Daniel Mengden Touched Up For Homer In Spring Outing

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Daniel Mengden allowed two earned runs, two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in his inning of work in Friday's Cactus League spring start against the Seattle Mariners. M's outfielder Mitch Haniger took him downtown shortly after infielder Dee Gordon was able to swipe a base off of Mengden and […]

Sean Murphy Makes Presence Felt In Spring Opener

Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy smacked a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning in Friday's Cactus League spring opener against the Seattle Mariners. The young backstop is among the top prospects in the organization, and he was the No. 45 prospect among the pre-2019 ratings of Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com. He […]

Nick Martini Gets Chance To Lead Off On Friday

Oakland Athletics outfielder Nick Martini sat atop manager Bob Melvin's starting lineup in Friday's Cactus League spring opener against the Seattle Mariners. Martini didn't do much with the opportunity, going hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout. Newcomer Robbie Grossman is also a candidate for the job. He served as the designated hitter on Friday, […]

Matt Chapman Could Play In Games Early Next Week

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman (shoulder, thumb) has been making good progress from his offseason surgeries and could play in Cactus League games by early next week. Chapman really showed his upside in his second year in the big leagues, hitting .278/.356/.508 with an .864 OPS, 24 home runs and 68 RBI in 145 […]

NFBC Draft and Hold Strategy - Pitching Category Boosters (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. There is no such thing as a can't-miss pitching prospect. Pitchers never stay healthy. Relievers are volatile. All of these are sayings that diehard fantasy baseball players are familiar with, and to some extent, live by during the fantasy season. Developing a pitching strategy […]

ADP Champ or Chump - Trey Mancini and Ryan Zimmerman

This week we are taking a trip to the DMV. Don't panic, not the Department of Motor Vehicles! We are going to compare two first basemen in very different parts of their career from the Baltimore/Washington area. With the loss of Manny Machado and the expected loss of Bryce Harper, the star power in the region […]

Sean Manaea Ahead Of Schedule

Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea (shoulder) continues to play catch as he begins his throwing program and is well ahead of schedule of where he was initially projected after his shoulder injury was diagnosed last year. There's still no guarantee that Manaea will even pitch in 2019, but it's looking more likely that he'll […]

Top 10 Second Base Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Continuing our 2019 prospect preview series, the stop today is at the keystone - second base. As noted in the other pieces so far on the position, second base offers a ton of variety in terms of the player profiles, future roles, and proximity to the Majors. In general, though, the players on this list […]

Robbie Grossman Could Be Leadoff Hitter

Oakland Athletics outfielder Robbie Grossman could be the team's leadoff hitter on a regular basis in 2019. He's scheduled to hit first in the Cactus League opener against Seattle on Thursday. Grossman, a 29-year-old switch-hitter, has a career .355 on-base percentage and batted .273/.367/.384 with five home runs and 48 RBI in 129 games with […]

Joakim Soria Has Right Hip Discomfort

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Joakim Soria will be held back in camp a bit as he deals with right hip discomfort. Unless the injury gets worse, Soria has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. The 34-year-old had a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 75 K's in 60 2/3 innings for the White […]

Mid-Round Second Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Khris Davis Hoping For Extension

Oakland Athletics outfielder Khris Davis would like to sign an extension for "at least three more years." Davis is one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball and has more home runs (133) than any other player the last three years. He's also hit .247 in four straight seasons, making him an extremely consistent […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Sean Newcomb vs. Freddy Peralta

Two pitchers that have the ability to either strike out five batters in a row or walk five batters in a row, this ADP showdown will pit Sean Newcomb and Freddy Peralta. Newcomb was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2014 and Peralta was nothing more than a sleeper leading into 2018, but each […]

Top 10 Catcher Prospects - 2019 Redraft Rankings

Catching as a position has gotten the brunt of fantasy angst over the past few seasons, with wRC+ rates well below league average. And yet, this is precisely the reason that owners should be looking to add the young talent that will be taking these spots in the Majors sooner rather than later. Owning talent […]

NFBC Draft and Hold Strategy - Late-Round Offensive Category Targets (Premium Content)

All other Premium Tools can be accessed on the premium dashboard. With the growing interest in draft-and-hold formats, new draft strategy prep is critical for full season runs at the title. For those who are new to the format, typically teams draft 27 starters in a live draft, with 27 players joining the team in […]

Daniel Gossett To Start On 60-Day Injured List

The Oakland Athletics placed starting pitcher Daniel Gossett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Friday, making room for newly signed outfielder Robbie Grossman on the 40-man roster. Gossett, who went 0-3 with a 5.18 ERA across 24 1/3 innings in five starts last season is likely to miss a good chunk of the season, […]

Cliff Pennington Signs Minor-League Deal With A's

The Oakland Athletics signed infielder Cliff Pennington to a minor-league deal on Friday. The former first-round pick by the A's in 2005 spent five years with the organization before bouncing around with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in just 16 games last season with […]

Matt Chapman Takes 20 Swings On Friday

Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman (shoulder, thumb) was able to take 20 swings during batting practice on Friday and he said after that the session went great. He remains slightly behind schedule in his recovery from offseason surgeries, but he is making progress. On a normal day the swing total in spring training varies, […]

Dustin Fowler Heading Back To The Minors?

Oakland Athletics outfielder Dustin Fowler could be the odd-man out in the outfield battle in spring training following the addition of veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman. With Mark Canha and second baseman/utility player Chad Pinder expected to also some time in the outfield when needed, the A's are suddenly pretty deep at the position. That likely […]

Robbie Grossman Reports To A's Camp On Friday

Oakland Athletics outfielder Robbie Grossman reported to spring training on Friday after inking a one-year, $2 million deal. "They had an amazing season last year and I'm excited to be here," Grossman said. "They've got a great core of players here. There's a lot of talent here if you around at all the names." Grossman's […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Starting Pitchers

A starter, a starter! My fantasy league for a starter! We're still three months away from the start of the season, but now is the perfect time to take a look at some starting pitcher prospects on the rise and some that need to turn things around. Last season saw several pitchers make their highly […]

ADP Cost Analysis - Mitch Haniger vs. Michael Brantley

The exciting young gun versus the proven veteran. A sports debate older than fantasy baseball itself, and a decision we’re faced with at every draft pick. That’s why we’re comparing the young gun (Mitch Haniger) to the proven veteran (Michael Brantley), two outfielders within the same sub-elite yet startable tier that owners must decide between […]

2019 Bullpen Outlooks - American League West

Last up in our coverage of the bullpens in each division is the American League West. The AL West has some solid bullpens and some huge question marks. Two teams feature closers who are brand new to their team and the other three will have relievers returning to their roles. There are both high-upside and […]

Mid-Round Shortstops - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Top 10 Dynasty Starting Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Prospects

There is no such thing as a pitching prospect, well, except in dynasty baseball. As much as pitching prospects offer headaches to any team, real or fantasy, pitching is still a necessary addition to most rosters. Adding top names offers protections for those busts, but also gives owners the tools to go out and make […]

ADP Cost Analysis - David Dahl vs Yasiel Puig

Young, exciting, five-tool ballplayers: that is what you have when considering Yasiel Puig and David Dahl. Both have their warts in the past (Dahl's health and Puig's temperament), but each are great assets leading into 2019. Dahl is going about three rounds higher in NFBC leagues at around pick 67, while Puig is going at […]

A.J. Puk, Jharel Cotton Progressing

Oakland Athletics starting pitchers A.J. Puk (elbow) and Jharel Cotton (elbow), who are both rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, both took the mound for bullpen sessions in camp on Tuesday. They both threw at roughly 70 percent effort level as they gradually rebuild strength in their arms. Both pitchers are expected to be ready around […]

A's Signing Robbie Grossman

The Oakland Athletics are signing free-agent outfielder Robbie Grossman to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to a source. Grossman hit .273/.367/.384 with five home runs and 48 RBI in his final season with the Twins last year in 129 games. At best, the switch-hitter figures to be in a platoon role in Oakland's […]

Mid-Round Third Basemen - Fantasy Baseball Outlooks

Here at RotoBaller, we've been producing fantasy baseball analysis all offseason. As part of that, our awesome MLB team has written up detailed 2019 fantasy baseball outlooks for 400+ players. These player outlooks include RotoBaller's analysis on how we expect player to perform in 2019, where to target them in 2019 drafts, and supporting stats […]

Three Up, Three Down for Prospects - Second Base

Continuing the RotoBaller dynasty preview series, this article shifts the attention to second base prospects that owners should target in dynasty leagues and drafts. The keystone is one of this writer's favorite spots, as it offers the most comprehensive mix of player types. For as fun as the outfield is to rank, there are basically two […]