Yusei Kikuchi to the Mariners - Fantasy Outlook
The Mariners rang in the new year with yet another move, as news broke in the final hours of 2018 that Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Yusei Kikuchi had signed a four-year deal with Seattle. Kikuchi will be joining the Mariners after a "down" season in which he only went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA —... Read More
Is it Legit? C.J. Cron's Breakout
We continue with our next edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss another surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine which players... Read More
ADP Champ or Chump - Shane Bieber and Matt Chapman
The new year is upon us, which means that it's officially time to start preparing for your 2019 fantasy baseball drafts (if you haven't yet). This column will take a deep dive into two player profiles to attempt to predict how players will perform for their fantasy owners before they take the plunge. We'll start by... Read More
Domingo Santana to the Mariners - Fantasy Impact
The wheeling and dealing in Seattle continued just days before Christmas with the Mariners acquiring right fielder Domingo Santana from the Brewers. In the team's fourth trade in the month of December and their eighth trade of the offseason, Seattle sent outfielder Ben Gamel and reliever Noah Zavolas to Milwaukee for the 26-year-old Santana. After... Read More
Everything You Need to Know About Brandon Nimmo
You must be a fan of cliffhangers if you’ve been following New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo. After an offseason of trade talk, fantasy owners breathed a sigh of relief when it was Wilson Ramos announced as the team's newest cash signing, rather than the potential Nimmo - J.T. Realmuto deal proposed between the Mets and... Read More
Is It Tim Tebow Time in 2019?
It has been a long and polarizing road for Tim Tebow as a professional athlete. The two-time national champion and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner for the Florida Gators was a 2010 first-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos and, while he was never much of a passer (with the exception of his classic game-winning touchdown... Read More
Top 10 Dynasty First Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Prospects
It might seem like I drew the short straw among the prospect analysts here at RotoBaller, but I actually picked this assignment! You won’t see many of these names on top 100 lists. Despite being one of the positions from which teams expect to get the most offensive production, first base gets the least amount... Read More
Top 10 Dynasty Second Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Prospects
Hey, RotoBallers. We have already started breaking down prospects in dynasty leagues, by position, beginning with catcher, outfield, and starting pitcher. Today I'm writing about my top-10 second basemen prospect rankings for 2019 dynasty baseball leagues. The second base position is a difficult spot to find natural players raised in the position. Most are positional migrants, kicked off their position to a... Read More
Is it Legit? Blake Snell's 2018 Breakout
We continue with our next edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss another surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine which players... Read More
2018 Pitching Fallers - ERA
In my last piece, we took a look at some of the pitchers who made significant improvements to their ERA in 2018. Now it's time to take a look at the guys who went in the other direction, and see if it's time to panic on them. This list features two starters who were being... Read More
Statcast Review 2018 - Noteworthy SP Launch Angle Leaders
Fret not fantasy baseball fans, Winter Meetings have come and gone, big deals are getting struck, and we are continuing our quest to find value for next season! In this edition of Statcast Review, I take a look at some of 2018’s pitching leaders in launch angle. Launch angle alone is not all that telling... Read More
Is it Legit? Jose Peraza's 2018 Breakout
We continue with our next edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss another surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine which players... Read More
Top 10 Dynasty Outfielders - Fantasy Baseball Prospects
Outfield prospects are fascinating right now, as with the graduation of Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto, there are new names near the top of the rankings to learn. This does not mean a drop in talent though, as the current crop of players is easy to dream on for fantasy owners with a mix of... Read More
Is it Legit? German Marquez's 2018 Breakout
We continue with our next edition of "Is It Legit?" to discuss another surprising breakout performer from the 2018 MLB season in order to assess his value heading into 2019. With so many players seemingly becoming fantasy baseball darlings overnight, it can be challenging to sift through the multiple hype trains and determine which players... Read More
Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood Become Reds
Starting pitcher Alex Wood, catcher Kyle Farmer, and outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig are trading Dodger blue for the bright kit of the Cincinnati Reds. The trio was traded for Homer Bailey and prospects in what was essentially a salary dump for Los Angeles as they attempt to sign or trade for more superstars.... Read More
Daniel Murphy to the Rockies - Fantasy Implications
Rockies fans watched a 2018 team that disappointed on offense and the front office might have just made the key addition to fix some of those headaches. Second baseman Daniel Murphy will be joining the Rockies on a two-year deal and should offer an exciting upside bat, with a glove that might not play all... Read More
Michael Brantley to Astros - Fantasy Impact
Outfielder Michael Brantley inked a two-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Astros, filling a gap in the outfield for the 2017 champions. Brantley had injuries that cut his 2016 and 2017 seasons short, but he came back strong in 2018 to be productive. He also had a .319 batting average and 90 doubles in... Read More
Please Let Brandon Belt Get Traded
A report recently came to light that the San Francisco Giants were making first baseman and owner of a genuine super-beard, Brandon Belt, available in trades. Apparently, there are teams interested in the oft-injured slugger, despite the whopping $48 million due to him over the next three years. It’s not terribly surprising that Belt is available,... Read More
Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion Swapped - Fantasy Impact
For Cleveland fans, last year was an odd viewing experience, as for the first time in eight years Carlos Santana was not suiting up for the team. Well, those days are over, as Santana is returning to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario as part of a three-team deal. At the time of writing, Carlos... Read More
Charlie Morton to the Rays - Fantasy Impact
The latest free agent pitcher to find a new home is former Houston Astros starter Charlie Morton, who signed a two-year deal on Wednesday to take his talents to Tampa Bay. Morton underwent a career resurgence in Houston, where he won a World Series ring and earned his first All-Star Game appearance after nine seasons... Read More
Ivan Nova to the White Sox - Fantasy Impact
The buzz all off-season surrounding the White Sox has been whether they will break out the checkbook and land superstars Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. Well, it took only three days into the Winter Meetings for the White Sox to... trade for Ivan Nova. While this may not have been the big move White Sox... Read More
2018 Baseball Winter Meetings - Wednesday/Thursday Recap
MLB Winter Meetings are ending in Las Vegas, Nevada and the headline-grabbing moves have come from relatively unknown places. Players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, J.T. Realmuto, and Noah Syndergaard were rumored to be traded or signed, yet none of those moves materialized. What did occur over the last two days, though, were some solid... Read More
2018 Baseball Winter Meetings Recap (Monday/Tuesday)
MLB Winter Meetings have started in Las Vegas, Nevada and the headlines thus far have been more about what has been rumored to happen rather than what has happened. There have been some relatively minor moves thus far (including the signing of a former stolen base leader), but most of the stories have revolved around... Read More
Andrew McCutchen to Phillies - Fantasy Impact
A former MVP outfielder has signed with the Phillies, but it isn't the one their fans have been dreaming of since the season ended. Andrew McCutchen is headed back to the Keystone State. The free agent outfielder signed a reported three-year, $50 million contract with Philadelphia on Tuesday. The deal marks the first high-profile free... Read More
Top 10 Dynasty Catchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects
In 2018, the average catcher in fantasy baseball posted a WRC+ of 90. That means that, on average, a catcher in the Majors was ten percent worse than any other position. If this does not show the dearth of talent right now for fantasy owners at the position than nothing will. This, in fact, keeps... Read More
Goldy Finds a New Home in St. Louis
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt was in the last year of his deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the 31-year-old was thought to be a trade candidate this offseason. The deal was finalized on Wednesday, as the Cardinals got their man and Goldy was traded for Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Andy Young, and a Competitive Balance... Read More
Yan Gomes to Washington - Fantasy Impact
Last week the Cleveland Indians traded All-Star catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals for a package of prospects. For Cleveland fans, this move was expected, and hopefully not the last deal this offseason for a team in flux. The fantasy implications are clear, with one of the better catchers moving, and toolsy prospects coming... Read More
Patrick Corbin to Nationals - Fantasy Impact
Starting pitcher Patrick Corbin was one of the top free agents on the market this winter, with his market dwindled down to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals. On Tuesday, the Nationals got over the line with Corbin, inking a six-year/$140 million deal with the 29-year-old lefty. This was a mild shock... Read More
Mariners on the Rebuild - Fantasy Impact
Over the weekend, the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners closed a long-gestating agreement to exchange money, pro talent, and young assets. The M’s continued their descent into “Tank City” by unloading slugger Robinson Cano and his $120 million contract along with cheap All-Star closer Edwin Diaz in exchange for less expensive but less... Read More