Andrew Cashner Demoted to Bullpen

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Andrew Cashner has been demoted to the bullpen by the organization on Monday. Cashner was pitching well with the Baltimore Orioles before the Red Sox acquired him. He has a 8.01 ERA in six starts since joining the Red Sox rotation. Manager Alex Cora plans to use him in short […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the Monday, August 12th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss […]

Mychal Givens Blows Save Sunday

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Mychal Givens blew his sixth save of the season in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Astros. Givens came in for the ninth inning with a two-run lead but allowed three runs on three hits and a hit batsman with one strikeout before getting pulled after getting just one out. Thankfully, his […]

Jose Leclerc Earns Eighth Save

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his eighth save of the season. Leclerc struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner while preserving a 1-0 win for Texas. Manager Chris Woodward has stated before he wants Leclerc to be the closer and is backing that up as […]

Brad Hand Blows a Save on Sunday

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand blew a save on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits in the bottom of the ninth inning. He let the Twins tie the game at three and take it to extra innings. It was only Hand's third blown save of the season, and his ERA is still a solid […]

Roberto Osuna Blows Fifth Save

Astros reliever Roberto Osuna was called upon after Houston had scored three runs in top of the ninth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Osuna then gave the game away in dramatic fashion, first allowing a run to score via a sacrifice fly, before allowing a two-run walk-off home run to Rio Ruiz and giving […]

Luke Jackson Gets 17th Save

Demoted after Atlanta acquired Shane Greene from Detroit, Luke Jackson was called on Sunday to preserve a 5-4 Braves lead over the Marlins. Jackson made things interesting, with Isan Diaz singling but being thrown out trying to advance, followed by two two-out infield singles. But Jackson then got Harold Ramirez to fly out and earned […]

Points Leagues Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 20

Welcome to the RotoBaller waiver wire column that skews towards points league. Yes, there is positive correlation to standard 5x5 scoring but in our format, specific categories matter less and the accumulation of total stats is the ultimate objective. We’re turning towards home for fantasy baseball season. While some league counterparts may be multi-tasking with […]

The Cut List (Week 20) - Time to Let Go?

It's now really getting to that point in the fantasy season where cuts are going to be highly based on statistical needs, which are much more obvious now than they were in April and May. This is more true of hitters, whose production in each statistic can vary more widely than for pitchers. Additionally, with the […]

Ken Giles Won't be Placed on IL

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Ken Giles (elbow) won't be placed on the injured list for now. He played catch on Sunday and hasn't pitched since Wednesday due to a lingering elbow issue. He's not a great fantasy option right now while he's banged up. Derek Law is expected to remain as the closer until […]

Raisel Iglesias Dealing with Biceps Issue

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (biceps) is likely going to be sidelined for a few days. Iglesias is dealing with tightness in his biceps, so he's not expected to pitch for a few days. Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, and Jared Hughes are the candidates to get save chances. This injury appears to be minor, […]

Nick Mariano's Waiver Picks - Get 'Em While They're Hot (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Writing "Week 20" into baseball articles always gives me an existential crisis -- time really flies. One blink of the eye and suddenly you've missed two three-homer games, just like that! Head-to-head playoffs are on the horizon and every little stat matters, that's the […]

Joe Jimenez (RP, DET) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Perennial closer-in-waiting Joe Jimenez is waiting no more, as the 24-year-old has been given the Tiger's job after the trade of Shane Greene to Atlanta. Jimenez has had an up and down season, being removed from his setup role twice in 2019, only a year […]

Buy or Sell: Undervalued and Overvalued Players for Week 20

Today's piece covers a set of players who either should not be available on waivers or will return back there soon. Most of the earlier editions of this recurring buy or sell article have included several universally owned players whose values have been manipulated enough by early-season performances. Unfortunately, as we get deeper into the year, the […]

Anthony Bass (RP, SEA) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: What happened to the line of arms that were complicating Anthony Bass's road to high-leverage innings for the Seattle Mariners? Well, they traded Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland, guys like Austin Adams are bound to the IL, and other competition like Cory Gearrin and […]

Top 30 Prospects for Dynasty Leagues (Week 20 update)

In some ways, it feels like the 2019 baseball season just began. But here we are, looking at less than a month’s worth of minor league baseball remaining before the regular season is over. So how do we deal with the crushing sadness that’s descending upon us? How about we take a look at the […]

Carlos Martinez Gets Two Outs and His 12th Hold on Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals closer Carlos Martinez got the last two outs of Saturday's win, earning his 12th save of the year. Martinez faced two batters, threw six pitches, and locked down a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Martinez has been solid but unspectacular as closer, saving 12 games and posting a 3.48 ERA. He […]

Craig Kimbrel Won't Return When First Eligible

Chicago Cubs reliever Craig Kimbrel is expected to join the club on their road trip to Philadelphia next week, but won't be activated on Wednesday when first eligible. The 31-year-old was shelved last week with knee inflammation, and the Cubs are proceeding with caution with their midseason acquisition by not rushing him back to action. […]

Luke Weaver Throws First Bullpen Session Since Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Luke Weaver threw 10 pitches before Friday's game against the Dodgers in his first bullpen session since hitting the shelf in May with a UCL sprain. Before injured, Weaver was in the midst of a resurgent season after being traded to Arizona in the deal for Paul Goldschmidt, with a 3.02 […]

Wilmer Font Named Starter for Saturday

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Wilmer Font will draw the start versus the New York Yankees on Saturday. Jacob Waguespack was expected to draw the start, but he will come out of the bullpen in this one. Font will act as an opener and pitch the first inning or two of this one. This is not […]

Chad Green Named Opener for Saturday

New York Yankees relief pitcher Chad Green has been named the opener for Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Masahiro Tanaka was scheduled to pitch, but he'll be pushed back until Sunday. Green will pitch the first inning or two and then hand the ball off to someone else. It's unclear who the Yankees […]

Jonathan Holder Lands on Injured List

New York Yankees pitcher Jonathan Holder (shoulder) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday. Holder is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, so he could be sidelined multiple weeks. He has a 6.31 ERA in 34 games (one start) with the Yankees this season. Stephen Tarpley has been recalled to take his spot […]

Michael Lorenzen (SP/RP, CIN) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: There is a lot to say about Cincinnati Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen, as he is a man of many talents. As an asset on offense, "Mikey Biceps" has accumulated three stolen bases and a .273/.333 BA/OBP combo, and on the mound he's been one […]

Scott Oberg Lit Up In Non-Save Situation

Colorado Rockies closer Scott Oberg did what most closers do when they are forced to pitch in a non-save situation. He got shelled. Oberg was called in on Friday to close out the game against the Padres while the Rockies were already trailing 3-1, and he promptly had his worst appearance all season. It was […]

H2H Category Streamers - Week 20 Waiver Wire

There are plenty of strategies that fantasy managers explore in hopes of getting an advantage over their opponent. Heavy lineup, heavy starting pitchers, no catcher, all (or mostly) reliever staff, no reliever staff, etc. Even if you play a balanced lineup, injuries can cause holes. A few weeks without a key player won’t kill a […]

Carlos Martinez Earns a Win With a Four-Out Appearance

St. Louis Cardinals closer Carlos Martinez rebounded well on Friday, picking up a win in a four-out appearance. Martinez threw 1 1/3 innings, allowing just one walk. He threw 18 pitches, seven balls and 11 strikes. He improved to 3-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.56. He hasn't quite been the lights out closer the […]

Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox - Yesterday's Recap

Welcome to the Saturday, August 10th edition of Daily Slivers of the Fantasy Soapbox. Discussing baseball is as fun as the game itself. It has a way of bringing people together to share different opinions about the sport we all love. A similar action can be done with fantasy baseball where we not only discuss […]

Kyle Barraclough Claimed by Giants

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Kyle Barraclough has been claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants on Friday. He was designated for assignment by the Nats after posting a 6.66 ERA through 33 appearances. He has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, but is under team control through 2021. Barraclough doesn't have any fantasy value right […]

Brandon Workman Secures Seventh Save

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Brandon Workman struck two of the three batters he faced en route to his seventh save of the season in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Angels. He's off to a good start in August, posting four consecutive scoreless outings, while notching two saves and a 5/0 K/BB. Workman seems to […]

Closers and Saves Report - Week 19 Waiver Wire

The trade deadline shook the fantasy baseball world, so this week wasn't going to be nearly as important, but there were still plenty of things going on around the league that need to be looked at. There were injuries this week, and there were key roster moves. One team more or less just got a […]