Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Working Out at 1B, 3B, OF

The Blue Jays organization is looking to increase Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s versatility this spring by having him work out at first base, third base, and in the outfield. A shortstop when he signed, the Cuba native has played a number of positions already in his career but was kept mostly to the outfield in 2020. […]

The Operating Room Ep. 18: 2021 Fantasy Baseball Intro

Kev Mahserejian (@RotoSurgeon) is joined by CBS Fantasy's Frank Stampfl (@Roto_Frank) to discuss the 2021 fantasy baseball season. This episode is a primer that covers the questions looming large across the fantasy landscape. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, and […]

Max Stassi To Be Brought Back Slowly

Los Angeles Angels catcher Max Stassi (hip) is in line to be the team's primary catcher in 2021 but will be brought along slowly in spring training after having left hip surgery. The Angels signed veteran Kurt Suzuki to back up Stassi as the team takes it slow with his recovery. In 31 games last […]

Dylan Bundy's Slider Usage Key To Sustained Success

Los Angeles Angels starter Dylan Bundy has his sights set on building off his breakout campaign last season, not his impending free agency status. The former top prospect put it all together last season, going 6-3 with a 3.29 ERA in 11 starts last season. He will head into 2021 as the ace of the […]

Shane Bieber Tests Positive For COVID-19

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber has tested positive for COVID-19, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports. Bieber reportedly experienced mild symptoms following his positive test and is a late arrival to camp as a result. However, the president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti was hopeful that the right-hander will be able to join the […]

Brian Dozier Retiring After Nine Seasons

Former Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier announced his retirement on Thursday after nine years in the major leagues and 167 career home runs. Dozier spent his first seven seasons with Minnesota before he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He managed to hit 20 home runs and help the Washington Nationals […]

Tyler Glasnow Adding A New Pitch

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow is adding a new pitch -- a slider/cutter -- to his arsenal for the 2021 season. Already considered a strong SP2 for fantasy managers with plenty of upside in his right arm at 27 years old, Glasnow took a slight step back in 2020 with a 4.08 ERA […]

J.T. Realmuto Suffers Broken Thumb

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (thumb) suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand and is expected to miss up to a month. Realmuto should be ready for Opening Day but will be out for a number of spring training games after recently signing a five-year deal worth $115 million to return to Philadelphia. As […]

Stephen Strasburg Fully Recovered From Wrist Injury

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, whose 2020 season ended early due to wrist surgery, is at full strength as spring training begins. According to GM Mike Rizzo, Strasburg is no longer in "rehabilitation mode" but "preparation mode" for the 2021 season. That should allay any concerns about the specific injury Strasburg sustained last year, […]

Juan Soto Due For A Contract Extension?

Washington Nationals star outfielder Juan Soto could be in line for a big contract extension after the Padres signed 22-year-old shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year, $340 million deal on Wednesday night. Soto is also 22 years old. He will make $8.5 million in 2021 and has four years remaining before he can reach […]

Max Scherzer Sprains Ankle

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (ankle) sprained his ankle on his landing foot two weeks ago, manager Dave Martinez said Thursday. Scherzer was doing offseason conditioning when he sustained the injury, but it's been characterized as a minor issue. Although he is currently not throwing because of it, this injury should not affect Scherzer's fantasy […]

Chris Sale Says He Feels Great

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow) said he's feeling great while he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. The left-hander hasn't been cleared to throw off a mound yet, and it will be months before he pitches in a game. Sale had a mild case of COVID-19 a […]

Gio Urshela Close To Full Health

New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela (elbow) is close to full strength, according to manager Aaron Boone. Urshela has made encouraging progress after undergoing offseason surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow, and fantasy managers should expect him to be ready for Opening Day (or extremely close to it) at this point. […]

Jordan Hicks "Ready To Go"

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (elbow) is "ready to go," according to Cardinals bullpen coach Bryan Eversgerd. Hicks has reportedly been throwing without issue and is now about 19 months removed from his Tommy John surgery. Entering camp, Giovanny Gallegos was considered the favorite for saves in St. Louis, but if Hicks is indeed […]

Luis Severino Close To Throwing On Mound

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (elbow) has been playing catch and is expected to throw off of a mound within the next few weeks. Severino missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in February, and the 26-year-old appears to be on track for his original target return date sometime in […]

MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 18th

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, things are at least a little more […]

Mitch Moreland Signs One-Year Deal With Oakland

The Oakland Athletics and first baseman Mitch Moreland agreed to a one-year Major League contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Moreland adds a left-handed bat to a largely right-handed A's lineup and figures to get most of his at-bats as a designated hitter while also filling in occasionally for Matt Olson at first base. […]

Mets Unlikely To Sign Jackie Bradley Jr.

On Thursday, SNY reported that the New York Mets' chances of signing free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. are now virtually non-existent. While the Mets previously engaged Bradley's agent, Scott Boras, the two sides never got remotely close to an agreement. With the Mets' recent additions of outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Kevin Pillar, their outfield […]

Trevor Rosenthal Agrees To One-Year Deal With A's

The Oakland Athletics and relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal are in agreement on a one-year, $11 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Rosenthal figures to slot into the closer role after Liam Hendriks departed Oakland in free agency. Rosenthal was superb last season, converting 11 of 12 save chances with a 1.90 ERA […]

Oliver Perez Returns To Cleveland

The Cleveland Indians have made a deal with relief pitcher Oliver Perez on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. The 39-year-old lefty has shifted around quite a bit over his 18-year career, but he's finally found a bit of stability in Cleveland. He owns a 2.67 ERA thus far in Cleveland, including a 2.00 mark […]

Yankees Interested In Signing Brett Gardner

Free-agent outfielder Brett Garnder still has a shot at returning to the Yankees in 2021, and the team reportedly continues to express interest in the 37-year-old. Gardner's fantasy value isn't great if he rejoins the Yankees as he'd be the team's fourth outfielder with the possibility of getting overtaken on the depth chart by Mike […]

Trevor Bauer to the Dodgers - Fantasy Impact

The biggest domino in this year's free agent market has finally toppled, as Trevor Bauer is taking his talents to Los Angeles for the next three years with the Dodgers. It'll be a return to familiar territory for the reigning NL Cy Young winner, as he returns not only to where he grew up but […]

Mets Interest In Taijuan Walker Remains Serious

On Wednesday, it was reported that the New York Mets have identified right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker as someone they have serious interest in. In 2020, over 11 starts and 53 1/3 innings pitched between the Mariners and Blue Jays, Walker posted a 2.70 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 50:19 K:BB. For his career, the […]

Top 250 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Part 1)

RotoBaller's Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects list is back and refreshed for the 2021 season. Baseball has undergone a lot of change over the past 12 months due to the pandemic and no area of the game has been more heavily impacted than the minor leagues. Since this time last year, Minor League Baseball has […]

2021 First Base Rankings - 5x5 Mixed Leagues

The chaotic, wild, and confusing 2020 COVID season is now thankfully behind us, am I right fellow Red Sox fans? But now is the hardest part in terms of fantasy implications from the pandemic as we try to decipher how much of 2020's statistics are actually viable data for 2021 projections. Small playing time samples, […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Batter BABIP

The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. Many know […]

Demarcus Evans Won't Throw Off Mound Until Mid-March

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Demarcus Evans (lat) isn't cleared to throw off a mound and won't be until mid-March after offseason surgery. Evans showed promise in his first four MLB games last year, throwing four innings with four strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. It was a small sample size, but the hard-throwing youngster projects to […]

Joely Rodriguez Behind Schedule

Texas Rangers pitcher Joely Rodriguez (ankle) is reportedly a bit behind schedule, according to Levi Weaver of The Athletic. Rodriguez pitched in 12 games last year for the Rangers, posting a 2.13 ERA with 17 strikeouts. A strong 2020 season could propel Rodriguez into a larger role in 2021, though the injury setback could be […]

Buster Posey Feels Good Physically

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, who will turn 34 next month, said he feels good physically after focusing on improving his conditioning in the offseason after sitting out all of 2020 due to COVID-19. Manager Gabe Kapler noted that Posey appears to have bulked up over the winter, creating optimism that he can bounce […]

Blue Jays To Play First Two Homestands In Florida

The Toronto Blue Jays will play the first two homestands of the regular season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Jays start off with a three-game series at the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers before a homestand with four games against […]