Early 2020 ADP Reflections - Third Base
When a baseball season ends, the following season can’t come here soon enough for some fans, myself included. We start thinking about what we want to see from some players, which includes letdowns, bounce-backs, and even young prospects. Instead of letting them bounce off the brain walls, let’s put these musings into digits. This includes […]
Jeff McNeil - 2019 Season in Review
Jeff McNeil had quite the 2019 season for the Mets and, more importantly, for fantasy baseball owners. Never a major prospect in the Mets system, McNeil quietly joined the big club in 2018 and then blew up in 2019. Now, he is a major fantasy baseball draft riser in 2020 drafts, and there are a […]
J.D. Davis - 2020 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
It's that time of year again to start touting this year's fantasy baseball draft sleepers for the upcoming 2020 season. While the term "sleeper" is generally overused, it's the simplest way for us analysts to tell you which players are a sneaky option to return value at their current draft-day price tags. With that said, […]
Mets Add Eduardo Nunez
The New York Mets signed infielder Eduardo Nunez to a minor league deal on Saturday, according to a source. The 32-year-old will be a non-roster invite to spring training. The 10-year veteran debuted with the Yankees in 2010 and spent the last three seasons with the Red Sox. Nunez has been a key utility player […]
Jeff McNeil Recovered From Broken Wrist
New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) said his wrist is fully recovered after breaking it late last season. McNeil thinks that he will still play multiple positions like he did last year, but he imagines that he will play more third base than anything else in 2020. The 27-year-old (28 in April) hit a […]
Early Mock Draft Analysis: MLB Mixed Leagues
Don't tell us it's not draft season yet! Truth be told, the RotoBaller crew was already planning a mock draft days after the World Series ended. As it turns out, we decided to wait until some free agent moves were made and settled for a slow draft that began shortly after the Winter Meetings. We […]
Top 250 Prospects for 2020 Dynasty Leagues
It’s hard to believe it’s that time again. Major League Baseball’s spring training is just weeks away now, which means it's also fantasy baseball season. This year at RotoBaller, we’re rolling out even more in-depth prospect coverage — starting with a ranking of the Top 250 prospects for dynasty leagues. That’s right. Not 100. Not […]
Rangers Unlikely To Trade For Nolan Arenado
Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said that if the team makes any more significant additions this offseason that it would likely be via a trade, but a deal for Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is unlikely. It also means that signing outfielder Nicholas Castellanos is probably off the table after the Rangers had […]
Matt Chapman Seeking Long-Term Deal
Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman would like to see the team sign himself, shortstop Marcus Semien and first baseman Matt Olson to long-term contract extensions. Chapman has won Gold Gloves each of the last two seasons and made his first All-Star team in 2019 after hitting .249/.342/.506 with a career-high 36 long balls and […]
Houston Astros Cheating Scandal: Fantasy Baseball Impact
Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2020 fantasy baseball season and keeps you updated with all the latest news and analysis Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET and from 1-2 pm ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live […]
Miguel Andujar To See Work At First Base, Left Field
New York Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar has been told to prepare to get work at first base and left field in addition to third base this spring, according to general manager Brian Cashman. The emergence of Giovanny Urshela and the injury to Andujar last season will cause the Yankees to get creative in order to […]
Josh Donaldson to Twins - Fantasy Impact
The Minnesota Twins recently signed third baseman Josh Donaldson to a four-year contract worth $92 million. The contract also has a fifth-year option that can take the total value to $100 million. The Twins finished 101-61 in 2019 en route to their first AL Central Division title since 2010. The addition of Donaldson will add […]
Blue Jays Interested In Brock Holt
The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in infielder Brock Holt, according to sources. The Reds have been involved with Holt as well. It's unlikely that Holt will return to the Red Sox after they signed Jose Peraza for their infield. The 31-year-old can play second base, outfield and third base, and he hit .297/.369/.402 […]
Johan Camargo Will Provide Modest Production As Long As He Holds Off Austin Riley
Johan Camargo stumbled a bit in 2019 after two solid seasons to begin his career with the Braves. A brutal .663 OPS and an infield full of studs ahead of him on the depth chart led to a forgettable 248 plate appearances for the 26-year-old. He's in an interesting position for 2020, as his role […]
Luis Rojas To Be New Mets Manager
The New York Mets are finalizing a deal with Luis Rojas on Wednesday to be the next manager. He'll replace Carlos Beltran, who the team parted ways with last week in the wake of Beltran's role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. The 38-year-old was the team's quality control coach in 2019 and interviewed for the […]
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Barrels
Last time, we looked at how exit velocity (or EV) is only one piece of the fantasy analysis puzzle. Baseball broadcasts will commonly cite Launch Angle (LA) to complement their EV figures, but it is given in terms of degrees. Am I evaluating a baseball player or trying to find the hypotenuse of an isosceles […]
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: BABIP for Hitters
The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. Many know […]
Nolan Arenado Feels Disrespected By Rockies
Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado made it clear that he is not happy with the team amid trade talks. “There’s a lot of disrespect from people there that I don’t want to be a part of,” Arenado said in a text. “You can quote that.” General manager Jeff Bridich said on Monday that Arenado […]
Nolan Arenado Trade Talks Off Table For Now
Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said that All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado will not be traded before spring training opens next month. Trade talks are off the table for now. The 28-year-old signed an eight-year, $260 million deal last February and is still owed $234 million for seven seasons. The seven-time Gold Glover and […]
Matt Carpenter Will Be Starting Third Baseman
The St. Louis Cardinals have indicated that Matt Carpenter will be the team's starting third baseman for the 2020 season despite his disappointing 2019 campaign that saw him finish with a .226 average and 15 home runs after signing a two-year, $39 million deal last April. Carpenter hit a career-high 36 homers and was an […]
Eric Samulski's Prospects Live Bestball 50 Draft Breakdown
This offseason, Prospects Live announced a new draft format that they were hoping would bring together the dynasty crowd with more redraft-heavy players. The format was simple and also completely complicated. Each league would be a five-year Best Ball Dynasty featuring 30 teams where each owner would draft a roster of 50 players, and the […]
Will There Be Fantasy Fallout for the Astros?
The Houston Astros have landed in hot water this offseason after receiving sign-stealing allegations against them dating back to their World Series championship season of 2017. A long and thorough investigation by MLB has confirmed that the elaborate scheme to notify batters of specific pitches was indeed true, and the organization is now facing the […]
Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball: Exit Velocity
If you've watched a baseball broadcast in the so-called Statcast Era, you have undoubtedly noticed the broadcasters commenting on a batted ball's exit velocity, or EV. Many have taken to using stats like Hard% and Soft% to forecast how a player should be performing, expecting larger Hard% rates to produce larger BABIP and HR/FB figures. […]
Josh Donaldson Signs With Twins
The Minnesota Twins and free-agent third baseman Josh Donaldson have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract. The contract also is reported to have a fifth-year option for the 34-year-old slugger. Donaldson hit 37 homers and drove in 94 runs for the Atlanta Braves during the 2019 season while playing on a one-year contract. […]
Cardinals, Rockies Discussing Nolan Arenado
The St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies have started exchanging names in their discussions about a blockbuster trade involving third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to one source. Sources have advanced beyond a preliminary stage, but ESPN's Jeff Passan says the exchange of names has not been very productive. It's still considered a long shot that […]
Miguel Sano Agrees To Extension
The Minnesota Twins and third baseman Miguel Sano agreed to a three-year contract extension, according to a source familiar with the deal. The deal includes a club option for the 2023 season and will buy out two years of free agency. The extension is for $30 million, with $27 million spread out over the first […]
How To Win Your Fantasy Baseball Leagues on Draft Day
I hate intros. Nobody takes the time to read these things. I could say whatever I wanted and it would literally pass zero sets of eyes. Watch.... I have hemorrhoids! See? No one. But in the rare occasion that one of you sad saps does in fact read this paragraph before jumping to the meat […]
Kris Bryant To Make $18.6 Million In 2020
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $18.6 million deal, according to a source familiar with the agreement. Bryant's name has surfaced in trade rumors this offseason after he hit .282 with 31 home runs and 77 RBI in 2019. He finished eighth in the National […]
Brewers Agree With Jedd Gyorko
The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to an undisclosed deal with infielder Jedd Gyorko on Friday, according to a source. Gyorko played in only 62 games last year with the Cardinals and Dodgers and hit an embarrassing .174/.248/.250 with two home runs and nine RBI. At this point in his career, Gyorko is more of a utility […]
Brandon Drury Avoids Arbitration
The Toronto Blue Jays and third baseman/outfielder Brandon Drury avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.05 million deal. Drury started the 2019 season as the team's starting third baseman, but he became a corner outfielder primarily once prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was called up. The 27-year-old hit an underwhelming .218/.262/.380 on […]