Mariners Land Felnin Celesten For $4.7 Million

The Seattle Mariners agreed to a $4.7 million deal on Sunday with shortstop prospect Felnin Celesten, according to a source. Celesten is considered the No. 2 international prospect, according to MLB.com. In addition to Celesten, the M's agreed to a $600,000 with right-hander Jeter Martinez, who ranks No. 42. Celesten may have the highest ceiling […]

Mariners Claim J.B. Bukauskas Off Waivers From D-Backs

The Seattle Mariners claimed right-hander J.B. Bukauskas off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and designated outfielder Alberto Rodriguez for assignment in a corresponding move. Bukauskas didn't make it through waivers after Arizona designated him for assignment last Wednesday. The 26-year-old was injured to begin last season and never made it to the big […]

Julian Merryweather Claimed By Cubs

The Chicago Cubs claimed right-hander Julian Merryweather off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Merryweather was designated for assignment by the Jays recently so that they could make room on the active roster for first baseman Brandon Belt, but the 31-year-old reliever didn't make it through waivers. In his third MLB season in […]

Dodgers Agree With Joendry Vargas, Arnaldo Lantigua

The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed with shortstop Joendry Vargas and outfielder Arnaldo Lantigua on Sunday. Vargas, the No. 3 player on MLB.com's top-50 international prospect list, signed for $2.077 million. Lantigua was ranked No. 23 and signed for $697,500. Vargas, who stands at 6-foot-3, is quick with good hands and instincts at the position, and […]

Padres Agree With Ethan Salas

The San Diego Padres agreed to a $5.6 million deal with catcher Ethan Salas on Sunday, according to a source. Salas is the top-ranked prospect on MLB.com's top-50 international prospect list. The Venezuelan backstop is one of the best catching prospects in recent history with strong bloodlines. The 16-year-old is the younger brother of Miami […]

Lewin Diaz Outrighted To Triple-A

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Lewin Diaz passed through waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Diaz has had a tumultuous offseason to say the least, after originally being designated for assignment on Nov. 15 of last year by the Miami Marlins. Since then, he was claimed by the Pirates on Nov. 22, DFA'd by […]

Brett Martin Having Shoulder Surgery

Texas Rangers left-hander Brett Martin (shoulder) is set to have left shoulder surgery this week, according to a source. Martin's timetable for a return is to be determined. The 27-year-old southpaw went on the injured list in September with a left shoulder strain and he obviously didn't improve over the winter. Although we don't have […]

Reds Sign Richie Martin To Minor-League Deal

The Cincinnati Reds signed free-agent shortstop Richie Martin to a minor-league deal on Tuesday with an invitation to major-league spring training. Martin comes to the Reds after playing only 13 games at the major-league level for the Baltimore Orioles in 2022. He went 5-for-30 with no homers, three RBI, four runs scored and three stolen […]

Matt Mervis Likely To Start At Triple-A

Chicago Cubs first base prospect Matt Mervis will almost certainly begin 2023 at Triple-A Iowa after the team signed first basemen Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini this offseason. Hosmer will take the at-bats against right-handers and even some lefties, with Mancini also a prime candidate at designated hitter. Mervis hit 36 home runs across three […]

Cardinals Could Be In The Mix For Pablo Lopez

The St. Louis Cardinals rank near the top of the list of teams that could benefit from a trade for Miami Marlins right-hander Pablo Lopez. Current Cardinals starters Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery will reach free agency after 2023, while Lopez is under team control for two more years and is […]

Royals Still Willing To Re-Sign Zack Greinke

Although the Kansas City Royals don't necessarily need veteran starting pitcher Zack Greinke in 2023, they remain interested in re-signing him. The potential Hall of Famer will probably need to accept a low base salary that could grow with incentives based on innings pitched if he wants to return to KC, according to sources familiar […]

Marlins Having Talks With Yuli Gurriel

The Miami Marlins have had talks with free-agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel, according to a source. If signed by the Marlins, Gurriel could potentially share time at the cold corner with Garrett Cooper. General manager Kim Ng and Gurriel have spoken directly, but it remains to be seen if the Fish will actually sign the […]

Red Sox Eyeing Adam Duvall, Josh Harrison

The Boston Red Sox have free-agent outfielders Adam Duvall and Josh Harrison on their radar, among others. With Xander Bogaerts out of town and Trevor Story (elbow) injured, shortstop is a big need for 2023 as well. Among the available free agents at the position are Elvis Andrus, Jose Iglesias and Andrelton Simmons. Duvall could […]

Marlins Considering Aroldis Chapman

The Miami Marlins are among a few teams considering free-agent relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who lives in South Florida. The hard-throwing left-hander fell on hard times in 2022, posting a career-worst 4.46 ERA (4.57 FIP), 1.43 WHIP, nine saves and a career-low 26.9 percent strikeout rate in 36 1/3 relief innings in what will likely […]

Kris Bryant To Be Full-Go For Spring Training

Colorado Rockies third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant (foot) said over the weekend that he will head into spring training fully healthy and without restrictions. Bryant only managed to play in 42 games in his first year with the Rockies due to multiple injuries, mainly plantar fasciitis in his foot. It's good news that he's healthy already, […]

Rays Sign Braden Bristo To Minor-League Deal

Per a tweet from The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays have reportedly signed right-handed pitcher Braden Bristo to a minor-league deal. Topkin tweeted the following on Tuesday: "#Rays have signed RH reliever Braden Bristo to a minor league contract with a spring invite. Spent last 2 years with #Yankees […]

Rockies Acquire Connor Seabold

The Colorado Rockies have acquired right-handed pitcher Connor Seabold from the Boston Red Sox. Per a tweet from MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Tuesday, Colorado is sending a player to be named or cash considerations to the American League East club. Seabold made five starts for Boston during the 2022 season, throwing 18.1 innings in the […]

Early Outfield Tiers & Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of tiers and rankings for the 2023 season. It is the perfect time to enthrall you guys with some fantasy preparation as we creep toward Spring Training. This time around, I present you with the top 75 outfielders as displayed in the corresponding chart. I personally have not had […]

Red Sox Express Interest In Elvis Andrus, Jurickson Profar

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday that the Boston Red Sox have "expressed interest" in free-agent shortstop Elvis Andrus and free-agent second baseman/outfielder Jurickson Profar. The team will be without Trevor Story (elbow) for several months at least, as he recovers from elbow surgery, and they no longer have Xander Bogaerts, so either or both […]

Padres Could Be "All In" On Shohei Ohtani In 2023 Offseason

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday that the San Diego Padres are planning to be "all in" on starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani if he becomes a free agent in the 2023 offseason. The 28-year-old phenom has one year left on his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, so he could potentially be traded this […]

Red Sox, Jorge Alfaro Reportedly Agree To Minor League Deal

MLB.com's Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru reported Monday that the Boston Red Sox reportedly agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent catcher Jorge Alfaro. The Red Sox would reportedly pay Alfaro $2 million if he is added to the big league roster. The agreement would also include two opt-outs on June 1 and July 1 if he is […]

Rangers Sign Yoshi Tsutsugo To Minor-League Deal

The Texas Rangers have signed first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo to a minor league deal, per a tweet from the team's public relations Twitter account on Sunday. Also per the tweet, Tsutsugo will be invited to Major League Spring Training. The 30-year-old appeared in 50 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, hitting .171 with a […]

Exploring Hard Contact for Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers to Upgrade in 2023

This is a follow-up post to another one I've written recently. In that post, I did all the heavy lifting of setting the framework for what I was doing and why it made some statistical sense. You should check that out here before reading this post. The crux of the argument is this. For starting […]

Yency Almonte Avoids Arbitration

The Los Angeles Dodgers and right-handed reliever Yency Almonte avoided arbitration after agreeing to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 28-year-old signed with the Dodgers on a minor-league deal before 2022 but missed roughly two months due to elbow inflammation. Although, his 2022 campaign may have been his best performance yet. He spent four seasons with […]

Drew Smith Settles At $1.3 Million

The New York Mets and reliever Drew Smith avoided arbitration after agreeing to a one-year, $1.3 million deal. The 29-year-old has effectively contributed to Buck Showalter's bullpen despite missing some time in 2022. He suffered a back and finger injury and hasn't been too healthy since joining the pros in 2018. Although Smith still commenced 44 appearances […]

Kyle Higashioka Gets $1.46 Million To Avoid Arbitration

The New York Yankees and catcher Kyle Higashioka agreed to a one-year, $1.46 million deal to avoid salary arbitration. The 32-year-old has one more year of arbitration before entering free agency. His workload may have been reduced when the Yankees acquired Jose Trevino, but Higashioka will still get considerable reps behind the plate. This past season, he made […]

Guardians, James Karinchak Avoid Arbitration

The Cleveland Guardians and reliever James Karinchak avoided salary arbitration after inking a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Known to have one of the most sophisticated routines in the game, Karinchak has established himself as one of the most dependable Cleveland arms. He dealt with a shoulder strain this past season which sidelined him for a considerable amount […]

Jose Trevino Avoids Arbitration

Catcher Jose Trevino and the New York Yankees agreed to a one-year, $2.36 million deal to avoid salary arbitration. Trevino serves as the starting catcher in the Bronx, with Kyle Higashioka serving as the backup. Trevino was named to his first all-star game in 2022 after displaying an impressive bat and immaculate defense. He slashed .248/.283/.388 with a .671 […]

Trey Mancini Signs Two-Year Deal With Cubs

The Chicago Cubs and first baseman Trey Mancini agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal with an option year for 2025. Mancini will bank seven million a year and could earn more with escalators and incentives. The 30-year-old was hauled to the Astros in a three-team deal that included Christian Vazquez to Houston. Mancini slashed […]

Jon Anderson's Early Shortstop Tiers & Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back RotoBallers to my early 2023 fantasy baseball rankings and projections series! Today we are onto the shortstop position in my early positional ranks and tiers posts. Here is what we've done so far: Catcher First Base Second Base This may be the deepest position in the game this year. This was true last […]