J.D. Martinez Deal Waiting On Physical

According to Christopher Smith of masslive.com, there will not be a press conference Thursday to officially announce the signing of outfielder J.D. Martinez by the Boston Red Sox. The reason is the physical has yet to be completed. There is no additional word regarding any specifics that the physical is causing the holdup. Smith also reported that […]

Blake Swihart's Plan For Playing Time

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart continues to be the focus of attention and efforts to get more playing time. Manager Alex Cora said that Swihart will focus on catching, outfield and designated hitter for the near future. There is no time yet for Swihart to get repetitions in the infield. "Versatile enough that you […]

Alex Cora Not Concerned About Lineups

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not concerned with the particulars of lineup construction based on splits, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Cora is not concerned with splitting up righties and lefties and doesn’t plan to get carried away with batter/pitcher matchups if it’s a small sample. With this news, there […]

Andrew Benintendi Success Stems From Summer Break

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has already accomplished in his rookie year what many players fail to reach in their entire career; he joined the 20 homers and 20 steals club. Benintendi attributes his sudden rise to stardom to an offseason before his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas. "I didn't play summer […]

Fantasy Implications - J.D. Martinez to the Red Sox

The national nightmare is finally over. After weeks upon months of fantasy owners developing carpal tunnel syndrome from hitting F5 repeatedly, desperately searching for any new updates, J.D. Martinez has signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. After accumulating a .251 average and .687 on-base plus slugging percentage with 24 home […]

Jose Abreu Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We on the RotoBaller staff have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but there's plenty of debate over individual players' proper place in the pecking order. In this space, we'll hear from rankers with the biggest differences of opinion on a well-known player and have them defend their position against each other. […]

Joe Kelly Fine After Being Hit In BP

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly (shin) went for precautionary X-rays after being hit in the shin by a batted ball in batting practice Wednesday, but he is fine. Coming off a terrible 2016 season, Kelly bounced back by posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 52 strikeouts in 58 innings for the Red […]

Blake Swihart Gets Work At Other Positions

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart will get work at positions other than catcher, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. The Red Sox continue to try to find ways to get Swihart's bat into the lineup. This will prove tough since the lineup is stacked with offensive contributors. The current plan is for […]

2018 Catchers - Dynasty Tiered Rankings

As we move closer to the 2018 baseball season, we at RotoBaller have released our Dynasty Rankings. We have been dissecting the tiers of each position, showing fantasy owners where to find value in their draft. At the catcher position, we have a total of 41 players ranked across eight tiers. When looking at dynasty leagues, […]

Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF, BOS) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~210 CURRENT ADP: 278 ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is a defensive specialist. He has not demonstrated consistent offensive capability to be relevant in fantasy. His slash line since he has been in the big leagues is .239/.318/.407; all of these stats are below league averages in 2017. Bradley’s performance in […]

Rafael Devers Gets MVP Instruction

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has been getting expert instruction from Mike Lowell, a former World Series MVP, according to Jen McCaffrey of masslive.com. There is no question about Devers' bat. In 222 at-bats, Devers hit 20 home runs and had a slash line of .283/.338/.482. The point of this expert assistance was […]

Hanley Ramirez To Be No. 3 Hitter

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said first baseman Hanley Ramirez is currently in line to be the No. 3 hitter. Han-Ram had a disappointing season all around in 2017, but shoulder issues might've been the biggest reason for his decline across the board at the plate. Despite hitting .241, Ramirez still slugged 23 home […]

Dustin Pedroia Doing Baseball Activities

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) started taking grounders from his knees Tuesday. Pedroia had offseason knee surgery, and demonstrating an ability to actually conduct activities from his knees is a good sign. He is currently expected to return in May. Pedroia spent much of the 2017 season dealing with injuries but still had […]

Jackie Bradley Unlikely To Be Traded

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley is unlikely to be traded after the team signed free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez on Monday, according to sources. Boston's outfield is likely to consist of Andrew Benintendi in left field, Bradley in center and Mookie Betts in right, with Martinez the primary designated hitter. Bradley is still an elite […]

Blake Swihart Working With Catchers

Boston Red Sox catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart is working with the catchers Monday, which is the first day of full-squad workouts, according to Jen McCaffrey of Masslive.com. Swihart was groomed as a catcher, but concerns with his defensive ability led him to change positions to left field. However, an injury forced an end to that experiment in 2016. […]

Eduardo Nunez Goes Beyond Normal Signing Procedures

Infielder Eduardo Nunez has officially signed with the Boston Red Sox. He went beyond the normal physical to demonstrate not only his health, but how much he enjoyed playing for the team. According to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox had to be more diligent in ensuring Nunez's health due to knee injuries […]

Angels Sign Outfielder Chris Young To One-Year Deal

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed free-agent outfielder Chris Young to a one-year, $2 million contract with incentives. Young, 34, hit .235 with seven home runs and three stolen bases in 90 games for the Red Sox last season. He will have a hard time finding playing time in LA's crowded outfield. Expect […]

Nick Mariano's 2018 Early-Round Overvalued List (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Fantasy baseball drafts (and their articles) are almost all about finding the next superstar and unearthing talent late, but we can't forget that surrendering value by over-drafting can be just as crucial. In order to evaluate overvalued players here, we're going to utilize Average […]

Dustin Pedroia Feels Great

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) said he's been feeling great after his knee surgery. "I feel great. I don’t hurt. I’m ready...It’s been pretty enjoyable to not be in pain," Pedroia said. It's good news to see that the veteran is feeling good, but Boston will surely play it safe and slow […]

Three Up, Three Down – 2018 First Base Prospects

Power. Nothing else defines the first base position more than pure, raw power. If you have it, you better display it in abundance or there will be concerns. If you are smaller in stature, there will be concerns. If your talent is just hit tool, there will be concerns. If your defense is lacking, there […]

The Most Profitable Pitchers of the Last Five Years

If you missed last week’s column on the most profitable hitters of the last five years, you can find it here. That post explains the methodology behind this work, and acknowledges the considerable help I received from colleagues throughout the process. Today I'm here to take a look at the pitchers - players who have […]

Hanley Ramirez Feels Fantastic

Boston Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) said he feels "fantastic" and that throwing won't be a problem for him this year. Han-Ram continued his downfall in 2017, hitting .241 with 23 home runs and 62 RBI in 133 games, but his shoulder injury might've been the main culprit. Ramirez was also terrible […]

ADP Sleepers and Busts - Catcher

Catcher is generally considered the weakest position in fantasy baseball. That is exactly why getting reliable production from the position is so important. There won’t be many good options on the waiver wire to replace a bad pick. This article looks at some catchers that are undervalued and overvalued based on their NFBC ADP (as […]

Xander Bogaerts Expects Power To Re-Emerge

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts expects a significant uptick in his performance, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. When asked if he expects to regain his power, Bogaerts stated, "Yeah, I definitely do think so. I can definitely go out there and put up the same numbers as '16." In 2016, Bogaerts hit 21 […]

Xander Bogaerts (SS, BOS) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~65 CURRENT ADP: 82 ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox infielder Xander Bogaerts has been a troubling fantasy shortstop to own. Annually, there is a concern whether he will provide power or stolen bases. In 2014, he provided power, but little speed and even lower batting average. In 2015, Bogaerts provided more speed and much higher […]

Three Up, Three Down - 2018 Shortstop Prospects

Much like the wave of third basemen to sweep the league, we’ve had an equally impressive push of young shortstops. Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager are all 24-years-old, or younger, and are in the Top 30 in fantasy baseball rankings. Who will be part of the next breath of fresh air […]

Nick Mariano's 2018 Late-Round MLB Fliers (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. Howdy, RotoBallers! I hope you're ready to take chances, make mistakes and get messy. We’re here to dig a little deeper into the draft room and look for players that would be wise to take a flier on in the late rounds. It can […]

Manny Machado Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

We continue our long-running series of articles debating fantasy rankings with a player that is sure to be a first-round pick in all formats. Or is he? RotoBaller's expert writers have come up with our consensus rankings for mixed leagues, but that doesn't mean we agreed on everything. In this space, we'll hear from rankers […]

Red Sox Offer To J.D. Martinez Around $100 Million

The Boston Red Sox's current five-year offer to free-agent outfielder J.D. Martinez is in the vicinity of $100 million, closer to that mark than the $125 million figure that has been reported, according to major league sources. Boston covets Martinez's power bat in the middle of their lineup, but they are hesitant to bid against […]

Andrew Benintendi Equates Extra Weight To Health And Consistency

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has arrived at JetBlue Park weighing 190 pounds, 25 pounds more than when the 2017 season ended, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “Trying to stay a little stronger this year and getting through the season healthy. The extra weight will help,” said Benintendi. “I want more […]