1 day agoBoston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers went 1-for-2 with a solo home run on Tuesday versus the Texas Rangers to close out Spring Training. His home run would be his fifth this spring and 11th RBI to go along with a stellar .380 batting average. Devers has been one of the best players in the league throughout his career and is still just entering his prime at age 27. He remains a top-20 player in mixed leagues. One of the safest picks on a yearly basis, managers should have zero hesitation about drafting Devers in upcoming drafts.Source: MLB.com
1 day agoMinnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner went 1-for-1 with a two-run homer in Grapefruit League action against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Wallner finishes spring with three homers and nine RBI, but a weak .132 batting average. The 26-year-old will never be big in the average department, but he has shown plenty of power, including 14 homers in just 213 at-bats last season for the Twins. The at-bats should be there for Wallner, even with a tough spring and managers seeking cheap power should consider Wallner as an option in the deepest of leagues.Source: MLB.com
1 day agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher Chase Silseth dominated his final start of the Cactus League on Tuesday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Silseth went five innings and allowed just two hits with two runs, no walks and 10 strikeouts. It was a very impressive outing for the 23-year-old against one of the top offenses in the league. For the spring, Silseth finishes with a 2.03 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. Silseth split time between the bullpen and rotation in limited time last year with eight starts in 16 games and had a respectable 3.96 ERA. Silseth will look to build off his spring success and makes for a fine dart throw in deeper leagues.Source: MLB.com
1 day agoAfter a dominant performance in the Grapefruit League this spring, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser has made the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old forced the Orioles hand after hitting .304 with six homers, 13 RBI and a pristine 1.135 OPS. Cowser will enter the season as a fourth outfielder, but it is unlikely that he would have broken camp with the squad if Baltimore wasn't planning to give him a decent number of at-bats. The outfielder made his big-league debut in 2023, but struggled with a .115 batting average to go along with four RBI in 61 at-bats. Cowser does have a patient eye at the plate and this spring is more of an indication of his potential versus his cup of coffee last year. Managers in redraft leagues should be patient with Cowser and see if he plays his way into an everyday role with his potential to be a productive piece in what should be one of the better offenses this season.Source: Masn Orioles
2 days agoOakland Athletics utility man Hoy Park was told on Tuesday that he will start the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, per Athletics Nation's Connor Ashford. The 27-year-old signed a minor-league deal this off-season and put forth a strong showing, batting .477 with one home run and two stolen bases in 44 spring at-bats. Park has spent little time in the big leagues throughout his career and now has even further to go to become fantasy-relevant.Source: Connor Ashford- Athletics Nation
2 days agoThe Toronto Blue Jays optioned pitcher Yariel Rodriguez (back) to Triple-A Buffalo, per MLB's Francys Romero. The 27-year-old, who signed a five-year, $32 million deal this off-season, has been dealing with back spasms this spring and could not properly build up his workload. He is expected to get between two and three starts at Triple-A before rejoining the team, potentially still in a starter's role. Rodriguez still has plenty of time to become a fantasy contributor in 2024, but fantasy managers should keep an eye out for further updates over the coming weeks.Source: Francys Romero - Twitter.com
2 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic ended his spring training on a positive note in Tuesday's 9-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. Kelenic only had one at-bat, hitting a 452-foot solo home run off Louie Varland in the third inning. It was a bright spot in an otherwise dreary spring for the 24-year-old, as he batted just .143 in 56 spring at-bats and did not have a HR until Tuesday. However, the former first-round pick has been working with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in an attempt to unlock his potential. Kelenic did show some positive signs in 2023, but it remains to be seen if he can provide fantasy impact with his new team.Source: CJ Haddad - MLB.com
2 days agoSan Francisco Giants corner infielder Pablo Sandoval said after Tuesday's 3-1 exhibition loss to the Athletics that he is not retiring and will report to Triple-A Sacramento if he gets the chance, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. The 37-year-old veteran went 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout, with his broken-bat hit coming in his final at-bat in the ninth inning. Sandoval batted .250 with no home runs in 28 spring at-bats and hasn't played in a big-league organization since 2021. However, he had a storied career during his time with the Giants, earning three World Series Championships, two All-Star appearances, and one World Series Most Value Player Award. Regardless of the outcome, the Panda made a lasting mark in the Giants' organization.Source: Susan Slusser - Twitter.com
2 days agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is likely to go on paternity leave for the first Friday through Sunday of the 2024 regular season, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. The 33-year-old and his family are expecting their second child, so he may miss some of the team's first few games. Yastrzemski has cooled off in his career after a few solid fantasy seasons and slashed .233/.330/.445 with 15 home runs, 54 runs scored, 43 RBI, and two stolen bases in 381 plate appearances in 2023 while dealing with a left hamstring strain.Source: Susan Slusser - Twitter.com
2 days agoThe Seattle Mariners released third baseman Brian Anderson on Tuesday. The 30-year-old signed a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training this off-season in hopes that he could win a platoon/backup role. While he did slash .250/.344/.536 in 28 Cactus League at-bats, it wasn't enough to earn a spot. Injuries have hindered Anderson's career, and he hasn't hit above .250 since 2020. At this point, he may try to find another team to join where he could have a clearer path to a role.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoHouston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco capped off a great spring in Tuesday's 7-3 exhibition game win over Triple-A Sugarland. Blanco pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits (including a solo home run) and two walks with 10 strikeouts. While it may not have been against big-league competition, it was another strong outing for the 30-year-old, who pitched 15 2/3 scoreless Cactus League innings this spring with 18 strikeouts. He had some fantasy streaming appeal last season and could start this season in the rotation for the Astros given his performance and injuries on the team. He will need to prove he can deliver consistently, but Blanco could be worth a look in favorable matchups if he can carry his strong spring into the regular season.Source: MLB.com
2 days agoDetroit Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo made the team's Opening Day roster for the first time in his career. In addition, left-hander Joey Wentz made the team out of spring training. In large part due to injuries, the 28-year-old Faedo has had an uneven two seasons in the big leagues with Detroit. He's dealt with blister and nail issues, a back strain, hip pain and had Tommy John surgery. But the former first-rounder in 2017 out of Florida was healthy in the offseason and had a 1.35 spring training ERA. Faedo is expected to work in a long-relief role, which won't give him any real fantasy value, but if he can stay healthy, he could be an important piece for Detroit's pitching staff in 2024. In his 27 big-league outings (24 starts), Faedo has a 4.94 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 45 walks and 102 K's in 118 1/3 frames.Source: MLB.com - Julia Kreuz
2 days agoFree-agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a one-year, $25 million deal with a vesting player option for 2025, pending a physical. With Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) set to begin the year on the injured list, the D-backs bolster their rotation with the move. Montgomery began 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals but ended the season winning a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers, totaling a 3.20 ERA (3.56 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 166:48 K:BB over 188 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old southpaw likely won't miss enough bats (21.4% strikeout rate in '23) to be an upper-echelon fantasy starter in 2024, but he will have an outstanding defense behind him in the desert. Although it's unclear if he'll be ready for Arizona's opening series of the regular season starting on Thursday, Montgomery should not be lingering on any waiver wires ahead of Opening Day.Source: Ken Rosenthal - The Athletic
2 days agoThe Miami Marlins placed right-hander Huascar Brazoban on the restricted list on Tuesday after he never reported to spring training due to visa issues. The move opens up a spot on Miami's 40-man roster. In his second major-league season with the Fish in 2023, Brazoban appeared in 50 games out of the bullpen and posted a 4.14 ERA (3.94 FIP) with a 1.43 WHIP, 31 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings pitched. The 34-year-old Dominican could still pitch at some point for the Marlins in 2024, but considering the fact he missed all of spring training, he'll have to start his season in the minor leagues and work his way back to the big-league bullpen.Source: Miami Herald - Jordan McPherson
2 days agoNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that catcher Ben Rortvedt and outfielder Jahmai Jones remain in the mix for Opening Day roster spots. Austin Wells has already made the team, but the Yankees could carry Rortvedt as their third catcher to begin the season. Jose Trevino is the club's other backstop. The 26-year-old Rortvedt is out of minor-league options, so the Yankees may not want to risk losing him to another club. He hit just .118/.241/.221 with two homers in 32 games for the Yanks in 2023 and is unlikely to see much playing time in 2024 for the Bombers. Jones, 26, has looked overmatched in 36 big-league games over three seasons after he was a second-round pick by the Angels in 2015. However, he's intrigued the Yankees as a bench option this spring by hitting .286 with a home run, four RBI and a steal in 14 Grapefruit League games.Source: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch