Hunter Dozier Signs Minors Deal With Angels

The Los Angeles Angels have signed third baseman/outfielder Hunter Dozier to a minor-league deal. The veteran was designated for assignment and subsequently released by the Royals in May after struggling to a .183 average with two homers and two steals across 29 games to begin the 2023 season. Those 29 contests were his lone game […]

Plate Discipline: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

No matter how high a particular player's BABIP may be, his average will be mediocre at best if he strikes out too much. This is why fantasy managers have known for years that players like Joey Gallo are potential drains on a fantasy team's batting average. Furthermore, players who whiff a lot tend to continue […]

How Does Michael Busch Fit With The Cubs? Fantasy Baseball Outlook

There have been some notable trades in Major League Baseball this offseason, one of which involves young former Dodgers infielder Michael Busch. Busch and reliever Yency Almonte were dealt to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope. For the Dodgers, they needed to clear 40-man roster spots for free-agent signings […]

Vinesh Kanthan Announced As Marlins' Director Of Baseball Operations

The Miami Marlins officially announced Vinesh Kanthan as the team's director of baseball operations Tuesday. Kanthan spent the past five seasons with the Texas Rangers, most recently as assistant director of baseball operations for the reigning World Series champions. He also held roles in sports science and analytics during his tenure. Kanthan was previously in […]

Dusty Baker To Join Giants As Special Assistant

Former Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is expected to join the San Francisco Giants as a special assistant to the front office, per MLB.com's Maria Guardado. The 74-year-old, who managed the Giants from 1993 through 2002, also served as a special adviser to CEO Larry Baer from 2018-19. His storied playing and managing career will […]

Christopher Morel Likely To Serve In Super-Utility Role

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell and general manager Carter Hawkins said on Saturday that outfielder Christopher Morel will likely be used in a super-utility role again in 2024 rather than focusing on just one position. Morel has been working some at first base this winter and he's played every position but first base and catcher […]

Nolan Gorman Feeling Good With Spring Training Approaching

St. Louis Cardinals left-handed-hitting infielder Nolan Gorman said he has been working with a nutrition program that has increased his flexibility and decreased his back inflammation. Gorman has battled back pain since a 2020 weight-lifting injury but wants to adhere to the program and play more games in 2024. The 23-year-old also finished the 2023 […]

Hitter Batted Ball Distribution: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Fly balls can turn into home runs. Ground balls never do. It would seem as though fantasy baseball managers want their batters to hit nothing but flies, yet this is not always the case. Why would this be? The answer, of course, comes down to batted ball distribution. The league average batted ball distribution in […]

Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlooks for Michael Busch, Yency Almonte, Jackson Ferris, Zyhir Hope - MLB Trade Analysis

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers hooked up on Thursday, January 11 for a trade that will have an immediate impact in all fantasy baseball leagues, but the deal could have tentacles that reach out for quite some time due to the players that were involved. The interesting part of this was two teams […]

Enrique Hernandez Is Gaining Interest From The Angels

Free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, according to Ken Rosenthal. The veteran infielder had surgery to repair a double hernia back in October, so the market has been slow to show interest in him. He would fit in nicely with the Angels' lineup, as he can play all […]

Matt Shaw Taking Reps At Third Base

Chicago Cubs shortstop Matt Shaw has been taking reps at third base, he told reporters. Shaw was the 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft and was primarily a middle infielder in college at The University of Maryland. Shaw said he's taken "probably 99%" of his reps at third base and added that "you […]

Michael Busch Expected To Play First Base In Chicago

The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte earlier this week from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefty Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. The Athletic's Keith Law thinks Busch is a natural first baseman and will almost certainly play there for the Cubs. He also has experience at second […]

Braves Agree To Multi-Year Extension With Alex Anthopoulos

The Atlanta Braves agreed to a multi-year contract extension with president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos on Friday that will keep him with the team through the 2031 season. Anthopoulos was promoted to his current role in February of 2020 after joining the Braves as an executive vice president and GM in […]

Nick Madrigal, Cubs Settle At $1.81 Million

The Chicago Cubs and infielder Nick Madrigal have settled on a one-year, $1.81 million deal to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old was hampered by a hamstring injury in the 2023 season but reportedly entered the offseason with no physical restrictions. Despite excellent contact skills and bat control, Madrigal's production at the plate has cratered over the […]

Michael Busch Being Traded To The Cubs

Along with reliever Yency Almonte, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sending infielder Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, according to a source. We still don't have the return confirmed on what is going back to the Dodgers, so stay tuned for more details. The 26-year-old former first-rounder was being blocked at the major-league […]

HR/FB: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

Using BABIP to predict a player's batting average is great. Batting average is a category in many league formats, and every hit is an opportunity to steal a base or score a run. Most fantasy managers find the long ball sexier, though. Every HR comes with a guaranteed run scored and at least one RBI. […]

Marlins Hiring Rachel Balkovec As Farm Director

The Miami Marlins are hiring Rachel Balkovec as their new director of player development, according to sources. She comes over from the New York Yankees, where she spent the last two years as a manager in the minor leagues at Single-A Tampa, the first female to do so. The Marlins are in the midst of […]

Re-Drafting The 2012 Fantasy Baseball First-Year Player Draft - Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Lindor, Yoenis Cespedes, and more

This is the third edition of a series here at RotoBaller from Benjamin Chase. The series explores previous First-Year Player Drafts and re-drafts those FYPDs with the information we've received since from drafted players and international signees that would have been eligible. This series shows that often the top guys in FYPD drafts remain the […]

Cardinals Add Chaim Bloom To Front Office

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to hire Chaim Bloom to their front office in an advisory role, according to sources. The Cardinals had been linked to the former Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer, dating back to the beginning of the offseason. The 40-year-old was fired by Boston in September after the team was […]

Matt Vierling The Current Favorite To Start At Third Base

As of right now, the likely favorite to start at third base on Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers is Matt Vierling, whom the team acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies last offseason. With a weak free-agent market for hitters, the Tigers seem content to let their internal options battle it out while […]

Giants Make Sense For Matt Chapman

Of the teams that could use free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman, the San Francisco Giants know him as well as anyone. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was with the Oakland Athletics for Chapman's first two seasons, and new manager Bob Melvin was for all five of Chapman's seasons in Oakland. Third base coach Matt […]

Batter BABIP: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball

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. However, it […]

Ronny Mauricio Undergoes Surgery, Expected To Miss 8-12 Months

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) underwent surgery to fix a torn ACL in his right knee on Wednesday and is expected to be out anywhere from eight to 12 months. Mauricio suffered the serious injury while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The promising 22-year-old will now be forced to miss […]

Ronny Mauricio To Have Surgery Soon

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) will have surgery to fix a torn ACL in his knee shortly after New Year's Day, according to a league source. The 22-year-old is in good spirits after injuring his right knee on Dec. 10 while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. He was expected to […]

Manny Machado May Not Play Defense Until Late March

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (elbow) is recovering from right-elbow extensor tendon repair surgery in early October and might not be ready to play defense by late March. It means that Machado might have to serve as the team's primary designated hitter to open the 2024 regular season. If that's the case, Gold […]

Giants Still Looking To Add Big Names In Free Agency

The San Francisco Giants missed out on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency, both of whom ended up with the rival Dodgers, but they remain interested in some of the biggest names available such as Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman. The club did ink Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee this winter […]

Way Too Early 2024 MLB Rookie of the Year Favorites

The temperature outside is near freezing here in the Northeast, there's a warm glow in the fireplace, and the ball that draws 2023 to a close has yet to drop in Times Square. So, you know what that means... it's the perfect time to speculate who will take home MLB Rookie of the Year in […]

Blue Jays Grab Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Two-Year Deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15 million contract with $1 million of performance bonuses included. The veteran spent parts of four seasons with the Texas Rangers to begin his career before spending the last two seasons with the New York Yankees. Most recently, the 28-year-old hit .242 […]

Reds Ink Hernan Perez To Minors Deal

The Cincinnati Reds have signed utility player Hernan Perez to a minor-league deal. The 32-year-old hasn't appeared in the big leagues since the 2021 season with the Washington Nationals but has rather spent the last two seasons playing in Korea and Mexico. Originally signed out of Venezuela by the Tigers, Perez received significant playing time […]

Twins Bring In Niko Goodrum On Minor-League Pact

The Minnesota Twins have signed utility player Niko Goodrum to a minor-league deal. The signing is of the full-circle variety as the Twins drafted Goodrum in the second round of the 2010 draft while he debuted in the big leagues with the club for 11 games in the 2017 season. However, the bulk of Goodrum's […]