RADIO
Reds Still In Play For Nicholas Castellanos
The Cincinnati Reds remain in play for outfielder Nicholas Castellanos. The Rangers, among other teams, are also interested in Castellanos as the top available bat on the free-agent market after the Braves inked Marcell Ozuna on Tuesday. The 27-year-old (28 in March) hit a very nice .289/.337/.525 with 27 home runs, 100 runs scored and... Read More
Blue Jays Interested In Brock Holt
The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in infielder Brock Holt, according to sources. The Reds have been involved with Holt as well. It's unlikely that Holt will return to the Red Sox after they signed Jose Peraza for their infield. The 31-year-old can play second base, outfield and third base, and he hit .297/.369/.402... Read More
Yoenis Cespedes To Be Ready Offensively In Spring Training
New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (ankle, heels) will be ready from an offensive standpoint for spring training. Cespedes continues to build his progression while running and catching fly balls. The 34-year-old missed all of the 2019 season and is an extreme injury risk, but things are looking... Read More
Luis Rojas To Be New Mets Manager
The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with Luis Rojas on Wednesday to be the next manager. He'll replace Carlos Beltran, who the team parted ways with last week in the wake of Beltran's role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. The 38-year-old was the team's quality control coach in 2019 and interviewed for the... Read More
Alex Gordon Back With the Royals in 2020
The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Alex Gordon, worth $4 million. Gordon was a free agent but must not have received too many enticing offers this offseason despite a good-enough .266/.345/.396 line to go with Gold Glove defense in left field. He'll turn 36 next month and will... Read More
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Barrels
Last time, we looked at how exit velocity (or EV) is only one piece of the fantasy analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. Am I evaluating a baseball player or trying to find the hypotenuse of an isosceles... Read More
Braves Agree With Marcell Ozuna
The Atlanta Braves and outfielder Marcell Ozuna agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Ozuna will hit in the middle of Atlanta's order and help replace the power production of third baseman Josh Donaldson, who signed with the Twins. Ozuna, 29, slashed .241/.328/.472 with 29 home... Read More
Braves In Running For Marcell Ozuna, Nicholas Castellanos
The Atlanta Braves are still searching for a middle-of-the-order bat to replace third baseman Josh Donaldson, and outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nicholas Castellanos are seen as the most likely options. Ozuna and Castellanos are both by far the two best available bats on the free-agent market. Both offer solid power profiles at the corner outfield... Read More
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: BABIP for Hitters
The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. Many know... Read More
Yoenis Cespedes Sprinting In Rehab
New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (heels) tweeted out a video of an offseason workout in Florida which showed him sprinting, swinging in the cage and catching fly balls in the outfield. Cespedes hasn't played in a major league game since July 20 of 2018. He suffered multiple right ankle fractures in a freak accident... Read More
Harrison Bader Confident He'll Be Starting Center Fielder
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader is confident that he'll be the starting center fielder in 2020. "I'm the starting center fielder," the 25-year-old Bader said. "It's my position. I'm going to take it. There's no sense in talking about it. I'm looking forward to showing up Day 1, guns blazing and ready to go."... Read More
Eric Samulski's Prospects Live Bestball 50 Draft Breakdown
This offseason, Prospects Live announced a new draft format that they were hoping would bring together the dynasty crowd with more redraft-heavy players. The format was simple and also completely complicated. Each league would be a five-year Best Ball Dynasty featuring 30 teams where each owner would draft a roster of 50 players, and the... Read More
Will There Be Fantasy Fallout for the Astros?
The Houston Astros have landed in hot water this offseason after receiving sign-stealing allegations against them dating back to their World Series championship season of 2017. A long and thorough investigation by MLB has confirmed that the elaborate scheme to notify batters of specific pitches was indeed true, and the organization is now facing the... Read More
Is Mike Trout Still the #1 Pick in Fantasy?
Pierre Camus and Nicklaus Gaut debate whether Angels outfielder Mike Trout should still be the consensus number one pick in 2020 fantasy baseball drafts or if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Christian Yelich should be taken higher. Like and subscribe to the RotoBaller channel on Youtube to get all our latest podcasts and catch us on... Read More
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Exit Velocity
If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures.... Read More
2019 Season in Review: Danny Santana
One of the first articles I ever published with RotoBaller was a warning. Specifically, this column dissuaded fantasy owners from buying into Danny Santana's breakout 2014 season. (Yes, I've been doing this for a long time/am old.) That year, Santana had emerged from obscurity as a 23-year-old rookie to hit .319/.353/.472 with 70 runs scored... Read More
Odubel Herrera Designated For Assignment
The Philadelphia Phillies designated outfielder Odubel Herrera for assignment on Tuesday and claimed outfielder Nick Martini off waivers from the Reds in a corresponding move. Herrera was handed an 85-game suspension to close out the year for a domestic-violence incident, and he hit just .222/.288/.341 with a home run, 16 RBI and two steals in... Read More
Biggest Outfield Risers/Fallers of 2020
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season as well as the beginning of Fantasy Baseball Prep season! It may seem like the 2020 fantasy baseball season just ended, but the 2021 season will be here before we know it. Now is as good a time as ever to start thinking about your new draft... Read More
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: HR/FB
Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Average is a category in many league formats and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. But most owners find the long ball sexier. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. Many owners... Read More
How To Win Your Fantasy Baseball Leagues on Draft Day
I hate intros. Nobody takes the time to read these things. I could say whatever I wanted and it would literally pass zero sets of eyes. Watch.... I have hemorrhoids! See? No one. But in the rare occasion that one of you sad saps does in fact read this paragraph before jumping to the meat... Read More
Don't Doubt Mike Trout: Why He's Still #1
It has become fashionable for fantasy owners to suggest that perhaps this is the year that Mike Trout should be supplanted as the consensus first overall draft pick. Not one, but two other players - Ronald Acuna and Christian Yelich - are being regularly selected in early NFBC drafts ahead of the 28-year-old Trout, who... Read More
Cubs, Kyle Schwarber Avoid Arbitration
The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Kyle Schwarber avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $7.01 million deal. Schwarber slashed .250/.339/.531 with a career-high 38 home runs, 82 runs scored and 92 RBI in his 155 games for the Cubs in 2019. The big left-handed slugger has at least 26 round-trippers in each... Read More
Nomar Mazara Avoids Arbitration With New Team
Chicago White Sox outfielder Nomar Mazara avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $5.56 million deal. Mazara was traded from the Rangers this offseason after hitting .268/.318/.469 with 19 home runs, 69 runs and 66 RBI in 429 at-bats in Texas in 2019. Mazara has been consistently mediocre in his four seasons... Read More
David Dahl To Make $2.475 Million In 2020
Colorado Rockies outfielder David Dahl avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.475 million deal. It was Dahl's first year of arbitration eligibility. The 25-year-old has the ability to be a five-category fantasy contributor if he can just stay healthy, which is something that has eluded him in his career to this... Read More
Mallex Smith Settles With Mariners
Seattle Mariners outfielder Mallex Smith avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.35 million deal, according to a source. It was the first year that he was eligible for arbitration. While Smith led the league with 46 swipes, he hit a putrid .227/.300/.335 with only six home runs and 37 RBI in... Read More
Mitch Haniger To Make $3 Million In 2020
Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.01 million deal, according to a source. Some freak injuries caused Haniger to play in just 63 games for the M's in 2019, and he hit a disappointing .220/.314/.463 with 15 home runs and 32 RBI after batting .285/.366/.493 with... Read More
Mookie Betts Sets Arbitration Record
Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a record-breaking, one-year, $27 million deal, according to a source. The amount breaks the record set by Nolan Arenado last year of $26 million. Boston also reached one-year deals with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. ($11 million) and relievers Brandon Workman ($3.5... Read More
Diamondbacks Reach Extension With David Peralta
The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a three-year, $22 million extension with outfielder David Peralta on Friday to avoid salary arbitration. He can make an extra $1.25 million in incentives. Injuries held Peralta to only 99 games for the D-backs in 2019, but he hit a useful .275/.343/.461 with 12 home runs and 57 RBI when... Read More
Hunter Renfroe Avoids Arbitration
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Hunter Renfroe avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.3 million deal. Renfroe came over to the Rays this offseason in the trade that sent Tommy Pham to the Padres. Although he hit just .216 in 140 games for the Friars, Renfroe delivered on his power potential by... Read More
Marcell Ozuna Deciding Between Cardinals, Rangers
Free-agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna said he's basically deciding between the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers in free agency. I’ve been in St. Louis and I like the city. My first option will be St. Louis. If they step up I will stay, if not I will find a new home," Ozuna said. St. Louis just... Read More
