Pirates Acquire Soria From Tigers: Pittsburgh Bullpen Gets Deeper

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Detroit Tigers closer Joakim Soria in exchange for shortstop JaCoby Jones, according to the Tigers Twitter account. The Pirates bullpen just got even stronger than it already was. Tony Watson and Jared Huges have company now as they bridge games between the starters and closer Mark Melancon. The #Tigers today have […]

Yankees Trade For Former No. 2 Pick Dustin Ackley

The New York Yankees made a small move that could go a long way when they acquired utility player Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez. Ackley, 27, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft by Seattle. He hasn’t quite lived up […]

Alex Wilson (RP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues for Saves OWNED IN: 3% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: After today's trade of Joakim Soria to the Pirates, it was assumed that Al Alburquerque or maybe Bruce Rondon would be next in line for saves. Turns out that Alex Wilson was called upon to get the first crack at being the new […]

Hector Rondon (RP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues for Saves OWNED IN: 68% of Fleaflicker leagues ANALYSIS: It's no sure thing yet, but it seems that Rondon is the closer again in Chicago. Earlier in the season, Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled him from the job after a rough start to an inning, not even an implosion. Fantasy […]

Arodys Vizcaino (RP, ATL) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 18% of Fleaflicker Leagues  ANALYSIS: Earlier today the current Brave's closer Jim Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster trade. He will serve as the setup man for Kenley Jansen, and youngster Arodys Vizcaino is expected to take over as the closer for the Braves. […]

Al Alburquerque & Bruce Rondon (RP, DET) - Waiver Wire Analysis

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: Joakim Soria has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and is out as the closer in Detroit. Enter Al Alburquerque and Bruce Rondon. Alburquerque has been the setup man in Detroit and seems like the favorite to get the first crack at saves for the […]

Tigers Looking To Trade Closer Joakim Soria

The Detroit Tigers are looking to trade closer Joakim Soria, according to Fox Sports. After Detroit traded away David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Tigers are looking to continue to rebuild their farm system. Soria, 31, could be the next to go as the MLB Trade Deadline inches closer and closer. Tigers working […]

Storen Unhappy With Papelbon Becoming Closer

Drew Storen was demoted from his closers role with the Washington Nationals after the team traded for Jonathan Papelbon. Storen isn’t exactly pleased by the demotion, according to ESPN.com. Storen has 29 saves and a 1.73 ERA in his first year as the closer, according to baseballreference.com. Despite the success, Washington is allowing Papelbon to […]

Joaquin Benoit (RP, SD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The San Diego Padres have been at the center of big name trade talks before Friday's trade deadline, and the leaders of San Diego's bullpen Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit are being mentioned by many buyers this week. Benoit has earned the attention […]

Edward Mujica (OAK, RP) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: After the A's traded Tyler Clippard to the Mets on Monday, the ninth inning is up for grabs in Oakland. Drew Pomeranz could be a factor, but there's still a chance he transitions back into the rotation. For this reason, Mujica could run […]

J.J. Hoover (RP, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues OWNED IN: 5% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The Cincinnati Reds are blowing up their team and with that fallout comes opportunities for other players to become fantasy relevant. With the potential trade of Aroldis Chapman looming on the horizon, J.J. Hoover should be taking over the ninth in the Queen City. Even including Hoover's […]

Mets Jenrry Mejia Suspended 162 Games For 2nd Failed PED Test

New York Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia has been suspended 162 games for his second positive PED test, according to MLB.com. Mejia, 25, will be suspended for the second time this season. He returned from an 80-game suspension for his first failed PED test just three weeks ago. The right-hander won’t be back on a major […]

Ken Giles (RP, PHI) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 41% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The Philadelphia Phillies just traded current closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals. While setup man Ken Giles is already owned in 41% of fantasy baseball leagues, he is still being written about as he should be grabbed everywhere now that Papelbon is out of the picture. […]

Nationals 'Making Progress' On Papelbon: Won't Approve Deal Unless He Is Closer

Jonathan Papelbon is the latest reliever that the Washington Nationals are interested in. The Nationals are “making progress” to acquire the Philadelphia Phillies closer. The 34-year-old right-hander has wanted out of Philly seemingly all year. The Phillies are out of contention for the postseason while Washington is holding onto first place in the NL East, and […]

Nationals 'Hottest' In Sweepstakes For Padres Craig Kimbrel

The Washington Nationals have become the “hottest” team in the sweepstakes for closer Criag Kimbrel, according to Fox Sports. The San Diego Padres pitcher will likely no longer be in San Diego after the July 31 trade deadline. The Nationals are trying to hold onto first place in the NL East and get back into […]

MLB Closers And Saves Waiver Wire Watch: Trade Deadline Edition 7/28

The MLB trade deadline is on Friday, July 28th at 4PM ET, which means the buyers and sellers will be negotiating with each other all week. Teams in the playoff hunt will be looking to add that missing piece, while the bottom dwellers will attempt to unload some large salaries to cut their losses. I’ll […]

Mets Acquire Closer Tyler Clippard From Oakland

The New York Mets have acquired closer Tyler Clippard from the Oakland A's, according to Fox Sports. Oakland received promising Mets prospect Casey Meisner in return. The 20 year-old RHP is still a couple seasons away from contributing at the MLB level. The Mets weren’t the only team in the race for Clippard. The Washington […]

Edward Mujica (RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: The Oakland Athletics just traded current closer Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets. This opens the question of who will be the next closer for Oakland? Based on current game usage, the answer would seem to be Edward Mujica. Although his numbers haven't […]

MLB Closers And Saves Waiver Wire Watch For 7/25/15

At this point in the season there are three teams left with extremely fragile bullpen situations. The Blue Jays, Mariners, and Cubs have struggled all year to find a go-to closer and are still searching for answers. If a clear candidate were to emerge from either of the three teams, there would be great fantasy […]

Pirates Acquire Aramis Ramirez From Brewers For Minor Leaguer

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Aramis Ramirez in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for a minor leaguer and cash, according to The Post-Gazette. The Brewers received minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. Ramirez is owed roughly $5.2 million for the rest of the season. The Pirates will cover $3 million of that. The third baseman will […]

Holds Leagues: Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17

While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league. Editor’s Note: […]

Cardinals Interested In Steve Cishek: Marlins Reliever Possibly Up For Grabs

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to potentially land Miami Marlins reliever Steve Cishek, according to The Miami Herald. Cishek, 29 was the closer going into the 2015 season, but lost the job early in the season when he was demoted to the minors. The right-hander has been much better since he was called back […]

Blue Jays Sign Joba Chamberlain To Minor League Contract

The Toronto Jays have signed Joba Chamberlain to a minor league contract, according to The New York Post. Chamberlain, 29, was released by the Detroit Tigers earlier in the month in part to a 4.09 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 30 appearances. Hear #Bluejays have signed Joba Chamberlain to a minor league contract Yankees?src=hash">#Yankees #Tigers […]

MLB Closers And Saves Waiver Wire Watch For 7/22/15

The All-Star break has come and gone and two of MLB's worst bullpens have attempted to address their needs in different ways. Moves are being made, and a man with 207 career saves is somehow a sneaky waiver wire pickup this week! The second half of the season has begun and now it's time for […]

Rafael Soriano (RP, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues OWNED IN: 12% of Fleaflicker Leagues ANALYSIS: A few weeks ago, Rafael Soriano was signed to a minor league deal by the Cubs. Today, it was announced that he will be called up to the major league roster. Will Soriano be the closer immediately? Most likely not. Will he eventually take over as […]

Huston Street Likely Returning Saturday

Houston Street will likely be ready to pitch for the Anaheim Angels on Saturday, according to The Los Angeles Times. The Angels closer will throw off a mound on Friday with the hopes to return to the real-game action on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. "If all goes well, I should be ready to […]

Midseason Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Relief Pitchers

Below you will find our rest of season tiered rankings for relief pitchers. This list was constructed reflecting the probability of trades being completed between now and the MLB trade deadline. Obviously a bird in hand is better than two in the bush, but it feels necessary to account for potential moves and the impact it will […]

Buy Low Fantasy Baseball Pitching Options for the Second Half

The first half of fantasy baseball is officially over. The start of the second half means teams MLB and fantasy alike will be making their push to the playoffs. With fantasy teams, owners will need to look at starting pitchers on their rosters or waivers that might not have performed to start the year, but […]

MLB Closers & Saves Waiver Wire Watch for 7/16/15

Our first and hopefully only major injury occurred last weekend and this will definitely shake up some rosters. No trades have happened yet, but you never know what will go down during All-Star week. Editor's Note: Bookmark our MLB Closers & Saves Depth Charts for the latest look at all the current closers, setup men, […]

MLB Podcast on RotoBaller Radio: Top 5 Busts & Surprises and Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups

Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups & Trade Advice For Week 16 RotoBaller is very excited about the launch of our very own radio station. You can now find our new shows on BlogTalkRadio live or on demand, and on iTunes under podcasts. Every Wednesday night at 9:00 PM EST, RotoBaller co-founder Real Talk Raph and co-host Anthony Aniano […]