Melvin Upton Released

The Cleveland Indians released outfielder Melvin Upton on Monday. The veteran only managed a .189/.250/.297 batting line in 40 Cactus League plate appearances, making the decision easy for Cleveland. He'll try to work his way onto a new team before Opening Day, but it's looking like he'll have a hard time making it onto a […]

Trayce Thompson Being Shopped By Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson is likely to be traded by the team before Opening Day. Thomspson is out of minor league options and would surely be picked up on waivers by another team if he were sent down. The 27-year-old is behind on the outfield depth chart to Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, […]

Nicholas Castellanos Displaying Power In Spring Training

Detroit Tigers third baseman turned outfielder Nicholas Castellanos has been slugging the ball all over this spring season. The power-hitting Castellanos has five homers already to go along with a double and a triple in Grapefruit League action. Castellanos is coming off a career year and gains outfield eligibility heading into 2018 with Jeimer Candelario […]

Shin-Soo Choo (OF, TEX) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~205 CURRENT ADP: 254 ANALYSIS: Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was a pleasant surprise to owners who took a chance on him in 2017. Rebounding from an injury shortened 2016, the 35-year old collected 22 home runs, 12 steals, and 96 runs on a triple-slash of .261/.357/.423. Choo is a model of consistency and […]

Overvalued - NL Outfielders Set to Bust in 2018

One of biggest mistakes fantasy owners can make is overpaying for career years. While some players experience legitimate breakouts, others are the product of a fortunate set of circumstances. Of course, some players are just plain overvalued. As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, it's more important than ever to identify […]

Deeper NL Outfield Sleepers - Undervalued ADPs

We are gathered here today to discuss everyone’s favorite fantasy buzzword, the “sleepers.” Not only that, but we’re tabbing these guys as deeper sleepers with a focus on the outfield position for National League teams. The outfield is always complicated by having so many options that you feel like there's always another guy waiting for you […]

Ronald Acuna Rankings Debate - Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our series of articles debating the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. This time around, it's a player that has seen some of the biggest ADP variation among all outfielders in the league. RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed […]

Raimel Tapia Being Challenged on Basepaths

Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Raimel Tapia has always been known for his hit tool, but management is looking to develop his skills on the basepaths to help him contribute. This spring, Tapia's been picked off three times, but apparently that's by design. Manager Bud Black told reporters that Tapia's been challenged to take bigger leads […]

Jon Jay Expected To Lead Off For Royals

One of the bigger signings this winter for the Kansas City Royals was outfielder Jon Jay. Jay is no superstar, but he can hit for average and get on base at a pretty good clip. That's a rarity in an offense as bad as KC's, and so he's currently slotted to be the leadoff man […]

Alex Gordon Is Still Terrible At The Plate

Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon was atrocious offensively last season. A hot fall pulled him up to a final batting average of .208, but he wasn't as good as his average suggests. Over the offseason, multiple reports came out that Gordon was completely overhauling his approach at the plate so he could be better […]

Jorge Soler Homers Again

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler continues to swing with all his might. Soler homered for the sixth time this spring, doubling the number of singles he's recorded so far. The power is always mesmerizing, and when his pair of doubles are tacked on as well, the extra-base ability is awesome when it's only happened […]

Bradley Zimmer (OF, CLE) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~175 CURRENT ADP:  203 ANALYSIS: Bradley Zimmer made his Major League debut in 2017 and made an immediate splash. Over his first 36 at-bats, Zimmer hit .306 with a pair of homers and three steals. He settled into the everyday center field job and looked to be on track for a successful rookie […]

Starling Marte Has Been Red-Hot

Last season was a disappointing one for Starling Marte and his fantasy owners. The Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder was hit with an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension in April and although he contributed in batting average (.275) and steals (21) in his 77 games, his overall production dipped (91 wRC+ vs. 119 in 2016). Based on […]

Ronald Acuna Continues Blistering-Hot Spring Vs. Astros

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna. He's not even 21 and he's pushing hard to make the Opening Day roster. On Sunday, he went 3-for-5 to bring his average to .432 and he drove in a run, giving him 11 RBI. The team may send him down […]

Ichiro Suzuki Could Play Sunday

Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (calf) could play in a minor league game on Sunday, but he will not run due to his sore calf. The hope is that he can return to Cactus League games by Wednesday. The 44-year-old Suzuki could see everyday at-bats to open the season with Mitch Haniger injured, but even […]

Michael Conforto To Play Again Sunday

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto (shoulder) will play in another minor league game on Sunday and plans to play in the outfield for the first time. Conforto had a serious shoulder injury that required surgery last year, but he's way ahead of his timetable for a May 1 return and could even see time […]

Kyle Tucker Sent To Minor League Camp

The Houston Astros sent outfielder Kyle Tucker, the team's No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com, to minor league camp on Sunday. Tucker was very hot with the bat in camp, but Houston's stacked roster was too much for him to overcome to begin the regular season, He could easily be up in the majors at […]

Estevan Florial Assigned To Minors

Like fellow New York Yankees Dominican prospect Miguel Andujar, Estevan Florial has been cut from the major league roster this spring training, being reassigned to the minor leagues. The 20-year-old was always a long shot to make the squad, especially considering his position of outfielder and how stacked the Yankees are there. Florial got off […]

Randal Grichuk Not Playing Sunday

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk (rib cage) is not playing in the spring game Sunday, but he will start swinging a bat in the cages. He could take batting practice on Monday if everything goes well, according to manager John Gibbons. The Jays are just taking every precaution here, so Grichuk should be ready […]

Hunter Renfroe (OF, SD) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~265 CURRENT ADP: 292 ANALYSIS: San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe debuted in 2016 by crushing four HR and posting a 1.189 OPS in 11 games. The power numbers persisted for Renfroe in 2017 (26 dingers) but a weak supporting offense, poor .231 average and 29.2% Strikeout rate led to a forgettable season. Despite […]

Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball Part 14 - Statcast For Pitchers

Previously, we looked at Barrels, a stat combining exit velocity and launch angle to measure how often a batter makes quality hard contact. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet there is some evidence that pitchers do not have the same influence […]

Kyle Bishop's 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

Every day from now until Opening Day, our writers will be offering their most audacious projections for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. This is my fourth go-round with this series. I've had some great successes and some equally terrible calls in both previous attempts, and this year should be no different. Hopefully the former outweigh […]

Adam Eaton Homers In First Game Back

Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton (knee) hit a home run in his first Cactus League game of the spring on Saturday. It was an emotional two at-bats for the left fielder, who has been recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus since last April. He'd been playing minor league games, but this was the first […]

Mike Tauchman Making Serious Case For Spot On Roster

Colorado Rockies outfielder Mike Tauchman is making a serious case for a spot on the 25-man roster this year. Tauchman has had a solid spring so far, slashing .327/.404/.571 with one home run, eight runs, five RBI and three stolen bases. His versatility as a player who can play great defense while providing speed and […]

Carlos Gomez (OF, TB) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~310 CURRENT ADP: 351 ANALYSIS: After back-to-back seasons of declining numbers, Gomez quietly had somewhat of a bounce-back season in 2017 with the Rangers — putting up numbers close to those from his 2014 All-Star season. In 105 games last season, 17 home runs, 13 stolen bases and an .802 on-base plus […]

Yoenis Cespedes Expects To Play Monday

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (wrist) received at-bats in a minor league game Saturday and said his wrist feels good. He's expected to play in a spring training game Monday and will be ready for Opening Day. Saying that Cespedes is dealing with an injury is almost like saying the sky is blue. It […]

Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Ichiro Suzuki To Take Swings

Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (hamstring) and outfielders Nelson Cruz (quadriceps) and Ichiro Suzuki (calf) are all scheduled to take swings Saturday. Cano and Cruz will hit in the cages, while Suzuki will take batting practice on the field. All three will likely be held out of game action until Wednesday. The M's are […]

Yoenis Cespedes To Receive At-Bats Saturday

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (wrist) will receive at-bats in minor league camp Saturday. Barring any setbacks, Cespedes will be fine for Opening Day. When healthy, he can put up elite outfield numbers for fantasy owners, but it always seems to be something with Cespedes on the injury front. He's a high-risk, high-reward fantasy […]

Magneuris Sierra Still Sidelined With Hamstring Injury

Miami Marlins prospect Magneuris Sierra remains out of the lineup after suffering a hamstring injury against the Mets on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Sierra, who is competing for the starting center field job with Lewis Brinson and Braxton Lee, was acquired from St. Louis as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade. In 28 […]

Michael Taylor Returns To Lineup Saturday

Washington Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor (side) has returned to the Nationals lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit game. He'll man his usual position in center field and bat fifth. That's a few slots above his normal position of eighth, which would be notable but Anthony Rendon is sitting and manager Dave Martinez is tinkering with batting his […]