Luis Cessa Optioned To Triple-A

The battle for bullpen spots on the New York Yankees lost a competitor today after the club optioned Luis Cessa to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The 25-year-old has made multiple appearances for the club the past two seasons, both as starter and reliever. This spring he made four appearances, posting a 2-0 record with a […]

Tim Lincecum Scratched With Finger Blister

The Texas Rangers have scratched reliever Tim Lincecum from his outing tomorrow due to a blister forming on the pitcher's middle finger. There was little hope that the former Freak would be ready for Opening Day, and the emergence of this pesky blister only casts more doubt. With all of the interest in Lincecum's comeback […]

Kevin Jepsen Likely to Make Opening Day Roster

The Texas Rangers' manager Jeff Banister told reporters that pitcher Tony Barnette is not likely to be ready to start the season, opening a roster spot for reliever Kevin Jepsen. The 33-year-old Jepsen has been a pleasant surprise, giving up just one run and four hits over 9 1/3 innings this spring training. After what […]

Rick Lucks's 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

Several of my colleagues have already announced their Bold Predictions for the 2018 fantasy baseball season, and now it's my turn. This is my third year participating in this exercise. The first one was great, as I correctly predicted Steven Wright would matter in 2016 fantasy leagues. The second one wasn't, as I had a […]

Jesse Chavez To Work From the Bullpen

The Texas Rangers have informed pitcher Jesse Chavez that he will not start the season as a full-time starter. This is not terribly surprising, as the 34-year old has worked as both a starter and reliever during spring training, and the results were not terribly inspiring. Expect Chavez to be deployed as a long reliever […]

Tim Lincecum Unlikely to Be Ready for Opening Day

As the Texas Rangers prep Tim Lincecum for a return to the majors, they are not expecting him to be available for Opening Day. The former Cy Young winner is attempting a comeback by joining the Rangers' bullpen, but what role he will eventually occupy is unclear until the team can get comfortable with his […]

Greg Holland In Contact With Diamondbacks

Free agent closer Greg Holland is slowly making his way towards a deal for the 2018 season. Among the several teams he is in contact with, the Diamondbacks are seemingly one of the more likely destinations, as they are in the playoff hunt without an established closer. Holland's 41 saves with the Rockies was tied […]

Archie Bradley (RP, ARI) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~165 CURRENT ADP:  190 ANALYSIS: Does anyone really expect Brad Boxberger to take the closer role away from Bradley? In Bradley, we’re talking about a guy who, after a move to pitching full-time in 2017, posted a 1.73 ERA, 1.041 WHIP, and a 9.7 K/9. His ERA was better than all but seven relief pitchers […]

Atlanta Braves Supposedly Still In Conversation To Land Greg Holland

This off-season and Spring Training has been filled with a lot of "Where will this player sign?" The Greg Holland rumors are starting to heat up, with the Atlanta Braves being one of three teams to apparently be inquiring about the free-agent relief pitcher's services. If Holland does come to Atlanta, it would likely push […]

Boone Logan To Open Season On Disabled List

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Boone Logan (tricep strain) is confirmed to start the year on the DL, according to Brewers manager Craig Counsell. The injury does not appear to be serious, as it was described as a "slight triceps strain", however, it is enough for him to start the year on the DL. Logan was last […]

Cardinals Remain in Contact With Greg Holland

The St. Louis Cardinals have remained in contact with free agent relief pitcher Greg Holland. Holland is certainly the biggest name still remaining on the free agent market, and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves have also shown interest. Holland led the National League with 41 saves last season, posting a 3.61 ERA and 70 […]

Ben Taylor Optioned to Triple-A

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Ben Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday. Taylor is a live arm that came over from the Boston Red Sox as a waiver claim in February. He'll likely make some appearances in the Cleveland bullpen this season once injuries and ineffectiveness strike.

Cardinals Release Jason Motte

The St. Louis Cardinals released relief pitcher Jason Motte on Thursday. He will be a free agent and will reportedly listen to offers from other teams, but the veteran right-hander is willing to come back to the Cardinals and play at Triple-A Memphis if he does not get any other offers to his liking. He […]

Trevor May Inching Toward Return From Tommy John Surgery

Minnesota Twins right-hander Trevor May is inching toward a return to the mound. May had Tommy John surgery in March last year, which caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. The 28-year-old has progressed to throwing bullpen sessions, as he threw 35 pitches on Tuesday. He is scheduled to throw another 50 pitches on […]

Tyler Duffy, Alan Busenitz Optioned To Triple-A

The Minnesota Twins optioned relievers Tyler Duffy and Alan Busenitz to Triple-A on Thursday. The two relievers were key parts of the Minnesota bullpen in 2017, combining to make 84 relief appearances. The Twins focused on strengthening their bullpen this offseason, which pushed Duffy and Busenitz off the big league roster. Neither player helped his […]

The Cardinals Could Start the Season Without a Closer

The St. Louis Cardinals may start the season without officially naming a closer. General manager John Mozeliak said, "When you look at it right now, that eighth, ninth inning, we have three or four arms who can compete for [the closer job] or do that." He later added, "Once the season starts, I think we'll […]

Blaine Hardy And Chad Bell Optioned To Triple A

The Detroit Tigers optioned the contracts of two pitchers Thursday: left handers Blaine Hardy and Chad Bell. Hardy is dealing with tightness in his left shoulder and has pitched just one inning this spring, but spent parts of each of the last four seasons with the big league club. He appeared in as many as […]

Relief Pitcher H2H Points Rankings - March Update

With the regular season, also known as the fantasy season, just a few weeks away, it's time for the RotoBaller staff to update our points rankings one last time. We end our review of the March update with a look at the bullpen for the relief pitcher position. While there is a lot of talent […]

Nick Mariano's 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

As we steamroll toward Opening Day, our experienced writers will be offering their most bold predictions for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. These are always a fun exercise that allows us to really trumpet our more outlandish stances heading into 2017. I promise it comes from an educated place, but these are far from "probable" […]

Boone Logan Experiencing Shoulder Problems After Athletics Game

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Boone Logan was injured in the 4-3 win against the Oakland Athletics. Logan was taken out of the game after experiencing some shoulder discomfort as discussed by Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell. There is no known severity at this point, however, Logan is not exactly the most prized possession in fantasy […]

Mark Melancon To Pitch On Consecutive Days

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (forearm) is scheduled to pitch back-to-back days on Thursday and Friday. It will be the first time Melancon will throw consecutive days this spring. Melancon underwent an operation to release pressure on the pronator muscle of his right forearm in September and recently said that he is still not 100 […]

Collin McHugh Being Groomed For Bullpen

Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh appears destined for the bullpen. The former 19-game winner is the odd man out in a numbers game with so many quality starting pitchers now on the roster. But manager A.J. Hinch expressed optimism about the move and shot down the notion that McHugh will simply be a setup man. […]

Joaquin Benoit Won't Make Opening Roster

Washington Nationals reliever Joaquin Benoit (forearm) won't make the team's active roster to open the season due to a forearm strain. The team signed him in the offseason to give their bullpen depth, but tightness in his back led to the discovery of the strain recently. The Nationals still have a solid bullpen full of […]

Orioles Designate Jose Mesa Jr. For Assignment After Signing Alex Cobb

There's almost always a roster casualty after a big signing. Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Jose Mesa Jr. was it after Baltimore signed starter Alex Cobb on Wednesday. Mesa had a 3-1 record but an ugly 5.87 ERA this spring. It's a rough time, since teams are largely locking down their rosters, but Mesa might latch on […]

Pedro Strop Scheduled To Pitch Thursday

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop (calf) is set to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday. Strop had missed most of the spring while dealing with a calf injury, but threw in a minor league game Monday. Strop is headed in the right direction and it appears he should be ready for Opening Day. […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - Closers

Where an owner drafts closers comes down to personal strategy and philosophy. Some owners are willing spend up for high-end closers like Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel, while others are content to let closers fly off the board deep into the draft and scrounge for saves late. For those of us unwilling to invest in […]

Pierre Camus' 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

As we steamroll toward Opening Day, our experienced writers will be offering their most bold predictions for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. Although I will never be able to replicate last year's successes in calling Giancarlo Stanton's mammoth season, I will do my best. Feel free to ignore the majority of those other predictions from 2017. […]

Mark Leiter Will Start Season On DL

The diagnosis is in for Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Mark Leiter (forearm), and he’ll be starting the 2018 season on the disabled list. The 27-year-old is suffering from a mild flexor strain in his right forearm, resulting in his absence until late April or early May. While he avoided a potentially more serious injury, this hampers Philadelphia’s […]

Mark Leiter To Undergo Medical Exam

After a strong start to his 2018 spring training, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Mark Leiter is headed back to Philadelphia to undergo tests on his right forearm. The 27-year-old has been experiencing tightness and soreness in the forearm, according to manager Gabe Kapler. Through his first three outings this spring, Leiter was quite impressive, tossing […]

Trevor Cahill Deal with Athletics Finalized

According to Jon Heyman of MLB.com, free-agent starting pitcher Trevor Cahill's deal with the Oakland Athletics worth $1.5 million was finalized on Monday. Cahill will likely work in long relief, in addition to serving as a starter when someone is needed to fill up innings. Cahill had a 4.93 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 84 […]