Rays Will Play Matchups In Ninth Inning

The Tampa Bay Rays will head into the 2019 regular season without naming a closer and will instead play the matchups in the ninth inning. Sergio Romo, who led the team with 25 saves last year, is gone, so relievers Jose Alvarado and Chaz Roe are expected to see most of the opportunities to close […]

Matt Barnes A Strong Candidate For Saves

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes (96 strikeouts in 61 2/3 frames last year) is a strong candidate for the closing duties to open the season, but manager Alex Cora has been coy on who his closer will be on Opening Day. “You’ll find out on March 28,” Cora has said repeatedly. Ryan Brasier […]

Mychal Givens The Obvious Choice As O's Closer?

The Baltimore Orioles may open the season without a closer, even if relief pitcher Mychal Givens is the obvious choice for ninth-inning duties. Nate Karns is another back-end bullpen option after being turned into a reliever. The Orioles see value in using their best relievers in the middle of games during high-leverage situation, so this […]

Brewers Talking With Craig Kimbrel

The Milwaukee Brewers are talking with free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, according to sources. Milwaukee's bullpen is already stacked with Josh Hader, Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffress, but Kimbrel would likely slot in as the ninth-inning man. It'd hurt Knebel's fantasy value the most. Kimbrel already has a 1.91 career ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 333 saves and […]

Brandon Morrow Feels Fine After Bullpen Session

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) said he felt fine on Tuesday a day after a 20-pitch bullpen session. The right-hander will open the year on the injured list and is expected to miss around a month of action in the regular season. Morrow missed all of the second half last year and had […]

Pedro Strop Throws Off Mound Tuesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (hamstring) threw off a mound with no issues on Tuesday and is expected to have another mound session later this week. He could get into a spring game before camp ends. If he doesn't have another setback, Strop could open the season as the team's closer after performing well […]

Dellin Betances To Begin On Injured List

New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances will begin the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. He's been prescribed anti-inflammatories after undergoing an MRI exam. It'll be three to five days before he resumes throwing, although general manager Brian Cashman don't think the reliever will miss much time. Betances has […]

Anthony Swarzak Placed On The Injured List

Seattle Mariners reliever Anthony Swarzak has been placed on the 10-day injured list to open the season. Swarzak has been battling right shoulder problems this spring but should be ready to roll in early April. He'll be a setup arm for the Mariners when he returns this season and could be first in line for […]

Abraham Almonte, Yasmany Tomas Among D-Backs Cuts

The Arizona Diamondbacks reassigned outfielder Abraham Almonte, pitchers Stefan Crichton, Rubby De La Rosa, Ricky Nolasco, Braden Shipley, Yasmany Tomas and infielder Kelby Tomlinson to their minor-league camp on Tuesday. Tomas had a run-scoring single in Sunday's Cactus League spring game, and it's likely he'll be back at the first sign of injury to an […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Starting Pitcher Preview Part 3

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

Felipe Vazquez Locked In On The Mound

Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez appears to be in midseason form as spring training begins to wind down. During an appearance against the Tigers on Tuesday, the southpaw retired all four hitters he faced, including striking out the side in the fifth. Adam Berry of MLB.com noted that Vazquez hit 101 mph on the stadium […]

The King's Insider Report - National League East

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. The King’s Award-Winning Fantasy Baseball Insider Series continues on RotoBaller with a look at the National League East. Last time, we focused on the New York Mets, and now here’s an insider outlook from a former pitcher in the division who now works as a broadcaster. […]

Bullpen Busts Due to Bounce-Back in 2019

It's almost time for Opening Day! Spring Training is wrapping up and so are fantasy baseball drafts. So as we get ready for the start of the season, let's take a look at a few bullpen guys who might be a little underappreciated in drafts this year. Now with a couple of guys on this […]

Jon Denzler's 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

With official regular season games on the horizon, there is one last tradition to the fantasy offseason: bold predictions. Those articles that will populate our sites, and others, with the predictions of what might happen during the upcoming campaign. And yet, it is baseball, and as the Moneyball quote says, “You still have to play […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Starting Pitcher Preview Part 2

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

Kirby Yates Extends Lights Out Spring Training

San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates continued his strong spring on Sunday, firing a scoreless inning and striking out two. Through five innings, Yates has yet to allow a run. Yates will start his age-32 season as the Padres undisputed closer after inheriting the role in the second half of last season. Yates posted a […]

Prospect Starters that Could be Impact Relievers

Last year around this time I wrote some words about Dakota Hudson and how he could be a stud in 2018 — but as a reliever, not a starter, which had been his role in the minors to that point. From last March at Rotographs: “And for me, Dakota Hudson has immense potential as a high-leverage reliever. He […]

Sean Doolittle Gets Wakeup Call

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle had a rough day Saturday, allowing four hits, five earned runs, a walk and a home run to the Cardinals. Doolittle, who considered the performance to be a "wakeup call," only has a 9.64 ERA this spring. Despite that, Doolittle is a top ten closer and should be drafted as […]

RotoBaller Radio's Weekend Warrior Show: Starting Pitching Preview Part 1

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. This radio show is sponsored by our good friends over at RT Sports. Be sure to check out their Best Ball leagues, drafting every day, and their awesome contest the RealTime Fantasy Sports Baseball Championship with a […]

Pierre Camus' 10 Bold Predictions for 2019

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." If only that were the case in fantasy sports... Other than tampering with the fabric of time-space, which is a bad idea (ask Marty McFly), we just don't know what the future really holds. We can predict whatever we want, but that doesn't mean […]

A.J. Minter Optimistic About Opening Day

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher A.J. Minter (shoulder) has felt fine while playing catch each of the last three days and remains hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Day. Still, Minter hasn't pitched in a game since he made his spring debut on March 1 after he was shut down with left shoulder tightness. Minter was […]

Ryan Brasier Makes Spring Debut

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier (toe) made his spring debut on Saturday and allowed two hits and a run after being slowed by an infection in his right pinkie toe that he suffered early in spring training. “Now he’s going to be pitching on the program every two days and he should be […]

Hunter Strickland Fully Recovered From Back Issues

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Hunter Strickland stated Saturday from Tokyo that his back is "100 percent." Strickland hasn't seen game action since March 3 but will throw in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants on Sunday. The M's begin their season on March 20 against the Oakland Athletics, and all signs point to Strickland getting […]

Top 690: Updated H2H Points League Rankings

Welcome back RotoBallers. Spring training is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited for fantasy baseball drafts and the approaching MLB season. Below you will find our staff's updated fantasy baseball points league rankings (top 690) for head-to-head points formats. Be sure to also check out our fantasy baseball rankings dashboard and bookmark that page. It's loaded […]

David Marcillo's Bold Predictions for Closers

Fantasy sports can be just as frustrating as they can be fun, and few positions encompass that more than a fantasy baseball relief pitcher. A reliever can go from a fantasy darling to a completely meaningless name in your lineup overnight. And that's without an injury causing the issue. With the recent trend of not […]

Tyler Clippard to Miss Time With a Pectoral Strain

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tyler Clippard will miss the next three to four weeks due to a mild pectoral strain. Clippard was removed from a March 9 appearance and felt continued discomfort when attempting to restart his throwing program this week. Clippard is competing for a spot in the Cleveland bullpen, but he will now […]

Tony Cingrani To Miss Beginning Of The Season

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tony Cingrani is dealing with soreness in his left shoulder and he has been shut down. He will not be ready for Opening Day and will begin the season on the 10-day injured list. The southpaw will leave just Scott Alexander as the only left-handed specialist in the bullpen for […]

Breakout Relievers Who'll Keep Succeeding in 2019

"Don't pay for saves." That has always been the advice repeated ad nauseum by veteran fantasy baseball players and while that sentiment is true on the surface, dealing with bullpens in fantasy baseball is a lot murkier in 2019 than it was in 2009. With specialized pitching roles leading to starters being left in the game […]

Pedro Strop Confident He'll Be Ready

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop is confident that his right hamstring issue won't keep him from being ready on Opening Day. Manager Joe Maddon said that Strop can continue his throwing program this week after tweaking his hamstring last Saturday against the Angels. "The trainers are very optimistic," Maddon said. "He's still able to […]

Pedro Strop Has Hamstring Strain

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon announced on Tuesday that closer Pedro Strop is dealing with a mild right hamstring strain. He is able to play catch, but the Cubs will keep him off a mound and out of game-related drills for the next week. Chicago is being especially cautious because of the fact that relief […]