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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.
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Injuries/COVID
- Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (thumb) fractured his right thumb during a bullpen session earlier this week. While he was able to to practice on Wednesday, Thursday brought different results. He's expected to be out for about a month, which means he'll possibly be ready for Opening Day but will likely miss all of spring training. Realmuto just signed a five-year deal this offseason, so this isn't a great start, but don't fret. The 29-year-old's 36 homers and 125 RBI in his first two seasons with the Phils is all the team cares about, not missing a spring training.
- Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg (wrist) is back to full health, says general manager Mike Rizzo. His already shortened 2020 season was cut even more short due to wrist surgery. The 32-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career in 2019, going 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA, but the righty always seems to succumb to an injury at the wrong time. All things considered, he's still a well-above average starter in the NL and his ADP of 66 is still solid value for the veteran.
- National ace Max Scherzer (ankle) sprained his ankle doing an offseason workout, said the Washington brass on Thursday. The team considers it a "minor issue" but no fan/fantasy manager ever enjoys seeing a player of Scherzer's caliber wind up on an injury report. Regardless, as long as he's healthy by opening day, the 36-year-old is still going in the Top 10 of fantasy pitchers and until he proves otherwise, that is a worthy investment.
Max Scherzer Sprains Ankle https://t.co/gCAqoUlhC0
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) February 18, 2021
- Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber tested positive for COVID-19 and thus hasn't reported to spring training. Bieber has turned himself into one of the best in baseball, going 7-1 with a 1.63 ERA in 2020, after going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 2019. He apparently has experienced minor symptoms, so hopefully they will subside soon and the 25-year-old can join the team to prepare for the season. He's tailing only Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole in terms of ADP, so when he's healthy, there are very few better.
Roster Moves
- First baseman Mitch Moreland signed a one-year contract with the Oakland A's on Thursday. While the lefty slugger enters his 35-year-old season, he's proven to still have plenty to offer, after slugging 10 homers in the shortened 2020 season. With Matt Olson manning first base for Oakland, Moreland should slot in at the DH spot and occasionally spot start at first. His value lies solely in AL-only formats and DFS, but even at his age, he's still got some value to throw around.
- Oakland continued their free agency push by signing closer Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year/$11 million deal. The righty split time with Kansas City and San Diego in 2020 but converted 11 of 12 save chances with a sub-two ERA, however, that follows a 2019 where he threw just 15.1 frames and accrued a 13.50 ERA. The 30-year-old takes over the closing duties since Liam Hendriks departed Oakland, so his fantasy value gets a big boost, but don't feel bad if you question the legitimacy of his recent performance.
Trevor Rosenthal Agrees To One-Year Deal With A's https://t.co/vmn0iSeWSf
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) February 18, 2021
Learning New Tricks
- Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow said in an interview that he's working on adding a slider/cutter type pitch to his repertoire. In his last two full seasons with the Rays, he's gone 11-2, but has dealt with his share of injuries. It's also important to remember his control issues have lingered, but overall the powerful righty is a dominant pitcher when he is clicking. Going around pick 49 so far, that's pretty solid value for one of the higher upside arms in the league, but just keep in mind that either injury or a small case of the yips waits around the corner for the former fifth round pick.
Tyler Glasnow Adding A New Pitch https://t.co/Ji83RIvrc3
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) February 18, 2021
- Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be getting work all over the field this spring training. After spending almost the entirety of 2020 in the outfield, the Blue Jays are expecting Gurriel to get work in at 1B, 3B, and some OF. This increased versatility will not only aid a talent-laden Toronto team, but also fantasy managers looking for multi-positional value come draft time. The 27-year-old has slugged 42 homers with a .287 average in 206 career games, so the more at-bats he gets, the higher his value rises. He's certainly an underrated name going within the first 10 rounds of 2021 drafts.
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