Blue Jays Still View Joe Biagini As Starter

Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker still thinks pitcher Joe Biagini can be a starter. "I still envision him as a quality major league starter," Walker said. On the surface, Biagini's 5.34 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 18 starts and 119 2/3 innings don't look good for fantasy owners. He ran into a lot […]

Kirby Yates Has Twisted Ankle

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Kirby Yates (ankle) is dealing with a twisted ankle, but the injury isn't believed to be a long-term one. Yates was extremely effective for the Friars in 2017, posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in 56 2/3 frames. He misses plenty of bats, but the home run […]

Kevin Siegrist Scouted By Mets

The New York Mets have scouted free-agent relief pitcher Kevin Siegrist, according to a source. The Mets are still in the market for relievers and could use a lefty specialist in their bullpen. Siegrist was a dominant lefty arm in recent seasons, but his value is down this offseason after he posted a 4.81 ERA […]

Rangers No Longer Signing Seung-hwan Oh

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports that the Texas Rangers have called off a previously reported deal with free-agent relief pitcher Seung-hwan Oh after an MRI discovered damage in his throwing arm. This will have major consequences for the Texas bullpen, as Oh was expected to serve as the either the team's closer or eighth-inning setup man. […]

Tony Watson Agrees To Terms With Giants

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the San Francisco Giants have finalized a contract with free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson. It has been rumored over the last couple of weeks that this could be a match, and the Giants have found a way to stay under the luxury tax, according to Heyman. Watson started […]

Jason Motte Signs With Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent relief pitcher Jason Motte to a minor league contract on Friday. Motte pitched in the Cardinals system from 2006 until 2014. He's bounced around with the Cubs, Rockies and Braves over the past three seasons. Last year, he posted a 3.54 ERA in 40 2/3 innings of work. He'll be […]

Splint Will Remain On Travis Wood's Hand

Updating a previous report, the splint will remain on Detroit Tigers pitcher Travis Wood's right index finger, and manager Ron Gardenhire said it will be a while before Wood can catch a baseball. While the injury is to his non-throwing hand, it doesn't help his chances of winning a roster spot. The veteran southpaw can […]

Brandon Maurer Loses In Arbitration

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Brandon Maurer lost his salary arbitration case and will make $2.95 million this year instead of the $3.5 million he requested. Maurer was effective in the ninth-inning role with the Padres early last year, but he struggled mightily in a setup role after being traded to the Royals in the […]

Travis Wood Undergoing X-Rays

Detroit Tigers pitcher Travis Wood (finger) is undergoing X-rays on his broken right index finger Friday, and he may get his splint off if it has healed properly. Wood will be a swingman for a rebuilding Tigers team, and he should have plenty of time to heal before the start of the regular season, especially […]

Zach Britton Moved To Disabled List

Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton (Achilles) was placed on the 60-day disabled list Friday. Britton had surgery on his right Achilles and is expected to miss the first half of the season, although he is ahead of schedule in his rehab. A top fantasy closer in recent seasons, Britton fell off a bit in 2017 […]

Danny Salazar Dealt With Shoulder Inflammation in the Offseason

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar dealt with inflammation in his right rotator cuff in mid-January. He's resumed throwing since then and is reportedly doing well, but he is a "couple of weeks behind" where he should be at this point. It's unclear for now whether this will affect his availability for the beginning of […]

Carson Fulmer Would Like To Start In 2018

Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports that Chicago White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer would like to be a starter this season. Fulmer, a former first-round pick, has pitched as both a reliever and a starter thus far in his career. He finished 2017 as a starter and went 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in […]

Mike Montgomery Looking To Keep Arm Healthy In 2018

Speaking to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery spoke about how he would like to keep his arm healthy even if he is not a starter. Montgomery started 2017 as a reliever before switching to a starter and then back going back to the bullpen. Overall, Montgomery had a solid year, […]

Cody Anderson Will Throw His First Bullpen on Saturday

Cleveland Indians pitcher Cody Anderson (elbow) will throw his first bullpen session since undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He is scheduled to throw on Saturday. Anderson hopes to be ready for the beginning of the 2018 season, but Cleveland has the depth to allow him to come along slowly and will likely keep him out of games […]

Jeurys Familia Expected To See Majority Of Save Chances

New York Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland said relief pitcher Jeurys Familia "will probably get the majority of the saves" in 2018. New manager Mickey Callaway initially said the team would use several relievers in various roles at the back end, but it looks like Familia will be the favorite in the ninth inning, but […]

Several Teams Interested In Tony Watson

Free-agent relief pitcher Tony Watson is receiving interest from the Giants, Philles and Red Sox, according to a source close to the situation. There are also other teams interested beyond those three teams. The left-handed reliever pitched for the Pirates and Dodgers in 2017, appearing in 11 playoff games for LA. He gave up just […]

Will Smith With No Setbacks

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Will Smith (elbow) said he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and recently threw his seventh bullpen session. However, he's unsure if he'll be ready for opening day, and the training staff is being cautious with him. It's hard to say how Smith will fare […]

Brandon Maurer's Arbitration Hearing Set For Thursday

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Brandon Maurer's salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday. He is asking for $3.5 million, while the Royals countered at $2.95 million. The Royals have never gone to an arbitration hearing under general manager Dayton Moore. Maurer had 20 saves with the Padres in 2017 before being traded to KC, […]

Bud Norris Could Be Used as a Starting Pitcher in St. Louis

Newly-signed St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bud Norris may be given a chance to work as a starting pitcher this season. He's been working (and at times excelling) out of the bullpen in recent seasons, but the Cardinals have said he may get a chance to work in the rotation if any of their young arms […]

Top 600: Dynasty League Fantasy Baseball Rankings

What's up RotoBallers. Today we are bringing you our top 600 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for the 2018 MLB season. Dynasty leagues, or keeper formats, are becoming more and more popular in the fantasy sports landscape. For those of you who are playing in dynasty formats, or are interested in long-term valuations of fantasy players, this is […]

Archie Bradley in the Mix for Closer Spot in 2018

Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley will compete with Brad Boxberger and Yoshihisa Hirano for the closer role in Arizona. In his first season as a reliever, Bradley posted a 3-3 record with a 1.73 ERA, 74 strikeouts and one save. He spent most of the year as the D-backs most versatile bullpen hand, pitching multiple […]

Indians Sign Stephen Fife

The Cleveland Indians signed pitcher Stephen Fife to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Fife is 31 and hasn't pitched in a major league game since he underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2014. He spent 2017 with the Marlins organization and with the Seibu Lions in Japan. He's organizational depth, at […]

2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks - American League Central

The American League Central comes second in our series of 2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks. Check out the first of the series, on the American League East, right here. The AL Central doesn't have bullpens with anywhere near the firepower of the AL East, but there are still some solid arms that can contribute to fantasy […]

Fernando Rodney Plans To Pitch For Years To Come

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, who will turn 44 years old this March, thinks he can remain effective for several more years. "If you can control the game, it doesn't matter how old you are," Rodney said. "Closing is the situation in the game that I feel most comfortable. I feel like I can […]

Alex Reyes Enters 2018 Without a Set Role

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Alex Reyes is already in Jupiter, Fla., getting a head start on spring training. The young right-hander is recovering from last year's Tommy John Surgery, and the team has set May 1 as a goal for having him back on the mound. What they have not yet set, though, is […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - Discovering Closers

When looking to develop talent in a dynasty league, there are two paths to follow. The first is to select prospects. The depth of your league will determine how far you have to reach into the minors. In a 12-team league, you're probably looking to find the next Fernando Tatis Jr. In a 20-team league, […]

Jon Niese Signs with Rangers

The Texas Rangers signed free-agent relief pitcher Jon Niese to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The former Yankee and Met will try to resurrect his career after missing all of 2017 due to complications from knee surgery. The 31-year-old Niese is now three full seasons from his last effective campaign in […]

NL Rookies Ready to Leap into Starting Lineups in 2018

Drafting rookies is always a tricky proposition. There are usually several first-year players who make a huge impact on fantasy teams, but they aren't always the ones we expect. Last year's NL rookie class featured studs like Cody Bellinger and Rhys Hoskins, as well as solid producers such as Josh Bell and Ian Happ. On […]

2018 Early Bullpen Outlooks - American League East

Baseball season is almost back, but before that comes fantasy baseball draft season. In this series of articles to be published over the next several weeks, we will look into the bullpens of all 30 teams, taking a look at closers, setup men, and other bullpen arms in the process. Some teams have roles already […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

It's time to round out our early points league rankings with a look at the bullpen. Relief pitcher values will fluctuate greatly throughout the season, so choosing wisely on draft day can save you a lot of grief. Here are the first round of RotoBaller’s 2018 fantasy baseball points league rankings for relief pitcher in the month […]