MLB Spring Training Notebook - February 18th

Steve Janik breaks down MLB's most recent spring training news, notes, risers, injuries and position battles for 2021 fantasy baseball drafts.

Welcome to the 2021 edition of RotoBaller's Spring Training Notebook. I began this column a year ago, and made it about four or five articles in when Major League Baseball decided to shut things down, just like everything else around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, things are at least a little more certain this time around, and at the very least, baseball is going to push through just like the NFL, NHL, and NBA.

While pitchers and catchers just reported Wednesday, things couldn't be more fresh, and even though a lot of the information we have right now isn't on-field related, it's still incredibly important to keep up with injuries, transactions, and news. Just like any other preseason, certain information can, and should, be taken with a grain of salt since players and organizations are just getting back into the swing of things (pun intended).

As fantasy baseball managers, we must perform our due diligence in understanding every team's situation heading into the season. There's so many names to keep track of so it's crucial to find a place where the most important information is in one spot. Here at RotoBaller, we have everything you need for success this season, and I'll do my part here as I bring you a quick-read, one-stop shop of 2021 spring training information with a fantasy twist.

Injuries/COVID

• Oakland Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas didn't report to camp with the rest of the pitchers after testing positive for COVID-19 seven days ago. At just 27, the righty has shown some flashes of brilliance, including a 9-2 campaign in 2019, but after going just 3-5 with a 5.60 ERA in the shortened 2020 season, Montas has some big hills to climb to live up to expectations. He'll join A's camp whenever he is able to properly pass the league's COVID protocols.
• While not exactly injury-related, reliever Cody Allen has decided to retire from baseball. The long-time Cleveland closer hung up his cleats after not pitching in 2020, though was generating some interest on the free-agent market this offseason. At 32, things were definitely starting to decline, evidence by the 6.26 ERA and 7.02 xFIP over 23 innings with the Angels in 2019. He'll finish his career as Cleveland's all-time saves leader.
• Los Angeles Angels DH/SP Shohei Ohtani (elbow) was given a clean bill of health, by doctors, on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks, manager Joe Maddon expects to use the Japanese-born star as a two-way player. Sitting at an ADP of 235, Ohtani has the chance to be an incredible value, though this news is likely to boost his draft stock. He enters 2021 with a career slash line of .269/.340/.503 along with 47 home runs, and 147 RBI in 266 games. On the mound, the 26-year-old threw just 1.2 innings last year, his first in-game pitches since 2018.

No Restrictions For Shohei Ohtani This Spring https://t.co/joYeWmu0YL

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) February 17, 2021

• New York Mets star Noah Syndergaard (elbow) is expected to be ready to join the rotation in June. Affectionately known as "Thor," he's still just 28 years old and, when healthy, is one of the games more exciting pitchers. A career 47-30 record with a 3.31 ERA, his 18.7 WAR is Top 30 among active starting pitchers. Due to his injury history, and the likelihood he doesn't pitch until almost halfway through the season, he's nothing more than a draft-and-hold with hopes he provides amazing, late-round value.

Roster Moves

• The San Diego Padres reportedly reached a 14-year, $340 million extension with Fernando Tatis Jr. late Wednesday, according to Jeff Passan. The Padres are going all in on the 22-year-old, and for obvious reasons. Having not even played a full seasons worth of games (just 143), he's hit 39 homers, swiped 27 bags, and driven in 98 runs. Tatis is arguably the new face of Major League Baseball and San Diego is making sure he's the face of their franchise for potentially his entire career.

Fernando Tatis Jr. Agrees To $340 Million Extension https://t.co/9a1XBdUec3

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) February 18, 2021

• Infielder Brad Miller signed a one-year deal with the Phillies Wednesday. At 31, he hasn't played in over 79 games since 2017 but brings with him 95 career long balls. With the ability to play multiple positions, he'll be a solid bench player for the Phils but no reason to expect much from him. Fantasy-wise, he doesn't hold much season-long value, except in NL-only formats, but he'll likely be a solid DFS value bat when looking for some power on days where he starts.
• The Miami Marlins and OF Adam Duvall agreed to one-year/$5 million deal Wednesday, with a mutual option for 2022. The 32-year-old spent the last two-plus years with the Braves, slugging 26 homers and 52 RBI in 131 games.  It wasn't quite the 84 homers he hit as a Red previously, but the slugger has delivered in the power department over his career, housing a career .235 ISO. Of course, Miami has a big ballpark but you can still expect everyday production out of Duvall, giving him some solid late-round value in season-long formats, but also expect him to be a prime source of power in DFS lineups.
• The San Francisco Giants came to a one-year agreement with pitcher Aaron Sanchez. The 28-year-old didn't pitch in 2020 after suffering a shoulder injury in late 2019, following a trade from Toronto to Houston. The righty has one incredible season under his belt, in 2016, when he went 15-2 with a 3 ERA over 192 innings. Since then, he's 10-23 with a 5.29 ERA and a 1.6 WHIP. Recently, in a bullpen he touched 98 mph which prompted the Giants to scoop him up and hope he can be a reclamation project. Was 2016 an outlier? It sure looks like it, but in most cases, you can grab him for free at the back-end of fantasy drafts and hope the rest works itself out.

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