David Wright Hasn’t Started Baseball Activity

New York Mets third baseman David Wright has had a rough few years due to various injuries, and 2018 hasn’t gotten off to any better of a start. Wright told the New York Post he hasn’t started baseball activities yet and didn’t sound as if he knows when he will. Perhaps even more ominous, Wright […]

Three Up, Three Down - 2018 Third Base Prospects

We’ve been spoiled with some outstanding, young, talented third basemen in recent history. Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Jose Ramirez, and Miguel Sano (just to name a few) are all 26 years old or younger. All five of those players produced at least 28 home runs and 73 RBI in 2017. Now, it’s time to […]

Michael Martinez Undergoes Surgery to Repair a Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Cleveland Indians utility player Michael Martinez underwent surgery this week to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. He was performing agility exercises in his native Dominican Republic when he was injured. Rehabilitation for a ruptured Achilles usually takes at least six months, so Martinez's entire 2018 season is in jeopardy right now. He had signed a […]

Phillies Sign Adam Rosales

The Philadelphia Phillies signed free-agent infielder Adam Rosales to a minor league deal that will pay him $1.75 million if he makes the big league roster. Rosales will be invited to spring training. The veteran utility player will attempt to serve in a utility role on the infield for the rebuilding Phillies. In 105 games […]

2018 Home Run Risers and Fallers - What We Learned

Drafting sluggers is absolutely imperative in fantasy baseball. With homers on the rise, fantasy owners must be sure to prioritize the long ball this season. It seemed like every other fantasy-viable batter hit over 25 HR last year, didn’t it? At the same time, however, sluggers like Mark Trumbo (23 HR), Miguel Cabrera (16 HR), […]

Yangervis Solarte (2B/SS/3B, TOR) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~260 CURRENT ADP: 271 ANALYSIS: Yangervis Solarte personified mediocrity in 2017, slashing .255/.314/.416 with 18 long balls and a trio of steals. With eligibility at all three positions listed above plus seven games at first base, a competent batting line is really all Solarte needed to have fantasy value as a reserve. Yet there […]

Christian Arroyo (SS/3B, TB) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~400 CURRENT ADP: 527 ANALYSIS: Christian Arroyo was dreadful in 135 MLB PAs last season, slashing .192/.244/.304 with three dingers. He was too good at Triple-A before his debut, slashing .396/.461/.604 with four big flies over 102 PAs on the back of a .427 BABIP. His full season Double-A statistics in 2016 (.274/.316/.373, three […]

T.J. Rivera Hopes To Return By May

New York Mets infielder T.J. Rivera (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow in September, but he has been progressing nicely and hopes to return in May. Rivera has had a solid couple of years for the Mets, slashing .290/.330/.430 with five home runs and 13 doubles in 73 games in 2017 prior […]

Miguel Andujar (3B, NYY) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~350 CURRENT ADP: 488 ANALYSIS: Miguel Andujar is likely to be the starting third baseman for the Yankees on Opening Day, and sometimes opportunity provides more fantasy value than talent. Fortunately, Andujar has both. The Dominican stands about six feet tall and weighs in at around 215 pounds. He's hit .274/.323/.412 across six seasons […]

Colin Moran (3B, PIT) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~400 CURRENT ADP: 557 ANALYSIS: Colin Moran spent most of last season at Triple-A, where he slashed .308/.373/.543 with 18 HR in 338 PAs. His plate discipline marks were excellent (9.2% BB%, 16.3% K%), suggesting that he has an approach that will work well at the major league level if given an opportunity. His .323 […]

Zack Cozart (SS/3B, LAA) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~200 CURRENT ADP: 225 ANALYSIS: Zack Cozart had an unimpressive track record going into 2017 and move to a pitcher-friendly park, from Cincinnati to Los Angeles are reason enough to ignore his impressive 2017 numbers (.297/.385/.548 with 24 HR). This view seems to have become common perception, allowing owners willing to look past […]

Champ or Chump - Felipe Rivero and Colin Moran

The Milwaukee Brewers bought all of the available outfielders, so let's continue to discuss the Gerrit Cole deal. This column previously concluded that Cole may disappoint owners in Houston, while Joe Musgrove has considerable upside. Both of the articles linked above noted that Pittsburgh's infield defense is superior to Houston's, thanks in part to the […]

AL Rookies Ready to Leap into Starting Lineups in 2018

Conventional wisdom dictates that you can't win your league at the draft. You definitely can't, but good drafting of under-the-radar guys and youngsters can put you streets ahead of your competition. Last season gave us rookies in the American League such as Aaron Judge, Matt Olson and his teammate Matt Chapman, Mitch Haniger (until he […]

Boston Red Sox Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues

This is a farm system that a year ago looked loaded and now looks depleted. But that was expected. The top three prospects last offseason were Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers. Most figured that all three would graduate in 2017, and even if not Devers, at least Benintendi and Moncada looked like locks […]

Baltimore Orioles Top MLB Prospects for 2018 Dynasty Leagues

Howdy fellow RotoBallers! Fresh off the release of the final dynasty positional rankings list, I am publishing my rankings for each individual team in baseball, starting with the American League East. Instead of giving full briefs of each prospect, I will just give the prospects' superlatives and then issue smaller descriptions for each player in the […]

2018 Third Base - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

If you play in a head-t0-head points league, or season long format, you already know how difficult it can be to find fantasy analysis tailored to the format. Not only are the traditional rotisserie and head-to-head arrangements more popular, but the very nature of points leagues makes them difficult to cover in a general sense […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - Basic Asset Valuation

Dynasty baseball is a beautiful thing. In a redraft league, everybody is trying to win now. You all have the same goal. Dynasty formats allow for long-term planning. If your team is competitive, you'll value players differently than a rebuilding owner. This discrepancy makes it much easier to find mutually beneficial trades. Unfortunately, this same […]

Tigers Sign Alexi Amarista

The Detroit Tigers signed free-agent infielder Alexi Amarista to a minor league deal Tuesday, according to a source. The Little Ninja is mainly useful for his positional versatility, and he figures to perform as a super-utility player for the rebuilding Tigers. Amarista hit just .238 with the Rockies in 2017 in 96 games, and he […]

David Wright's Future Uncertain

New York Mets third baseman David Wright (back, shoulder) admitted that his playing future is uncertain after missing all of the 2017 season after undergoing rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder and surgery to remove bone spurs and fix a herniated disc in his back. "It really hurts to say this, but I obviously […]

Top 100: MLB Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

Prospects. For any fantasy baseball enthusiast, it's all about knowing about the prospects, rookies and call-ups. More than any other sport, baseball offers a fresh influx of rookie talent every year, both before and during the MLB season. And adding the right guy at the right time can be a league winner (see Aaron Judge and […]

Top 450: Points Leagues Tiered Staff Rankings (January)

In case you haven't noticed, we've already been cranking out all sorts of 2018 fantasy baseball rankings at RotoBaller HQ. It's only mid-January but you can already find preliminary staff rankings for mixed leagues, points leagues, AL/NL only leagues, dynasty leagues, top 2018 prospects, dynasty prospects and more. Today we are here to start looking […]

Champ or Chump - Yangervis Solarte and Mitch Moreland

Much is made of a team's projected batting order early on in the offseason, but the discussions quickly become moot as the realities of the regular season alter every team's plans. Slumping players move down the batting order, replaced by their more productive teammates. A utility guy could escape the bench and become a fixture […]

Tigers Open To Trading Nicholas Castellanos

The Detroit Tigers are open to trading third baseman Nicholas Castellanos, according to multiple teams who have spoken with the Tigers this offseason. Detroit recently avoided salary arbitration with Castellanos, who is still only 26 years old, but a long-term contract extension seems unlikely and no progress has been made on one this offseason. Castellanos […]

Orioles Discussing Mike Moustakas, Brandon Drury

The Baltimore Orioles are discussing Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Brandon Drury as a potential return for third baseman Manny Machado. The D-backs have become the most serious suitors for Machado, but there is no indication that the sides are close to a deal. Drury is under team control through 2022 and hit .271/.319/.448 in parts of […]

Nationals Closing In On Deal With Howie Kendrick

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that free-agent infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick is closing in on a deal with the Washington Nationals for two years and $7 million. Kendrick came over from the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline this past season. The 34-year-old hit .315 over 91 games between Washington and Philadelphia in 2017. He’s a solid […]

#TrendingNow - Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Risers and Fallers

We are just under 30 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting! Just under 30 days from the smell of pine tar and freshly cut grass. Just under 30 days from the sounds of fastballs hitting catcher’s mitts and the crack of a wood bat. Just under 30 days until another summer full of memories. […]

Manny Machado Won't Settle On Arbitration

The Baltimore Orioles and third baseman Manny Machado will not settle on salary arbitration before the deadline Friday, according to a source. It's another indication that the Orioles are ready to trade Machado away before he reaches free agency after the 2018 season. However, their price for the third base slugger is extremely high, and […]

Mets, Wilmer Flores Avoid Arbitration

New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.4 million deal. Flores missed more time with injuries in 2017, and his value really lies in his ability to fill multiple positions for fantasy owners on the infield. He's an excellent cheap daily pick against left-handed pitchers, but he could […]

Maikel Franco Avoids Arbitration

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.95 million deal, according to a source. It was a very disappointing 2017 season for the young third baseman in Philly, and his batting average has dropped steadily the last two years. However, he's still young and makes plenty of contact, […]

Tommy La Stella Avoids Arbitration

Chicago Cubs infielder Tommy La Stella avoided arbitration with the Chicago Cubs by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $950,000. The infielder hit .288 in 125 games this past year. La Stella won’t hold much fantasy value outside of daily leagues.