Prospects Who Shined - 2018 Season Recap

Prospects are one of my favorite aspects of fantasy sports. You get to cheer for young men who are striving to be the best they can in all facets of their chosen occupation. It is fun to track their progress and to prophesize over which prospect will be the next great player. Often times minor […]

Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez Likely To Test Free Agency

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielder J.D. Martinez are likely to test free agency after the 2019 season if they don't sign long-term deals before then. Both are Scott Boras clients. Martinez has opt-outs in his current deal, which could go as long as five years. Both Bogaerts and Martinez had fantastic seasons […]

Marwin Gonzalez's Market Is Not Down

"Everyone but one team" is interested in free-agent infielder/outfielder Marwin Gonzalez. Despite a down year in 2018 (.247-16-68), Gonzalez can play all over the diamond and will have his choice of where to sign this winter. The versatile infielder/outfielder hit a career-best .303/.377/.530 with 23 home runs, 90 RBI and eight stolen bases in 2017. […]

Cardinals Not Planning To Pursue Bryce Harper

The St. Louis Cardinals are not interested in signing free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper to a deal well in excess of $300 million this winter, according to major league sources. While we can't rule out that they will eventually jump into the mix for the superstar, the Cardinals are currently more focused on a corner infielder […]

Mariners Acquire Mallex Smith, Jake Fraley

The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Mallex Smith and minor league outfielder Jake Fraley from the Rays on Thursday in exchange for catcher Mike Zunino, outfielder Guillermo Heredia and minor league pitcher Michael Plassmeyer. This may not be the first trade the M's pull off this winter as they look to rebuild. Smith had the best […]

Rays Acquire Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Mike Zunino, outfielder Guillermo Heredia and minor league pitcher Michael Plassmeyer from the Mariners on Thursday in exchange for outfielder Mallex Smith and minor league outfielder Jake Fraley. Zunino will become the team's starting catcher after hitting .201/.259/.410 with 20 home runs and 44 RBI in 373 at-bats for […]

Rays Close To Acquiring Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia

The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners are working on a possible deal on Wednesday that would send Mariners catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia to Tampa in exchange for outfielder Mallex Smith and possibly a minor league prospect, according to multiple major league baseball sources. The teams are trying to finalize the trade […]

Dodgers Exercise Dave Roberts' Option

The Los Angeles Dodgers exercised manager Dave Roberts' option for the 2019 season on Wednesday, according to president Andrew Friedman. However, the team still expects to sign Roberts to a long-term deal soon. The option buys the team more time to negotiate with Roberts on an extension. Roberts has led the Dodgers to three straight […]

Matt Holliday Intends To Play In 2019

Free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday has intentions of playing in 2019. Holliday will be 39 heading into next season and will be more attractive to American League teams in a designated hitter role. In just 53 at-bats over 25 games for the Rockies in 2018, he hit .283/.415/.434 with two home runs and three RBI. Holliday […]

Batting Average Fallers - 2018 MLB Season Recap

The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! One of the main stats for measuring batters’ success is batting average. Surprisingly, Jose Altuve is the only player that was a holdover in the top 10 of batting average from […]

Nationals Made Aggressive Offer To Bryce Harper

The Washington Nationals offered free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper an "aggressive" long-term deal on the last day of the regular season, but he predictably turned it down. The offer included no opt-outs and was for less than the $400 million some have speculated that Harper could receive on the open market, according to a person with […]

Rick Renteria Receives Contract Extension

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said that manager Rick Renteria signed a contract extension some time ago and that 2019 will not be his last season under contract. Renteria has gone 129-195 in his two years as the skipper for the Pale Hose. The White Sox are in the midst of a rebuilding […]

Julio Pablo Martinez Injured In AFL

Texas Rangers outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez (groin), who is the team's No. 2 prospect, was removed from the Arizona Fall League as a precaution. Martinez had hit .327 with a homer, six RBI and four stolen bases in 52 at-bats in the AFL after slashing .266/.378/.457 with nine long balls, 24 RBI and 13 stolen […]

Mariners Want To Hold Mitch Haniger, Edwin Diaz, Marco Gonzales

The Seattle Mariners would like to hold onto outfielder Mitch Haniger, closer Edwin Diaz and starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, but "everyone else is up for grabs." Sources are saying that the M's are considering a full-fledged teardown of the roster this winter after finishing third in the American League West in 2018. Haniger and Diaz […]

xwOBA Leaders – Statcast 2018 Year-In-Review

Congrats to our friends in Beantown for winning the World Series. Fantasy baseball has reached the early hours of the offseason which means it’s recap time. While we indulge in football, basketball, and hockey on the big screen, why not get a head start on some early 2019 baseball research? During the season, we explored […]

Batting Average Risers - 2018 MLB Season Recap

The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! One of the main stats for measuring batters’ success is batting average. Surprisingly, Jose Altuve is the only player that was a holdover in the top 10 of batting average from […]

Cubs Won't Discuss Extension For Joe Maddon

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein said he has informed manager Joe Maddon that the team will not discuss a contract extension this winter and will re-evaluate the situation later in the 2019 season. Maddon will be a lame-duck manager next season, and there have been whispers that Maddon's relationship with the front office is strained. […]

Brett Gardner Could Be Starting Left Fielder

New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner "has a chance to be" the team's full-time left fielder in 2019, but "no promises have been made," according to general manager Brian Cashman. The Yanks declined Gardner's 2019 option but re-signed him to a modest one-year deal. The 35-year-old hit .236/.322/.368 with only 12 home runs, 45 RBI […]

White Sox Could Pursue Both Bryce Harper, Manny Machado

The Chicago White Sox might be one of the best candidates to pursue both free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Manny Machado this winter, although there's no guarantee they will land either in the midst of a rebuild. The White Sox currently have the second lowest payroll commitment of any team for 2019. Chicago pursued […]

R+RBI Fallers: 2018 MLB Season Recap

The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! Run production, that is R+RBI, is a key trend to monitor, as there are tight correlations to both slugging percentage and on base percentage with the respective numbers. Let's start with […]

Yankees Won't Pursue Bryce Harper

The New York Yankees "will not be in on" free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper this offseason, according to a source. The Yankees have a surplus of outfielders and also re-signed veteran Brett Gardner for 2019, so they'll make Manny Machado and pitching additions more of a priority. Harper disappointed with a .249 batting average but still […]

Cardinals Could Make A Play For Bryce Harper

With money to spend in free agency this year, the St. Louis Cardinals could make a push in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes this winter. There is some impatience inside the organization since it's been three years since their last playoff appearance and five years since their last National League pennant. The team and chairman Bill […]

R+RBI Risers: 2018 MLB Season Recap

The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! Run production, that is R+RBI, is a key trend to monitor, as there are tight correlations to both slugging percentage and on base percentage with the respective numbers. Let's start with […]

Post-Playoff Fantasy Stock Watch - Hitters

The 2018 MLB postseason kept baseball fans on the edge of their seats, and also gave fantasy owners a new window into players as they begin to prepare for 2019. While the playoffs are a small sample, any chance to see players facing top talent from other teams, over and over, still has value for […]

Rangers Hire Chris Woodward To Be Next Manager

The Texas Rangers hired Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward to be their next manager on Friday. The 42-year-old Woodward has spent the last three seasons as the third base coach for the Dodgers and played in the big leagues for 12 years in stints with the Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners and Red […]

A.J. Pollock, Patrick Corbin Will Receive Qualifying Offers

The Arizona Diamondbacks plan to extend $17.9 million qualifying offers to free-agent outfielder A.J. Pollock and starting pitcher Patrick Corbin. With both players expected to depart in free agency, it'll allow the Snakes to receive draft-pick compensation for them. Pollock is an injury risk in fantasy, but he has shown an impressive mix of power […]

Angels Promote Jeremy Reed to Hitting Coach

The Los Angeles Angels have promoted Jeremy Reed to their new hitting coach. Reed will replace Eric Hinske. Reed was a minor league hitting coordinator last season, and was mentioned by Kole Calhoun and Francisco Arcia as a big help to them rebuilding their swings. Prior to joining LA, Reed had been a hitting coach […]

Nationals To Make Bryce Harper A Qualifying Offer

The Washington Nationals will make free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper a $17.9 million qualifying offer on Friday, according to a person familiar with the situation. It's merely a formality, as Harper will make a whole lot more on the open market this winter, but the Nats will receive draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. The six-time […]

Brett Gardner Re-Signs With Yankees

After declining New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner's $12.5 million option for the 2019 season, the team signed him to a one-year, $7.5 million deal on Wednesday. Gardner struggled by hitting .236/.322/.368 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 530 at-bats in a crowded Yankees outfield in 2018. He still has […]

Leonys Martin Avoids Arbitration

The Cleveland Indians agreed to a non-guaranteed one-year, $3 million deal with outfielder Leonys Martin on Wednesday to avoid arbitration, according to a source. Martin was sidelined for the final seven weeks of the season with the Tribe due to a scary bacterial infection that was life-threatening. Before that, though, he was solid, hitting .255/.323/.425 […]