Baseball Officially Back; 60-Game Season To Start July 23 Or 24

The Major League Baseball Players Association and the league ironed out the final details on Tuesday, allowing players to report to camps by July 1 and play a 60-game season starting on either July 23 or 24. An agreement on healthy and safety protocols, which was the final hurdle, was ironed out on Tuesday night.... Read More

MLB Teams To Open With 30-Man Rosters

Major League Baseball teams can have 30-man rosters for Opening Day in late July. Rosters will be reduced to 28 on Day 15 of the season and reduced to 26 for the rest of the year on Day 29 of the season. Teams must submit a list of up to 60 players -- entire 40-man... Read More

Players Agree To Report By July 1

The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to report to training camps by July 1 and play a 60-game season, according to sources. However, a deal is not yet finalized, as there is one last health-and-safety hurdle to get over amid the coronavirus pandemic. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reports that there aren't any major... Read More

Cardinals Agree To Terms With Jordan Walker

The St. Louis Cardinals signed first-round pick Jordan Walker for $2.9 million, a bit under the slot value of $3,132,300. Walker is a high school third baseman from Georgia that was a Duke recruit, but will now join the Cardinals organization instead. Walker has huge power potential as an athletic 6-foot-5 18-year-old. He may end... Read More

Off-The-Radar MLB Prospects and Dynasty Assets

Dynasty leagues are always a lot of foresight and mental math. Are you competing this year or in the future? Are you trying to stockpile pitching assets to balance against their heightened risk or take a lot of hitters because of their relative safety? What skills project the best for you? All of these questions... Read More

Players Expected To Vote Yes On Proposals

There is a strong expectation that the Major League Baseball Players Association will vote yes on Tuesday on the league's proposed July 1 report date for spring training and codify the health-and-safety protocol to lock in a 60-game season that will start around July 24, according to sources. However, the health-and-safety issues could cause a... Read More

Owners Vote To Proceed With 2020 Season

MLB owners unanimously voted on Monday night to proceed with the 2020 season under the terms of their March 26 agreement with the Players Association after the union's executive board voted down the league's latest offer of a 60-game season with expanded playoffs. Commissioner Rob Manfred has the power to implement a schedule of his... Read More

MLB Commissioner To Implement 60-Game Season

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is scheduled to implement a 60-game season that will start on July 29, although no official announcement has been made. This comes as the Players Association rejected MLB's latest proposal of a 60-game schedule with expanded playoffs. By rejecting the league's latest offer, the players union retains the right... Read More

Players Reject MLB's Latest Offer Of 60 Games

The Major League Baseball Players Association voted (33-5 against) on Monday to reject the league's 60-game proposal with expanded playoffs, putting commissioner Rob Manfred in position to implement a schedule of his choosing -- likely between 50 and 60 games. "While we had hoped to reach a revised back-to-work agreement with the league, the players... Read More

Four Yankees Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

Four New York Yankees employees have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. None of the positive tests appear to be players, but additional MLB-related coronavirus cases put the season even more at risk than it already was. The Yankees are moving their spring training back to New York with rising cases in Florida, but even the... Read More

Two Angels Players Test Positive For COVID-19

The Los Angeles Angels learned that two players in their organization have tested positive for COVID-19, according to general manager Billy Eppler. Eppler would not specify if the players were major leaguers or minor leaguers, but they hadn't been working out either in Anaheim or at the team's spring training complex in Tempe, Arizona. The... Read More

WPC+ Videocast: Hitter Values for a Shortened Season

Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut review stats from the first 50 games of the 2019 MLB season to find notable differences from final season totals for top fantasy players. How much will a small sample size of a shortened season affect fantasy value? Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all... Read More

Aaron Hicks Ready For July Opening Day

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks (elbow) confirmed that he will be ready to play if the season starts in late July. Hicks has enjoyed a setback-free recovery from Tommy John surgery so far, and he’s been taking batting practice and throwing from 160 feet over the past few weeks. With the talks between MLB... Read More

Three Hitters Set To Break Out Earlier Than Expected

MLB hitters often tend to experience their best seasons between ages 26 and 29 years old. Even so, many players have breakout seasons before that peak. The cheapest path to talent acquisition is by successfully targeting players before they have their first big year and this article will take a look at three players who... Read More

MLB Closing All Spring Training Sites

Major League Baseball will close all of their spring training sites in Arizona and Florida for deep cleaning and will not allow players or staff members back in until they pass a COVID-19 test. This comes after the Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants and Rangers shut down their spring training facilities earlier in the day due... Read More

MLB Won't Counter Players' Latest Proposal

Major League Baseball won't counter the Players Association's latest proposal to play 70 games this year, instead sticking with their most recent offer of 60 games at full prorated salaries. The players can either accept the 60-game offer with expanded playoffs and promise not to file a grievance, or reject it and force commissioner Rob... Read More

Giants Shut Down Scottsdale Stadium Facility

The San Francisco Giants closed their Scottsdale Stadium facility on Friday "after one person who had been in the facility and one family member exhibited mild symptoms and were tested," per president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. The organization is awaiting test results. The Giants recommended that others who had been at the facility should... Read More

Blue Jays Close Facilities After COVID-19 Scare

The Toronto Blue Jays shut down their spring training facilities in Dunedin, Florida, on Thursday after a player showed coronavirus symptoms, according to sources. The Phillies, located in Clearwater, Florida, are also closing their facility after five players and a staff member tested positive. The Blue Jays player is a pitcher on the 40-man roster... Read More

MLB Owners Upset With Players' Latest Proposal

Major League Baseball owners are so upset about the Players Association's latest proposal -- which is for around $300 million more -- that no response is expected to be immediate this week. The league proposed a 60-game season earlier this week, while the players countered with a 70-game schedule, $50 million in playoff bonuses and... Read More

Joe Suozzi Agrees To Minor League Contract With Mets

The New York Mets have signed Boston College outfielder Joe Suozzi to a minor league contract that includes a $20,000 signing bonus. This past year as a senior in a season shortened to 15 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Suozzi hit .414 with 14 runs and 16 RBI. During his junior year, Suozzi hit... Read More

Aaron Hicks Filmed Taking Batting Practice

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks (elbow) was filmed taking batting practice as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Hicks appears to be in line for a healthy start to the season (whenever that me be) as expected, and fantasy owners should expect him to claim a starting job in the Yankee outfield.... Read More

Players Union Proposing Schedule Of Around 70 Games

Updating an ongoing story, the Major League Baseball Players Association has finalized a proposal to the league for a season in the neighborhood of 70 games, according to sources. The season would run from July 19 to Sept. 30 and would include full pro-rated salaries and $50 million in playoff bonuses. It would also include... Read More

Players Want More Than 60-Game Season

Following a four-hour negotiation in Arizona between MLB commissioner and union executive director Tony Clark on Wednesday, the league believed the framework of a deal had been agreed upon, according to sources. But the union disagreed and players said they view the 60-game schedule proposal as too short. Absent a deal, the league has the... Read More

A.J. Pollock (OF, LAD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 280 CURRENT ADP: ~323 overall ANALYSIS: A.J. Pollock has typically been very productive when on the field but has always had a very hard time staying healthy. His upside has often made him an intriguing early-round pick, but he's reached 500 plate appearances just once in his career, and that... Read More

Justin Upton (OF, LAA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 160 CURRENT ADP: ~202 overall ANALYSIS: Going into the 2019 season, Justin Upton had reached 600 plate appearances and eight or more steals in eight straight seasons, while hitting 26 or more homers in all but one. Needless to say, just 12 home runs in an injury-plagued campaign was a... Read More

Brandon Nimmo (OF, NYM) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 260 CURRENT ADP: ~327 overall ANALYSIS: Brandon Nimmo showed a lot of positive signs during his breakout 2018 season. His marginal power took a significant step forward, hitting 17 home runs across 535 plate appearances. Nimmo not only continued to walk at a very high rate but his 26.2% K-rate... Read More

Anthony Santander (OF, BAL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 300 CURRENT ADP: ~340 overall ANALYSIS: Last year, Anthony Santander received his first extended stint with the Orioles, and he did not disappoint. In 93 games, his stat line read .261-20-46-59-1. If we combine his 48 games in Triple-A, Santander had a really nice season with 25 home runs, 76... Read More

Domingo Santana (OF, Cle) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 240 CURRENT ADP: ~290 overall ANALYSIS: Domingo Santana had a very strong start to the 2019 season. Over his first 99 games, Santana had a stat line of .274-19-56-65-6, but that all changed after an elbow injury he sustained on July 23. After the injury, Santana only played in 21... Read More

Jake Fraley (OF, SEA) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~ 300 CURRENT ADP: ~356 overall ANALYSIS: Jake Fraley has been a late-round, even last pick of a draft target of a few of us at RotoBaller this season. The outfield targets really late in the draft are more made to help in specific stat categories or drafting on the pure... Read More

Spring Training 2.0 Could Start By June 29

If Major League Baseball and the Players Association can complete their negotiations by this Friday, the plan is for players to report to spring training 2.0 by June 29, with three full weeks of spring training before the 2020 season would begin. Most teams would train in their own home cities before starting the regular... Read More