Fantasy Baseball Prospect Outlooks for Michael Busch, Yency Almonte, Jackson Ferris, Zyhir Hope - MLB Trade Analysis
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers hooked up on Thursday, January 11 for a trade that will have an immediate impact in all fantasy baseball leagues, but the deal could have tentacles that reach out for quite some time due to the players that were involved. The interesting part of this was two teams […]
Enrique Hernandez Is Gaining Interest From The Angels
Free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Angels, according to Ken Rosenthal. The veteran infielder had surgery to repair a double hernia back in October, so the market has been slow to show interest in him. He would fit in nicely with the Angels' lineup, as he can play all […]
Michael Busch Expected To Play First Base In Chicago
The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte earlier this week from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefty Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope. The Athletic's Keith Law thinks Busch is a natural first baseman and will almost certainly play there for the Cubs. He also has experience at second […]
Dodgers Expected To Use Six-Man Rotation In 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation in 2024 will likely function as a six-man rotation in terms of affording pitchers extra rest between starts. It's a tactic the Dodgers have been using for a while. Last year, left-hander Clayton Kershaw made only four starts on "regular" rest and 20 on five days of rest or […]
Closers and Relief Pitchers - 2024 Fantasy Baseball ADP Analysis, Draft Targets, Avoids
As we get into the middle of January, fantasy baseball draft season is gaining speed and momentum. By now, most of you have either already participated in a draft of some sort or are at least beginning your prep work and/or consuming more fantasy baseball content. This relief pitcher position is annually one of the […]
Will Smith Avoids Arbitration With Dodgers
Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by settling on an $8.55 million salary for the 2024 season, according to a source. It's a record for a second-time arbitration-eligible catcher. It's also a $3.3 million raise from what he earned in 2023. Smith was a first-time All-Star last season […]
Walker Buehler, Dodgers Settle At $8.025 Million
Right-hander Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by settling at $8.025 million for the 2024 season, according to a source. Buehler will receive the same salary from 2023 after he missed all of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old will no longer be eligible for […]
Dustin May, Dodgers Settle At $2.135 Million
The Los Angeles Dodgers and pitcher Dustin May have avoided arbitration by way of a one-year, $2.135 million deal. The right-hander has been devastated by arm injuries in his young big-league career as he has undergone Tommy John surgery and will be out until at least the 2024 All-Star break after undergoing UCL revision surgery […]
Michael Busch Being Traded To The Cubs
Along with reliever Yency Almonte, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sending infielder Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, according to a source. We still don't have the return confirmed on what is going back to the Dodgers, so stay tuned for more details. The 26-year-old former first-rounder was being blocked at the major-league […]
Yency Almonte Heading To The Cubs
The Los Angeles Dodgers are working on a deal to send relief pitcher Yency Almonte to the Chicago Cubs, according to a source. It remains to be seen what the Dodgers will receive in return. Almonte already avoided salary arbitration with the Dodgers back in November, signing a one-year, $1.9 million deal. The 29-year-old right-hander […]
Dodgers Sign Elieser Hernandez To Minor-League Deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free-agent right-hander Elieser Hernandez to a minor-league deal on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, according to sources. Hernandez last pitched in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins in 2022, when he went 3-6 with a career-high 6.35 ERA (6.40 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 22 walks […]
Can Teoscar Hernandez Return to All-Star Form in L.A.? Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Once you've spent over a billion dollars, what's another 23.5 million dollars more? After Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed enormous long-term contracts with the Dodgers earlier this offseason, veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez signed on with the team this past Sunday on a 1-year $23.5 million deal. The 31-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 and […]
Tucker Barnhart, Jose Herrera To Compete For Backup Catcher Role
Newly-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart will reportedly compete with 26-year-old Jose Herrera to serve as the backup catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. While Gabriel Moreno has the starting spot, it is not yet determined who will serve as the backup, and the team could even bring in another backstop to add into […]
Los Angeles Prosecutors Decline To Charge Julio Urias With Felony
Los Angeles prosecutors declined to file felony charges against free-agent starting pitcher Julio Urias in connection with his September arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, per the Orange County Register. Urias was placed on administrative leave by MLB shortly after the incident while he was on the Dodgers. The case has instead been referred to […]
Re-Drafting The 2012 Fantasy Baseball First-Year Player Draft - Mookie Betts, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Lindor, Yoenis Cespedes, and more
This is the third edition of a series here at RotoBaller from Benjamin Chase. The series explores previous First-Year Player Drafts and re-drafts those FYPDs with the information we've received since from drafted players and international signees that would have been eligible. This series shows that often the top guys in FYPD drafts remain the […]
Chris Taylor Set For Utility Role In 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers' tentative plan in 2024 is to platoon outfielders Jason Heyward and Manuel Margot in right field, with new acquisition Teoscar Hernandez in left field. Meanwhile, the Dodgers plan to get at-bats for Chris Taylor all over the field, including in left. The 33-year-old can also play center field, second base, third […]
Batter BABIP: Using Sabermetrics for 2024 Fantasy Baseball
The most accessible of the fantasy-relevant advanced stats is BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. It simply measures a player's batting average on balls in play, with outcomes such as strikeouts and home runs removed from consideration. In general, the league average hovers around .300, a nice round number to remember. However, it […]
J.D. Martinez Has Plenty Of Suitors
Free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez won't be returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers after they signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, but he still has plenty of suitors. The Los Angeles Angels are a logical fit, but it remains to be seen if Martinez has interest in playing for them. The New York Mets, Detroit Tigers […]
2024 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings, Tiers, Analysis - Roto League Drafts
Last season saw multiple catchers across Major League Baseball emerge as potential future stars, the most obvious being Baltimore's Adley Rutschman. But Seattle's Cal Raleigh, Arizona's Gabriel Moreno, Atlanta's Sean Murphy, and New York's Francisco Alvarez also raised their stock and were difference-makers offensively for their respective teams at points during the MLB season. Proven […]
Padres Sign Oscar Mercado To Minor-League Deal
The San Diego Padres signed free-agent outfielder Oscar Mercado to a minor-league deal. Mercado will report to spring training in 2024 hoping to impress the coaching staff and earn a reserve outfield role on the Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old Colombian played in only 20 games at the major-league level in 2023 with the St. […]
Bryan Hudson Traded By Dodgers To Brewers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded reliever Bryan Hudson to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for prospect Justin Chambers and a player to be named later or cash. The 26-year-old has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers to clear a 40-man roster spot for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Hudson, a third-round pick by the Cubs in […]
Diamondbacks, Tucker Barnhart Agree To Minor-League Deal
The Arizona Diamondbacks and free-agent catcher Tucker Barnhart agreed to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invite to spring training, per FanSided's Robert Murray. The 32-year-old veteran slashed just .202/.285/.257 with one home run and nine RBI in 123 plate appearances last season with the Cubs. However, Barnhart brings defensive prowess with him, having […]
Can Yoshinobu Yamamoto Continue His Dominance in the MLB?
In a normal offseason, signing a player to a 12-year $325 million deal would be a team's biggest acquisition, but with Shohei Ohtani signing with the Dodgers for $700 million, it has been anything but a normal offseason. With the addition of Ohtani, the Dodgers fortified their lineup but were still in need of some […]
Mets, Angels Looking At J.D. Martinez
The New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels are eyeing top free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez this offseason. Martinez's old Arizona Diamondbacks team is also seeking a hitter this winter, although it's unclear if they'd be interested in a reunion. Veteran Justin Turner is another option that could be a fit with the Mets, Angels […]
Shelby Miller Inks One-Year Deal With Tigers
Free agent pitcher Shelby Miller has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers pending a physical. After working to a tidy 3.02 ERA across 33 starts in 2015 as a member of the D-backs, Miller has endured a wealth of injuries combined with severe underperformance when healthy. However, the 33-year-old bounced back in […]
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Signing With LA For Over $300 Million
Japanese free-agent right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than $300 million. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the agreement is for 12 years and $325 million. Yamamoto could be one of the most dominant pitchers to come out of Japan, which would be saying a lot. Eventually, fellow countryman and […]
Can Tyler Glasnow Make Good on His Hefty Draft Day Price Tag?
Tyler Glasnow came into the league with the Pirates in 2016, but it wasn't until he joined the Rays during the 2018 season that he began to really see success. He pitched exclusively as a reliever for the Pirates in 2018; however, he was a starter in all 11 games he appeared in for the […]
Dodgers Sign Nabil Crismatt, Travis Swaggerty To Minors Pacts
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed pitcher Nabil Crismatt and outfielder Travis Swaggerty to minor-league contracts. Crismatt, 28, got into eight big-league games between the Padres and D-backs in the 2023 season, allowing 12 earned runs, three home runs, and seven walks against 12 strikeouts in 13 innings of work. That said, the right-hander was […]
Jake Marisnick Inks Minors Deal With Angels
Free-agent outfielder Jake Marisnick has signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The defensive specialist split the 2023 season between the White Sox, Tigers, and Dodgers but scuffled to a .237 average with two home runs and two stolen bases across 83 plate appearances. He does offer some pop and speed on the […]
Top 250 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings (2024 Update)
Welcome back RotoBallers to the 2024 update of our MLB team's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects rankings for the 2024 season. This update includes a few changes/additions. First, while they may not be considered "prospects" in many leagues, foreign signees from Japanese or Korean professional leagues will be eligible in first-year player drafts, so they are […]