Bruce Bochy To Retire At End Of Season

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will retire at the end of the 2019 season. Bochy will turn 64 in April and will be in the Hall of Fame eventually. He enters this season with a career managerial record of 1,926-1,944 with the Padres and Giants. He won three World Series rings with San Fran […]

Red Sox Unlikely To Re-Sign Craig Kimbrel

Boston Red Sox chairman Ted Werner said "it's extremely unlikely" that the team re-signs closer Craig Kimbrel. The Red Sox don't want to pay top dollar to retain Kimbrel and they are prepared to go with some combination of Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier in the ninth inning. Kimbrel is RotoBaller's No. 3 fantasy closer […]

Dellin Betances Having Extension Talks

New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances said his agent, Jim Murray, and general manager Brian Cashman have had contract-extension talks this offseason. Betances really struggled with his control in 2017 with a career-high 6.6 walks per nine innings, but he bounced back last season with a 3.5 BB/9 and lowered his ERA to 2.70 […]

Merrill Kelly, Several Others Vying For Jobs

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Merrill Kelly to a free-agent deal with an invitation to spring training, while also recently adding outfielder Rob Refsnyder, shortstop Kelby Tomlinson and pitchers Michael Kohn and Lucas Luetge on minor-league deals. Kelly is the biggest signing, and he has the chance to make the greatest fantasy impact. He enjoyed […]

Raisel Iglesias Won't Be Used Exclusively In Closer's Role

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that closer Raisel Iglesias won't be used strictly in a traditional closer's role. "He’ll be used in the most important spots in the game. We don’t want to limit him," Bell said. The hard-throwing 29-year-old could be used in high-leverage situations before the ninth inning at times, but he […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]

Orioles Not Committing To Late-Inning Bullpen Roles

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn't ready to commit to late-inning bullpen roles just yet. Relief pitcher Mychal Givens, who is the favorite for saves in Baltimore, will be deployed in "high-leverage" situations, but Hyde said he "won't manage to the save stat." More managers are starting to take this approach with their bullpen, which […]

Marlins To Mix And Match In Ninth Inning

The Miami Marlins are prepared to play the matchups in the ninth inning this year, but relievers Drew Steckenrider and lefty Adam Conley are the front-runners to split the role. Steckenrider had five saves in his rookie season in 2018 but was mostly used in setup situations. Conley had three saves last year but made […]

Ned Yost Not Defining Closer Role

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost may not name a specific closer heading into the regular season. "The roles will define themselves over time," Yost said. "My mindset has been [to go with a] closer in the past. Now, I think more in terms of high-leverage situation. When do you use that guy in high […]

Archie Bradley's Finger Issues Behind Him

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley said the cracked-fingernail issue that he dealt with last year isn't an issue any longer. "This nail is solid. I’m throwing some hammers this year. I’m going to have one of the best curveballs in the big leagues this year. It’s nasty," Bradley said. It's unclear if the D-Backs […]

Brandon Morrow Throws Wednesday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Brandon Morrow (elbow) threw up to 90 feet during workouts on Wednesday. A right elbow injury that kept Morrow out in the second half last year will also keep him out for the first month of the regular season this year. He's hoping to be cleared to play catch daily next […]

Ross Stripling May Pitch In Relief

With Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda in the rotation to begin the year, it could mean that Ross Stripling will begin the season in the bullpen. Stripling made his first All-Star team last year by going 8-6 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and career-high 10.0 K/9 in 33 outings (21 starts). He […]

Giants Not Ready To Name Closer

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he will not name a closer for a few weeks. Lefty Will Smith was San Fran's best reliever in 2018, posting a 2.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 14 saves and 71 K's in 54 outings, but the Giants are excited about the way Mark Melancon is throwing this spring. […]

Red Sox Still Unlikely To Re-Sign Craig Kimbrel

The Boston Red Sox remain steadfast that they will not have a "big expenditure at the closer position," even on a short-term deal, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. That means it remains unlikely that Boston will re-sign closer Craig Kimbrel for 2019. Boston will likely use an "internal" option for the ninth […]

Sergio Romo Agrees With Marlins

The Miami Marlins agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Sergio Romo on Tuesday, according to a league source. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was a versatile piece for Tampa last year, posting a 4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 25 saves while also serving as an opener five times. The slider-heavy right-hander has […]

Corbin Burnes To Compete For Rotation Spot

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, who pitched out of the bullpen last year, was told he'd be a starting pitcher in 2019. "You know, as we get close to the season, the need may be [different], but I came into camp as a starter and I fully intend on being a starter," Burnes said. The […]

Rays Not Rushing To Name Closer

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said there is "no urgency" to name a closer entering the 2019 season. He likes the team's bullpen flexibility and will have a bunch of guys sharing the ninth-inning role. Sergio Romo was the team's primary closer last year, but he's likely to depart in free agency, leaving relievers […]

Alex Colome Could Have Leg Up On Closer Duties

The Chicago White Sox are talking more about relief pitcher Alex Colome for ninth-inning duties than they are with Kelvin Herrera. The Pale Hose gave up catcher Omar Narvaez to acquire Colome from the Mariners in the offseason and Colome had 37 and 46 saves for the Rays in 2016 and 2017, respectively. He also […]

After Hours With RotoBaller Radio: Fantasy Baseball First Base Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discuss the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Josh Hader and Arodys Vizcaino

Recent seasons have shown how a great relief corps can sometimes be a cheap and effective way to bolster a team. Moreover, the move to convert semi-viable starters to relief pitchers has increased the number of legitimately good relievers rather than hoping to luck into the good Joel Hanrahan (excellent for two years, unusable otherwise). […]

Blue Jays Make Offer To Sergio Romo

The Toronto Blue Jays have made an offer to free-agent relief pitcher Sergio Romo, according to sources. The Twins and Rangers also have interest in him on a minor league deal. Romo, 36 next month, is a versatile and veteran reliever who posted a 4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 75 K's in 67 1/3 innings […]

Anthony Swarzak Behind In Camp

Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Anthony Swarzak (shoulder) will be slightly behind the other pitchers in the throwing program after dealing with mild shoulder discomfort last season with the Mets. The left-hander was a disaster in 2018, posting a 6.15 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, four saves and 31 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. He'll work in mostly […]

Mariners May Not Have Set Closer

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said the team might go into the season without a set ninth-inning option. "There may not be a set closer on a particular night," Servais said. "We might have our hottest reliever come in the game in the eighth inning. … It will frustrate some people, but there’s a method […]

RotoBaller's Weekend Warrior Show: American League West Preview

Host Anthony Aniano of RotoBaller Radio discusses the 2019 fantasy baseball season and gets you warmed up for the MLB preseason. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - Monday through Friday from 6-7 am ET. You can also find new weekly shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, SoundCloud and on iTunes under RotoBaller […]

Ricky Nolasco Looks To Resurrect Career In Arizona

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training on Friday. The team also added veteran relief pitcher Mark Rzepczynski on a similar deal. Nolasco was released at the end of spring training in 2018 after a failed bid to make the roster of the Kansas […]

Alex Wilson Agrees With Indians

The Cleveland Indians agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent relief pitcher Alex Wilson on Friday, according to a league source. He will make $1.25 million if he makes the big league roster and can earn an extra $750,000 in performance bonuses. Wilson had a 3.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 6.3 K/9 in 61 […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League Central

Moving right along with our pre-season coverage of the bullpens around the league, let's give the American League Central a look. Most "baseball people" are predicting the AL Central to be one of the worst divisions in the league in 2019, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of fantasy value coming out of […]

John Andreoli Designated For Assignment, Jake Barrett Acquired

The San Francisco Giants designated outfielder John Andreoli for assignment on Wednesday. The team also added relief pitcher Jake Barrett from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations, and he takes the spot on the 40-man roster of Andreoli. Barrett made his debut in 2016 with the Diamondbacks, going 1-2 with a 3.49 ERA across 59 […]

Veteran Reliever Jerry Blevins Returns To A's Organization

The Oakland Athletics signed relief pitcher Jerry Blevins to a minor-league contract, and if he wins a job in the majors he'll be paid $1.5 million. Blevins made his major league debut with the A's back in 2007, and he appeared in 281 games in relief, posting a 13-6 record with a 3.30 ERA across […]

Wei-Chung Wang Agrees To Deal With The Athletics

The Oakland Athletics signed relief pitcher Wei-Chung Wang to a minor-league contract on Wednesday. He has made 22 appearances in the majors, last working with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2017 campaign. The southpaw spent last season pitching out of the bullpen for the NC Dinos in the KBO League in South Korea, posting a […]