Steven Duggar Likely To Hit At Top Of Order

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that he would like to have outfielder Steven Duggar in one of the top two spots in the lineup. He also doesn't have any restrictions this spring after having shoulder surgery. The 25-year-old should play regularly in San Fran's weak outfield after hitting .255/.303/.390 with two home runs, […]

Giants Agree With Yangervis Solarte

The San Francisco Giants agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent infielder Yangervis Solarte on Friday. The deal includes an invite to spring training, and his deal will be worth $1.75 million with an additional $250,000 in incentives if he makes the big league roster. The 31-year-old can play all four infield spots, but […]

Yankees Sign Luis Severino To Multi-Year Deal

The New York Yankees signed starting pitcher Luis Severino to a four-year contract extension that can max out at $52.25 million on Friday. The deal includes a fifth-year team option that would cover one season of free agency. The 24-year-old has become the team's ace over the last few years. He'll make $4 million with […]

Clayton Kershaw Expected To Start On Opening Day

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts basically said that starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw will be the team's Opening Day starter. It's not a surprise at all, even though the perennial Cy Young candidate had a down year by his standards in 2018 and has dealt with injuries the last couple of seasons. The left-hander will […]

Padres Meet With Manny Machado

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller flew to Miami to meet free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and his wife at some point in the last week. The 26-year-old is San Diego's first choice to fill their third base vacancy. Along with the Friars, the Phillies and White Sox are also involved, but Machado isn't believed […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Mitch Haniger vs. Michael Brantley

The exciting young gun versus the proven veteran. A sports debate older than fantasy baseball itself, and a decision we’re faced with at every draft pick. That’s why we’re comparing the young gun (Mitch Haniger) to the proven veteran (Michael Brantley), two outfielders within the same sub-elite yet startable tier that owners must decide between […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]

Mid-Round Shortstops - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Michael Pineda - The Dogma of Disappointment Returns

In fantasy baseball, there’s always that player who underperforms during a season and gets plenty of hype going into the following year. We all have the belief that good fortune will come at a low cost. For most of his career, Michael Pineda has been the epitome of this type of player. If you’ve ever […]

Top 10 Dynasty Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

There is no such thing as a pitching prospect, well, except in dynasty baseball. As much as pitching prospects offer headaches to any team, real or fantasy, pitching is still a necessary addition to most rosters. Adding top names offers protections for those busts, but also gives owners the tools to go out and make […]

Julio Urias To Be On Innings Limit

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias will be on an innings limit in 2019, but manager Dave Roberts doesn't know the exact number yet. The promising left-hander is still only 22 years old and threw just four innings at the big league level in 2018 due to a serious shoulder injury, so it makes […]

Dustin Pedroia Works Out Thursday

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) took grounders and hit in the batting cage on Thursday after playing in just three games last year due to complications from left knee surgery. "He looks good. We talked a little bit," said manager Alex Cora. "He met with the medical staff and he'll be out […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Likely To Start At Triple-A

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said that third base prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the top overall prospect at MLB Pipeline, is expected to start the year at Triple-A Buffalo while Brandon Drury temporarily starts as the third baseman. The Blue Jays want to make sure that the 19-year-old phenom develops properly after playing […]

Brandon Woodruff Being Stretched Out As Starter

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff will be stretched out as a starter this year, according to manager Craig Counsell. Woodruff, 26, was 3-0 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings (19 outings, four starts) in 2018 and played a key role in their bullpen down the stretch. He might […]

Jake Arrieta Had Torn Meniscus Last Year

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (knee) said he pitched the second half of last season with a torn meniscus in his knee. However, he expects to be ready for the start of the season after having surgery last month. The soon-to-be 33-year-old finished with a disappointing 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 138 strikeouts over […]

Nolan Arenado Not Setting Deadline For Extension Talks

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2019 season, said on Thursday that he won't make Opening Day a hard deadline for negotiations towards a long-term extension. The star third baseman signed a one-year, $26 million deal to avoid salary arbitration for 2019. "When serious games […]

Jacob deGrom Named Opening Day Starter

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom was named the team's Opening Day starter by manager Mickey Callaway. It's the least-surprising news of the day after deGrom won the National League Cy Young award in 2018 by going 10-9 with a 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 269 K's in 217 innings across 32 starts. The […]

Matt Harvey Suffers Gluteus Strain

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Harvey (gluteus) suffered a glute strain during agility drills in camp and will be out for around a week and a half. Manager Brad Ausmus said that Harvey should still be ready for the start of the season. Formerly known as the Dark Knight, Harvey is now approaching 30 […]

Orioles Not Committing To Late-Inning Bullpen Roles

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn't ready to commit to late-inning bullpen roles just yet. Relief pitcher Mychal Givens, who is the favorite for saves in Baltimore, will be deployed in "high-leverage" situations, but Hyde said he "won't manage to the save stat." More managers are starting to take this approach with their bullpen, which […]

Twins Reach Extensions With Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler

The Minnesota Twins reached long-term contract extensions with shortstop Jorge Polanco and outfielder Max Kepler on Thursday. Polanco will receive a seven-year deal that guarantees him $25.75 million through the 2023 season. It also includes two team options for 2024 and 2025. Kepler's contract is for five seasons and $35 million with a sixth-year option […]

Jose Urena Will Start On Opening Day

Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said that starting pitcher Jose Urena will get the nod on Opening Day. While Urena was the team's most consistent starter last year, it's not saying much. The 27-year-old was 9-12 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 130 strikeouts in 174 innings (31 starts). He's managed just 6.1 strikeouts […]

Yadier Molina Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

The St. Louis Cardinals expect catcher Yadier Molina (knee) to be ready by Opening Day. He has had no setbacks since undergoing left knee surgery two months ago, but the Cardinals plan to limit how much catching he does early in camp. "Yadi is going to be gaining his strength," manager Mike Shildt said. "He's […]

Ian Desmond To Be Primary Center Fielder

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said that outfielder Ian Desmond will be the team's primary center fielder this year while also seeing occasional time in left field. It's part of Colorado's plan to move Charlie Blackmon to a corner outfield spot to take some stress off his body in spacious Coors Field. Desmond's fantasy stock […]

Gary Sanchez On Track For Second Week Of Spring Games

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (shoulder) said he is on track to begin playing in spring training games in the second week of action. It was a frustrating year for the Yankees backstop in 2018, as he played in just 89 games and hit .186/.291/.697 with 18 home runs and 53 RBI. Fantasy owners […]

Is it Legit? Wade Miley's 2018 Season

We're back with another edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss another surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine which players are […]

ADP Cost Analysis - David Dahl vs Yasiel Puig

Young, exciting, five-tool ballplayers: that is what you have when considering Yasiel Puig and David Dahl. Both have their warts in the past (Dahl's health and Puig's temperament), but each are great assets leading into 2019. Dahl is going about three rounds higher in NFBC leagues at around pick 67, while Puig is going at […]

Undervalued Draft Targets - Staff Rankings vs. ADP

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect a player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting […]

The National League Could Use a DH Right About Now

Ken Rosenthal, followed by Jeff Passan, Joel Sherman, and Jayson Stark, recently reported on negotiations between MLB and the Player's Association, especially regarding the rulebook. One of the most provocative pieces in the overarching story has been the possibility of the designated hitter coming to the National League as soon as this coming season. *cue sad trombone […]

Buster Posey Unrestricted In Camp Wednesday

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, who had right hip surgery last year, caught bullpen sessions, put in some work in the batting cage and took batting practice on the field without issue on Wednesday in camp. "Really was pretty much a normal day," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Once we get a little closer to […]

Marlins To Mix And Match In Ninth Inning

The Miami Marlins are prepared to play the matchups in the ninth inning this year, but relievers Drew Steckenrider and lefty Adam Conley are the front-runners to split the role. Steckenrider had five saves in his rookie season in 2018 but was mostly used in setup situations. Conley had three saves last year but made […]