Luke Weaver To Start Season In The Bullpen

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Luke Weaver (thumb) will begin the year in the bullpen, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Weaver started two Spring Training games, pitching to an 8.31 ERA over 4.1 innings, but left his last start after experiencing a blister on his thumb. The good news is he'll be ready for Opening Day, though […]

William Contreras Could See Time At Third Base And Outfield

Atlanta Braves catcher William Contreras could play third base and outfield occasionally this season, according to manager Brian Snitker. The young backstop has never played another position besides behind the plate, but the club has good depth at catcher with Travis d'Arnaud and Manny Pina on the roster as well. Contreras slashed .215/.303/.399 last season […]

Jonah Heim Makes Rangers Opening Day Roster

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will be on the Opening Day roster after Saturday's trade of fellow backstop Jose Trevino, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Heim, 26, made his debut last season, appearing in 82 games, but hit an unimpressive .196 with 10 HRs and three stolen bases. He will presumably back up recent […]

Cardinals Extend Harrison Bader On Saturday

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year contract extension that covers his final two years of arbitration, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is worth $10.4 million. Bader, 27, is coming off a productive 2021 in which he slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 HRs, nine stolen bases, 45 […]

Luis Castillo and Lucas Sims Throw Bullpens Saturday

Cincinnati Reds right-handers Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Lucas Sims (elbow) threw bullpen sessions on Saturday, according to Bobby Nightengale. The duo will begin the season on the 10-day injured list but shouldn't miss much time, expected to be ready by late April at the latest. Castillo is looking to keep his momentum going after pitching […]

Lance Lynn Injured In Saturday's Spring Game

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lance Lynn left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an apparent leg injury. He pitched 3.1 innings before his exit, walking one and striking out five while allowing four earned runs. After throwing a pitch, Lynn walked off the mound and limped to the dugout, according to […]

Wade LeBlanc Retires Saturday

Free-agent left-hander Wade LeBlanc is calling it a career after 13 seasons in the big leagues, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The 37-year-old had an up and down career altogether but will end with a lifetime ERA of 4.54, spending time with nine clubs. LeBlanc went unsigned during the offseason but pitched in […]

Nick Madrigal To Play Minor League Game Sunday

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal (leg) will appear in a minor-league Spring Training game on Sunday, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. The 25-year-old Madrigal experienced leg fatigue before Friday's Cactus League game and was held out for two straight contests. He has yet to play a game with the Cubs after […]

Kyle Hendricks Named Opening Day Starter

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross announced on Saturday that starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks will start Opening Day, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. This will mark his third straight Opening Day start. Hendricks has been known for his consistency without overpowering stuff but struggled last season. Across 181 innings, the right-hander had a 4.77 […]

Craig Kimbrel Officially Named Dodgers Closer

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that newly acquired reliever Craig Kimbrel will start the season as the team's closer, according to Fabian Ardaya. Kimbrel, who was traded from the Chicago White Sox on Friday for A.J. Pollock, pitched to a 2.26 ERA with 100 strikeouts over 59.2 innings in 2021, adding 24 […]

Spencer Torkelson To Make Tigers Opening Day Roster

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson will make the Opening Day roster, according to the Detroit Free Press, and will likely assume the starting first base job. Torkelson is the best prospect in the Tigers farm system, as per MLB.com, and has hit .280 with a .406 OBP and .846 OPS in 25 at-bats during […]

Justin Upton Designated For Assignment Saturday

The Los Angeles Angels have designated outfielder Justin Upton for assignment on Saturday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Upton, who spent four and a half seasons with the Halos, slashed .211/.296/.409 with 17 HRs, 47 runs, 41 RBI, and four stolen bases over 89 games in 2021. He was impressive against lefties, though, hitting […]

Andrew Benintendi (OF, KCR) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~165 pick CURRENT ADP: ~184 overall ANALYSIS: Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi didn't amaze anyone with his numbers last season but contributed a little bit in each category, hitting .276 with 17 HRs, 8 SBs, 63 runs, and 73 RBI over 134 games. His 8.9% barrel rate (55th percentile) and 34.5% flyball […]

Franmil Reyes (DH, CLE) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 105 CURRENT ADP: ~120 overall ANALYSIS: Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Franmil Reyes was solid in 115 games last year, bashing 30 HRs with 57 runs, 85 RBI, four stolen bases, and a .254 batting average. His knack of hitting for power comes with some strikeout issues, though, and that continued in 2021 […]

Charlie Morton (SP, ATL) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 80 CURRENT ADP: ~96 overall ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton bounced back in his first year in Georgia, posting a 14-6 record, 3.34 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 7.7 BB%, and 28.6 K% in 185.2 innings. His 3.18 FIP backs up his success, and he's now produced a sub-3.60 FIP the last […]

Jose Miranda Diagnosed With Jaw Contusion

Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda has a jaw contusion, according to manager Rocco Baldelli. The 23-year-old left Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after he was hit by a ball on the basepaths. There were concerns that he experienced a concussion, but those concerns are gone and he shouldn't miss much action. Miranda […]

Humidors To Be Put In Place Around The League In 2022

Eno Sarris of The Athletic announced on Friday that every MLB stadium will use a humidor for the upcoming season, which could cause an offensive boost around the league. The Arizona Diamondbacks have used a humidor at Chase Field since the start of 2018, inducing an uptick in home runs at the park. A number […]

Jason Castro Contemplating Retirement After This Year

Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro has told reporters he's considering retiring following the 2022 season, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Castro, 34, has played 11 seasons in the big leagues, amassing a .230/.315/.392 slash line with 96 HRs. He's been with the Astros for the majority of his career, playing in Houston for the […]

Harold Ramirez Traded To Rays

The Chicago Cubs have traded outfielder Harold Ramirez to the Tampa Bay Rays Friday for minor-league infielder Esteban Quiroz, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Ramirez, 27, hit .268 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, 33 runs, and three stolen bases in 99 games last year with the Cleveland Guardians. His outlook doesn't change much […]

Jhoan Duran, Josh Winder Could Make Opening Day Roster

Minnesota Twins right-handers Jhoan Duran and Josh Winder have a chance to make the opening day roster, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Duran and Winder are the sixth and seventh-ranked prospects in the Twins system, as per MLB.com. Currently, the club projects to have Sonny Gray, Dylan Bundy, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober […]

Mike Brosseau Exits Friday's Game With Illness

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Mike Brosseau left Friday's Spring Training game with an illness, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The severity is unknown at the moment. The club acquired the 28-year-old from the Tampa Bay Rays over the offseason before the lockout. Brosseau slashed .187/.266/.347 with five home runs across 57 games in 2021. […]

Akil Baddoo Homers In Friday's Victory

Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo continued to swing a hot bat to begin Spring Training, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run to begin the game off land-hander Hyun Jin Ryu. Baddo's fantasy value's limited by his inability to hit lefties after he managed just a .214 batting average and 47 wRC+ against southpaws in […]

Yermin Mercedes To Miss Six To Eight Weeks

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Yermin Mercedes suffered a hamate fracture in his left hand and will undergo a CT scan on Monday, according to James Fegan of The Athletic. He will miss six to eight weeks with the ailment. Mercedes caught the league by storm at the beginning of last season, hitting .415 with […]

Chris Paddack Shines In Minor League Game

San Diego Padres right-hander Chris Paddack was excellent Friday, throwing 48 pitches in three innings in a minor league game against the Seattle Mariners. He struck out four and walked one while his fastball hit 97 MPH, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The 26-year-old is fighting for a rotation spot this […]

Trevor Bauer Decision Coming Soon

Major League Baseball expects to decide on Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer's discipline around April 16, as per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The league will interview Bauer in the coming days. The 31-year-old hasn't thrown a pitch since June 28 of last year after reports of assault allegations surfaced, forcing MLB to […]

Dodgers Extend Manager Dave Roberts

The Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2025 season, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The exact terms of the deal haven't been announced. The Dodgers have been one of the most successful teams in the league across the 49-year-old's tenure with the club, […]

Relievers To Avoid Drafting In 2022 Fantasy Baseball

Predicting bullpen roles this offseason has been a guessing game. With the transaction freeze brought on by the lockout, some clubs will still be adding to their staff during Spring Training and could change the whole landscape of their closing situation. Not to mention, managers have been more prone to using a closer by committee, […]

Rangers Interested In Another Shortstop

After signing infielder Marcus Semien to a seven-year deal on Sunday, the Texas Rangers remain in on another shortstop, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Javier Baez, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, and Carlos Correa are the big-name free agent shortstops still available. If they do ink another infielder, it's possible to have Semien play […]

Angels, Phillies Looking At Raisel Iglesias

The Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies have been rumored to be looking into free agent reliever Raisel Iglesias, according to MLB.com. The closer spent last season with the Angels, who offered him a qualifying offer before declining it. He had a dominant year on the mound, posting a 2.57 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and […]

Pablo Sandoval Looking To Play In 2022

Free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval expects to play next season, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Sandoval, 35, spent last season with the Atlanta Braves before being traded to the Cleveland Indians but was right after. The veteran slashed .178/.302/.342 with four home runs in 69 games. He's had a hard time producing […]