Padres, Manny Machado Finalizing 11-Year Extension

The San Diego Padres and star third baseman Manny Machado are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Machado has helped turn around the franchise and was planning on opting out of his previous deal after the 2023 season. The 30-year-old All-Star had six years and... Read More

First Base Dynasty Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

After years of mostly just top-tier production, first base is making a comeback in fantasy output. There are some intriguing names in re-draft leagues, but we will look at dynasty fantasy baseball rankings here. Most leagues are starting to decide who will be part of their future; some will be looking to draft some of... Read More

Fernando Tatis Jr. Could Play Next Week

San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder, wrist) is hopeful to get back on the field as early as next week, according to manager Bob Melvin. The 24-year-old has progressed to taking live batting practice earlier this week. The team believes he could make his Cactus League debut as early as Tuesday. The right-handed... Read More

RotoBaller Staff Mock Draft Analysis: 12-Team Roto League Draft

Mock drafts remain an integral piece of fantasy baseball prep in 2023. Some of RotoBaller’s top minds joined up for a 12-team 5x5 Roto mock draft over on Fantrax. I’ll be delivering a round-by-round breakdown of the draft and highlighting some noteworthy picks along the way. Then I'll point out some trends, including how third... Read More

Ken Giles Auditions For Padres

Free-agent relief pitcher Ken Giles threw a bullpen session for the San Diego Padres on Friday at their spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz. He will continue to throw bullpens every Tuesday and Friday for interested teams until he gets signed. Giles also threw for interested clubs at Arizona State on Feb. 8, but nothing... Read More

Second Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

And we're back to the Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both over and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. We started with first base and now head to second base as we make... Read More

Nick Martinez Tosses Two Scoreless Innings

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Martinez didn't need to shake off any rust during his Cactus League debut on Friday. The right-hander tossed two scoreless innings in what ended up being a loss to the Seattle Mariners. Martinez allowed three hits, but struck out four batters during his brief time on the mound. The... Read More

First Base Draft Values for Fantasy Baseball - EDV Finds Undervalued, Overvalued Picks

Baseball is coming, so it is time for another year of the FSWA-award-nominated Expected Draft Values (EDV) series, where we look at historical data to identify both overvalued and undervalued players of all types. Whether you're targeting power, speed, power+speed, batting average+power, and so on, we've got you covered. We'll start at first base and... Read More

Daniel Johnson Signs Minor-League Deal

The San Diego Padres have signed outfielder Daniel Johnson to a minor-league deal. The 27-year-old was once a highly regarded prospect in the Cleveland Guardians farm system. Sadly, Johnson hasn't been given much of a chance to show what he can do at the big league level. In 2021, Johnson hit .202/.245/.337 with four homers... Read More

Cole Hamels Not Expected To Pitch In Cactus League

San Diego Padres left-hander Cole Hamels (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Thursday, but he doesn't expect to begin pitching in games in camp until sometime after the Padres break camp for the regular season. Hamels underwent surgery on his shoulder in September of 2021 that came with an 18- to 20-month recovery. The 39-year-old... Read More

Pitchers With Fastball Velocity in The Tank - Potential Fantasy Baseball Risers

One of the ways a pitcher can have a breakout season is by gaining velocity. We see this quite often. A pitcher will find a way to add velocity to their pitches (mainly their fastball), which makes that primary pitch a bit more effective and enhances their offspeed pitches as well by separating the two... Read More

Manny Machado Is Padres' "Top Priority"

While not going into much detail, San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler said Tuesday that third baseman Manny Machado is the team's "top priority." Machado recently informed the team that he intends to opt out of the remaining five years and $150 million of his contract after the 2023 season unless an extension or restructuring... Read More

Nick Martinez To Start Cactus League Opener Friday

San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin said that right-hander Nick Martinez will start the team's Cactus League opener in spring training on Friday. Although Martinez only made 10 starts in 47 appearances for the Padres last year, he's expected to open the 2023 campaign at the back end of the team's starting rotation. In his... Read More

Starting Pitcher Rankings and Tiers for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Hello, welcome fantasy baseball friends to an early look at the 2023 starting pitcher rankings. Spring training is right around the corner and leagues are going to start ramping up, so now is a great time to dive into what to expect out of the starting pitcher landscape.   I’ve ranked 75 of the top starters... Read More

Nick Martinez To Pitch In World Baseball Classic As Starter

San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Martinez will pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic as a starter, per MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. Martinez initially withdrew from the WBC because he would have served as a reliever but signed a three-year deal with the Padres this off-season with the intent of being a starter. However,... Read More

5 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers Who Broke Out in 2022

Sometimes you can smell it coming and other times it's out of nowhere. Breakouts can happen at any time at any age, and when they do happen, they become a fantasy manager's best friend. With young, developing players who display continued improvement over a few seasons, breakouts can be seen with relative ease. However, it's... Read More

Analyzing Pitcher Fly Ball Data for Fantasy Baseball 2023

Pitchers don't have much of a say about what happens after a pitch they throw is put into play. There is a ton of randomness that occurs after a hitter makes contact with a ball, and that makes a lot of pitching statistics hard to trust. Getting ahead of this gives us an advantage. We... Read More

Noteworthy Hitting Leaders (xBA) - Statcast Review for Fantasy Baseball

While the fantasy baseball prep work has been ongoing for months for some, many fantasy managers are turning their attention over in more earnest as the calendar flips to February and the NFL season winds down. While there will be many prep strategy articles, the most basic starting place is to familiarize yourself with the... Read More

Manny Machado Plans To Opt Out Of Contract

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado publicly confirmed that he's told the team that he plans to opt out of his contract. He declined to get into negotiations on a potential long-term extension with the team, but he did say that he'd still like to play for the organization as long as new teammate... Read More

Analyzing the MLB Rookies - 2023 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

One great way to win your fantasy league is to get your hands on the MLB rookie of the year. Julio Rodriguez and Michael Harris II were two of the biggest keys to success last year, as they went on to return first-round value after being very cheap to acquire on your fantasy team. There... Read More

Indefensible: Bad MLB Defenders Who Could Lose Playing Time And Fantasy Baseball Value In 2023

The Super Bowl is over and it's time for everybody to turn their attention over to the joys of fantasy baseball. At this point in the preseason, fantasy baseball managers should be working through their projections, whether it's making their own or going through the projections given by their favorite system, like the ATC projections... Read More

Fernando Tatis Jr. Says His Shoulder Is 100%

San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder, wrist) said his shoulder is 100 percent healthy. "It's just locked in. I feel like it's not going to come out anymore and it feels really secure. It just feels right," Tatis said. In addition to having surgery on his left shoulder, the 24-year-old phenom also had... Read More

Cole Hamels Agrees With Padres On Minor-League Deal

Free-agent left-hander Cole Hamels and the San Diego Padres agreed to a minor-league deal on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the deal. Hamels is likely to receive an invitation to major-league spring training and can make as much as $2 million if he's in the majors in 2023. The San Diego native is... Read More

Pitchers To Downgrade? Analyzing the Shift, Ground Ball Data and Rule Changes

One of the biggest things people are talking about and studying for the 2023 MLB season is what effect the changes to the rules about shifting will have on the game. I myself talked about that on the hitting side earlier this offseason, you can read that analysis here. Today, I want to get into... Read More

Five Overvalued Starting Pitchers for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Drafts

We have brought you five hitters to avoid in each of the infield and outfield. Now adding to the fold is five starting pitchers to avoid in 2023! When playing fantasy baseball, the player pool is so deep you have to know it front and back. A key strategy I use when I am preparing... Read More

Top 25 First-Year Player Rankings (FYPD) - Dynasty Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

When fantasy baseball players begin their first-year player drafts this year, they will have 2022 MLB draftees, foreign imports from Asia, and January 15 signees to sift through. There can be a lot of static in those stats, especially when you are dealing with minor-league players and some fantasy baseball prospects who haven't even played... Read More

Seth Lugo To Be Part Of Six-Man Rotation

The San Diego Padres were set to open spring training with five starters -- Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo -- but they had a desire to use a six-man rotation after it was successful in the early stages of 2022. The Padres signed right-hander Michael Wacha on Tuesday, and... Read More

Michael Wacha Agrees With Padres

Free-agent right-hander Michael Wacha agreed to an undisclosed deal with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, pending a physical, according to sources. The deal is expected to be for multiple years with an opt-out clause. The 31-year-old starting pitcher gives the Friars some much-needed rotation depth alongside Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo, who are entering... Read More

Juan Soto Moving To Left Field In 2023

San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin said that outfielder Juan Soto will play left field this season. Soto has played right field throughout his career, but the Padres' outfield mix suggested he might need to move around this year. Melvin said the club would keep him in left. "His preparation is pretty epic. He would... Read More

Fantasy Baseball Hitters Who Changed Scenes in 2023 And What It Will Mean For Their Value

The most important factor in constructing an offense in fantasy baseball is finding players with talent. Whether they make a lot of contact, hit the ball out of the park, or run the bases well, they need to do something to be relevant. But, talent isn’t everything. Sometimes a player’s home park, division, or quality... Read More