Eric Hosmer Signs With San Diego

The San Diego Padres signed free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year deal worth $144 million. The deal is front loaded towards the first five seasons, and Hosmer will be able to opt out in the offseason after that fifth year. Hosmer hit .318/.385/.498 with 31 doubles, 25 homers, 94 RBI, 98 runs and […]

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 […]

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 […]

No Restrictions For Nate Karns

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Nate Karns (shoulder) said he won't have any restrictions this spring after having season-ending surgery to fix thoracic outlet syndrome last summer. He finished the season going 2-2 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in eight starts for the Royals. The 30-year-old has faded a bit the last two […]

Jason Vargas Signs With Mets

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the New York Mets have agreed to terms with free-agent starting pitcher Jason Vargas. Vargas is coming off of his best year in the majors. In 2017, he made his first All-Star team and finished with an 18-11 record and 4.16 ERA for the Royals. Jerry Crasnick of […]

Danny Duffy (SP, KC) - 2018 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers & Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~135 CURRENT ADP: 175 ANALYSIS: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy labored through 2017 as he dealt with injuries that eventually ended in minor elbow surgery in October. Duffy mixed a couple stellar months (2.81 ERA in April, 3.20 ERA with 31/4 K/BB ratio in July) in with a lot of mediocre months to […]

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 […]

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 […]

Tommy Pham Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

This is the next piece in a long-running series of articles debating the overall ranking of some of the most fantasy-relevant players of the 2018 baseball season. 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 […]

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, […]

Champ or Chump - Alcides Escobar and Alex Avila

Fantasy owners hope that every selection they make turns into a stud, but this isn't that realistic. In more practical terms, you want as many strong performers as possible while avoiding roster slots with zero (or less) value. Some positions are easier to find "non-zero" production in than others, giving birth to the concept of […]

Orioles Discussing Mike Moustakas, Brandon Drury

The Baltimore Orioles are discussing Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Brandon Drury as a potential return for third baseman Manny Machado. The D-backs have become the most serious suitors for Machado, but there is no indication that the sides are close to a deal. Drury is under team control through 2022 and hit .271/.319/.448 in parts of […]

Lorenzo Cain Still In Play For Giants

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the San Francisco Giants can still look into free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain. The Giants acquired outfielder Andrew McCutchen earlier in the day, but the Giants have been looking to add two outfielders all offseason. Cain was given a qualifying offer by the Royals. Due to this, the Giants would […]

Kelvin Herrera Avoids Arbitration

Kansas City Royals closer Kelvin Herrera avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $7.937 million deal, according to a source. He will receive a $50,000 bonus if he makes the All-Star team. Herrera was a disappointment as a full-time closer in KC in 2017, posting a 4.24 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, and he also […]

Fantasy Implications - Yonder Alonso to Indians

It was a breakout year for Yonder Alonso in 2017, as he recorded career-highs in home runs (28), on-base percentage (.365) and slugging percentage (.501). Alonso has generally been able to get on base at a good rate with a career .340 OBP, but it was the power surge that was the most surprising for […]

2018 Relief Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We wind up our mixed league rankings analysis with a look at the most volatile position of all, relief pitchers. Whether you choose to grab a top-notch closer early or prefer to work the waiver wire all season, these early rankings will give you a good sense of where the current market values each reliever, before […]

2018 Starting Pitchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Welcome back to the early edition of RotoBaller’s 2018 fantasy baseball rankings! As a reminder, this round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked starting pitchers. As you peruse the info below, keep in mind […]

2018 Outfielders - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

It's a new year, and with that comes our first set of rankings for the 2018 fantasy baseball season. As a reminder, our first round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly. Today, I’ll be finishing up the hitter side of things with a look at […]

Chris Young Signs Minor League Deal With Padres

Free-agent pitcher Chris Young has agreed to a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. Should Young make the opening day roster, he will receive $1 million plus an extra $6 million in incentives. Young, 38, struggled this past season with a 7.50 ERA in 30 innings. Even if he makes the opening day […]

Lorenzo Cain Has Three-Year Offer From Cubs

Speaking on 670 The Score in Chicago, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports that the Chicago Cubs have a three-year offer on the table for free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain. It’s the first known offer on the table for Cain, who remains one of the better position players on the market. Cain, 31, hit .300 with […]

2018 Third Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

Today, I’ll be taking a look at how we ranked players at the hot corner. Third base offered an abundance of productive fantasy assets last year, and 2018 figures to be no different. In case you missed it, you can also check out our rankings and analysis for catcher, first base and second base - […]

2018 Second Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the second base position. Even though it is only January 6, 2018 in an extremely slow offseason, RotoBaller writers Kyle Bishop, Pierre Camus, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. As […]

Mets Interested In Mike Moustakas And Todd Frazier

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that the New York Mets are interested in free-agent third basemen Mike Moustakas and Todd Frazier. Morosi notes that the price on both players would need to drop for the Mets to be serious suitors. The Mets have been looking to add a bat and are more likely […]

2018 First Base - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

We continue our fantasy baseball tiered rankings analysis with the first base position. RotoBaller writers Kyle Bishop, Jeff Kahntroff, and I have come up with our initial pre-draft rankings to give you a sense of player values as early as possible. There are plenty of free agents yet to sign, so keep in mind that these rankings […]

2018 Catchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

With the holidays in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to the upcoming fantasy baseball season. (Or, if you’re me, it’s finally time to start writing about it now that people aren’t focused on the vastly inferior but more popular fantasy sport that is football). Our first round of rankings comes to […]

Eric Hosmer Has Seven-Year Offer From Padres

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer has a seven-year offer from the San Diego Padres. Nightengale says the offer would be the largest contract given out in franchise history. Hosmer would fill a leadership role in San Diego for a team that is not ready to compete this upcoming […]

Cardinals Remain Interested In Eric Hosmer

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that the St. Louis Cardinals remain involved with free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer. He notes that the flexibility of infielder Matt Carpenter allows the club to pursue an option like Hosmer or look to trade for a third baseman such as Josh Donaldson. Hosmer's market has been slower […]

2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy - There Are No More Wins

Pitchers have always made for awkward dynasty assets. There's no denying that you need some highly productive arms if you want to win your league. However, pitchers - both starters and relievers - have this bad habit of turning into pumpkins with very little warning. It's relatively rare for a hitter to pull a Prince […]

Reviewing Harris Yudin's 10 Bold Predictions for 2017

So, it makes sense that the worst fantasy season of my life coincides with my worst bold predictions. I failed to finish in the top five in any league for the first time, which I guess makes sense considering how heavily I bought into Joc Pederson and Yu Darvish— as you’ll soon find out. I […]

Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Picks (9/30/17): MLB DFS Advice for FanDuel, DraftKings

This Saturday has a full slate of games, so it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered across FanDuel and DraftKings, you'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. In this article, I will be providing you with my […]