X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Hitters Who Changed Scenes for 2018

Fantasy baseball analysis on hitters that changed teams heading into 2018. Adam Meyer breaks down fantasy impact moves for MLB batters.

We are just weeks away from the start of the 2018 baseball regular season, which makes it a good time to look back at the big roster moves made in this most recent offseason.

I already provided a group of four pitchers who changed scenes. Now, here are four hitters who moved to different teams.

For a look at some of the other big names who changed scenes, check here.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Hitters Changing Teams for 2018

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates to San Francisco Giants

It’s an even-numbered year, so you can basically put the Giants in the World Series now. They had a three-term reign of greatness in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The streak was snapped by the Cubs in 2016. Now, the Giants have made the moves to get their title back.

In December, San Francisco dealt Denard Span, Christian Arroyo, and others for Evan Longoria. In January, they followed that up by parting with prospects to acquire outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

The 2013 NL MVP, McCutchen, is a model of consistency when it comes to HR/RBI totals. He’s produced at least 21 home runs (no more than 31) and 79 RBI (no more than 96) in seven consecutive seasons. The one stat you shouldn’t expect Cutch to contribute to is the stolen base category. He once swiped 33 bags (2010), but McCutchen hasn’t surpassed 11 stolen bags since 2014.

 

Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers to Los Angeles Angels

The Angels were busy this offseason. In December, Detroit dealt Kinsler to the Angels. They also acquired free agent Zack Cozart and purchased the contract of Shohei Ohtani. Kinsler returns to the AL West for 2018. He was a member of the Rangers for eight seasons before being traded to the Tigers for Prince Fielder

If he wins the leadoff role, Kinsler will have a stacked lineup behind him. Two-time AL MVP, Mike Trout. Future hall-of-famer, Albert Pujols. Not to mention, rejoining Justin Upton (two All-Star selections in the past three seasons).

He now gets to bat in a more hitter-friendly ballpark and he gets warmer weather. Both should boost his stats on offense. Kinsler was one of nine second basemen to hit at least 20 home runs last season. He’ll accomplish that feat for a third straight season at the conclusion of 2018.

 

Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins to Seattle Mariners

Yet another second baseman makes the list of impactful names who changed scenes for the upcoming season. Though, Seattle is switching Gordon to the outfield.

Miami dealt many talented ball players in the offseason. Gordon was the first to go (December 7th, 2017). The Marlins finished eight games under .500 last season and Gordon helped contribute to the 11th-highest scoring team in baseball (778 total runs scored). He scored 15 percent of those runs. Another strength to Gordon’s game is his lack of strikeouts. Last year, he compiled a career-low 13.4 strikeout percentage.

In 2018, Jean Segura, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz will be the driving forces behind Gordon. While I can’t guarantee a new career-high in runs scored for Gordon, he’ll look to swipe at least 50 bags for the fourth time in five seasons.

 

Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins to Milwaukee Brewers

Gordon was the first piece moved for the Marlins and Yelich was the last (January 25th, 2018).

Yelich will likely do something in a full-time capacity that he hasn’t done since 2014, bat in the leadoff spot. Also, don’t expect the home run numbers to increase dramatically with the switch to Miller Park. Yelich had the sixth-highest ground ball percentage in baseball last season (55.4 percent). His 25.2 fly ball percentage was the seventh-lowest, too.

Yelich isn’t planning on changing his swing anytime soon. Here’s his quote from brewcrewball.com…

“I’m not going to change anything,” Yelich said. “I’m going to stay with the same approach. Just because I’m going to a smaller park, per se, I’m not going to try to do too much or do more.”

He added, “I just go up there, try to get a good pitch to hit and hit it hard. That’s really all you can control if you think about it. Then everything else kind of plays itself out. I stay within myself, and try not to do too much.”

We’ll see if Yelich follows through with that statement or starts to swing for the fences more in 2018.

 

More Offseason Moves and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Guerschon Yabusele7 mins ago

Out Against Knicks
Kutter Crawford7 mins ago

Hasn't Faced Hitters
Karl-Anthony Towns13 mins ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals14 mins ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Lucas Giolito17 mins ago

To Make A Rehab Start On Wednesday
Jevon Carter19 mins ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry24 mins ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Brayan Bello26 mins ago

To Make Rehab Start On Tuesday
Julian Phillips30 mins ago

Out On Tuesday
Alexis Díaz33 mins ago

Alexis Diaz Throws Live BP On Tuesday
Jalen Smith36 mins ago

Available Against Raptors
Max Scherzer38 mins ago

Day-To-Day After Getting Cortisone Shot
Lonzo Ball41 mins ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Freddie Freeman44 mins ago

Likely Out Until Friday
Kevin Huerter48 mins ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Willson Contreras50 mins ago

Taking First Day Off
Josh Giddey54 mins ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton59 mins ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale1 hour ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant1 hour ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal1 hour ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II1 hour ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons1 hour ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young1 hour ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser1 hour ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo1 hour ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud1 hour ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Edouard Julien2 hours ago

Making First Start Of The Season
Isaiah Stewart2 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba2 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga2 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry2 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Dylan Crews2 hours ago

Not Starting Against Blue Jays
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault2 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.2 hours ago

Sitting Out In New York
Alex Laferriere2 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Paul Goldschmidt2 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff Again
Jonathan Aranda2 hours ago

Christopher Morel Sitting Against Pirates
Luke Schenn2 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Jose Siri2 hours ago

Making Another Start In Center Field
Dante Fabbro2 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Brett Baty2 hours ago

Sitting Against A Right-Hander
Kyle Higashioka2 hours ago

Back In The Lineup, Jonah Heim Takes A Seat
Vinnie Pasquantino3 hours ago

Sitting On Tuesday
Clarke Schmidt3 hours ago

Throws Three-Inning Sim Game
Sean Manaea3 hours ago

Shut Down For Two Weeks
David Bednar3 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jake McCarthy3 hours ago

Back In The Lineup Tuesday
Zach Neto3 hours ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Detroit Lions4 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans5 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders5 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear5 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins5 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL5 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä5 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway5 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys6 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal6 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy6 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Geno Smith6 hours ago

Raiders Working On Extension With Geno Smith
Chris Godwin6 hours ago

Buccaneers Optimistic Chris Godwin Will Be Ready For Week 1
Josh Norris6 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams6 hours ago

Coleman Shelton Expected To Start Again In 2025
Brady Tkachuk6 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams6 hours ago

Rams Open To Drafting A Quarterback
Kyren Williams6 hours ago

Rams To Discuss Long-Term Deal With Kyren Williams
Aaron Rodgers6 hours ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy6 hours ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Jordan Spieth8 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp8 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim8 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood8 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau8 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole9 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith12 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment12 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka12 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov13 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov13 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes13 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens21 hours ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA22 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy23 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman24 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton1 day ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets1 day ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams1 day ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki1 day ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley1 day ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns1 day ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF