Orioles Officially Sign Maikel Franco Tuesday

The Baltimore Orioles completed their signing of free-agent third baseman Maikel Franco on Tuesday. General manager Mike Elias said, "I think [Franco] is someone that is going to help us a lot and fit in very well with the personnel that we have on this roster.". In addition to third base, Elias said that Franco […]

Hunter Harvey Placed On 60-Day Injured List Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Hunter Harvey (oblique) was placed on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday due to a strained left oblique. Per general manager Mike Elias, Hunter experienced "a pretty large strain in the oblique." The move corresponded with clearing a roster spot for newly signed third baseman Maikel Franco. The 26-year-old has experienced multiple injuries […]

Heliot Ramos Avoids First Spring Cuts Monday

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, one of the team's top prospects, was notably not optioned to Triple-A Sacramento Monday, per NBC Sport's Alex Pavlovic. The team unsurprisingly cut most of their top prospects in this first round, including Joey Bart, Marco Luciano, Hunter Bishop, and Patrick Bailey. However, the 21-year-old, who has nine hits […]

Matt Harvey Turns In Decent Start Monday

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey showed some positive signs in Monday's 12-3 win over the Pirates, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts over four innings pitched. Harvey allowed a home run to Ke'Bryan Hayes in the first inning, but was able to get things relatively under control for the […]

Rio Ruiz Plays Well In Return To Lineup

Baltimore Orioles third baseman/first baseman Rio Ruiz (illness) had a solid overall performance in Monday's 12-3 win over the Pirates. Ruiz had missed more than a week with an undisclosed illness, but he went 2-for-3 with two doubles in his return to the lineup. He also made a nice diving stop in the second inning. Things aren't […]

Orioles Finalizing Deal With Maikel Franco

The Baltimore Orioles were reportedly finalizing a deal with free-agent third baseman Maikel Franco on Sunday, per Joe Trezza of MLB.com. The O's have yet to confirm the agreement. Franco posted solid numbers at the plate with the Royals in 2020, slashing .278/.321/.457 with eight HR and 38 RBI. If signed, Franco could potentially play […]

Orioles Linked To Maikel Franco

The Baltimore Orioles are one of several teams linked to free-agent third baseman Maikel Franco, per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The O's current third baseman, Rio Ruiz has slashed a disappointing .229/.299/.393 with 21 home runs over the past two seasons. Ruiz is not a great defender and neither is Franco, but Franco posted […]

Logan Webb Working On Off-speed Pitches

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb was told that he needed to focus on throwing his off-speed pitches for strikes more frequently this spring, per Mercury News' Kerry Crowley. Webb did a good job of that in Monday's 2-2- tie against the Diamondbacks, pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Webb said all three […]

Evan Longoria Plates Three In Spring Training Debut

San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria got his first spring training action at designated hitter in Saturday's game against the Royals. The 35-year-old went 1-for-2 with a three-run double in the third inning of the game. Longoria is being slow-played on defense because of plantar fasciitis, which he has dealt with in the past, […]

Johnny Cueto Has Strong Spring Training Debut Saturday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto looked great in his Cactus League debut Saturday, pitching two shutout innings with four strikeouts against the Royals. Cueto touched 94 MPH with his fastball and showcased his signature changeup. The 35-year-old has not had a solid, healthy season since 2016, but the Giants will need him to […]

DJ Stewart Hits Second Home Run Of Spring Wednesday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart had another nice day at the plate in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Braves, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run. Stewarts' fourth-inning shot off of Carl Edwards Jr. was his second of the spring. The 27-year-old hit a poor .193 in 2020, but did have seven HR. With Anthony […]

Austin Hays Fighting For Starting Role

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays had a special day at the plate in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Braves, going 2-for-3 with a single, a two-run home run, and a stolen base. The HR was Hays' first of the spring and came in his first game playing in front of his infant son, Levi, who […]

Jason Vosler Impressing Giants At Spring Training

San Francisco Giants third baseman Jason Vosler may have a path to a role in the big leagues this season, per NBC Sports' Alex Pavlovic. Vosler, who has spent his career in the minors, signed a big league deal with the Giants in November. The 27-year-old went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one off of Walker […]

John Means Throws Odd First Outing Tuesday

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means got his first action of spring training in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees. Means pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing a single run on four hits with no walks or strikeouts. He got through two outs in the first inning but was pulled after his 28th pitch. However, he was […]

NL Outfielders - Draft Avoids for 2021

MLB players have reported for Spring Training and plenty of big offseason moves have taken place; it's beginning to feel a lot like baseball season! Big-league players are not the only ones getting ready for the start of the season at this time, though. Fantasy players are now putting the work in to prepare for […]

Yusniel Diaz Hits Two-Run Home Run Sunday

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Yusniel Diaz started Spring Training off on the right foot in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Pirates, going 1-for-2 with a two-run home run. The 24-year-old crushed a sixth-inning Carson Fulmer pitch over the left-field wall. Diaz's is one of the O's better prospects and is expected to make his MLB debut […]

Trey Mancini Receives Standing Ovation Sunday

Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini received a standing ovation in his first Spring Training at-bat Sunday against the Pirates in what was his first since March 2020. Mancini spent the entirety of the 2020 season receiving treatment for colon cancer, so this at-bat was an emotional one. Mancini finished the at-bat by singling to […]

Chris Davis Will Need To Earn Playing Time In 2021

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said Friday that he has spoken with manager Brandon Hyde, who indicated that he would need to prove that he deserves to play in 2021. Davis, who is entering the sixth year of a seven-year, $161 million contract, was once a major power threat at the plate. However, he […]

Scott Kazmir, Giants Reach Minor League Deal Tuesday

The San Francisco Giants and veteran left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir have agreed to a Minor League deal with an invitation to big league camp, per ESPN's Buster Olney. The 37-year-old has not pitched since 2016, but reportedly threw up to 93 MPH in his latest bullpen session. Kazmir owns a career 4.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, […]

Giants, Shun Yamaguchi Agree To Terms Saturday

The San Francisco Giants agreed to terms with pitcher Shun Yamaguchi on Saturday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is likely to be a split Major League/Minor League deal. The 33-year-old made his big-league debut last season, posting a poor 8.06 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over 25 2/3 innings pitched with the Blue Jays. […]

Matt Harvey May Not Start For Orioles

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday that he will keep his options open with newly signed pitcher Matt Harvey. In terms of whether Harvey would be considered as a starter or a bullpen option, Hyde said: "Nothing is set in stone and we're just going to give him an opportunity to make the team." […]

Trey Mancini Reports Early To Camp Thursday

Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini "looked really good" during Thursday's training sessions, per manager Brandon Hyde. Mancini fielded ground balls and hit as well. The 28-year-old missed the entirety of the 2020 season receiving treatment for colon cancer, so it is great news to see him back on the field. Mancini posted career numbers […]

Felix Hernandez Motivated By Hall Of Fame

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Felix Hernandez said Thursday that his motivation to continue pitching is to reach the Hall of Fame, per MLB.com's Joe Trezza. King Felix, now 34 years old, put forth stellar numbers over his first 12 seasons with the Mariners. However, things started declining for him in 2017 and Hernandez has not […]

Giants Sign Aaron Sanchez

The San Francisco Giants have signed right-handed pitcher Aaron Sanchez to a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. The 28-year-old reportedly touched 98 mph on his fastball during a recent bullpen session. Sanchez once held fantasy intrigue but was plagued by injuries and poor performance over the […]

Hitters Who Changed Scenes - Fantasy Impacts

Well, the 2021 off-season has finally come to life! Over the course of January, we have seen some big splashes, both in terms of pitchers and hitters on the move to new teams. There are still plenty of unsigned big-name free agents, but we have some juicy free agent hitter signings and trades to take […]

Year-In-Review: Framber Valdez

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez has been one of the team's many intriguing prospects over the past several seasons. He first got consistent playing time (mostly in relief) in 2019 and put forth poor results with a 4-7 record, 5.86 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 20.7% strikeout rate over 70 2/3 inning pitched. He also pitched […]

Year-In-Review: Jesse Winker

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker had a 2020 season that, in many ways, reflected the arc of his career. His excellent approach allows him to get on base while also hitting for average and power. However, he also experiences stretches of unproductivity and has battled injuries and inconsistent playing time. This makes him a difficult player […]

Analyzing Fly Ball Metrics: Pitchers to Trust in 2021

Welcome back to some 2020-2021 offseason fantasy baseball analysis! I recently took a look at pitchers who could see a decrease in performance next season based on their fly-ball metrics from this season. Some of these metrics included home run-to-fly-ball ratio, fly-ball rate, and average launch angle. To reiterate the value of this type of […]

Analyzing Fly Ball Metrics: Pitchers Who Could Bust in 2021

Welcome to the 2021 offseason! This past season was different and exciting, offering a new flavor of baseball with definite impacts on fantasy baseball. The shortened season brought forth some new strategies from a fantasy perspective and smaller sample sizes from an analytics perspective. That being said, assuming a "regular" 2021 season, it makes sense […]

Mauricio Dubon Hits Three-Run Home Run Wednesday

San Francisco Giants second baseman/outfielder Mauricio Dubon went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Rockies. Dubon crushed a fifth-inning Yence Almonte breaking ball into the centerfield seats for his third HR of the season. While he hasn't hit for power this season (.386 slugging percentage), Dubon […]