1 week agoSan Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went 1-for-4 with two runs, two walks and a three-run homer in Thursday's victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the second straight game that the veteran has been the designated hitter with Tyler Wade drawing the start at third base. Machado hit .370 in the Cactus League this spring, but didn't have a homer. Not much for managers to worry as just two games and he's shown why he is one of the best in the business. The 31-year-old's .258 batting average in 2023 was his lowest since hitting .256 in 2019, but he stayed the course in the power department with 30 homers and 91 RBI. Machado is hitting cleanup in a strong Padres lineup this season and should continue to provide plenty of value out of the hot corner for managers in 2024, especially with an ADP of 42.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoSan Diego Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth went 4-for-4 with four RBI and a triple in Thursday's victory versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also scored two runs on the day. Cronenworth is coming off a down season in 2023 that saw him hit his fewest home runs (10) since his debut in 2020 and his lowest batting average of .229. Despite a rough 2023, Cronenworth is back at it at first base for the Padres and has been in the third spot for San Diego. He is in the perfect spot of the lineup in between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado and should see plenty of pitches to hit this upcoming season. After just one rocky season, his ADP dropped 287 and he could be a bargain at the value in deeper leagues.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoLos Angeles Dodgers shortstop/outfielder Mookie Betts had a huge game on Thursday versus the San Diego Padres. Betts went 4-for-5 with two runs, six RBI and one walk. He also belted his first homer, a two-run rocket off Michael King in the fifth inning. Betts is always one of the strongest performers in the league and now is leading off with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman behind him. In addition to his outfield and second base eligibility, Betts will soon pick up shortstop eligibility and that will only increase his already high value. Betts continues to put up top tier numbers on a yearly basis and there is no reason to believe that he will cool down this season at age 31. At the top of arguably the best lineup in the game, Betts remains entrenched as a first-round pick with sneaky position eligibility.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove struggled in his first start of the season in Thursday's victory against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Musgrove only lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits, five runs, two walks and two strikeouts. The 31-year-old only threw six innings this spring in the Cactus League and was hit hard over that time. Despite that limited action this spring, Musgrove remains a steady option for managers after coming off a 2023 campaign that saw him throw to the tune of a 3.05 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings. With an ADP of 96, Musgrove makes for a solid option at the top of managers rotations in 2024.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto only lasted one inning in his regular season debut versus the San Diego Padres on Thursday. Yamamoto was hit hard and allowed four hits, five runs and one walk, but did record two strikeouts. The 25-year-old out of Japan came over with huge expectations after signing a 12-year, $325 million contract this offseason. Although it is still plenty early to write the book on the righty, he also struggled mightily in the Spring Training to the tune of an ugly 8.38 ERA, but had 14 strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings. The strikeouts have been about the only thing going for Yamamoto in his young career, but he was one of the highest touted pitchers to come over from overseas to the MLB and the potential is certainly there for him to turn things around. Despite the unfavorable results early on, he might make for a good buy-low option to acquire from managers that have already hit the panic button.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoFree-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen has inked a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Texas Rangers, pending a physical. The deal includes $2.5 million in incentives which could potentially bring the pact to a total of $7 million. The veteran spent the 2023 season between the Tigers and Phillies, earning his first All-Star appearance in the process. Lorenzen worked to a 3.58 ERA across 18 starts with the Tigers before being flipped to the Phillies where he limped to a 5.51 ERA across 11 appearances, the final four of which were relief outings. He tossed a no-hitter against the Nationals in August but largely scuffled upon the move. The 32-year-old owns a career 4.11 ERA across 342 outings (69 starts) while his upcoming usage with the Rangers is unknown at this time.Source: Ken Rosenthal
1 week agoWashington Nationals right-hander Kyle Finnegan (back), who hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 12 due to a tight back, is healthy. He was originally going to pitch on Wednesday night, but he and the team decided to push him back to Thursday. When healthy, Finnegan should be the favorite for saves for the rebuilding Nats in 2024, although he could lose some save chances to Hunter Harvey. Finnegan, 32, had a career-high 28 saves in 67 appearances last year for Washington while also posting a career-high 3.76 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 24 walks and 63 strikeouts in 69 1/3 relief innings. He saw the vast majority of save opps for the team but ran out of gas late. Finnegan throws gas but had a below-average strikeout rate (21.7%) and allowed too many home runs, which makes him a fantasy closer to avoid in 2024.Source: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
1 week agoAccording to sources, free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery and the New York Yankees are back in contact, although a gap in contract talks still exists. Montgomery's camp compares him to Aaron Nola, who got $172 million over seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies. But Montgomery has actually been better since 2021 and was even better in the playoffs while helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series last fall. Compared to left-hander Blake Snell, who signed with the San Francisco Giants this week, Montgomery has been more durable, is younger, has been better in the playoffs, is cheaper and doesn't have a draft pick attached to him. While the 31-year-old southpaw's fantasy stock is dropping because he probably won't be ready for the start of the regular season and doesn't miss a ton of bats, he's still worth a gamble as a No. 3/4 fantasy starter for those who have yet to draft.Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
1 week agoBaltimore Orioles third baseman/shortstop Gunnar Henderson continued tearing the cover off the ball in Wednesday's 13-4 Grapefruit League win over the Philadelphia Phillies, going yard with a two-run home run in the second inning. It was Henderson's first homer of the spring, but he's absolutely raked by hitting .464 with four RBI and a 1.197 OPS through 28 at-bats to this point. The 22-year-old former top prospect fully broke out for the O's during his first full season in the major leagues in 2023, taking home an American League Rookie of the Year trophy as well as a Silver Slugger award courtesy of a .255/.325/.489 triple-slash line, 28 round-trippers, 82 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases over 560 ABs. Carrying a 31 NFBC ADP this spring, Henderson holds exciting five-category upside in the early rounds of drafts from a premium lineup spot in a stacked Baltimore offense.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale threw on a back field on Wednesday instead of the Grapefruit League game versus the Toronto Blue Jays. It serves as a likely indication that Sale is lined up to start Atlanta's third outing of the regular season on March 31 on the road against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies, with aces Spencer Strider and Max Fried setting up to take the ball in the first and second contests of the year respectively. The Braves acquired the 34-year-old Sale, MLB's all-time leader with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, from the Boston Red Sox back on Dec. 30 in exchange for former top infielder prospect Vaughn Grissom to bolster their starting rotation. The veteran southpaw posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 17:4 K:BB over 11 2/3 frames this spring and could be a value at his 129 NFBC ADP with a better defense behind him plus a more favorable home ballpark factor in 2024.Source: David O'Brien - The Athletic
1 week agoNew York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton went off in Wednesday's 12-0 Grapefruit League rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates, smashing three home runs and piling up eight RBI. Stanton went deep for a towering two-run homer in the first inning, crushed a grand slam during the second frame, and launched a solo blast in the fourth just for good measure. And just like that, the 34-year-old slugger is now batting .314 (11-for-35) with four long balls, 10 RBI, and a 1.073 OPS this spring. Stanton's All-Star days might be behind him after a miserable 2023 saw him register a career-worst .191/.275/.420 triple-slash line across 415 plate appearances, but he'll open the 2024 season as the everyday designated hitter in the heart of the order in a loaded Yankees lineup. His playing time should be safe until Jasson Dominguez (elbow) returns later in the summer, and Stanton's 220 NFBC ADP should rise a bit following Wednesday's explosion.Source: MLB.com
1 week agoTexas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford belted his sixth home run of spring training in the second inning of Wednesday's 8-1 Cactus League win over the Cincinnati Reds, also adding an RBI single during the sixth frame. Continuing to burgeon his way up fantasy draft boards as one of the spring's fastest-rising players, Langford is hitting .388 (19-for-49) with six homers, 19 RBI, and a 1.242 OPS so far. Although he's currently a non-roster invitee, the 22-year-old 2023 No. 4 overall pick's head-turning play figures to leave the Rangers no choice but to include him on their Opening Day roster. With Corey Seager (groin) and Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) projected to begin on the injured list, Langford has a clear path to regular at-bats during 2024's early stages. RotoBaller has Texas' No. 2 prospect ranked 80th overall, which gives managers a chance to draft him because he'll be long gone before his 180 NFBC ADP at this point.Source: ESPN
1 week agoCincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo (shoulder), the team's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, had season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The 20-year-old injured the shoulder diving back to first base last week in a Cactus League game and will now miss all of 2024. It's a tough break for one of the team's top prospects after he went 6-for-17 with three RBI in spring training action. When he returns in 2025, Arroyo will most likely be ticketed for Double-A Chattanooga. The 6-foot switch-hitter hits balls hard to all fields and should develop more power as he matures, but his development is going to be put on hold this year. The Puerto Rican product hit .252/.324/.433 with 13 homers, 60 RBI and 29 steals in 123 games last year with High-A Dayton and Chattanooga.Source: The Athletic - C. Trent Rosecrans
1 week agoThe Cincinnati Reds acquired infielder Santiago Espinal from the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Chris McElvain. The move comes on the same day that the Reds announced second baseman Matt McLain (shoulder) will open the season on the injured list and could need surgery. Noelvi Marte is also suspended for half the season due to performance-enhancing drugs, so Espinal will give the Reds some more infield insurance in 2024. Jonathan India now figures to start at the keystone with McLain on the sidelines, and the 29-year-old Espinal will back up India. Espinal hasn't been much of a fantasy asset in his four big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, slashing .273/.331/.367 with 11 homers, 99 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 346 games played.Source: Cincinnati Reds
1 week agoChicago White Sox right-hander John Brebbia (calf) went through fielding drills in camp on Wednesday after pitching an inning in a minor-league game on Tuesday. Brebbia strained his right calf during fielding drills in spring training in late February and is still working his way back from it. The 33-year-old is up in the air to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, putting strain an already extremely thin White Sox's bullpen. When healthy, the 33-year-old figures to be in the mix for saves chances in Chicago in 2024 alongside Steven Wilson, Michael Kopech and Jordan Leasure. However, with the acquisition of Wilson and Kopech's move from starter to reliever, Brebbia has become less interesting as a candidate for saves in Chicago's bullpen, especially since he's also hurt.Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Daryl Van Schouwen