team's official public relations Twitter account on March 4:
Per a tweet from The New York Post's Joel Sherman on March 4, the deal will reportedly pay Smith "$1.5M with $2.5M in bonuses for games and games finished."
The 33-year-old split last season between Atlanta and the Houston Astros, pitching to a 3.97 ERA and a 4.26 FIP in 59 innings of work. He also added 65 strikeouts compared to 25 walks in the process while chipping in with 16 holds and five saves.
Smith could certainly figure into the saves mix in Texas. Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the left-hander has amassed 90 saves, the ninth-most in the sport.
Not only does he have the experience of finishing games in the ninth inning, but he's also joining a Texas team that isn't exactly set at the back end of the bullpen. Five different Rangers relievers logged at least three saves during the 2022 season, and it's presently unclear just how the new manager will utilize his bullpen heading into the 2023 campaign.
Still, with Matt Moore now in Anaheim with the Angels, it isn't hard to see Smith stepping into a high-leverage role. Of course, that's purely speculative, but if it's the case, he'll have plenty of fantasy value in saves+holds leagues early on.
Furthermore, as Opening Day gets closer and closer on the calendar, Smith is certainly someone to consider as a potential source of saves for fantasy managers, especially if one or both Joe Barlow and Jose Leclerc – a duo who combined for 20 of Texas' 37 saves last season – struggle at any point.
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