Nationals Targeting Kris Bryant

The Washington Nationals are targeting third baseman Kris Bryant and are determined to keep right-handed pitchers Jackson Rutledge and Cade Cavalli, the team's top two prospects, in any trade. The New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays could all be fits for Bryant as well. Bryant is expected to be tendered a […]

Red Sox Agree With Eduardo Rodriguez

The Boston Red Sox agreed to an $8.3 million deal with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez for the 2021 season on Tuesday, according to a source. Rodriguez would've been in the fourth and final year of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent next offseason. The 27-year-old southpaw was set to be the team's Opening Day starter […]

James McCann Receiving Plenty Of Interest

Free-agent catcher James McCann has received interest from the New York Yankees, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox. The Philadelphia Phillies are also believed to be interest if they lose J.T. Realmuto. McCann had a 144 OPS+ last season and has slashed .276/.334/.474 with 25 home runs and […]

Marlins Acquire Adam Cimber, DFA Jose Urena

The Miami Marlins acquired sidearm reliever Adam Cimber from the Cleveland Indians on Monday in exchange for $100,000. In a corresponding move, the Marlins designated right-hander Jose Urena for assignment. Urena was the team's Opening Day starter in 2018 and 2019 and spent six seasons with the club, but he went 0-3 with a 5.40 […]

Royals Sign Michael A. Taylor

The Kansas City Royals finalized a one-year, $1.75 million deal with outfielder Michael A. Taylor on Monday. The deal includes up to $1 million in performance bonuses. The 29-year-old hit just .196 in 38 games for the Nationals in the shortened 2020 season and became a free agent on Oct. 15 when he refused an […]

Is Hard-Hit Rate Predictive?

Over the last 10 or so years, baseball fans have seen all kinds of new statistics pop in front of their faces. Some people really like these new metrics, and some people really do not. Judging by the fact that you are reading this article, I am guessing that you fall into that first grouping. […]

George Springer Remains One Of Mets Top Free-Agent Targets

The New York Mets continue to pursue free-agent outfielder George Springer despite reported interest from the Toronto Blue Jays. SNY reported on Monday that Springer is one of the Mets top targets that they are pursuing in free agency. In 2020 with the Houston Astros, Springer posted a .265/.359/.540 slash line over 189 at-bats with […]

Mike Minor Agrees With Royals

The Kansas City Royals agreed with left-handed starter Mike Minor on a two-year deal on Sunday that is pending a physical, according to sources. Minor, who turns 33 on Dec. 26, is returning to the city where he revitalized his career as a reliever in 2017. The southpaw went 1-1 with a 5.48 ERA in […]

Projecting Power in 2021: Elite Levels of Air% Exit Velocity

Everyone wants more power, even more so when it comes relatively cheap. But even when pricey, you're going to need to draft a bomber or two. One of the best ways to see how a player's power is trending is to sift through their exit-velocities to see what they're saying. Most know by now that […]

Year-in-Review: Lance McCullers Jr.

It had been a while since we saw Lance McCullers Jr. on the mound. He has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and he dealt with his most severe in 2019 when he lost the entire season to Tommy John surgery. The shutdown and the subsequent delayed start to the season […]

Nick Mariano's Early 2021 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings

I think most of us would agree that looking forward to 2021 is a good idea. For me, that means immersing myself in the upcoming baseball season. While there's no guarantee COVID-19 won't affect the '21 season, I will approach ranks as if a traditional 162-game season is coming. Join me for my position-by-position ranking […]

Kohei Arihara Posted By Japanese Team

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Japanese League posted right-hander Kohei Arihara on Thursday. The 28-year-old has a 3.65 career ERA over 882 innings in Japan. The move starts a 30-day window for all 30 major league teams to negotiate with Arihara. He went 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 games for the Fighters […]

Several Teams Interested In Yadier Molina

Free-agent catcher Yadier Molina said that several teams have expressed interest in signing him this offseason, including the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets and New York Yankees. Molina is looking for a two-year deal with a contending team and isn't focused on the money aspect. At this point in his career, […]

Year-In-Review: Christian Yelich

After having won the NL MVP award in 2018, Christian Yelich was well on his way to potentially winning a second consecutive award in 2019. However, he broke his kneecap in September of that year and that put a premature end to his monster season. There were some fantasy baseball managers who shied away from selecting […]

Randy Arozarena Released From Charges In Mexico

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena was released in Mexico's Yucatan state on Thursday prior to a hearing following allegations of domestic violence, according to sources. Legal sources said that Arozarena was released from all charges when he reached an agreement with his former partner, who decided not to take legal action against the outfielder. […]

Faster and Furious: Pitchers With Rising Velocity

The shortened 2020 season resulted in some small sample size related caveats surrounding analysis heading into 2021, but fastball velocity is largely immune from that issue. Fastball velocity is extremely quick to stabilize, and even a few pitches can provide fantasy managers with a reasonably clear understanding of a pitcher’s velocity. Further supporting that notion […]

Tomoyuki Sugano Expected To Be Posted In Several Weeks

Yomiuri Giants right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano of the Japanese League is expected to be posted within the next two weeks now that the Japan Series has ended, according to a source. Major League clubs have been scouting Sugano for years in preparation for this move. The 31-year-old has been one of the most dominant pitchers in […]

Blue Jays Have Checked In On Brad Hand

The Toronto Blue Jays, who have been among the most active teams in offseason talks, have checked in on free-agent relief pitcher Brad Hand, according to a source. The Jays have other needs on the roster, but a left-handed reliever to join Jordan Romano and Rafael Dolis at the back end of the bullpen is […]

Wander Franco Dealing With Sore Biceps

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop and top MLB prospect Wander Franco (biceps) hasn't played for his Dominican Winter League team, the Leones del Escogido, since Friday due to a sore right biceps. Franco will travel back to the U.S. to be looked at by team doctors. The 19-year-old hit .350/.435/.500 with a home run and a […]

Rockies Acquire Robert Stephenson In Four-Player Trade

The Colorado Rockies acquired right-hander Robert Stephenson and minor league outfielder Jameson Hannah from the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Case Williams. Stephenson, 27, made 10 relief appearances for the Reds last year and was 10-13 with a 5.15 ERA in 104 outings (22 starts) for Cincy in […]

Adam Wainwright Unsure If He'll Return To Cardinals

Free-agent right-hander Adam Wainwright is in wait-and-see mode as it pertains to potentially re-signing with the St. Louis Cardinals. Because of a strange shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19 with no fans, the Cardinals could be limited in what they do financially. Long-time catcher Yadier Molina, who is also a free agent, also has his […]

Giants Interested In Jon Lester

The San Francisco Giants are interested in free-agent left-hander Jon Lester as they look to add one more starting pitcher this offseason. Lester seriously considered signing with the Giants before joining the Cubs in 2014. San Francisco general manager Scott Harris worked in the Cubs front office during Lester's time in Chicago, and pitching on […]

Jake Odorizzi A Highly Coveted Free Agent

Free-agent right-hander Jake Odorizzi is drawing significant interest as the next attractive available starter behind Trevor Bauer. Odorizzi threw just 13 2/3 innings in the shortened 2020 season because of three separate trips to the injured list. However, he had a 3.51 ERA with a 10.1 K/9 over 30 starts in 2019 with the Twins. […]

Blue Jays Talking With Michael Brantley, Justin Turner

The Toronto Blue Jays have been in contact with free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley and third baseman Justin Turner. Toronto already re-signed lefty Robbie Ray and are expected to be among of the most aggressive teams this winter. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moving to first base last year, the Blue Jays have a hole at the […]

Rangers Listening To Offers For Lance Lynn

The Texas Rangers are listening to trade offers for starting pitcher Lance Lynn. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported two weeks ago that rival executives fully expect the Rangers to deal the 33-year-old right-hander this offseason. He's entering the final year of his three-year, $30 million deal and could be a very nice one-season rental for […]

Reds Open To Dealing Sonny Gray

The Cincinnati Reds are open to trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray this offseason, even though they will also be losing Trevor Bauer to free agency. Gray is signed for $20 million over the next two seasons and has a $12 million team option for the 2023 campaign, making him an affordable option for teams that […]

Mets Aiming To Be Aggressive This Offseason

The New York Mets aim to be aggressive for the best available players this offseason. One source said that it's true that the Mets are targeting more than just one of the big four -- outfielder George Springer, catcher J.T. Realmuto, starting pitcher Trevor Bauer and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. There has been speculation that […]

Astros Open To Trading Carlos Correa

The Houston Astros are considering trades for shortstop Carlos Correa. The 26-year-old can become a free agent after the 2021 season and the Astros know they are unlikely to sign him to a contract extension before that point. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, Correa has been injury prone in his career […]

Dodgers Interested In Brad Hand

The Los Angeles Dodgers are showing interest in free-agent left-handed reliever Brad Hand, according to a source. Hand could fit into the bullpen in Blake Treinen's role if he doesn't re-sign with the team. The southpaw converted all 16 of his save chances for the Indians in 2020, but he'd lose significant fantasy value with […]

Bubba and Bat Flip 59: 2021 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Preview - Benched with Bubba (Episode 323)

Bubba (@bdentrek) is joined by Bat Flip Crazy (@BatFlipCrazy) to continue their positional previews with the wonderful second base position. They will go over the Top 10 in NFBC ADP, go over some later round targets, and then a ton of awesome listener questions to get you ready for the catcher position. Be sure to […]