Jeff McNeil Penciled In As Starting Second Baseman
New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil is "penciled" in as the team's starting second baseman heading into next year, according to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. McNeil burst onto the scene this year after being a relative unknown in their prospect ranks, but all he did was hit. The 26-year-old hit an impressive .329/.381/.471 with […]
Dodgers Exercise Dave Roberts' Option
The Los Angeles Dodgers exercised manager Dave Roberts' option for the 2019 season on Wednesday, according to president Andrew Friedman. However, the team still expects to sign Roberts to a long-term deal soon. The option buys the team more time to negotiate with Roberts on an extension. Roberts has led the Dodgers to three straight […]
Batting Average Fallers - 2018 MLB Season Recap
The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! One of the main stats for measuring batters’ success is batting average. Surprisingly, Jose Altuve is the only player that was a holdover in the top 10 of batting average from […]
Rick Renteria Receives Contract Extension
Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said that manager Rick Renteria signed a contract extension some time ago and that 2019 will not be his last season under contract. Renteria has gone 129-195 in his two years as the skipper for the Pale Hose. The White Sox are in the midst of a rebuilding […]
Dodgers Showing Interest In DJ LeMahieu
The Los Angeles Dodgers are showing early interest in free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu, according to sources. LeMahieu is exactly the type of hitter that the Dodgers could use more of after whiffing too often during the regular season and playoffs. LeMahieu hit .276/.321/.428 with 15 home runs, 62 RBI and six stolen bases for […]
xwOBA Leaders – Statcast 2018 Year-In-Review
Congrats to our friends in Beantown for winning the World Series. Fantasy baseball has reached the early hours of the offseason which means it’s recap time. While we indulge in football, basketball, and hockey on the big screen, why not get a head start on some early 2019 baseball research? During the season, we explored […]
Batting Average Risers - 2018 MLB Season Recap
The 2018 season has now come and gone (so sad!), so it is now time to dive into trends and projections for next season! One of the main stats for measuring batters’ success is batting average. Surprisingly, Jose Altuve is the only player that was a holdover in the top 10 of batting average from […]
Jose Reyes Plans To Play In 2019
Free-agent infielder Jose Reyes plans to play in 2019. Reyes will turn 36 next June and hit a pathetic .189/.260/.320 with four home runs, 16 RBI and five stolen bases for the Mets in 228 at-bats. He'll likely have to settle for a minor league deal as a utility player somewhere and is no longer […]
Cubs Won't Discuss Extension For Joe Maddon
Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein said he has informed manager Joe Maddon that the team will not discuss a contract extension this winter and will re-evaluate the situation later in the 2019 season. Maddon will be a lame-duck manager next season, and there have been whispers that Maddon's relationship with the front office is strained. […]
Yoan Moncada Open To Position Change
Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said that second baseman Yoan Moncada is open to a position change, and it has been discussed by the front office and coaching staff "but we're going to wait to see how this offseason plays out before we fully commit to any reconfiguring of the infield," Hahn said. […]
Post-Playoff Fantasy Stock Watch - Hitters
The 2018 MLB postseason kept baseball fans on the edge of their seats, and also gave fantasy owners a new window into players as they begin to prepare for 2019. While the playoffs are a small sample, any chance to see players facing top talent from other teams, over and over, still has value for […]
Rangers Hire Chris Woodward To Be Next Manager
The Texas Rangers hired Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward to be their next manager on Friday. The 42-year-old Woodward has spent the last three seasons as the third base coach for the Dodgers and played in the big leagues for 12 years in stints with the Blue Jays, Mets, Mariners and Red […]
Angels Promote Jeremy Reed to Hitting Coach
The Los Angeles Angels have promoted Jeremy Reed to their new hitting coach. Reed will replace Eric Hinske. Reed was a minor league hitting coordinator last season, and was mentioned by Kole Calhoun and Francisco Arcia as a big help to them rebuilding their swings. Prior to joining LA, Reed had been a hitting coach […]
Dustin Pedroia Could Hit Leadoff Next Year
Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) had a second knee procedure in July and missed basically the entire 2018 season, but he thinks he will be ready for spring training. Manager Alex Cora has told Pedroia that if he's healthy, he would bat leadoff on Opening Day on March 28 against the Mariners. […]
Padres Claim Greg Garcia Off Waivers
The San Diego Padres claimed infielder Greg Garcia off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Garcia hit just .221/.309/.304 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 181 at-bats as a bench player for the Red Birds in 2018, so he obviously carries very minimal value in NL-only leagues. The good news is […]
Angels Outright John Lamb, Sherman Johnson to Salt Lake
The Los Angeles Angels have outrighted infielder Sherman Johnson and left-hander John Lamb to Triple-A Salt Lake after they cleared waivers. Both were released from the 40-man roster, but will remain in the organization for now. Lamb had a nice 3.44 ERA and 9.8 K/9 at Triple-A, but got torched in ten MLB innings. Johnson […]
Eduardo Nunez Opts To Stay In Boston
Boston Red Sox infielder Eduardo Nunez exercised his $5 million player option for the 2019 season on Thursday. Nunez was a postseason hero for a big three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers, but he was somewhat of a disappointment during the regular season, mainly due to nagging lower-body issues. […]
Blue Jays Decline Yangervis Solarte's Option
The Toronto Blue Jays declined infielder Yangervis Solarte's $5.5 million option for the 2019 season, but he will remain on the 2019 roster and is eligible for salary arbitration. Solarte hit a disappointing .226/.277/.378 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI in 122 games in 2018. The switch-hitter certainly has pop in his lumber, but […]
Pirates Decline Josh Harrison's Option
The Pittsburgh Pirates declined second baseman Josh Harrison's $10.5 million option for the 2019 season, instead paying him a $1 million buyout and making him a free agent. After being an All-Star in 2017, Harrison disappointed in 2018, hitting .250/.293/.363 with only eight home runs, 37 RBI and three stolen bases in 97 games. Injuries […]
Athletics Want To Keep Jed Lowrie
The Oakland Athletics want to re-sign impending free-agent second baseman Jed Lowrie and are expected to make him an offer, according to sources. The 35-year-old was an All-Star and hit a career-high 23 home runs last season. He has averaged 155 games and an .804 OPS the last two years. If the A's do indeed […]
Is it Legit? Max Muncy's Breakout Season
Welcome to the third edition of our new weekly column "Is It Legit?" that will discuss breakout performers from the 2018 MLB season and how they should be valued 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 […]
Mets Sticking With Mickey Callaway As Manager
New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway will remain as the team's manager in 2019, according to new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. "I fully support him," Van Wagenen said. There was speculation that Callaway would get the boot with a new GM coming in, but that won't be the case. The Mets had a very […]
Sell-High Now! Dynasty Players Due for Decline
As the World Series, and therefore the 2018 season as a whole, comes to an end, fantasy owners can begin to plan their 2019 seasons. For owners in dynasty and keeper leagues, this is the time to rate and review players, move on from some, and double down on others. This article will help start […]
A's Reach Extensions With Bob Melvin, Billy Beane, David Forst
The Oakland Athletics gave multi-year contract extensions to vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin on Monday. Melvin's deal will run through the 2021 season and will make him one of the top five highest paid managers at roughly $3.5 million per year. Forst's extension is for […]
Dave Roberts Expected To Receive Long-Term Deal
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman said that the team plans to complete a long-term contract extension for manager Dave Roberts. Roberts has successfully led the team to back-to-back World Series appearances, but the Dodgers have come out losers both times. He owns a 287-200 record in his three seasons as the Los Angeles […]
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (10/28/18): MLB DFS Lineups
It's a big game five of the World Series today, and a battle of aces on the mound between Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale. DraftKings is running another showdown game type tonight, where owners draft six players regardless of position. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for […]
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (10/27/18): MLB DFS Lineups
We're on to Game 4 of the World Series after this morning's insane 18 inning marathon finally came to an end. Tonight we've got a Showdown slate on DraftKings, with Eduardo Rodriguez of the Red Sox taking on Rich Hill of the Dodgers. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy […]
J.D. Martinez In Lineup In Game 3, Andrew Benintendi Out
Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez (ankle), who aggravated his ankle in Game 2 of the World Series, is starting in left field and batting third against Dodgers starter Walker Buehler in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday. As a result, Andrew Benintendi will start on the bench. Infielder Brock Holt is also […]
DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (10/26/18): MLB DFS Lineups
Game 3 of the World Series takes place in Los Angeles tonight, starting at 8:09 pm eastern. Rick Porcello of the Red Sox takes on Walker Buehler of the Dodgers. As before, DraftKings has a Showdown slate available for us. In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for […]
Blue Jays To Name Charlie Montoyo As Manager
The Toronto Blue Jays are set to name Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo as their next manager, according to a source. The 53-year-old will take over a Blue Jays team that has some impressive young talent in the farm system, namely baseball's top prospect in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Toronto fired John Gibbons after […]