CC Sabathia Battles For The Fifth Spot in Yankees Pitching Rotation

CC Sabathia enters his 16th season competing for a rotation spot for the very first time. Following a stint in rehab, Sabathia heads to spring training healthier and confident, with an abundance of support from those around him. Andy Pettitte believes Sabathia can adjust to his declining velocity the same way he did later in […]

Wait and See With Didi Gregorius

Didi Gregorius went from being the guy failing to replace Derek Jeter, to a shortstop finding his groove later in the season. Now that some of the pressure of filling Jeter’s shoes has waned, Gregorius will look to build off a 2015 second half where he batted .294. His 3.3 WAR was fourth best among […]

Chase Headley Too Untrustworthy to Roster

The difficulty with drafting Chase Headley is that he’s unpredictable. Playing a full season, 156 games in 2015, Headley posted only 11 home runs and 62 ribbies. The Yankees, hopeful when they traded for him, are still waiting for shades of the 2012 breakout star, when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 115 […]

Does Ryan Vogelsong Have Anything Left?

Starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong is expected to open 2016 in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation. How long he stays there is a mystery. Breaking out in 2011 as a 34-year old, Vogelsong spent the last five seasons in San Francisco, where he benefitted from one of the best pitchers’ parks in baseball. Over 135 innings in […]

Pedro Strop Doomed To Remain Setup Man

In his second full season with the Chicago Cubs, 30-year-old Dominican Pedro Strop emerged as one of the best setup relievers in the league. In 76 appearances, he recorded 28 holds in 68 innings, finishing tied for fifth in the category. He also had a shot at closer, as Joe Maddon implemented a closer by […]

Wil Myers Overdue For a Breakout Season

Remember when Wil Myers won the American League Rookie of the Year Award back in 2013? Really, we swear he did. What began as a career seemingly destined for All-Star nods and other superlatives has sputtered for two years due to injuries and inconsistency. Myers was limited to 60 games in his debut season with […]

Brandon Crawford an Underrated Option at Shortstop

Quick quiz -- how many shortstops had more home runs than Brandon Crawford (21) last season? That would be just one, Houston Astros wunderkind Carlos Correa. And how many had more RBIs than Crawford (84)? Well, zero. You get the point. The San Francisco Giants infielder enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, establishing career highs […]

Andrew Cashner Could Cash in During Contract Year

Last season was a mixed bag for San Diego Padres starting pitcher Andrew Cashner. The right-hander saw his ERA and WHIP balloon from 2.55 and 1.13 in 2014, respectively, to 4.34 and 1.44 in 2015. That's bad, but there was some good, too. Cashner started 31 games, eclipsing the 30-start plateau for the first time […]

Brandon Belt's Upside Clouded by Injury Concerns

When healthy, San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt offers something every manager would like to see in their lineup -- a left-handed hitter with some pop. The "when healthy" qualifier, however, seems to be all that's holding Belt back. For the second straight season, Belt battled concussion issues. He also had surgery to repair […]

Aaron Hicks' Ability to Hit Lefties Earns Him a Fantasy-Nod

Upon trading for Hicks, it seemed that the Yankees would ship Brett Gardner. Even though that hasn’t happened, yet, Hicks could very well see a lot more playing time than that of an ordinary platoon outfielder. Hicks posted a .870 OPS and .307 average against lefties last season and will likely start against all south […]

Adam Warren's Value Hinges On Spring Training Battle For Rotation

Traded from the New York Yankees for Starlin Castro, Adam Warren arrives in Chicago as an interesting project. He spent the majority of his first three seasons as a reliever with the ability to pitch extended innings, but he became New York’s fifth last year in the wake of Ivan Nova’s injury. His season can […]

Jed Lowrie Carries Value if he Stays Healthy

Jed Lowrie’s injuries have caused headaches for front offices and after four seasons with the Boston Red Sox where he never played more that 88 games in a season, Lowrie began getting thrown back and forth between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics. After his best season yet in 2012 with the Astros, Lowrie […]

Contact Pitching and Subpar Defense Raise Questions for Kendall Graveman's 2016 Outlook

Kendall Graveman came to Oakland in the blockbuster deal that the Athletics and the Blue Jays organized for Josh Donaldson. The 2015 season was our first chance to see what Graveman could do on the mound. After being thrown to the wolves in the powerful American League West, Graveman held his own to compile a […]

Can Henderson Alvarez's New Shoulder Be Trusted?

In May of 2015, Henderson Alvarez was placed on the disabled list with shoulder problems and never returned. At the time, the Miami Marlins were upset about this development. “Here is the disciplined middle-rotation starter that we need,” the front office thought after landing him in the blockbuster Jose Reyes trade. After just 51 starts […]

Veteran Rich Hill is An Intriguing SP Option

At the age of 35 and having played for five different teams, we can file Rich Hill under the “Grizzled Veteran” category. In the early days of Hill’s career, we got a good look at what he could do on the bump while making 57 starts with the Chicago Cubs. He dazzled fans with an […]

Steer Clear of Devin Mesoraco in 2016

Devin Mesroraco has been all over the place in recent years. Even in a career year (2014) in which Mesoraco hit .273 with 25 home runs, 80 RBI, and an All Star Game appearance, he was only able to play in 114 games. Granted, capable backup Brayan Pena was on-hand to give him rest, but injuries […]

Oakland Athletics and Fantasy Owners Alike Hope Jed Lowrie Can Stay Healthy

Jed Lowrie’s injuries have caused headaches for front offices and after four seasons with the Boston Red Sox where he never played more that 88 games in a season, Lowrie began getting thrown back and forth between the Houston Astros and the Oakland Athletics. After his best season yet in 2012 with the Astros, Lowrie […]

Danny Valencia Hoping to Stick in Oakland

Don’t be like the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays who have all passed on Danny Valencia’s abilities. The 3B was drafted in 2006 and it has been hard for him to find a true home since then. We can bet that he is hoping to find […]

Contact Pitching and Subpar Defense Raise Questions for Kendall Graveman's 2016 Outlook

Kendall Graveman came to Oakland in the blockbuster deal that the Athletics and the Blue Jays organized for Josh Donaldson. The 2015 season was our first chance to see what Graveman could do on the mound. After being thrown to the wolves in the powerful American League West, Graveman held his own to compile a […]

Glen Perkins' Stock Trending Downwards

Glen Perkins was once an elite relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, having posted an earned run average below 2.60 in 2011, 2012 and 2013. However, he has fallen off a bit since that time, with an ERA above 3.30 in each of the last two seasons. Perkins, now 32, is still a serviceable closer […]

Despite 20/20 Potential, Steven Souza Comes with Risks

Steven Souza displayed strong power and speed in his first year with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 373 at-bats, he posted 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases, but struggled to get on base consistently. He finished the season with a .225/.318/.399 slash line and an outrageous 33.8% strikeout rate, the third highest among players […]

Job Security Guarantees Fantasy Value for Brad Boxberger

Brad Boxberger spent the 2015 season as the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays, and nailed down a league-high 41 saves. His 3.71 earned run average and 1.37 walks plus hits per inning pitched are far from sensational, but those numbers were much more impressive before an ugly, four-run outing in mid-September. Eleven of his […]

Byung Ho Park Worth the Risk on Draft Day

It's never easy to evaluate a player who has never played in the United States, but it's hard not to be enticed by the 105 home runs Byung-ho Park smashed over the last two seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization. He knocked in 270 runs over that span, and hit over .300 in each season. […]

Corey Dickerson's Value Suffers from Move to Tampa Bay

Corey Dickerson, 26, was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays in January after a 2015 campaign plagued by injury. In 224 at-bats, he hit 10 home runs and slashed .304/.333/.536. He had a breakout 2014 season in which he hit 24 HR to go with a .312/.364/.567 slash line. However, having played half of his […]

Can Jason Hammel Bounce Back From Second-Half Slide?

33-year-old Jason Hammel is coming off a roller coaster 2015 campaign that saw him start strong before spiraling downhill in the final three months of the season. Now entering his 11th year in the majors, he finds himself at a crossroads. With possible free agency awaiting him next offseason, does he have what it takes to […]

Can Logan Forsythe build on his 2015 success?

Logan Forsythe had a surprise breakout year in 2015 at age 28. He hit 17 home runs, stole nine bases and posted a .281/.359/.444 slash line in his first season with at least 350 at-bats. Over the first four years of his career, Forsythe smacked a total of 18 HR, so it's easy to question […]

Alexei Ramirez Offers Little Upside at Shortstop

After an eight-year run with the Chicago White Sox, veteran Alexei Ramirez signed a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason to become the San Diego Padres' every-day shortstop. The move does little to help the durable Ramirez's fantasy stock, though. The power that Ramirez flashed early in his career has largely diminished over the […]

Hunter Pence is Ideal Buy-Low Outfielder Option

Last season was a lost year for San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence. He suffered a fractured left forearm in spring training that derailed his entire campaign, limiting the previously ironman-like Pence to a career season-low 52 games. It's easy to overlook that Pence's numbers, if projected over a full season, would have looked […]

Drew Smyly is a breakout candidate for 2016

Drew Smyly came up with the Detroit Tigers in 2012, and the biggest issue he has faced in developing into a top-of-the-rotation starter is staying healthy. He won the fifth starter job in Detroit in 2014, but was shipped off to play with the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline as part of the David […]

James Shields' Production Won't Match Reputation

James Shields has been one of fantasy's more reliable starting pitchers over the last five seasons, offering 200-strikeout and 15-win potential with the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres. But the man known as "Big Game James" threw up some red flags in his 2015 debut season in Southern California that […]