Fantasy Baseball Busts Who'll Keep Junking It Up - Infield Edition (2024)

One key component of fantasy baseball drafts is finding a player coming off a down year who is set to have a bounce-back season. With a lower-than-expected average draft position (ADP), you can get greater value from these players. To do so, you need to identify what caused their struggles and whether or not they […]

Tigers Designate Nick Maton For Assignment

The Detroit Tigers designated infielder Nick Maton for assignment on Monday after claiming left-hander Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Maton began the 2023 season as Detroit's primary option at third base, but that didn't last long and now he's no longer on the team's 40-man roster entering spring training. The 26-year-old […]

Tony Kemp Drawing Plenty Of Interest

Free-agent second baseman/left fielder Tony Kemp has drawn interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds this offseason, according to sources. The 32-year-old veteran hit .238/.325/.352 with a .677 OPS, 35 home runs and 184 RBI in eight big-league seasons over 734 games. He's one of […]

Padres Drawing Significant Interest In Ha-Seong Kim

The San Diego Padres continue to draw significant trade interest in second baseman Ha-Seong Kim this offseason, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Kim is eligible for free agency at the end of the 2024 season, but he was among the team's best players in 2023, so the acquisition cost would be high. The […]

Mauricio Dubon Scheduled For Arbitration Hearing Monday

Houston Astros outfielder Mauricio Dubon's salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for Monday. When the two sides exchanged figures, Dubon asked for $3.5 million and the Astros countered at $3 million. The two sides could settle in the middle before actually going to a hearing on Monday. The 29-year-old was an effective super-utility player for the […]

Josh Harrison Inks Minors Deal With Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have signed free-agent infielder Josh Harrison to a minor-league deal that presumably includes an invitation to big-league spring training. The 36-year-old spent the 2023 season with the Phillies, hitting just .204 with two homers before being cut loose after just 41 appearances. He briefly latched on with the Rangers but hit just […]

Tigers Claim Kolton Ingram From Angels

The Detroit Tigers have claimed left-hander Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Infielder Nick Maton has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Ingram got into five games with the Angels in 2023 but struggled to an 8.44 ERA in that time, surrendering a pair of homers while walking five in […]

Gavin Lux A Full-Go For Spring Training

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux (knee) "is a full-go for Spring Training," according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Lux tore his ACL last spring and missed all of the 2023 season, but he's healthy once again and is trending toward being the Dodgers' starting shortstop on Opening Day. The former first-round […]

Jared Triolo Could Bounce Around On The Infield

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo's versatility may keep him from being the "everyday" second baseman in 2024, according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Triolo impressed in his rookie season in 2023, hitting .298/.388/.398 with three home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 30 runs scored in his first 54 major-league games. He's also a minor-league […]

Liover Peguero Likely To See Most Reps At Second Base

MLB.com's Jake Crouse thinks Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Liover Peguero is the likeliest candidate to see the majority of repetitions at second base in 2024 thanks to his power-speed combination potential in what will be a crowded battle at the keystone in spring training among the likes of Peguero, Ji-Hwan Bae, Nick Gonzalez, Jared Triolo and […]

5 Mid-To-Late Round Sleepers: AL East - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

The stars you draft in the top half of your fantasy baseball league will almost always dictate how good your team will be. But it's those sleepers in the middle to late rounds that might matter more. Those unexpected players that you draft in the 11th or 12th round that turn out to be strong […]

Ji-Hwan Bae Could Open Season As Pirates' Fourth Outfielder

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ji-Hwan Bae is likely to open the 2024 season on the bench, according to Jake Crouse of MLB.com. It's still unclear who will start the year as the Pirates' second baseman, and while Crouse acknowledges that Bae is in the mix, he also writes that it's "unlikely Bae will get the majority […]

Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore Expected To Platoon At Third Base

Seattle Mariners infielders Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore, who had been projected to split time at second base in 2024, will now likely shift their platoon to third base following a trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle. More than two-thirds of Polanco's appearances last season came at second base, so he'll get first dibs […]

Does A Move To The Mariners Affect Jorge Polanco's Fantasy Value? Fantasy Baseball Outlook

The Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins swung one of the bigger trades of the offseason recently, a deal that sent veteran middle infielder Jorge Polanco to the Mariners in exchange for outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, reliever Justin Topa, right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, and minor league pitcher Darren Bowen. The Twins have been aiming to cut payroll […]

Brewers Land DL Hall, Joey Ortiz From Orioles

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-hander DL Hall, shortstop Joey Ortiz and the 34th overall pick in this year's MLB draft from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in a blockbuster trade that sent right-hander Corbin Burnes to the O's, according to a source. Hall, 25, was once a top pitching prospect for Baltimore, but he's made […]

Joe Dunand Signs Minor-League Deal With Red Sox

Free-agent infielder Joe Dunand signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Dunand made his major-league debut in 2022 with the Miami Marlins but played in only three games and went 3-for-10 with a home run, double, RBI and two runs scored. He spent all of the 2023 season in the minors […]

Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings (January 2024 Update)

Welcome back RotoBallers to the January update of our MLB team's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects rankings for the 2024 season. We're now into 2024 with an eye on the upcoming year, and moves by MLB teams have begun to shape how we look at prospects. Comments about potential playing time, big contracts offered to players […]

Early Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers For 2024 Redraft Leagues

One of the more satisfying elements of fantasy baseball is finding players in the middle and late rounds and seeing them turn into big-time producers. Players who miss time in a previous season, unsung producers on bad teams, and platoon bats are often underappreciated and fall in drafts. Not every lottery ticket will be a […]

Romy Gonzalez Claimed By Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have claimed utility player Romy Gonzalez off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. The 27-year-old had been designated for assignment by Chicago in order to make 40-man roster space for relief pitcher John Brebbia. Gonzalez appeared in 44 games for the White Sox in 2023, hitting .194 with three home runs, […]

Batting Order: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

You may be wondering why there aren't any advanced stats aimed at predicting a player's counting stats like runs and RBI. The answer is simple: modern sabermetrics reject the idea of a "clutch RBI guy" and therefore do not bother inventing predictive metrics for it. Runs and RBI are team-dependent stats and are unhelpful in ascertaining […]

Five Hitters Who Changed Scenes: Fantasy Baseball Impact

The MLB offseason got off to an extremely slow start but has begun to pick up speed in recent weeks. We've seen many former All-Stars and power hitters alike sign with or get traded to different teams. So, it begs the question: What are the implications of these moves for the player, their new club, […]

David Rubenstein, Mike Arougheti To Purchase Orioles For $1.725 Billion

David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group and Mike Arougheti of Ares Management Corporation will reportedly purchase the Baltimore Orioles franchise from the Angelos family for $1.725 billion, per the Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli. There is no timetable for when the deal will be made official, although owners' meetings will take place next week in Orlando. Should […]

Mariners, Nick Solak Sign Minor-League Deal

The Seattle Mariners and free-agent second baseman Nick Solak reportedly signed a minor-league contract Tuesday, per FanSided.com's Robert Murray. The deal includes an invite to spring training. The 29-year-old only appeared in two big-league games in 2023 but had his best stint with Triple-A Gwinnett, where he slashed .272/.364/.444 in 173 plate appearances. At this […]

Mariners Acquire Samad Taylor From Royals

The Seattle Mariners acquired infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. With the move, Seattle's 40-man roster is now full. The 25-year-old will now head to the Mariners after being traded for the third time in his career. He made […]

Colt Keith To Play Second Base In 2024

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said the team won't shut the door on prospect Colt Keith playing third base in the future, but he will play second base in 2024. "We think Colt can play second and third. We think he has the chance to be an average or better second baseman. […]

Justin Turner Inks One-Year Deal With Blue Jays

Free-agent infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner signed a one-year deal with a $13 million base salary on Tuesday with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a source. The deal includes $1.5 million in roster and performance bonuses for the 2024 season. While Turner can play both third and first base, he's primarily expected to serve as […]

Mariners Acquire Jorge Polanco From Twins

The Seattle Mariners acquired second baseman Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins on Monday, according to sources. It's unclear what the Twins are receiving in return. The Twins exercised Polanco's $10.5 million club option for the 2024 season, even after he played in just 80 regular-season games due to ankle, knee and hamstring injuries. The […]

Plenty Of Concerns About Justin Turner

Free-agent infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner slashed a strong .276/.345/.455 with the Boston Red Sox in 2023 and is widely regarded as a great clubhouse presence. However, evaluators think most of Turner's playing time needs to be at DH, which is how he was used in Boston. He had 98 games at DH, 41 at first […]

Justin Turner Decision Likely To Be Made This Week

Free-agent infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner is expected to make a decision on free agency this week regarding where he will be playing in 2024. The 39-year-old slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs in 146 games played, posting a 114 wRC+ last year with the Boston Red Sox. Turner has maintained a wRC+ of at least […]

Pull%: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

We have previously determined that fantasy managers generally prefer batters to hit the ball into the air to have a chance at a home run. Yet, all fly balls are not equal for this purpose. A player can maximize his power production by pulling the ball in the air. One way to illustrate this is […]