Overvalued Closers to Avoid in Fantasy Baseball Drafts - Bust Candidates

Nothing worse than a headache in the bullpen. Nobody wants to draft the dud closer who loses his job in the first month or puts up a four+ ERA along with his save output. In this article, I've identified five relief pitcher busts who are too expensive on draft day. These are guys that either […]

Jason Foley Optioned To Triple-A

The Detroit Tigers optioned right-handed reliever Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press' Evan Petzold reports. Entering spring training, Foley was in the mix to save games for the Tigers to open the 2025 season, but that will have to be put on hold after he really struggled in spring training. […]

What Is Statcast Contact Quality for Pitchers? Fantasy Baseball Sabermetrics Glossary (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Statcast contact quality metrics for pitchers. This article is a deeper dive into the predictive value of metrics such as Brls/BBE and average airborne exit velocity (EV) for pitchers, and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll discover which pitchers led […]

Juan Nunez Returning To Baltimore

Right-handed pitcher Juan Nunez is returning to the Baltimore Orioles. The Padres selected Nunez in the Rule 5 draft back in November. However, during camp, Nunez allowed two runs across six innings of work while striking out five batters and was unable to make the major league roster. Fantasy managers should expect Nunez to likely […]

Jose Quijada Designated For Assignment

Left-handed pitcher Jose Quijada has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels. Quijada was competing for a spot in the bullpen but fell short. During camp, the southpaw posted a high 13.50 ERA with a 2.45 WHIP across seven 1/3 innings. He tallied six punchouts and served up five free passes. Last summer, […]

Angels Designate Angel Perdomo For Assignment

The Los Angeles Angels have designated left-handed pitcher Angel Perdomo for assignment. The Angels acquired Perdomo from Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations earlier in March. However, he will now be placed on waivers and will likely begin his season at the Triple-A level. Last season, Perdomo was unable to pitch due to Tommy John […]

Kris Bubic Fans Eight In Tuesday's Start

Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic had a solid final spring start in Tuesday's 3-1 win against the Rangers. Bubic pitched five innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts on 81 pitches. The 27-year-old had an excellent 2024 season out of the bullpen and earned the fifth rotation spot […]

Jackson Jobe Strikes Out Five In Final Spring Start

Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five batters over four innings of work in Tuesday's 4-3 exhibition loss to the Giants. Jobe finishes the spring with a 3.86 ERA and a 6:13 BB:K over 16 1/3 IP, earning him a spot in […]

6 Post-Hype Fantasy Baseball Sleepers With Upside - Breakout Candidates for Later Rounds

Howdy RotoBallers! It’s almost time for Opening Day stateside, which means it’s fantasy baseball draft crunch time. In this article, I’ve identified six post-hype sleepers that are nice values late in drafts. They’ve all been top fantasy baseball prospects or hyped up at one point, but the shine has worn off these guys after some […]

Marc Church Makes Opening Day Roster

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Marc Church has made the Opening Day roster, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Church made one appearance with the Rangers last season, but he has put together decent numbers in the minor leagues. Bochy mentioned that Church could be a possible closing option for the Rangers this season. The Rangers are […]

Aroldis Chapman Named Primary Closer

Boston Red Sox left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman will operate as the primary closer to begin the season, according to manager Alex Cora. As expected, Chapman has won the closer competition in Boston, but he could pitch in different spots as well. Cora confirmed that Chapman could pitch in the seventh or eighth inning if […]

Ryan Johnson Makes Angels Opening Day Roster

Right-handed pitching prospect Ryan Johnson has made the Los Angeles Angels' Opening Day roster despite having not pitched at all in the minor leagues after being taken in the second round last year, sources tell ESPN's Jeff Passan. Johnson becomes the second pitcher to make his MLB debut without pitching at all in the minors […]

Kevin Ginkel Likely To Start On Injured List

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed reliever Kevin Ginkel (shoulder) is likely to start the 2025 regular season on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Ginkel began dealing with inflammation in his shoulder at the end of camp, but he's not expected to have an extended stay on the IL. The 31-year-old […]

White Sox Release Dan Altavilla

The Chicago White Sox announced on Tuesday that they have released right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla. He will hit the open market despite pitching to a 2.79 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 9 2/3 relief innings in the Cactus League this spring. The 32-year-old veteran will now look to latch […]

Randy Dobnak To Be On Opening Day Roster

Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Randy Dobnak will take the open spot in the team's bullpen and will be on the Opening Day roster for Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. Dobnak was initially sent to the minors in camp, but injuries to Brock […]

Luke Jackson Earns The Save On Tuesday

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Luke Jackson closed out the team's 6-3 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night, earning a save with a perfect ninth inning. Chris Martin pitched the eighth inning in what could be a preview of how the Rangers will line up their bullpen to start the season. Both pitchers were very […]

What Are Statcast xStats? Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball (2025)

Welcome RotoBallers to our overview of Statcast Expected Statistics (xStats). This article is a deeper dive into xStats and is part of our ongoing series "Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball." In this article, we'll explain what Statcast's xStats are and how they work in layman's terms anyone can understand. We'll also look at how well […]

7 Fantasy Baseball Bold Predictions - Scott Engel's 2025 Picks

Drafting your fantasy baseball team is only the beginning of the 2025 journey. In real life, baseball is a constant game of adjustments, and you will always have to make your own adjustments as a fantasy player because rosters are so large and there is more work to be done in this game than in […]

Joey Cantillo Starting Season In Bullpen

Cleveland Guardians left-handed pitching prospect Joey Cantillo will open the season in the bullpen. Cantillo was competing for a spot in the rotation but will instead begin his 2025 season pitching out of the bullpen. During spring training, Cantillo held a high 7.82 ERA with a 1.89 WHIP across 12 2/3 innings of work. During […]

Alec Marsh, Kyle Wright, James McArthur Placed On 15-Day Injured List

Kansas City Royals pitchers Alec Marsh (shoulder), Kyle Wright (shoulder/hamstring), and James McArthur (elbow) were all officially placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. None of these come as a surprise, with all three of them battling injuries this spring. Marsh is dealing with the most minor injury of the three, with a delay […]

Ryan Gusto Earns Opening Day Roster Spot In Bullpen

Houston Astros pitching prospect Ryan Gusto has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to manager Joe Espada. The 6-foot-4 hurler spent all of 2024 at Triple-A, posting a 3.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 14.1 percent K-BB% over 148 1/3 innings of work. The righty showed well enough this spring, too, allowing one earned run […]

Luke Jackson In The Mix For Saves

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Luke Jackson could be in the mix for saves in 2025. Manager Bruce Bochy said things will be "pretty close" to how he used the bullpen in Monday's 6-3 win over the Royals, where Robert Garcia pitched the 7th, Chris Martin pitched the 8th, and Jackson picked up the save in […]

Dedniel Nunez Optioned To Triple-A

New York Mets right-hander Dedniel Nunez (forearm), who was one of the team's best relievers in 2024, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Nunez missed the entire second half of last year with a pronator strain in his right forearm, and as a result, he didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until mid-March as […]

Matt Strahm Dealing With Finger Injury, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed reliever Matt Strahm (finger) was scheduled to pitch in the team's Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, but he was scratched du to left middle fingernail irritation after packing in the morning. The issue isn't believed to be serious, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, and Strahm is still […]

Reid Detmers To Start In The Bullpen

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers will open the 2025 regular season in the bullpen, according to manager Ron Washington. Detmers will be set for a long-relief/swing role to start after losing out on the final starting rotation spot to sinker-baller right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. The 25-year-old southpaw will almost certainly make some starts for the […]

Matt Brash Scheduled To Make Spring Debut On Monday

The Seattle Times' Adam Jude reports that Seattle Mariners right-handed reliever Matt Brash (elbow) was expected to make his Cactus League debut on Monday against the San Diego Padres in the spring training finale. Better late than never, right? Brash had an internal-brace procedure on his right arm in May of last year and missed […]

Trevor Megill Returns To Cactus League Action On Monday

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Trevor Megill is scheduled to pitch in Cactus League action on Monday against the Colorado Rockies for the first time since March 15, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The Brewers haven't announced any kind of injury for Megill, though, and he has been pitching in minor-league games instead. As long as everything […]

Cardinals Put Zach Thompson On Injured List

On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher Zack Thompson (lat) on the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old has dealt with a Grade 1 lat strain throughout the spring, limiting him to just one inning pitched. Thompson has been shut down for three to four weeks as he recovers. The former first-round pick was competing […]

Hunter Bigge To Make Opening Day Roster

Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever Hunter Bigge, who was originally optioned to Triple-A Durham, will now be on the Opening Day roster with left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) starting the year on the 15-day injured list. Bigge, who could be in play for save chances at some point this year, is a hard-throwing 26-year-old who made […]

Ryan Yarbrough Joins Yankees On One-Year Deal

Free-agent left-handed reliever Ryan Yarbrough signed a one-year deal for $2 million with $500,000 in incentives with the New York Yankees on Monday, a source tells ESPN's Jorge Castillo. Yarbrough was in spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays but decided to opt out of his minor-league deal on Sunday to become a free agent. […]