
Chris Paddack Wows In Spring Debut
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Chris Paddack fanned four batters in two innings in his spring training debut Tuesday. Paddack cruised through the start, allowing a hit, walk and unearned run. After missing all of 2017 to Tommy John surgery, the 23-year-old amassed a 2.10 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 35 percent strikeout rate across 90 […]

Nick Mariano's 2019 Draft Sleepers List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. It's everyone's favorite pre-draft word to throw around and likely threatens to take the top spot on some Google Analytics the closer we get to that premier fantasy baseball draft season. Yup, we're talking about sleepers. But let's just get this out of the way: […]

Nick Mariano's 2019 Late-Round Fliers List (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. It can […]

Nick Mariano's Auction Draft Strategies and Tips (Premium Content)
All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Congratulations to you and your leaguemates for electing to play in the vastly superior format that is auction-based fantasy baseball. We can draw many parallels here, but playing/reading your fellow owners and managing your own money well lends itself best to poker. We're here […]

Jose Castillo Experiencing Forearm Tightness
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jose Castillo (forearm) was shut down Monday due to left forearm tightness. This could be an ominous sign for the Padres top left-handed bullpen arm at the onset of spring training. The 23-year-old Castillo turned heads in 2018 with a 3.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and spectacular 35 percent strikeout rate […]

Top 10 First Base Prospects - 2019 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Rankings
We're back with another list of 2019 impact prospects. Today the focus is on first base. While it is never fully stocked with quality depth, this might be the weakest the position has ever been heading into the season. With such a shallow group of options, it is important to know who will be called […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Joey Lucchesi
Going into this season as with last, there is little separation between starting pitchers in the middle tiers. Some fantasy analysts have taken to referring to this bunching of talent outside of the elite as "The Glob." One's mileage may vary from the next in terms of which arms are included in this group, but […]

Trevor Williams (SP, PIT) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 250 CURRENT ADP: ~390 overall ANALYSIS: After being acquired by the Pirates from the Marlins in 2015, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Trevor Williams made his MLB debut in 2016 and then pitched 150 1/3 innings in 2017. His 7-7 record and 4.36 ERA in 99 first half innings in 2018 […]

Classy Once Again? San Diego Padres Roster Outlook
The biggest move of the offseason (so far) came earlier this week when the Padres signed Manny Machado to a $300-million-dollar mega-deal. Yes, it was predictable, and yes, we’re all sick of the big market San Diego Padres flashing their money around while the poor Cubs scrounge for change between the couch cushions, but I […]

Franmil Reyes (OF, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 150 CURRENT ADP: ~194 overall ANALYSIS: To begin last season, San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes was coming off of a 2017 season where he had a .258/.322/.464 slash line in Double-A, hitting 25 home runs and knocking in 102 batters. In 2018, now in Triple-A, he bettered those numbers […]

Francisco Mejia (C, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 225 CURRENT ADP: ~240 overall ANALYSIS: In 2019, there is a new bat ready to make an impact at the catching position which breaks the mold of your prototypical backstop. Francisco Mejia of the San Diego Padres can hit. Not only can he hit, but he can flat out rake. The […]

Willians Astudillo (C, MIN) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 315 CURRENT ADP: ~340 overall ANALYSIS: Willians Astudillo just might be my favorite player in baseball. It's almost impossible to look at him, and his stats, and not immediately become a fan. First off, he's just 5'9" yet weighs 225 lbs, so seeing him field and run the bases is fun […]

Top 10 Second Base Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings
Continuing our 2019 prospect preview series, the stop today is at the keystone - second base. As noted in the other pieces so far on the position, second base offers a ton of variety in terms of the player profiles, future roles, and proximity to the Majors. In general, though, the players on this list […]

Manny Machado to Padres - Fantasy Impact
After months of waiting, one big fish has landed in an unexpected place. Infielder Manny Machado inked a ten-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, the largest deal ever given in free agency. Machado had experience in the NL West in his 66 games with the Dodgers last season (posting an .825 OPS), […]

Padres Not Ruling Out Bryce Harper
The San Diego Padres are not ruling out signing free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper after they agreed to a 10-year, $300 million deal with shortstop Manny Machado on Tuesday. Harper is expected to receive a deal that surpasses Machado's, so it remains unlikely that the Padres would land both of the prize free agents of the […]

Manny Machado Agrees With Padres
The San Diego Padres agreed to a 10-year deal for $300 million with free-agent shortstop Manny Machado on Tuesday, according to a league source. The Padres stepped up and landed one of the top free agents this year in Machado, who will play third base for them. The talented 26-year-old hit .297/.367/.538 with 37 home […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Sean Newcomb vs. Freddy Peralta
Two pitchers that have the ability to either strike out five batters in a row or walk five batters in a row, this ADP showdown will pit Sean Newcomb and Freddy Peralta. Newcomb was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2014 and Peralta was nothing more than a sleeper leading into 2018, but each […]

Padres Have Made Serious Offers To Manny Machado, Bryce Harper
The San Diego Padres are believed to have made serious offers for both free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and outfielder Bryce Harper. Their bid for Machado is believed to be for around $250 million and eight years. Their bid for Harper is believed to be for more than that. Recent word in Miami circles has been […]

Top 10 Catcher Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings
Catching as a position has gotten the brunt of fantasy angst over the past few seasons, with wRC+ rates well below league average. And yet, this is precisely the reason that owners should be looking to add the young talent that will be taking these spots in the Majors sooner rather than later. Owning talent […]

Mid-Round First Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks
Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Starting Pitchers
A starter, a starter! My fantasy league for a starter! We're still three months away from the start of the season, but now is the perfect time to take a look at some starting pitcher prospects on the rise and some that need to turn things around. Last season saw several pitchers make their highly […]

Padres Meet With Manny Machado
San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller flew to Miami to meet free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and his wife at some point in the last week. The 26-year-old is San Diego's first choice to fill their third base vacancy. Along with the Friars, the Phillies and White Sox are also involved, but Machado isn't believed […]

Top 10 Dynasty Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect, well, except in dynasty baseball. As much as pitching prospects offer headaches to any team, real or fantasy, pitching is still a necessary addition to most rosters. Adding top names offers protections for those busts, but also gives owners the tools to go out and make […]

Undervalued Draft Targets - Staff Rankings vs. ADP
Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect a player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting […]

The National League Could Use a DH Right About Now
Ken Rosenthal, followed by Jeff Passan, Joel Sherman, and Jayson Stark, recently reported on negotiations between MLB and the Player's Association, especially regarding the rulebook. One of the most provocative pieces in the overarching story has been the possibility of the designated hitter coming to the National League as soon as this coming season. *cue sad trombone […]

Franmil Reyes Fully Cleared For Workouts
San Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes (knee) has recovered from offseason surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee and has been fully cleared for workouts, but the Padres might take it slow with the 23-year-old this spring. "Coming back from a knee injury, we might hold him out of some running drills early," […]

Luis Urias To Play Shortstop This Spring
San Diego Padres infield prospect Luis Urias will primarily play shortstop in the early stages of spring training. Urias debuted at the keystone in San Diego last year, but he's seen time at both short and second in the minors and is projected to start at the 6 this year while the Padres wait for […]

Joey Lucchesi (SP, SD) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 175 CURRENT ADP: ~200 overall ANALYSIS: In his rookie year, left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi made an instant impact. He allowed a total of four earned runs over the first four starts, posting a 25:4 K:BB ratio. It appeared that Lucchesi might be a legitimate candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. An […]

Padres Being Aggressive On Manny Machado
The San Diego Padres have been very aggressive in their pursuit of free-agent shortstop Manny Machado, but he doesn't know if he wants to play there, according to sources. Some of his representatives are pushing for a shorter deal with the Yankees. The Phillies and White Sox are also in on him. San Diego is […]

2019 MLB Fantasy Outlooks - Starting Pitchers
Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect a player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting […]