Ryan Merritt on the Roster Bubble

Cleveland Indians pitcher Ryan Merritt is on the roster bubble this spring and might have a hard time cracking the 25-man roster coming out of Spring Training. Merritt is out of options, which may complicate things, as Cleveland would risk losing him without any compensation if they choose not to carry him on the Opening […]

Brad Hand Set To Be Unorthodox Closer

MLB.com reports the San Diego Padres will use closer Brad Hand in various situations rather than limiting him to the ninth inning. Hand's primary gig will still be slamming the door, but matchups and game circumstances may require his services earlier. A former starter, Hand appeared in several multi-inning outings last season and will still […]

Mark Melancon Expected To Be 100 Percent By The End Of Spring

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) is expected to be 100 percent by the end of spring training. Melancon had a rough debut with the Giants in 2017, as he dealt with injuries and disappointed on the field. The closer underwent surgery in September to […]

Joe Kelly Fine After Being Hit In BP

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly (shin) went for precautionary X-rays after being hit in the shin by a batted ball in batting practice Wednesday, but he is fine. Coming off a terrible 2016 season, Kelly bounced back by posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 52 strikeouts in 58 innings for the Red […]

Cleveland Signs Carlos Torres

The Cleveland Indians signed free-agent pitcher Carlos Torres to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Torres is 35 and seems almost certain to serve as Triple-A depth, at best. He posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP in 72 2/3 innings last season in Milwaukee. He can be used as […]

Andrew Miller Returns to Camp

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller (flu) returned to camp on Wednesday. Miller had missed the previous two days of practice with the flu. As he has been in recent years, Miller remains one of the top relief pitchers in baseball, but his fantasy value is limited by his role. He's a must-own in holds leagues, […]

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 […]

Joe Musgrove Dealing With Shoulder Discomfort

Newly-acquired Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (shoulder) has been dealing with shoulder discomfort. One of the main pieces back in the Gerrit Cole deal, Musgrove said that he is not concerned, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Musgrove missed some time in 2017 with a shoulder injury and this is not a good […]

Seung-Hwan Oh Diagnosed with Ligament Inflammation

The results of the MRI for free-agent relief pitcher Seung-Hwan Oh (elbow) are in, and it appears that he is suffering from ligament damage in the elbow of his throwing arm. While the injury is considered not to be serious, apparently the ailment, along with some increasing contractual demands, were enough to submarine his deal with […]

Relief Pitchers Set to Breakout in 2018

Drafting relief pitchers is always tough. Should you go for the elite closers and try and secure saves, or are you better off using those high picks on a hitter or starting pitcher and adding cheap saves later? The reality is no strategy is better than the other 100% of the time, but the old […]

Blue Jays Still View Joe Biagini As Starter

Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker still thinks pitcher Joe Biagini can be a starter. "I still envision him as a quality major league starter," Walker said. On the surface, Biagini's 5.34 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 18 starts and 119 2/3 innings don't look good for fantasy owners. He ran into a lot […]

Kirby Yates Has Twisted Ankle

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Kirby Yates (ankle) is dealing with a twisted ankle, but the injury isn't believed to be a long-term one. Yates was extremely effective for the Friars in 2017, posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in 56 2/3 frames. He misses plenty of bats, but the home run […]

Kevin Siegrist Scouted By Mets

The New York Mets have scouted free-agent relief pitcher Kevin Siegrist, according to a source. The Mets are still in the market for relievers and could use a lefty specialist in their bullpen. Siegrist was a dominant lefty arm in recent seasons, but his value is down this offseason after he posted a 4.81 ERA […]

Rangers No Longer Signing Seung-hwan Oh

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Texas Rangers have called off a previously reported deal with free-agent relief pitcher Seung-hwan Oh after an MRI discovered damage in his throwing arm. This will have major consequences for the Texas bullpen, as Oh was expected to serve as the either the team's closer or eighth-inning setup man. […]

Tony Watson Agrees To Terms With Giants

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the San Francisco Giants have finalized a contract with free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson. It has been rumored over the last couple of weeks that this could be a match, and the Giants have found a way to stay under the luxury tax, according to Heyman. Watson started […]

Jason Motte Signs With Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent relief pitcher Jason Motte to a minor league contract on Friday. Motte pitched in the Cardinals system from 2006 until 2014. He's bounced around with the Cubs, Rockies and Braves over the past three seasons. Last year, he posted a 3.54 ERA in 40 2/3 innings of work. He'll be […]

Splint Will Remain On Travis Wood's Hand

Updating a previous report, the splint will remain on Detroit Tigers pitcher Travis Wood's right index finger, and manager Ron Gardenhire said it will be a while before Wood can catch a baseball. While the injury is to his non-throwing hand, it doesn't help his chances of winning a roster spot. The veteran southpaw can […]

Brandon Maurer Loses In Arbitration

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Brandon Maurer lost his salary arbitration case and will make $2.95 million this year instead of the $3.5 million he requested. Maurer was effective in the ninth-inning role with the Padres early last year, but he struggled mightily in a setup role after being traded to the Royals in the […]

Travis Wood Undergoing X-Rays

Detroit Tigers pitcher Travis Wood (finger) is undergoing X-rays on his broken right index finger Friday, and he may get his splint off if it has healed properly. Wood will be a swingman for a rebuilding Tigers team, and he should have plenty of time to heal before the start of the regular season, especially […]

Zach Britton Moved To Disabled List

Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton (Achilles) was placed on the 60-day disabled list Friday. Britton had surgery on his right Achilles and is expected to miss the first half of the season, although he is ahead of schedule in his rehab. A top fantasy closer in recent seasons, Britton fell off a bit in 2017 […]

Danny Salazar Dealt With Shoulder Inflammation in the Offseason

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar dealt with inflammation in his right rotator cuff in mid-January. He's resumed throwing since then and is reportedly doing well, but he is a "couple of weeks behind" where he should be at this point. It's unclear for now whether this will affect his availability for the beginning of […]

Carson Fulmer Would Like To Start In 2018

Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports that Chicago White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer would like to be a starter this season. Fulmer, a former first-round pick, has pitched as both a reliever and a starter thus far in his career. He finished 2017 as a starter and went 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in […]

Mike Montgomery Looking To Keep Arm Healthy In 2018

Speaking to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery spoke about how he would like to keep his arm healthy even if he is not a starter. Montgomery started 2017 as a reliever before switching to a starter and then back going back to the bullpen. Overall, Montgomery had a solid year, […]

Cody Anderson Will Throw His First Bullpen on Saturday

Cleveland Indians pitcher Cody Anderson (elbow) will throw his first bullpen session since undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He is scheduled to throw on Saturday. Anderson hopes to be ready for the beginning of the 2018 season, but Cleveland has the depth to allow him to come along slowly and will likely keep him out of games […]

Jeurys Familia Expected To See Majority Of Save Chances

New York Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland said relief pitcher Jeurys Familia "will probably get the majority of the saves" in 2018. New manager Mickey Callaway initially said the team would use several relievers in various roles at the back end, but it looks like Familia will be the favorite in the ninth inning, but […]

Several Teams Interested In Tony Watson

Free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson is receiving interest from the Giants, Philles and Red Sox, according to a source close to the situation. There are also other teams interested beyond those three teams. The left-handed reliever pitched for the Pirates and Dodgers in 2017, appearing in 11 playoff games for LA. He gave up just […]

Will Smith With No Setbacks

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Will Smith (elbow) said he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and recently threw his seventh bullpen session. However, he's unsure if he'll be ready for opening day, and the training staff is being cautious with him. It's hard to say how Smith will fare […]

Brandon Maurer's Arbitration Hearing Set For Thursday

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Brandon Maurer's salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday. He is asking for $3.5 million, while the Royals countered at $2.95 million. The Royals have never gone to an arbitration hearing under general manager Dayton Moore. Maurer had 20 saves with the Padres in 2017 before being traded to KC, […]

Bud Norris Could Be Used as a Starting Pitcher in St. Louis

Newly-signed St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bud Norris may be given a chance to work as a starting pitcher this season. He's been working (and at times excelling) out of the bullpen in recent seasons, but the Cardinals have said he may get a chance to work in the rotation if any of their young arms […]

Top 600: Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings

What's up RotoBallers. Today we are bringing you our top 600 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for the 2018 MLB season. Dynasty leagues, or keeper formats, are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy sports landscape. For those of you who are playing in dynasty formats, or are interested in long-term valuations of fantasy players, this is […]