Mets Among Teams To Check In On Craig Kimbrel

The representation for free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, super agent Scott Boras, and the New York Mets have had contact, an industry source indicated Sunday. The Mets have needs for both rotation and possible bullpen depth, but beat writer Mike Puma indicates that the odds of the Mets landing Kimbrel are likely not good given it […]

Red Sox Nearing Long-Term Extension With Xander Bogaerts

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is close to signing a long-term extension, reports Evan Drellich of WEEI. Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports the deal is likely a seven-year extension worth $132 million, but terms have yet to be finalized. The 26-year-old has been the everyday shortstop in Beantown since 2014 and has a career WAR […]

Rick Porcello Lasts Just 2 2/3 Innings In Season Debut

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello had a bad start to 2019 on Sunday, getting through just 2 2/3 innings while allowing nine runs (four earned) on six hits while fanning three and walking four in a 10-8 loss to the Mariners. The Sox jumped out to a three-run lead in the game's first […]

J.D. Martinez Drives In Four In Series Finale

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Martinez finished 2-for-3 with a home run, four runs batted in, three runs scored and two walks in a 10-8 loss to the Mariners on Sunday. The homer was Martinez's second of the season, while his four RBI give him a total of seven through four games. The 31-year-old slugger […]

Mookie Betts Clubs First Homer Of The Season

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts hit his first home run of the season in a 10-8 loss to the Mariners on Sunday. The long ball was Betts' only hit of the day but he also drew a walk and scored another run. Andrew Benintendi (knee) was out of the lineup on Sunday so […]

Dustin Pedroia Approaching Rehab Assignment

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) played eight innings in extended spring training on Sunday and is scheduled for nine innings on Tuesday. He will then head to Single-A Greenville to start a rehab assignment. There remains no timetable for Pedroia's return to Boston, but there's a chance he could play in the […]

Andrew Benintendi Sitting Out Sunday

The Boston Red Sox will seek a split of their opening four-game series against the Seattle Mariners and will do so without one of their starting outfielders. Andrew Benintendi will sit the game out, as J.D. Martinez moves from the designated hitter spot to the outfield and Sam Travis will serve as DH. While Benintendi […]

Brewers Unlikely To Sign Craig Kimbrel

The Milwaukee Brewers are unlikely to sign free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, as they don't have enough room in the 2019 payroll to take on another contract of at least $18 million this year. Kimbrel turned down a $17.9 million one-year qualifying offer from the Red Sox over the winter. The hard-throwing right-hander would be a […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/1/19): MLB DFS Lineups

For Monday's slate of Major League Baseball games, I'll focus on the evening contests (first pitch of 7:07 PM EST and later). Be sure to double-check the weather and the lineups before finalizing your roster. Weather is not expected to be a problem, with three games being played in stadiums with retractable roofs or indoors, […]

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (4/1/19): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

We've got three slates on FanDuel today. The early only slate starts at 1:05pm eastern and covers the Cardinals-Pirates and White Sox-Indians matchup. The main slate starts at 7:05pm and covers nine games. There is also an all day slate that includes all matchups. I'll be covering players across all slates. In this article, I […]

Matt Barnes Records First Save

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes netted his first save of the 2019 season in a 7-6 victory over the Mariners on Friday evening. He needed just 12 pitches to register the save while striking out two of the three batters he faced. Barnes' opportunity came after the Sox climbed out of a 6-1 […]

Nathan Eovaldi Labors Through Five Innings In Season Debut

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi went five innings and surrendered six runs in the comeback 7-6 win over the Mariners on Friday night. The righty allowed eight hits, including three home runs, while also striking out and walking three each. However, he was spared a loss thanks in part to Mitch Moreland's pinch-hit […]

Mitch Moreland Belts Pinch-Hit Game-Winner Friday

Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning off Hunter Strickland on Friday. Moreland didn’t get the start in this one, as manager Alex Cora opted to start Sam Travis with Steve Pearce (calf) starting the season on the injured list. This will be the challenge with owning […]

Rafael Devers Batting Sixth, Sam Travis Playing First

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is hitting sixth, while first baseman Sam Travis is starting at first base and batting in the seven spot against southpaw Yusei Kikuchi on Friday night. Facing a lefty on the mound, Devers shifts down from the three spot where he hit on Opening Day, while Travis is […]

Nathan Eovaldi Hopes For Healthy Start To Season

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi makes his first start of the 2019 season on Friday against the Seattle Mariners. The 29-year-old has dealt with injuries and only has one season in his career where he's thrown more than 154 innings. Still, the Sox saw fit to award him with a four year, $68 […]

Opening Day Observations

When are we going to finally get around to making MLB Opening Day a national holiday? I can tell you the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was the fact that technology allows me to stream live games in HD on my cell phone while I sit at my desk waiting until […]

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (3/29/19): MLB DFS Lineups

After a full day of baseball, we have an eight-game slate to start our weekend and a solid amount of options at each position. For player stats, we'll be looking at last season until we have a solid sample size this season for pitchers and hitters. In this article, I will be providing you with […]

MLB DFS Prop Picks for 3/29/19 - Monkey Knife Fight

With Opening Day done, baseball is still in full swing on Monkey Knife Fight. There’s an eight-game schedule on Friday and this is a good opportunity to cover point categories that can be used in some MKF baseball props. There are standard overs and unders for one or two categories, but there are also overs […]

Mookie Betts Has Three Base Knocks In Opening Tilt

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts opened the season with a 3-for-5 performance while also scoring a run in the 12-4 loss to the Mariners on Thursday. Betts got the action started in the first for Boston, recording the team's first base knock and then coming around to score on a J.D. Martinez single. […]

Chris Sale Gets Shelled In Season Opener

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale made it just three innings in the Opening Day 12-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners. He allowed seven earned runs, six hits, including three home runs, while striking out four and walking two. This wasn't an ideal start for one of the premier arms in baseball as Sale's […]

Sandy Leon Accepts Assignment To Triple-A

Boston Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday after clearing waivers on Tuesday. The team may still look to trade Leon, as his $2.475 million contract is included in the Sox's Opening Day payroll. However, it may be tough to find suitors, as the defensive-minded catcher slashed .177/.232/.279 […]

Predicting the Top 10 Finishers in Stolen Bases in 2019

Predicting the leaders in steals for the upcoming season may sound like a straightforward task, but it’s not as easy as it seems. There is quite a bit of variance involved, and the league as a whole has seen a sharp decline in stolen base attempts since the 2012 season (about 700 fewer attempts). Past […]

Red Sox Not Naming Closer Before Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he won't name a closer with Opening Day on Thursday. However, Cora said he's known since November how he'd approach the ninth inning, he's just not tipping his hand. Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier will likely be used in situations with the highest leverage at the end of […]

Rafael Devers To Hit Third On Opening Day

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers will hit third on Opening Day on Thursday against Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales. However, first baseman Steve Pearce (calf), who is starting on the injured list, will typically hit third against left-handers when he's healthy. Devers swings from the left side, so his matchup on Opening Day isn't […]

What's In Your Wallet? My Most-Owned Players in 2019

After a difficult 2018 season, I took stock of what had gone wrong and identified one potential source of trouble: Too many leagues across too many platforms. So, naturally, this is how I responded to that revelation this year: Me in January: Remember not to do too many leagues on too many different sites again, […]

Sleeper Prospects to Target Late in Deep Redrafts

As fantasy season approaches, and drafts are in full swing, owners are looking for any unturned rock that might add some late round value. As the Rotoballer team releases an updated prospect list, now is the time to see what players are on the cusp of making the majors, but would be worth the stash […]

Updated Relief Pitcher Rankings - 5x5 Roto (Mixed Leagues)

We're back up on the bump for this edition of our mixed rankings analysis, and not a moment too soon. The 2019 baseball season is already here! RotoBaller writers Nick Mariano, JB Branson, Bill Dubiel, Pierre Camus, and Scott Engel want to make sure you are prepared for last-minute drafts, so they have given their […]

Updated Catcher Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

As we enter the final stretch for drafting it is time to take a look at the latest iteration of points leagues rankings from our amazing hard working rankings staff. Few things in fantasy baseball are more miserable for many than discussing catchers, with perhaps just injuries and suspensions taking the crown. However, getting the […]

Updated First Base Rankings - H2H Points Leagues

The RotoBaller Head-to-Head rankings review series winds down with a view of first base through the lens of our three-man expert panel of fantasy accuracy champ Nick Mariano and premier staffers JB Branson and Bill Dubiel. The top tier could conceivably have a new kingpin at any point, and not all of our experts believe […]

Mookie Betts Primed To Defend MVP Award

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts cleaned up at the end of last season, winning a World Series, American League MVP, Silver Slugger, the AL batting title, and a Gold Glove. At age 26, Betts is in the heart of his prime and is one of the premier players MLB has to offer. In […]