Fantasy Baseball Tools

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Outfield 21 – 40

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 27th, 2012

Here is the seventh article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at outfielders ranked 21-40. There is quite a bit of speed in this grouping so if you miss out on stolen bases at another position, this is a spot where you can find them.

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball outfielders I have ranked 21-40 for 2012 with my comments. A longer list with 2012 fantasy baseball projections will be available in the FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide which will go on sale February 1, 2012.

21. Ryan Braun – assuming the 50-game suspension [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Outfield

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 25th, 2012

Here is the sixth article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of outfield. Lots of change in position of the top 20 outfielders from last season as several players had comeback seasons and others suffered injuries which impacted their performance.

Here is a look at the top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders for 2012 with my comments. A longer list with 2012 fantasy baseball projections will be available in the FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide which will go on sale February 1, 2012.

1. Matt Kemp – number of at bats the last four seasons, [...] Continue Reading…

Tigers Sign Prince Fielder to Nine-Year Contract

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 24th, 2012

The Detroit Tigers made a move to fill a hole in their lineup created by the season-ending injury to designated hitter Victor Martinez by signing first basemen Prince Fielder to a nine-year contract worth a reported $214 million contract. This gives the Tigers two 40+ home run, 100+ RBI sluggers in the middle of the batting order with Fielder joining Miguel Cabrera.

From a fantasy standpoint, there should be little change to the value of Fielder with the move to the American League. The big winner in the signing is Cabrera who will now see time at third base, first [...] Continue Reading…

Red Sox Trade Marco Scutaro to Rockies

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 21st, 2012

The Boston Red Sox were looking to slash salary and the Colorado Rockies were looking for a proven second basemen so the two teams filled each others needs Saturday when the Red Sox dealt shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Rockies for right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen.

Boston has depth at that position with Mike Aviles and Nick Punto expected to split time at the position until prospect Jose Iglesias is ready to take over on a permanent basis. Punto has value as a $1 end game pick in AL-only auctions if you need to get 10-15 stolen bases from an infield [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Third Base

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 20th, 2012

Here is the fifth article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of third base. The top half of the position is fairly strong, but if you are looking to find power late in the draft at this position, you are going to have a difficult time finding anyone to hit 20 home runs.

Here is a look at the top 20 fantasy baseball third basemen for 2012 with my comments. A longer list with 2012 fantasy baseball projections will be available in the FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide which will go on sale [...] Continue Reading…

Oakland Acquires Seth Smith From Colorado

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 17th, 2012

The Oakland Athletics continued to demolish their pitching staff by trading starting pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman to the Colorado Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith. Smith gives Oakland a solid outfielder and a legitimate cleanup hitter for a team lacking in offense. Smith has hit .296 in his career at Coors Field and batted .257 on the road so expect his average to be headed down with the move to American League. His batting average is also going to be at risk if he becomes a full-time player given his struggles against left-handed pitching in his career with [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Shortstop

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 14th, 2012

Here is the fourth article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of shortstop. If you are looking for a position to grab stolen bases from then you came to the right place with eight possible options at this position that could steal 30 bases or more including one (Dee Gordon) that will make a run at the stolen base title.

Here is a look at the top 20 fantasy baseball shortstops for 2012 with my comments. A longer list with 2012 fantasy baseball projections will be available in the FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft [...] Continue Reading…

Yankees Shore Up Rotation By Trading For Pineda, Signing Kuroda

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 13th, 2012

Some talking heads were saying just this week how the the New York Yankees had been so quiet this offseason until tonight when general manager Brian Cashman shook up the baseball world with a blockbuster trade that netted him right-handed starting pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for catcher Jesus Montero and right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi.

Pineda went 9-10 in his rookie season with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings and will slot nicely in behind CC Sabathia as the number two starter in the Yankees rotation. Campos pitched in Short-Season [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Second Base

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 12th, 2012

Here is the third article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of second base. Right now I have Brian Roberts ranked outside of the top 20 as it sounds like he is still suffering post-concussion symptoms eight months after the fact which is a troubling sign. There is a lots of young talent in this group with Jemile Weeks, Jason Kipnis, Dustin Ackley and Jose Altuve to name a few so dynasty league owners should be zeroing in on them.

Here is a look at the top 20 fantasy baseball second basemen for [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – First Base

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 10th, 2012

Here is the second article in the series for our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of first base. Right now I have Kendrys Morales and Justin Morneau ranked just outside of the top 20 because I have them projected with around 400 at bats until we learn more about their status as they work their way back from injury.

Injuries have robbed Morneau of playing time the last two seasons and he has not been the same since suffering a concussion in July of 2010. He is still experiencing concussion symptoms today which makes him a major [...] Continue Reading…

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings – Catchers

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 8th, 2012

This is the first series of our 2012 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of catcher. Some of the notable names from the list you will not see include Jesus Montero from the New York Yankees and Devin Mesoraco from the Cincinnati Reds. While most fantasy players consider Montero a catcher, he only played three games there in 2011 so unless your league has very liberal position requirements, he is likely only going to qualify at the utility spot in 2012 to start the year. For Mesoraco, while he is one of the top catching prospects in baseball, [...] Continue Reading…

Oakland Trades Andrew Bailey to Boston for 3 Players

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 28th, 2011

The Oakland Athletics continued to remake their pitching staff as they rebuild with an eye on the future by dealing closer Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox along with outfielder Ryan Sweeney for outfielder Josh Reddick, minor league catcher Miles Head and pitcher Raul Alcantara. The deal fills a hole in the Red Sox bullpen that Bailey will fill in the 9th inning. Recently acquired closer Mark Melancon will now move to a set up role in the 8th inning, making him a worthwhile handcuff to Bailey given Bailey’s injury history and the fact he has yet to [...] Continue Reading…

Oakland Trades Gio Gonzalez to Washington for Four Players

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 22nd, 2011

The Oakland Athletics continued to disassemble their pitching rotation by trading left-handed starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for starting pitchers Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, A.J. Cole and catcher Derek Norris. The Nationals paid a heavy price to get Gonzalez who they will control through 2015. It also gives the team a solid third starting pitcher to go with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman. Gonzalez figures to get a boost in his fantasy baseball ranking with a move to the National League which should help him in all categories. He should be able to push his ERA [...] Continue Reading…

Cincinnati Reds Acquire Latos From Padres

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 19th, 2011

The Cincinnati Reds made a big move to upgrade the front of their rotation by acquiring starting pitcher Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres for first basemen Yonder Alonso, starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, minor league relief pitcher Brad Boxberger and minor league catcher Yasmani Grandal. The Reds picked up a proven starter for extra pieces that the team could afford to move because of the depth it had built up.

Alonso was blocked by Joey Votto in Cincinnati and now is the favorite to start the year at first base in San Diego. Alonso becomes a nice late round [...] Continue Reading…

Boston Red Sox Acquire Melancon for Lowrie and Weiland

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 15th, 2011

The Boston Red Sox made the first move to shore up their bullpen by acquiring closer Mark Melancon from the Houston Astros for shortstop Jed Lowrie and starting pitcher Kyle Weiland. With Jonathan Papelbon lost via free agency and setup man Daniel Bard potentially moving into the rotation, the Red Sox need alternatives for saves in the bullpen.

Melancon converted 20 of 25 saves opportunities in 2011 while posting a 2.78 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Currently he would figure to close for the Red Sox in 2012, but the team is still pursuing other trade options and Bard could still [...] Continue Reading…

Milwaukee Brewers sign Aramis Ramirez, trade Casey McGehee

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 12th, 2011

The Milwaukee Brewers found a big bat to add to their lineup on Monday by signing free agent third basemen Aramis Ramirez to a three-year $36 million contract. With Ryan Braun possibly out for the first 50 games of the season, Ramirez will have a chance to drive in the majority of runs hitting third or fourth in the lineup.

Speaking of Ryan Braun, if he is out the first 50 games of the season, what does that mean for his fantasy value? If we cut 1/3 of his stats from last season, he doesn’t fall as much as you [...] Continue Reading…

2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 5 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 9th, 2011

The big news of day five of the major league baseball winter meetings was a trade between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics with the Diamondbacks acquiring starting pitcher Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow and Oakland picking up starting pitcher Jarrod Parker, outfielder Collin Cowgill and relief pitcher Ryan Cook.

Parker has been the D-Backs number one prospect for the last couple of seasons, but his path to the major leagues was sidetracked in 2009 when he underwent Tommy John surgery. He has a 3.49 career minor league ERA in 346 innings with 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He should [...] Continue Reading…

2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 4 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 8th, 2011

The Los Angeles Angels stole the thunder on Thursday at the major league baseball winter meetings by landing free agent first basement Albert Pujols with a 10-year $254 million contract. Outside of all of the hoopla surrounding the second highest contract in major league baseball history being awarded or the fact that the team gave a 10-year contract to a player that turns 32 in January, the most pressing question is what this means from a fantasy baseball perspective.

The latest news was that Kendrys Morales was coming along from his second ankle surgery and was expected to be ready [...] Continue Reading…

2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 3 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 7th, 2011

The Miami Marlins continue to the big spenders so far of the winter meetings as they snagged starting free agent pitcher Mark Buehrle, signing him to a four-year $58 million contract. The move reunites him with his old manager from the Chicago White Sox Ozzie Guillen. The left-handed Buehrle who turns 33 in March will be pitching in the National League for the first time in his career which may make him relevant in fantasy baseball circles a while longer as he ages. It should also help boost his strikeout rate slightly which should push his totals closer to [...] Continue Reading…

2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 6th, 2011

The 2011 Major League Baseball winter meetings kicked off in Dallas, TX with several teams jumping into trade action. The San Francisco Giants sent outfielder Andres Torres and relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez to the New York Mets for Angel Pagan. Pagan becomes the second new addition to the outfield for the Giants joining Melky Cabrera who was acquired earlier in a trade this winter. With Torres and Ramirez both arbitration eligible, this gives the Giants a little extra room in their budget to possibly and go out and get a shortstop like Jimmy Rollins.

For the Mets, it was a [...] Continue Reading…