Barry Zito, Oakland Athletics Sign Minor-League Deal

  After taking a year off from baseball, Barry Zito will return where it all started. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Athletics and Barry Zito agreed to a minor-league deal on Monday and it includes an invite to Spring Training. Blast from the past: Barry Zito is going to […]

Stephen Vogt (C, OAK) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Target in Late Rounds as Backup Catcher ANALYSIS: Stephen Vogt had a modest fantasy year in 2014, with only nine HR, 35 RBI and a .279 AVG. With only one other catcher, Josh Phegley, on the A’s 40-man roster, expect Vogt to see a healthy increase in PA from the 287 he had last […]

Oakland's Catcher Platoon: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers

  Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley Both Figure to be Sleepers in 2015 The magical world of Billy Beane and platooning every position on the diamond does not seem to be fading anytime soon. One of the more interesting platoons last year was the catcher platoon of Derek Norris, John Jaso, and Stephen Vogt. The […]

Athletics Flip Escobar to Nationals for Clippard

Only five days ago, Yunel Escobar was traded from the Rays to the Athletics along with Ben Zobrist. Now, Escobar is on the move again, this time to Washington, after Oakland general manager Billy Beane’s latest dealing. In a straight-up swap, the A’s have dealt Escobar to the Nationals for former All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard, […]

MLB Hot Stove 2015: Athletics Deal For Zobrist, Escobar

It’s been a busy offseason for Oakland general manager Billy Beane, seeking to rectify his club after a monumental collapse in 2014. He continued that trend by making a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. In a five-player trade, the Athletics acquired two-time All-Star Ben Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar in exchange for catcher John […]

Putting the "O" in R.O.I.D.S to Find Late Round Sleepers

  My Apologies Let me start by offering my most sincere apology. I should not have offered nudes of my Dad, as I learned they are almost impossible to get. He has a beard and is quite wily. Nevertheless, in an attempt to reconcile, I offer a scintillating and sensual description of two of the downright […]

Josh Donaldson: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Sleeper

  Josh Donaldson Can Still Be a Sneaky Draft Day Value All-Star Josh Donaldson is taking his talents up north, crossing the border to the launching pad known as the Rogers Centre. This is great news for his fans and current owners. Donaldson’s trade was part of Billy Bean’s dismantling of the Oakland A’s. The trade was […]

Adam Dunn (1B / OF / DH, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only Leagues / Deep Mixed Leagues for Power Boost ANALYSIS: Adam Dunn may be sacrificing the Hall of Fame by retiring at season's end, less than 40 home runs shy of 500, but is being given a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his 14-year career. Even though […]

Getting A Grip On Holds: Relief Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some relief pitchers looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds […]

Eric O'Flaherty (RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: With the recent news that stud closer Sean Doolittle hit the DL, Eric O'Flaherty has stepped in as the Oakland closer and has made his way onto our waiver wire sleepers list for saves. Let's be honest here - there is no replacing Doolittle. He has been absolutely filthy this year. But […]

Getting A Grip On Holds: Relief Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could […]

Top 5 Hitter Streamers & Waiver Wire Targets For Week 22

Depending on the league you play in, your fantasy season may be almost over at this point in the year. Especially if you play in any sort of format involving a playoff bracket, this could very well be the last week that you have to make a difference before the playoff spots are determined. That […]

Fantasy Baseball Players Trending Up and Trending Down (Week 19)

The march to the fantasy baseball playoffs and league titles continues. Fortunately, I'll be providing you some handy insight into what players are getting hot at the right time and what players you need to ice. Depending on your team needs and what stats you need to focus on going forward, you may be able to find some sleepers […]

Josh Reddick (OF, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / Stream in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Since coming off his most recent DL stint, Josh Reddick has been absolutely raking, and is the latest addition to our waiver wire sleepers list. If you need outfield help, have the ability to easily stream hot players, or are just looking to add some hitting […]

Top 5 Hitter Streamers For Week 19: Waiver Wire Targets

  The trade deadline has officially passed, and I for one must say it was a week to remember, to be sure. Lester is now an Oakland Athletic, David Price is now a Tiger, and somehow the former MVP candidate Allen Craig has found his way onto the Red Sox. Most importantly for fantasy owners, […]

John Jaso (C / DH, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in AL-Only Leagues, Most Mixed Leagues ANALYSIS: The 30-year-old Jaso has found his place in baseball within Billy Beane's platoon system. He has been playing half his time at DH, the other half behind the dish. Now, with Yoenis Cespedes out of Oakland, things should open up for Jaso to play everyday, […]

Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18: Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

There's not much to speak of at the bottom of the barrel this week, however there are a few veteran potential sleepers that may squeeze a solid stretch of production for you at the right time, and they may be available based on your league size and format including NL-Only and AL-Only leagues. Take a […]

Week 17 Recap: Our Best FanDuel DFS Lineup Picks

Daily League Lineup Picks - Newsletter Recap As many of you already know, we take our DFS quite seriously here at RotoBaller. Each and every week since the start of the 2013 MLB and fantasy baseball season, we have been providing our premium subscribers with 3 cheat sheet style newsletters per week, full of our […]

Getting A Grip: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Holds

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds […]

Five Fantasy Baseball Outfield Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 18

Ready to recharge? The All-Star break has passed and the playoff push is underway. Here are five sleeper outfielders who are primed for a strong second half, including AL-Only and NL-Only formats.   Denard Span  - (OF, WSH) - 39% Owned BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats After a slow start to the season, Denard […]

Trending Up & Trending Down: Week 17 Report

  Fantasy Baseball Trends For Week 17 I'd like to begin this week's report by doing somewhat of a follow up to my article from two weeks ago. I really still like Hughes's K/BB ratios, but it's hard to ignore his current results. I've dropped him until he shows signs of improvement, and recommend you […]

Buy and Sell These Starting Pitching of The First Half

  Don't Be Afraid To Go All In! The All Star Break is behind us and I think most baseball fans will agree that this season will go down in baseball lore as the year of the torn UCL. Tommy John surgery has ended the seasons of several fantasy superstars and there could be more […]

Stephen Vogt (C / OF / 1B, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues / All AL-Only & 2-Catcher Leagues ANALYSIS: Billy Beane's swiss army knife Stephen Vogt has been quietly tearing the cover off the ball the past few weeks, making him the most recent addition to our waiver wire sleepers list. We'll get into the stats shortly, but here's the most important thing to […]

Getting A Grip: Waiver Wire Pickups for Holds (Week 15)

While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could […]

Derek Norris (C, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ANALYSIS: The catcher position is one that is relatively thin when it comes to offensive production. In many cases, Derek Norris is probably an upgrade over your current catcher. He's slashing .302/.405/.509 in 59 games so far this season with 8 HR and 35 RBI, a more-than-respectable state line […]

Buy and Sell: Starting Pitchers for Week 12

Are you still looking to make a trade for that missing piece of your fantasy baseball starting pitching lineup? Or maybe you’re flush with starting pitching, and are hoping to get real value for the pitcher on your roster who is obviously performing way over his head and due for a slump. Have no fear, because […]

Sean Doolittle (RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add Immediately ANALYSIS: Sean Doolittle is a relief pitcher that for the past few years I expected to take the closer role in Oakland and run away with it. He has the filthy stuff it takes to be the dominant late inning reliever he has shown flashes of, but sometimes seemed to throw a stinker in […]

Drew Pomeranz (SP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Drew Pomeranz was a very highly regarded prospect going into the 2012 season, some had him on their list of fantasy baseball sleepers, but he let down in 2012 and 2013 in Colorado. So with that in mind I wrote Pomeranz off for 2013, as did most owners. But he […]

John Jaso (C, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in Two-Catcher Leagues ANALYSIS: Look at John Jaso's stats and you understand why the Oakland A's have a rampaging offense.  He has a .276-.369-.457 triple slash line, as a backup catcher and part time DH.  What other backup catcher in the MLB has stats even close to 4 HR, 12 RBI, 16 Runs with […]

Sean Doolittle (RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues ANALYSIS: Jim Johnson has lost his closers job in Oakland, maybe even permanently, and Sean Doolittle looks like the waiver wire pickup. Currently only owned in 31% of Yahoo leagues, he can be considered another one in the list of recent sleepers for leagues that count saves. Even though he's a lefty, […]