Phillies Waiting For Price To Drop On Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel

The Philadelphia Phillies are unlikely to engage free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel or starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel unless either pitcher's current asking price drops, according to those close to the situation. Keuchel is believed to be seeking a five-year deal, while Kimbrel is looking for something similar. The Phillies see themselves as favorites to land outfielder […]

Ross Stripling Going Back To Windup

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling will go back to a windup in his delivery full time in 2019 after abandoning it after the spring of 2017. "I think the reason you bring it back, it gives you a little more rhythm and it gives hitters a different timing. Out of the stretch, it’s easy […]

Cardinals Easing Andrew Miller Into Spring Action

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said he doesn't think relief pitcher Andrew Miller will pitch in the first couple of Grapefruit League games this weekend. Given the knee issues the left-hander dealt with last year, the Cardinals are also being careful with him in fielding drills in camp. So far Miller's knee and arm […]

Ryan Brasier Returns To Camp

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier, who is dealing with an infected right little toe, has returned to camp and is hoping to resume workouts soon. It's not exactly clear what is wrong with his toe, but it doesn't appear to be too serious. Brasier, along with Matt Barnes, are the favorites for closing […]

Using Sabermetrics For Fantasy Baseball Part 8 - FIP and xFIP

The first advanced pitching stat most fantasy owners encounter is FIP. FIP stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, and attempts to measure a pitcher's actual skill instead of the effects of luck or his supporting cast. According to the DIPS theory that the metric is based upon, pitchers control only Ks, BBs (and HBP) and home […]

Tyler Clippard Signs With Indians

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent relief pitcher Tyler Clippard on Wednesday. It's a minor league deal, but Clippard can make $1.75 million if he's on the major league roster with an additional $1 million in incentives. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever had a 3.67 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings with seven […]

Brandon Morrow To Play Catch Wednesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) is scheduled to build up to 105 feet while playing catch on Wednesday. He is hoping to be cleared to resume a regular daily throwing program after that. Morrow will not be ready for the start of the regular season after having right elbow surgery last November. He […]

RotoBaller's Industry Experts Mock Draft - The King's Perspective

At RotoBaller, we recently assembled a group of fantasy baseball experts to take part in the RotoBaller Friends and Family Expert Mock Draft. Our participants came from all over the industry, representing a host of various sites such as: CBS Sports (Heath Cummings) The Athletic (Nando Di Fino) Fantasy Alarm (Howard Bender) Fangraphs (Alex Chamberlain) […]

Ryan Brasier Having Toe Examined

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier is dealing with an infection in his pinkie toe and went back to Boston to have it examined. Brasier had a stellar 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings for Boston in 2018 and has become a big part of the back end of […]

Joakim Soria Has Right Hip Discomfort

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Joakim Soria will be held back in camp a bit as he deals with right hip discomfort. Unless the injury gets worse, Soria has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. The 34-year-old had a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 75 K's in 60 2/3 innings for the White […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball Second Base Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]

Bruce Bochy To Retire At End Of Season

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will retire at the end of the 2019 season. Bochy will turn 64 in April and will be in the Hall of Fame eventually. He enters this season with a career managerial record of 1,926-1,944 with the Padres and Giants. He won three World Series rings with San Fran […]

Red Sox Unlikely To Re-Sign Craig Kimbrel

Boston Red Sox chairman Ted Werner said "it's extremely unlikely" that the team re-signs closer Craig Kimbrel. The Red Sox don't want to pay top dollar to retain Kimbrel and they are prepared to go with some combination of Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier in the ninth inning. Kimbrel is RotoBaller's No. 3 fantasy closer […]

Dellin Betances Having Extension Talks

New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances said his agent, Jim Murray, and general manager Brian Cashman have had contract-extension talks this offseason. Betances really struggled with his control in 2017 with a career-high 6.6 walks per nine innings, but he bounced back last season with a 3.5 BB/9 and lowered his ERA to 2.70 […]

Merrill Kelly, Several Others Vying For Jobs

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Merrill Kelly to a free-agent deal with an invitation to spring training, while also recently adding outfielder Rob Refsnyder, shortstop Kelby Tomlinson and pitchers Michael Kohn and Lucas Luetge on minor-league deals. Kelly is the biggest signing, and he has the chance to make the greatest fantasy impact. He enjoyed […]

Raisel Iglesias Won't Be Used Exclusively In Closer's Role

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that closer Raisel Iglesias won't be used strictly in a traditional closer's role. "He’ll be used in the most important spots in the game. We don’t want to limit him," Bell said. The hard-throwing 29-year-old could be used in high-leverage situations before the ninth inning at times, but he […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]

Orioles Not Committing To Late-Inning Bullpen Roles

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn't ready to commit to late-inning bullpen roles just yet. Relief pitcher Mychal Givens, who is the favorite for saves in Baltimore, will be deployed in "high-leverage" situations, but Hyde said he "won't manage to the save stat." More managers are starting to take this approach with their bullpen, which […]

Marlins To Mix And Match In Ninth Inning

The Miami Marlins are prepared to play the matchups in the ninth inning this year, but relievers Drew Steckenrider and lefty Adam Conley are the front-runners to split the role. Steckenrider had five saves in his rookie season in 2018 but was mostly used in setup situations. Conley had three saves last year but made […]

Ned Yost Not Defining Closer Role

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost may not name a specific closer heading into the regular season. "The roles will define themselves over time," Yost said. "My mindset has been [to go with a] closer in the past. Now, I think more in terms of high-leverage situation. When do you use that guy in high […]

Archie Bradley's Finger Issues Behind Him

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley said the cracked-fingernail issue that he dealt with last year isn't an issue any longer. "This nail is solid. I’m throwing some hammers this year. I’m going to have one of the best curveballs in the big leagues this year. It’s nasty," Bradley said. It's unclear if the D-Backs […]

Brandon Morrow Throws Wednesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) threw up to 90 feet during workouts on Wednesday. A right elbow injury that kept Morrow out in the second half last year will also keep him out for the first month of the regular season this year. He's hoping to be cleared to play catch daily next […]

Ross Stripling May Pitch In Relief

With Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda in the rotation to begin the year, it could mean that Ross Stripling will begin the season in the bullpen. Stripling made his first All-Star team last year by going 8-6 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and career-high 10.0 K/9 in 33 outings (21 starts). He […]

Giants Not Ready To Name Closer

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he will not name a closer for a few weeks. Lefty Will Smith was San Fran's best reliever in 2018, posting a 2.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 14 saves and 71 K's in 54 outings, but the Giants are excited about the way Mark Melancon is throwing this spring. […]

Red Sox Still Unlikely To Re-Sign Craig Kimbrel

The Boston Red Sox remain steadfast that they will not have a "big expenditure at the closer position," even on a short-term deal, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. That means it remains unlikely that Boston will re-sign closer Craig Kimbrel for 2019. Boston will likely use an "internal" option for the ninth […]

Sergio Romo Agrees With Marlins

The Miami Marlins agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Sergio Romo on Tuesday, according to a league source. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was a versatile piece for Tampa last year, posting a 4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 25 saves while also serving as an opener five times. The slider-heavy right-hander has […]

Corbin Burnes To Compete For Rotation Spot

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, who pitched out of the bullpen last year, was told he'd be a starting pitcher in 2019. "You know, as we get close to the season, the need may be [different], but I came into camp as a starter and I fully intend on being a starter," Burnes said. The […]

Rays Not Rushing To Name Closer

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said there is "no urgency" to name a closer entering the 2019 season. He likes the team's bullpen flexibility and will have a bunch of guys sharing the ninth-inning role. Sergio Romo was the team's primary closer last year, but he's likely to depart in free agency, leaving relievers […]

Alex Colome Could Have Leg Up On Closer Duties

The Chicago White Sox are talking more about relief pitcher Alex Colome for ninth-inning duties than they are with Kelvin Herrera. The Pale Hose gave up catcher Omar Narvaez to acquire Colome from the Mariners in the offseason and Colome had 37 and 46 saves for the Rays in 2016 and 2017, respectively. He also […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball First Base Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]