Spin Rate: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Spin rate has become one of the most recognizable Statcast metrics, with supporters of a given pitcher highlighting his spin rates to make their case. It has also become controversial due to allegations of pitchers using foreign substances to increase their spin. Unfortunately, the baseball world has done a lousy job of conveying what spin […]

A.J. Puk, Tommy Nance Dealing With Injuries

Miami Marlins left-hander A.J. Puk (groin) has some minor left adductor tightness but is scheduled to play catch on Tuesday. Right-hander Tommy Nance (shoulder) is dealing with slight shoulder discomfort and will be re-evaluated soon. Puk was acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics in the offseason, and given the depth at starting pitcher […]

Marlins Agree With Richard Rodriguez On Minor-League Deal

The Miami Marlins agreed with free-agent right-hander Richard Rodriguez on a minor-league deal on Tuesday that includes a non-roster invite to major-league spring training. Rodriguez is trying to make an MLB comeback after serving an 80-game suspension in 2022 for performance-enhancing drugs. The 32-year-old Dominican had a nice 2.94 ERA (4.04 FIP), 0.93 WHIP, career-high […]

Drew Pomeranz Hopeful To Be Ready By End Of March

San Diego Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz (elbow) is currently eight bullpen sessions into his latest rehab stint, with the team aiming to have him healthy by the end of March, per the Athletic's Dennis Lin. Pomeranz last pitched for the Padres in 2021 before suffering a torn flexor tendon in his left forearm. He had […]

White Sox Won't Use Traditional Closer

Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said on Monday that the organization doesn't plan to use a set closer to begin the season. The team is still without right-hander Liam Hendriks who continues to undergo treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The organization doesn't have a timetable for his return, but hopefully he'll be able to pitch […]

Aroldis Chapman Cracks Tooth During Fall

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (lip, tooth) fell at his house on Saturday night and cracked a tooth and split his lip open, which required stitches. He is still pretty swollen, but he'll attempt to play catch on Monday while throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday. Chapman said he's feeling OK and hopes […]

Garrett Whitlock May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted on Monday that right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) may not be ready for Opening Day. "He's throwing the ball well, he's moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We're not concerned. We've got a plan. We'll see where we're at in the upcoming weeks. If he's ready for opening day […]

Pitcher Statcast: Using Sabermetrics for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a fantasy baseball batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet, there […]

Felix Bautista Throws Bullpen Session Sunday

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Felix Bautista (knee, shoulder) completed a bullpen session on Sunday. O's manager Brandon Hyde noted that Bautista is right on track, and his session was quite promising. Bautista had been dealing with knee and shoulder soreness late last season and is slowly ramping things up as the season approaches. The 27-year-old was […]

Joe Harvey Lands With Braves

Free agent right-hander Joe Harvey signed with the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal. Harvey has been assigned to the Braves Triple-A camp, the Gwinnett Stripers, and hopes to get promoted at some point this season. The 31-year-old didn't pitch at all in 2022 after electing free agency at the end of 2021 and has […]

Jeff Hoffman Signs With Twins

Former Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jeff Hoffman signed with the Minnesota Twins on a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training. If Hoffman makes the majors, he will earn $1.3 million, and the deal also includes three opt-outs throughout the season. The 30-year-old spent his 2022 campaign with the Reds and molded a 3.83 ERA […]

Who Is The Dodgers Closer? Fantasy Baseball Saves Candidates for 2023

The Dodger bullpen spent most of 2022 in flux and the offseason left fantasy drafters with more questions than answers regarding who to draft for saves in L.A. Craig Kimbrel recorded 22 of the team's 43 saves despite struggling to a 3.75 ERA and a ghastly 1.32 WHIP. Kimbrel is now in Philadelphia and manager […]

Corbin Martin To Work Exclusively As Reliever

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Martin will work exclusively as a reliever heading into the 2023 season, according to manager Torey Lovullo. The 27-year-old has been working as both a reliever and starter throughout his career. Last season, Martin made seven appearances (two starts) with the Diamondbacks, but the results weren't favorable. Now, Martin is working […]

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third […]

Ken Giles Auditions For Padres

Free-agent relief pitcher Ken Giles threw a bullpen session for the San Diego Padres on Friday at their spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz. He will continue to throw bullpens every Tuesday and Friday for interested teams until he gets signed. Giles also threw for interested clubs at Arizona State on Feb. 8, but nothing […]

Nate Pearson Preparing For Bulk Role

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Nate Pearson has missed most of the last two seasons due to injury, which is why he isn't being stretched out as a starter in spring training this year, but instead he's preparing for a bulk role. Pearson was sitting at 96-97 mph during live batting practice this week, and pitching […]

Ronny Henriquez To Be Sidelined One Week

Minnesota Twins pitcher Ronny Henriquez (elbow) is set to miss at least a week of action. The organization plans to shut down the 22-year-old for about a week before they re-evaluate his elbow soreness. He was already a long shot to make the roster, but this certainly isn't going to help. Henriquez allowed three earned […]

Cole Waites Hopes To Resume Throwing Monday

San Francisco Giants right-hander Cole Waites (lat) said he will be re-evaluated on Sunday and hopes to begin throwing again in camp on Monday. Waites is recovering from a right lat strain that he suffered before spring training, so he's a bit behind the other starters in camp. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut in […]

Rony Garcia Working As Reliever This Spring

Detroit Tigers right-hander Rony Garcia will be working out of the bullpen this spring, but the door isn't closed forever for him in a starting role. "His best route to this team will be in that bridge role of being stretched out to two and three innings," manager A.J. Hinch said. In his third MLB […]

Yerry Rodriguez Looking For Permanent Bullpen Spot

Texas Rangers right-hander Yerry Rodriguez is looking for a permanent bullpen job with the Rangers in spring training this year. The Dominican product signed for $60,000 in 2015 and made his major-league debut with a scoreless inning on the final day of the 2022 season. He has a running fastball that reaches 100 mph and […]

Clay Holmes To See Most Of Save Opportunities

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that relief pitcher Clay Holmes is expected to close out the majority of the games for the team in 2023. "I would expect [Holmes] to close a lot of games for us. Probably most games, and hopefully a lot of games. But I do see a number of […]

Giovanny Gallegos Won't Make Spring Debut Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos will not make his spring training debut in Saturday's Grapefruit League game as he continues to adjust to MLB's new pitch-clock timer in 2023. Last year, Gallegos averaged 25.8 seconds between pitches with nobody on base, which tied Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga for the slowest tempo. Per MLB's […]

Felix Bautista To Throw Another Bullpen Saturday

Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista (knee, shoulder) will throw another bullpen session on Saturday at 80 to 85 percent intensity. Bautista continues to increase the intensity of his throwing sessions in spring training as he recovers from knee and shoulder soreness that also bothered him late last season. The 27-year-old right-hander is taking things slowly […]

Marlins To Use Closer-By-Committee

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker mentioned that the organization plans to go without a traditional closer this season. The first-year manager said he plans to let the matchups dictate how he uses his relievers. The Marlins have no shortage of options for high-leverage spots. Dylan Floro and Tanner Scott figure to remain in the mix […]

Andres Munoz Is "Ahead Of Schedule"

Seattle Mariners right-handed reliever Andres Munoz (foot) is "ahead of schedule," according to manager Scott Servais, but he's still a week or longer away from making his Cactus League debut. The Mariners were concerned about how much volume the high-leverage reliever could handle early in the year, but the coaching staff is now more encouraged […]

Giovanny Gallegos Adjusting To Pitch Timer

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos knows that he'll need to pick up his pace on the mound in 2023 given the changes to MLB rules -- pitchers are now mandated to throw a pitch within 15 seconds of receiving the ball from the catcher with the bases empty. Gallegos was one of baseball's […]

Jason Foley To Have Prominent Bullpen Role

Detroit Tigers right-hander Jason Foley is hoping to have an increased role in the bullpen in 2023. With the departures of several bullpen arms over the offseason that depleted the Tigers' pitching depth, Foley will have an opportunity to shine. Relievers such as Andrew Chafin, Wily Peralta, Daniel Norris and Kyle Funkhouser were all dealt to […]

Tanner Houck Open To Extension With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have discussed a long-term extension with right-hander Tanner Houck after locking in Garrett Whitlock to a four-year, $18.75 million deal 11 months ago. The talks with Houck didn't get very far last year, though, and haven't resulted in a deal or offer from Boston. He'll turn 27 in June and is […]

Ethan Small To Serve As Long Reliever

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Ethan Small will work as a long reliever in spring training, with his status as a lefty working in his favor. Small made two starts in his MLB debut in 2022 and allowed five earned runs on eight hits while walking eight and striking out seven in […]

Nick Nelson To Start Grapefruit League Opener

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that right-hander Nick Nelson will start the team's Grapefruit League opener at home against the New York Yankees on Saturday. In his first season with the Phillies in 2022, Nelson went 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA (3.04 FIP), 1.48 WHIP, one save and 22.6 percent strikeout rate in a […]