2020 Early Bullpen Outlooks - N.L. Central

We've covered all of the American League and the NL East, and next week we'll wrap things up with the National League West. This week, it's the National League Central's turn though. There are plenty of players with fantasy importance in the Central, and that rings true in the bullpens as well. The National League […]

Sneaky Stolen Base Options: Fantasy Baseball ADP Analysis

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2020 fantasy baseball season and keeps you updated with all the latest news and analysis Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every weekday morning between 6-7 AM ET, every weekday afternoon from 1-2 PM ET, Saturday nights from 9-11 PM ET […]

Melky Cabrera Wants To Play Another Couple Years

Free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera is interested in playing for another couple of years. Cabrera played in 133 games for the Pirates last season and was productive, hitting .280/.313/.399 with seven home runs and 47 RBI in 378 at-bats. The 35-year-old switch-hitter typically hits for a high average with his high-contact profile -- he's a career […]

Derek Holland Signs With Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed pitcher Derek Holland to a minor league deal on Friday, according to an industry source. He'll receive an invite to spring training and can opt out of his deal if he's not on the Opening Day roster. Holland made 51 relief appearances for the Cubs and Giants in 2019, posting an […]

Fall Flashes: Arizona Fall League Top Prospect Risers

Every year, some of the best minor league prospects head to Arizona to take part in the Arizona Fall League. It features six teams of prospects, sent by their organizations to get extra game reps against top-flight competition, sometimes including players at higher levels in the minor league system. Given the high level of competition, […]

Pirates Considering Kevin Pillar, Billy Hamilton, Cameron Maybin

The Pittsburgh Pirates are considering outfielders Kevin Pillar, Billy Hamilton and Cameron Maybin as center field candidates now that they've traded Starling Marte to the Diamondbacks. Of the three, Pillar would likely be the most expensive free agent, but general manager Ben Cherington is familiar with Pillar from their time in Toronto. Pillar, 31, is […]

2020 First Base Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

We're not far from the start of spring training and draft season is almost afoot! In re-draft leagues, a ton of preparation and research goes into building a new squad for 2020. Dynasty owners scoff at this because they already have their core players established. The question then becomes of relative value. Who is still […]

Pirates Sign Robbie Erlin

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed pitcher Robbie Erlin to a minor league deal on Wednesday. Erlin will make $1.5 million if he's on the big league roster, plus another $100,000 in incentives. He'll receive an invite to spring training and can opt out of the deal if he's not on the Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old […]

Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2020 Redraft Leagues

Freshmen players played a huge role in Major League Baseball in 2019 and rookies are poised to once again have a strong presence on your fantasy baseball teams in 2020. Rotoballer is here to help you decide which players are deserving of a roster spot as you open up the season with a list of […]

Pirates Acquire Brennan Malone, Liover Peguero From Arizona

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired pitcher Brennan Malone and shortstop Liover Peguero from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in exchange for outfielder Starling Marte. Malone was the 33rd overall pick in last year's draft and was Arizona's No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old right-hander has made strides with his command, but it'll be at […]

Diamondbacks Acquiring Starling Marte

The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to acquire outfielder Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, according to sources. It's unknown which players the Pirates are receiving in return, so stay tuned for more details on the swap. The rebuilding Bucs have been in the market to trade Marte all offseason, and they have finally […]

Early Mock Draft Analysis: MLB Mixed Leagues

Don't tell us it's not draft season yet! Truth be told, the RotoBaller crew was already planning a mock draft days after the World Series ended. As it turns out, we decided to wait until some free agent moves were made and settled for a slow draft that began shortly after the Winter Meetings. We […]

Top 250 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues

It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. Major League Baseball’s spring training is just weeks away now, which means it's also fantasy baseball season. This year at RotoBaller, we’re rolling out even more in-depth prospect coverage — starting with a ranking of the Top 250 prospects for dynasty leagues. That’s right. Not 100. Not […]

Starling Marte Trade Talks Intensifying

Trade talks surrounding Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte are intensifying, according to sources. The Mets and Padres have both been interested, and there's a chance that a deal gets done before spring training. Marte wouldn't mind a trade to a contender. The 31-year-old can contribute across the board from fantasy owners and would benefit from […]

2020 Saves+Holds Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

To any reader who thinks they don't have a voice here at RotoBaller, let it be known that this article came from a simple Reddit comment about how those seeking Saves+Holds reliever ranks were often overlooked. Poof, and here we are. Allow me, Nick Mariano, 2018's most accurate draft expert and sharer of names with […]

Francisco Liriano Agrees With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies agreed with relief pitcher Francisco Liriano on a minor league deal on Wednesday, according to sources. Liriano can make $1.5 million with $1.25 million in incentives if he makes the major league roster. The veteran left-hander made 69 relief appearances for the Pirates in 2019 and had a 3.47 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, […]

Mitch Keller Suffered From Bad Luck In 2019

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller, who had a 1-5 record and 7.13 ERA in just 48 innings over 11 starts in 2019, could be in line for a much better 2020 season if his luck improves. The former top prospect struck out 65 hitters and walked 16 of the 227 batters he faced and […]

Jameson Taillon Resumes Throwing

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (elbow) threw a baseball from 60 feet on Monday for the first time since having his second Tommy John surgery. It was Taillon's first day of pain-free throwing since last spring. The 28-year-old made just seven starts for the Bucs in 2019 before going under the knife, posting a […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 3) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

We continue with our analysis of the early 2020 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings by looking at the middle tiers. To read part one, click right here, or right here for part two. After a record-setting year for offense and a sense among the industry that 2020 likely won't be dramatically different, being able to […]

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 […]

Early 2020 ADP Reflections - Shortstop

When a baseball season ends, the following season can’t come here soon enough for some fans, myself included. We start thinking about what we want to see from some players, which includes letdowns, bounce-backs, and even young prospects. Instead of letting them bounce off the brain walls, let’s put these musings into digits. This includes […]

Using xwOBA to Identify Breakout Pitchers

Heading into a new baseball season, fantasy owners are looking for any leg up on our competition. We turn over stones looking for any stat or training report that might suggest a breakout that few others can see coming. I’m not here to promise some groundbreaking stat, but I do believe that Expected Weighted On-base Average […]

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 […]

Josh Bell Avoids Arbitration

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4.8 million deal, according to a source. It was Bell's final year of arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old was a breakout star in 2019, slashing .277/.367/.569 with 37 home runs, 94 runs and 116 RBI in 527 at-bats. It was […]

Pirates Agree With Guillermo Heredia

The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to an undisclosed major league deal with outfielder Guillermo Heredia on Thursday, according to sources. He was non-tendered by the Rays last month and is known as a strong defender and good clubhouse presence. That's not going to do much for fantasy owners, however. Heredia, 29 later this month, hit just […]

Top 570: Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings (January)

Welcome back RotoBallers, and Happy New Year! Below you will find our staff's early 2020 fantasy baseball tiered rankings (top 570) for mixed leagues. In case you missed it, you can also see our tiered positional rankings and position-by-position analysis breakdowns as well. Four of our lead fantasy baseball analysts - Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Riley Mrack and Nicklaus Gaut - have analyzed the […]

Early 2020 ADP Reflections - Second Base

When a baseball season ends, the following season can’t come here soon enough for some fans, myself included. We start thinking about what we want to see from some players, which includes letdowns, bounce-backs, and even young prospects. Instead of letting them bounce off the brain walls, let’s put these musings into digits. This includes […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 1) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Today we are bringing you part one of our 2020 starting pitcher rankings and analysis - you can read part two here. We know you're […]

2020 Offseason Starting Pitcher Rankings (Part 2) - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

We continue with our analysis of the early 2020 fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings by looking at the middle tiers. To read part one, click right here. After a record-setting year for offense and a sense among the industry that 2020 likely won't be dramatically different, being able to navigate the ever-murkier waters of starting […]

2020 Closer / Relief Pitcher Offseason Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Mixed Leagues

It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next baseball season, so here we deliver our 2020 rankings to those of you looking to scratch your fantasy itch. Whether you're searching for a reprieve from a long fantasy football season or you're getting a head start on next year's keeper selections, RotoBaller has […]