Pirates Sign Heath Hembree

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent relief pitcher Heath Hembree to an undisclosed one-year deal. Hembree spent the 2021 season pitching for the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds, posting a 5.59 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with nine saves in 58 innings over 60 relief appearances. The 33-year-old had a bit […]

Dodgers Not Closing The Door On Kenley Jansen

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the door isn't closed on the team re-signing relief pitcher Kenley Jansen. Roberts said the Dodgers could have five relievers in the mix for saves in 2022, so Jansen won't be guaranteed the everyday ninth-inning gig if he decides to return to LA. Blake Treinen is currently the […]

Joe Kelly Not Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said the team doesn't expect relief pitcher Joe Kelly (biceps) to be ready for Opening Day as he continues to rehab from a nerve injury. The White Sox are likely erring on the side of caution after they recently signed the 33-year-old right-hander to a two-year, $17 million […]

Let's Overreact to Spring Training News and Tweets

Baseball is back, spring training is here, and every tweet from every beat writer is getting scrutinized to an outrageous level. It's wacky season at its best, but instead of shying away from that, we're going to lean into it. I've found some bits of news that are interesting and also, at times, amusing, and […]

Sean Doolittle Back With Nationals

The Washington Nationals signed free-agent relief pitcher Sean Doolittle to an undisclosed deal on Monday, pending a physical. The 35-year-old left-hander pitched for Washington from 2017-20 and was named to his second All-Star team with the Nats in 2018. Doolittle spent last season pitching for the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, posting a combined 4.53 […]

Ian Kennedy Agrees With Diamondbacks

Free-agent relief pitcher Ian Kennedy agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, pending a physical, according to sources. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal later announced the deal was worth $4.75 million. Kennedy previously pitched for Arizona from 2010-13. He began his career as a starting pitcher and has made 290 starts […]

Brad Hand Agrees With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies and free-agent left-hander Brad Hand agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal on Monday, according to sources familiar with the deal. The New York Mets were considering re-signing Hand, but instead he'll land with the division-rival Phillies for the 2022 season. Corey Knebel is projected to open the season as the team's […]

Spin Rate: Using Sabermetrics for Fantasy Baseball

Spin rate has become one of the most recognizable Statcast metrics, with supporters of a given pitcher highlighting his spin rates to make their case. It has also become controversial as of late due to allegations of pitchers using foreign substances to increase their spin. Unfortunately, the baseball world has done a lousy job conveying […]

2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings - Prospects #1-25 (Part 2)

Welcome back RotoBallers. Today is an exciting day for MLB and fantasy baseball fans everywhere, as we finally got some good news about the labor discussions. Spring training will start immediately, and there will be a full 162-game season. Baseball is back! Below you will find our top 2022 redraft fantasy baseball prospects, and projected […]

Red Sox Sign Jake Diekman

The Boston Red Sox will sign free-agent left-hander Jake Diekman, pending a physical, according to a source. It's believed to be a multi-year deal, but the exact details of the contract are unknown. The southpaw reliever had a 3.86 ERA, .211 batting average against and a 1.34 WHIP in 67 relief outings (60 2/3 innings) […]

Brewers Sign Brad Boxberger To One-Year Deal

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent pitcher Brad Boxberger to a one-year, $2.5 million contract on Sunday. He returns to Milwaukee in 2022, where he will reprise his role as one of Milwaukee's top setup man for star closer Josh Hader. The 33-year-old posted a 5-4 record with a 3.34 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and an 83:24 […]

Adam Ottavino Chooses The Mets

The New York Mets agreed to a $4 million deal plus incentives with free-agent relief pitcher Adam Ottavino on Sunday, pending a physical. Ottavino spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the New York Mets before spending last year in the Boston Red Sox's bullpen. The 36-year-old New York native was a part-time closer in […]

Athletics Claim Sam Selman Off Waivers

The Oakland Athletics have claimed relief pitcher Sam Selman off of waivers, according to A's beat writer Matt Kawahara. Selman split the 2021 season with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels. He pitched a total of 25 innings, posting a 5.76 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. The 31-year-old southpaw likely won't land […]

Corey Knebel Named Phillies Closer

Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi has stated that relief pitcher Corey Knebel is the team's closer "as of right now," according to a Tweet from Phillies reporter Alex Coffey. The news isn't particularly surprising. Knebel was signed by the Phillies this offseason after the team struggled to find a consistent ninth inning arm last year. […]

Jesse Chavez Joins The Cubs

Free-agent relief pitcher Jesse Chavez has agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Chavez spent the 2021 season with the Atlanta Braves, where he went 3-2 with a 2.14 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while striking out 36 and walking 11 in 30 appearances (four starts) over 33 2/3 innings pitched. The […]

Miguel Diaz Signs With Tigers

The Detroit Tigers signed free-agent right-hander Miguel Diaz to a minor league contract on Saturday that will pay him $800,000 if he's in the major leagues. Diaz, 27, had his best season in 2021 with the San Diego Padres, posting a 3.64 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 46 and walking 19 in 25 […]

Matt Strahm Joins Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox signed free-agent relief pitcher Matt Strahm to a $3 million deal on Sunday. Strahm had a rough 2021 campaign, throwing only 6 2/3 innings due to right knee inflammation while allowing six earned runs in six outings for the San Diego Padres. The 30-year-old southpaw was much better in 2020, posting […]

Brad Hand On The Mets Radar

Free-agent relief pitcher Brad Hand is on the New York Mets radar. The Mets are trying to add a good left-handed reliever to a strong righty-heavy bullpen before spring training. Andrew Chafin is another possibility for New York. Hand pitched for three teams last year, including the Mets. In his 16 appearances (13 1/3 innings) […]

Alex Colome Agrees With Rockies

The Colorado Rockies agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with free-agent relief pitcher Alex Colome on Saturday night, according to a source. The Rockies added Colome, shortstop Jose Iglesias and outfielder Scott Schebler on a busy Saturday. Colome doesn't have typical closer stuff, but the 33-year-old veteran has 155 career saves over nine major league […]

Jeurys Familia Signs With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies signed free-agent relief pitcher Jeurys Familia to a $6 million deal on Saturday night. The 31-year-old right-hander has plenty of experience in the ninth inning in his 10-year major league career, as he's saved 125 games in 498 2/3 innings pitched. Familia had just one save for the New York Mets in […]

White Sox Add Joe Kelly To Bolster Bullpen

The Chicago White Sox and relief pitcher Joe Kelly agreed to a two-year contract with a club option for a third year, according to MLB.com. The deal is pending a physical, but Kelly should strengthen a White Sox bullpen that already includes Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Kendall Graveman, and - at least for now - […]

Craig Kimbrel Expected To Remain With White Sox

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been the subject of various trade rumors this offseason. He has been linked to teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals and two of his former clubs, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. However, on Saturday, White Sox manager Tony La Russa was asked whether he […]

Steve Cishek Agrees With Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal with free-agent reliever Steve Cishek on Saturday, according to sources. Cishek had a rough 2020 season with the Chicago White Sox but bounced back to post a 3.42 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 21 holds for the Los Angeles Angels in 68 1/3 innings over 74 […]

Brandon Workman Joins Rangers

The Texas Rangers signed right-handed free-agent pitcher Brandon Workman to a minor league deal on Friday. Workman pitched for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs last year, posting a 5.46 ERA, 2.04 WHIP, 25 strikeouts and 21 walks in 28 innings over 29 relief appearances. If the 33-year-old does win a spot in […]

A.J. Ramos Agrees With Angels

The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent relief pitcher A.J. Ramos on Friday, according to a source. The deal includes an invite to major league camp. Ramos tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings of relief with the Halos in 2021 and will be battling for a spot in the Opening Day […]

Adam Conley Retires Friday

Free-agent left-hander Adam Conley announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. Conley was the second-round pick of the Miami Marlins in 2011 and pitched for them from 2015-19 and for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. The 31-year-old had a nice 2.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP while striking out 16 and walking six in 19 […]

Mets Eyeing Josh Hader, Other Relief Arms

The New York Mets are eyeing Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader, former Chicago Cubs left-hander Andrew Chafin and free-agent right-hander Collin McHugh. The Mets are looking for both starting and relief pitching now that the MLB lockout is over and free agency has been reopened. Hader would be the big name and could immediately take […]

ADP Review - February Risers and Fallers

The fine people over at NFBC have really put together an awesome fantasy sports product. You can participate in fantasy drafts all year long, and the platform is just great. One of the coolest things they do is keep detailed ADP data. You can even select custom date ranges to limit the drafts you want […]

Dave Roberts Close To Extension With Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts said on Friday that he's "really close" to signing a contract extension with the team. Roberts has led the club to three World Series appearances and won a World Series ring in 2020 and will now be with the team beyond the 2022 season. The 49-year-old's .622 […]

Collin McHugh Has Robust Market

Free-agent right-hander Collin McHugh has a robust free-agent market, as expected, and the Boston Red Sox are among the teams interested in him, according to an industry source. McHugh signed with the Red Sox in 2020 and then opted out of the season due to COVID-19 and injury concerns. The 34-year-old was great for the […]