Michael Taylor Loses Arbitration Case

Washington Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor lost his salary arbitration case on Friday and will make $3.25 million in 2019 instead of the $3.5 million he requested. Taylor has an intriguing mix of speed and power, but as a reserve outfielder in Washington, he only carries NL-only value to begin the season. Taylor had a career-high […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League East

With the National League already taken care of, it's time to jump into the bullpens of the American League and take a look at what we can expect for the 2019 season. After a slow offseason, it seems like relief pitchers are finally coming off the free agent board and signing with the teams they'll […]

ADP Champ or Chump - J.T. Realmuto and Wilson Ramos

This week I am turning my attention to the position that gives most fantasy owners the biggest concerns, the catcher position. Every year there is at least one catcher who rises to the top of the position and ends up being drafted clearly ahead of the others. This season that catcher is J.T. Realmuto, who is […]

Daniel Palka - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

With the increase in power production across the board in real/fantasy baseball, owners are finding it much easier to add a 20-plus homer option late in drafts. And yet, not all sluggers are created equal. Take for example the infamous Chris Carter, who even with 41 homers in 2016 has yet to find, or keep, […]

Shohei Ohtani Won't Be Ready For Opening Day

While Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani's (elbow) checkup with Dr. Neal ElAttrache went well, general manager Billy Eppler said the star two-way player won't be ready for Opening Day. Ohtani has been cleared for "full strengthening" rehab but has yet to swing a bat. Dry swings will be his next step. Ohtani's […]

Nolan Arenado Avoids Arbitration

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $26 million contract. It's a record for an arbitration-eligible player. The Rockies have interest in signing Arenado to a long-term extension before he becomes a free agent after the 2019 season, but it remains to be seen if they […]

Wade Miley Signs With Astros

The Houston Astros signed free-agent starting pitcher Wade Miley to a one-year, $4.5 million deal on Thursday. He'll have a chance to earn $500,000 in incentives. Miley will bring a veteran presence to a Houston rotation that is in need of arms behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole after losing Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton […]

Hernan Perez Underwent Offseason Surgery

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Hernan Perez (hand, wrist) underwent surgery after the season to have the pisiform bone removed from his hand/wrist. He is good to go for the start of spring training and should be ready for the regular season. Perez will have a chance to win regular playing time at second base this spring, […]

J.T. Realmuto Talks In Advanced Stages

Trade talks involving Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto are in "advanced stages" with the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in the mix, according to a source. MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi said on Wednesday that the Padres "are more of a factor" than the Dodgers. The Marlins continue […]

Padres Meeting With Bryce Harper

The San Diego Padres are meeting with free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper on Thursday in Las Vegas, according to sources. The meeting is expected to includes San Diego's ownership representatives. The Padres are also linked to Manny Machado, but it remains to be seen if they are true threats to sign one of the free-agent superstars. […]

Madison Bumgarner - No Longer Among the Fantasy Elite?

The San Fransisco Giants have benefitted from the spoils that come with having, arguably, the best pitcher of this decade. Since Madison Bumgarner’s rookie season in 2010, the Giants were a dominant team for the majority of his first seven seasons. Backed by Bumgarner's clutch postseason play, the Giants won three World Series in 2010,’12, […]

Catcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, and I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the increasingly scant catcher position. Traditionally a thin position to begin with, catcher seems to be growing thinner every year as far as fantasy production […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 5 - Plate Discipline

No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy owners have known for years that players like Chris Davis are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players that whiff a lot tend to continue […]

RotoBaller MLB Radio - Triple Play Pod with Caleb Frare

RotoBaller fantasy baseball experts Mike the Roto Cop, Anthony Aniano, and Danny Baseball take a look at the at latest fantasy baseball free agent news, and dig deep with MLB Pitcher Caleb Frare. In this podcast you will hear about: A.J. Pollock, Wilson Ramos Brad Brach, Marco Estrada Nick Castellanos Be sure to also tune into […]

Greg Holland Agrees With Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Greg Holland on Wednesday. The deal also includes performance-based incentives, probably for games finished. While Archie Bradley and Yoshihisa Hirano are capable of closing out games, Holland has more experience and might be the favorite now for ninth-inning duties in the […]

Keon Broxton - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

2018 was a bit of a roller coaster for Keon Broxton with multiple trips between Milwaukee and Colorado Springs, about as much of a culture shift as one can find in the country. One city has good beer, the other is Colorado Springs. Whatever the context, the one thing that baseball fans know about the […]

Third Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

The hot corner is stacked like never before, especially with the anticipated arrival of mega-prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Waiting on a third baseman won't hurt given the relative depth of the position. With the multi-position eligibility of several players on this list, one could easily grab several of these names within the first few rounds […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Kevin Kiermaier and Collin McHugh

"Sleeper" is a popular byword this time of year, but many fantasy owners don't really use it correctly. A "sleeper" is not an obscure name you call out in your auction that leaves your leaguemates scratching their heads, but any player with a good chance to provide more value than what you paid to acquire […]

Torey Lovullo Receives Extension

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed manager Torey Lovullo to an undisclosed extension on Tuesday. Lovullo's current deal was set to expire after the 2019 season. He was named the 2017 National League manager of the year after he led the team to a 93-69 record and playoff berth, but the D-Backs fell to 82-80 in 2018 […]

Marcell Ozuna Looking Strong

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said outfielder Marcell Ozuna (shoulder) was "looking strong, working hard and will begin his throwing program in early February" when he visited with him in the Dominican Republic. The team is encouraged with his progress since having surgery, and Ozuna should be ready for Opening Day, […]

Blue Jays Sign Freddy Galvis

The Toronto Blue Jays signed free-agent shortstop Freddy Galvis to a one-year, $4 million deal with a team option for 2020 on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the team designated relief pitcher Danny Barnes for assignment. Galvis is more of a glove-first player and he'll provide insurance in case Lourdes Gurriel Jr. isn't up to […]

Franmil Reyes - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

To begin last season, San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes was coming off of a 2017 season where he had a .258/.322/.464 slash line in Double-A, hitting 25 home runs and knocking in 102 batters. In 2018, now in Triple-A, he bettered those numbers with a .324/.428/.614 slash line, hitting 16 home runs in just […]

Jimmy Nelson - What's Brewing After a Year-Long Absence?

If you’re an advocate to abolish pitchers hitting in the National League, you might use Jimmy Nelson as a prime example. During a breakout season in 2017, Nelson slid into first base during his September 8 start, jamming his throwing shoulder. Diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain and partial anterior labrum tear, Nelson was put […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Eduardo Escobar and Paul DeJong

In the past two years, baseball has seen an explosion in the number of shortstops with legitimate home run power. Everyone from Francisco Lindor to Tim Anderson seems capable of belting 20 dingers on an annual basis. Most of those players are being drafted in the first 10 rounds or so, but both of our […]

Second Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to carry on RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the keystone position. Traditionally a scarce position in fantasy, second base has truly risen over the past few years, and truthfully I'd be happy […]

Brad Peacock A Candidate For Rotation Spot

Houston Astros relief pitcher Brad Peacock is a candidate for one of the team's final two rotation spots this year behind Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Collin McHugh. Peacock wasn't useful to fantasy owners in a relief role in 2018 for Houston, but he went 13-2 with a solid 3.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 11.0 […]

Rangers Agree With Shawn Kelley

The Texas Rangers agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Shawn Kelley on Monday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Including the buyout and the club option, the deal could be worth $2.75 million. Kelley will turn 35 in April and has injury concerns at his age, but he was […]

Reds Making Progress In J.T. Realmuto Talks

The Cincinnati Reds are making progress in trade talks for Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, but they are not at the finish line yet. The Padres have also stepped up their pursuit of late, while the Dodgers and Braves could also be involved. If Realmuto were to land in Cincinnati, it'd obviously be bad news […]

No Way, Jose? What To Expect After Jose Leclerc's Breakout

There are two schools of thought regarding what to do with the reliever position in fantasy baseball. The first mentality is to grab an elite arm early, guaranteeing you elite ratios and a safe save source. The other method of thinking, that’s becoming increasingly popular, is to wait until the later rounds or to find […]

First Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, so I’m here to kick off RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the hard-hitting first base position. Traditionally a power haven, first base has a fairly clear top three tiers and then the floor starts to […]