As sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, the MLB world will see a ridiculous number of players move from team to team in the offseason. For some, the change of scenery will do them some good. For others, maybe not so much. The following chart shows virtually all of the major leaguers (and maybe a few minor leaguers) who found a new home in the offseason with an outlook of what fantasy owners should expect from them in their new digs.
Catchers
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Alex Avila | CHW | DET | free agency | After hitting 19 home runs during his first full season in 2011, Avila has failed to produce numbers even remotely close during subsequent seasons. Injuries have been a massive issue for the now-28-year-old backstop and while the back has been the primary trouble recently, there is still a major concern that he is one foul tip away from being forced out of the game. The move to hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field, where he's slashed .300/.378/.475 over his last 40 at-bats, might be a nice boost for him, but he'll need to stay healthy and out-produce Dioner Navarro if he wants to grab the lion's share of the at-bats behind the plate. |
| Christian Bethancourt | SD | ATL | trade | Defensively, Bethancourt could be considered a major league-ready catcher, but his bat and plate discipline still look like something to be worked on by coaches at the Single-A level. He showed very little growth at the plate during his ascension through the Braves' system and his .219/.245/.283 slash line over 80 big league games (278 plate appearances) didn't exactly instill the organization with much confidence. His trade to San Diego is a bit of a head scratcher as the Padres have been developing Austin Hedges and also have veteran Derek Norris. Perhaps the Padres are looking to flip one of their backstops now, but if Bethancourt doesn't hit or, at the least, improve that horrendous 2.9-percent walk rate, he will forever languish at the minor league levels. |
| Steve Clevenger | SEA | BAL | trade | The perennial backup saw just 105 plate appearances in Baltimore last season, but made the most of his limited work by hitting .287 with a pair of home runs. His 12.4-percent strikeout rate was encouraging, but his inability to draw a walk left him with just a .314 on-base percentage for the year. He now heads out of the friendly confines of Camden Yards to join the Mariners where he will likely serve as the back-up to Chris Iannetta. With Mike Zunino also trying to earn a spot, we should see some semblance of a position battle in camp. However, as a left-handed bat, it would seem that Clevenger has a bit of a leg up here. Fantasy-wise , there's not much to be had, but should he see a regular run of at-bats like he did last season, he could have some short-term promise off your league's waiver wire. |
| Tyler Flowers | ATL | CHW | trade | With the White Sox uninterested in bringing Flowers back, the 29-year-old backstop will take his dismal strikeout rate and middling power to Atlanta where he will likely enter some sort of platoon situation with veteran A.J. Pierzynski. It was a disappointing run on the South Side for Flowers who just couldn't seem to put together any sort of consistency at the plate. His plate discipline has been erratic, he swings through far too much of what comes at him and what he does make contact with he mashes into the dirt most of the time. It seems unlikely that there is going to be improvement on the horizon, especially without a full-time job. Until the Braves make an announcement as to which catcher they're favoring once the seson opens, neither backstop is going to be impressive with repect to the fantasy game. |
| Chris Herrmann | ARI | MIN | trade | The former Twins catcher/outfielder will head over to Arizona where he'll serve as the backup to Welington Castillo with a very remote chance of logging some outfield time. In truth, there's little to no upside here as he doesn't have much power and even if Castillo were to get hurt, it seems unlikely the Diamondbacks would use him as their regular backstop with Oscar Hernandez lurking in the shadows. |
| Chris Iannetta | SEA | LAA | free agency | Those who inanely stood by Iannetta over the years were, for the most part, using him in OBP leagues as that was really the only place where he had some value. Maybe in some super deep AL-only leagues, too, but that was about it. But after last season's miserable production drop in every offensive category, even the staunchest of Iannetta supporters ran like rats off a sinking ship. He'll take his game over to Seattle now where he owns a .118 average over the last three seasons (just 51 at-bats, but still) and try to stay ahead of Mike Zunino and Steve Clevenger for the majority of work behind the plate. |
| J.R. Murphy | MIN | NYY | trade | Ask Yankees GM Brian Cashman and he'll tell you the Twins just got their starting catcher for the next few years. Murphy did a solid job backing up Brian McCann in 2015 and posted a .277/.327/.406 slash line with three home runs and 14 RBI over just 172 plate appearances. His career ISO numbers in the minors don't indicate any sort of developing power, so the ballpark shift is likely negligible with regard to home runs. He should, however, be able to maintain his peripherals if he can cut down the strikeouts. With an aging Kurt Suzuki showing little or no offensive contribution, Murphy should slot in as the starter heading into 2016. Even if he isn't named the full-time starter, he should, at the least, see the lion's share of the platoon. |
| Dioner Navarro | CHW | TOR | free agency | After batting .274 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI for the Blue Jays in 2014, Navarro was relegated to backup duty behind Russell Martin last season and failed to build off his previous two reasonably successful seasons. He's got a little bit of pop in his bat and a fairly decent plate discipline, but appears to need a strong share of the at-bats to keep him moving in the right direction. Now with the White Sox, he'll likely work in a platoon siruation with the oft-injured Alex Avila, so he just might get his chance in Chicago. His value is limited to AL-only leagues for the time being, but if he were to end up with a greater share of the at-bats, he could turn out to be a decent second-catcher in deeper, two-catcher mixed play as well. |
| Brayan Pena | STL | CIN | free agency | Pena saw an increase in opportunity when he left Detroit and headed to Cincinnati, but the veteran backstop showed exactly why he is nothing more than a backup at this point with slightly above-average defensive skills and little to no offensive upside. He has decent plate discipline as evidenced by his low strikeout rate and league-average walk rate, but he hit just five home runs over two seasons (739 plate appearances) and never built any momentum. He'll serve as Yadier Molina's backup in St. Louis now and while Yaddy is struggling with the heavy mileage on his body, Pena is not going to do more than spell him maybe once or twice a week. |
| Josmil Pinto | MIL | SD | waivers | Once a promising catcher with developing power, Pinto fell very quickly out of favor with the Twins after struggling mightily with strikeouts and overall plate discipline at the both the Triple-A and big-league levels. It feels like there is something to the story Minnesota is not sharing as their gaping holes both behind the plate and at the DH spot seem like they could have, at least temporarily been filled by Pinto's bat. Regardless, he landed with the Padres who then placed him on waivers where the Brewers got their hands on him. Obviously, Jonathan Lucroy is the starting catcher and Martin Maldonado has filled in reasonably well both behind the plate and at first base. If Pinto wants to advance within the organization, he's going to have to really prove himself this spring and show that he is capable of laying off lousy pitches and able to get on-base more. The ball is officially in his court now. |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia | DET | ARI | free agency | After a relatively uninspiring first season with the Marlins where Salty batted .220 with 11 home runs and 69 RBI over 373 plate appearances, his 2015 took a serious downturn. His unhappiness with his role coupled with a rift with management caused him to get publicly vocal and the team simply cut bait and slapped the DFA tag on him. He eventually landed in Arizona where he hit .251 with eight home runs and 23 RBI. He showed that he was capable of playing nice with others, so the Tigers have brought him in to serve as James McCann's backup and compete for work with Bryan Holoday. It seems unlikely that much fantasy value will come out of owning him unless he somehow lands the full-time workload. |
First Base
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Yonder Alonso | OAK | SD | trade | Just once you'd like to see this guy catch a break and get traded to somewhere a little more hitter-friendly, but he goes from Petco to E.Coli Stadium, or whatever they're calling Oakland's ballpark these days, and will remain the oft-injured, no-power, solid OBP guy you never really want to own but resign yourself to settling for when a few wrong turns are made in your draft. If he can stay healthy, he should see close to a full complement of at-bats but you'll have as much chance of that as you will of seeing him post a 20-homer season. His fantasy projections should be the same as they've always been...disappointing. |
| Chris Carter | MIL | HOU | free agency | Carter was a massive bust in 2015 as batted just .199 with 24 home runs after raking 37 with a .227 average the year before. He's a big power, big strikeout kind of guy, and when the latter takes center stage, he's a tough guy to own, no matter how many homers he hits. He'll join the Brewers and compete with Garin Cecchini for at-bats, but will also lose time when Jonathan Lucroy needs to come out from behind the plate. If he can keep the average above the Mendoza Line, then he could be a nice, cheap source of home runs for you, but he's not someone to target for regular use. |
| John Jaso | PIT | TB | free agency | The Pirates signed Jaso to a two-year, $8 million deal to shift over to first base for the 2016 season. Ultimately, prospect Josh Bell is supposed to take over the position, but if he's not ready, Jaso will likely serve as the left-handed bat of a platoon with either Mike Morse, Jason Rodgers or Sean Rodriguez. Jaso might see more full-time work should he produce on-base numbers like he's done in the past, but with little to no power, the team is probably better off splitting the role. |
| Adam Lind | SEA | MIL | trade | The Mariners were in need of a first baseman after dealing Mark Trumbo, so they parted with a pair of low-level prospects to bring in Lind. He enjoyed a solid year with the Brewers last season as he batted .277 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI, but this move to Seattle doesn't exactly instill confidence for a repeat performance. First off, the park factors cannot be ignored. Lind has spent his career calling hitter-friendly ballparks home and even in such home run havens as the Rogers Centre and Miller Park, his ISO numbers don't really indicate big, consistent power production. Safeco Field is going to sap some power from him and with a career-high of 23 home runs, the likelihood of him hitting closer to 15 seems greater. There's also the lefty/righty splits. Lind batted .221 over 104 at-bats against left-handed pitching last year and has a .213 career mark. If the Mariners tire of his ineffectiveness versus southpaws, he could fall into a platoon siutation which will obviously drag down his production with the reduction of at-bats. He'll be a good play for AL-only leagues, but he'll need to be bumped down the rankings for mixed-league play. |
| Mike Napoli | CLE | TEX | free agency | After watching Napoli struggle with a .207/.307/.386 slash line and just 13 home runs over 329 at-bats, the Red Sox shipped the aging slugger with the bum hip back to the Rangers who were looking for a bat off the bench during their playoff run. He responded well to his homecoming as he slashed .295/.396/.513 with five long balls in 78 at-bats. The Indians are hoping to get more of the second guy as they look to use him as a way to get Carlos Santana and his subpar defense off first base. Whether that means Napoli is going to see full-time at-bats is not yet known, but as the right-handed bat, he should see the majority of work at the position. |
| Mark Reynolds | COL | STL | free agency | After his first season in eight years where he failed to hit at least 20 home runs, Reynolds took a one-year, $2.6 million deal to serve as the right-handed bat of a first base platoon in Colorado opposite Ben Paulsen. It should be interesting to see whether last year's power outage was just a temporary drop for the slugger as his new home is sure to help restore some of that lost power. If he locks down at least half the at-bats at first, he should have nice value in deeper NL-only leagues. |
Second Base
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Gordon Beckham | ATL | CHW | free agency | After five disappointing years with the White Sox (with a brief but equally disappointing stint with the Angels) Beckham will join the ranks of the unwanted utility infielder. He once showed some nice power back in his rookie season, but has failed to even come close to reaching those numbers year after year. He'll try to make the Braves out of spring training this year, but his overall outlook really isn't all that pretty. |
| Emilio Bonifacio | ATL | CHW | free agency | The versatile Bonifacio will head back over to the National League and serve as a super-utility man for the Braves. He is capable of playing both the infield and outfield and offers up some modest speed. If only he didn't sign with a team that has a manager who hates to run. The only way he'll offer some decent fantasy value is if he can push his way into a potential platoon situation which seems unlikely. |
| Jedd Gyorko | STL | SD | trade | Gyorko finished last season with 16 home runs and 57 RBI, only to be shipped out of San Diego in exchange for outfielder Jon Jay. We've all seen the power potential for the new Cardinals utility man, but without a regular spot in the lineup or consistent at-bats, it's going to be even tougher for him to find his groove. Unless he pushes his way into some sort of platoon in St. Louis, he's going to be left for waiver fodder as owners brace themselves for injuries. |
| Micah Johnson | LAD | CHW | trade | Johnson was supposed to be a solid second baseman with some speed and sit atop the White Sox batting order. Instead, he struggled mightily with big-league pitching and was shipped back to the minors. He was later recalled, but never made any sort of an impact. The team re-signed Chase Utley and also has Enrique Hernandez, but should Johnson lift himself up to the level at which he was hyped last year, he could be in for some extra at-bats. |
| Jose Pirela | SD | NYY | trade | The Yankees and Padres swapped minor leaguers, but Pirela has the upside to actually be a starting second baseman should he play his way past Corey Spangenburg or Yagervis Solarte. He doesn't have much in the way of power and his speed is limited, so it's likely to be his leather that helps him through. |
| Neil Walker | NYM | PIT | trade | With the Mets not interested in bringing back Daniel Murphy and after they were snubbed by free agent Ben Zobrist, the Mets turned their attention to working out a deal with the Pirates for Walker. The former Pirates second baseman should continue to hit in the 15-20 home run ranges while batting in the .270-ish range and is expected to hit out of the two hole. His RBI opportunities may stay solid, but it is more likely that he pays his dividends through runs scored as he sets the table for the likes of Lucas Duda and David Wright. |
| Ben Zobrist | CHC | KC | free agency | After rumors of a four-year, $80 million contract demand fizzled, the Cubs landed themselves a fantastic and versatile player who should not only help solidify the keystone on the North Side but also offer a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse of a team steeped in youth. However, while the veteran second baseman remains a strong asset in the real baseball world, the decline in power has hindered his overall value in the fantasy baseball realm. His multi-position eligibility is obviously a favorable quality, but he's gone from 20-home run production to the 10-15 range with little chance of an uptick, despite the move to a more hitter-friendly home ball park. He should still be able to post a .270-ish average with a solid RBI total depending on where he bats in the order so while we don't encourage you to reach too high, we also don't think you should wait too long for him either. |
Third Base
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Todd Frazier | CHW | CIN | trade | Everyone knew the Reds were going to have themselves a fire sale but few thought Frazier would be one of the first to go. When he first plugged 29 home runs in 2014 there were numerous skeptics of his ability to sustain the increase, but Frazier showed the swing adjustments he made the year prior were not only effective, but lasting as well. He posted a new career high with 35 home runs and while his stolen bases fell off (something that was expected) and his average dropped, he still maintained his place atop the position for overall production. His swing rates jumped, particularly outside the strike zone, as he continued to try and muscle the ball out of the park, so he's going to need to harness that and go back to being as selctive as he was back in 2014, especially with the adjustments he's going to need to make facing American League pitching more often. He's only a .205 hitter with eight home runs over 298 interleague plate appearances, so don't be surprised or discouraged if he gets off to a slow start. |
| Brett Lawrie | CHW | OAK | trade | For the second straight year, those who believe in the power/speed combo hype Lawrie had as a rookie will offer up the "maybe a change of scenery will help him" argument as they continue to support the 25-year-old infielder. It's not that there isn’t a world of talent lurking as we saw him hit for a career-best 16 home runs while with Oakland in 2015, but the low average/low on-base percentage issues combined with an insufferable walk rate continue to hinder his overall performance. Not to mention the huge spike in strikeouts we witnessed as he continuously swung for the fences and saw his swinging-strike rate jump to nearly 12 percent. He is still young, so perhaps the developing power will continue to blossom in hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field, but until he fixes that plate discipline, there's not much more you're going to be able to get out of him. Do take note of the position switch to second base with the South Siders' acquisition of Todd Frazier. If he does figure it out, his impending multi-position eligibility will be a nice fantasy bonus. |
Shortstop
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Mike Aviles | DET | CLE | free agency | The super-utility man takes his act to Motown as the Tigers were in need of decent right-handed bat capable of playing solid defense at both the infield and the outfield. Unfortunately for the Tigers, though, Aviles' bat has not been providing much in the way of production and the overall numbers have been on the decline for the last few years. That's not to say that he doesn't have his moments, but they are likely to be much fewer and far-between given that he will likely stay a bench player unless there's a rash of injuries. Fantasy owners can leave him for the waiver wire and look to nab him if it looks as if he's about to land a starting gig, for whatever reason. |
| Erick Aybar | ATL | LAA | trade | The 31-year-old shortstop was part of the package sent to Atlanta in return for slick-fielding Andrelton Simmons. Aybar is set to replace him in the field and will likely offer up a bit more offensive production. He's a career .276 hitter , though his OBP is weak, but offers 12-to-15 stolen base potential. He seems to be a solid No. 2 hitter, though the Braves may opt to hit him lower. |
| Starlin Castro | NYY | CHC | trade | If anyone looks like he'll benefit from a change of scenery, it would be Castro as he now lands with the Yankees where he will slot in as their new starting second baseman. Sure, it's a position change for him, but considering how he was bumped from the Cubs lineup in 2015, a move to the keystone certainly isn't going to bother him. The year-to-year numbers have been a little erratic and he has the darndest time trying to draw a walk, but he's got 10-15 home run power, the ability to hit for a high average, and even the ability to swipe at least 15 bags in a season. The attitude problems will hopefully be left behind in Chicago, as the Yankees simply won't tolerate it, but if everything falls into line, he could prove to be a fantastic option who may not cost much given how so many fantasy owners have already written him off. |
| Yunel Escobar | LAA | WAS | trade | The Angels obviously aren't quite sold on rookie Kaleb Cowart taking hold of the hot corner this spring, so they'll keep the seat warm for him with Escobar, who has proven to be a somewhat reliable journeyman in his career. He's not going to hit for power and he's not going to steal a ton of bases, but he's shown some decent plate discipline over the years and a strong ability to get on-base. He's definitely more of a "guy you settle for" rather than a guy you target on draft day, so find yourself better infield targets and keep a watchful eye on him should you need some help towards the end of your draft. |
| Jed Lowrie | OAK | HOU | trade | While Lowrie will open the season with eligibility at both shortstop and third base, he will soon pick up second base eligibility as well since that's where the A's have him penciled in for right now. He may not hit for a sext average, but there's plenty to like as he does have 15 home run power and exhibits relatively strong plate discipline. The big problem, as most fantasy veterans can attest is that he's never been a bastion of health and has played in 150 games in a season just once in his entire career. His versatility in the field will keep him as a coveted option in the mid to late rounds, but just keep in mind the significnt risk tht comes attached. |
| Cliff Pennington | LAA | TOR | free agency | There's really not a whole lot to love about Pennington from a fantasy standpoint. Maybe you can get some cheap speed out of him, but he doesn't hit for power or for a high average. He'll head to the Angels now and serve as Mike Scioscia's utilityman around the infield. Without any sort of a starting job, you're not going to want to bother drafting him. He's waiver fodder, at best. |
| Andrelton Simmons | LAA | ATL | trade | Routinely lauded for his glove, Simmons is one of those players who cotinues to be more valuable in real life than he is in fantasy. The offensive totals are virtually non-existent at this point. He teased us with 17 home runs in 2013 but has now hit 11 in total over the last two seasons. He doesn't steal bases and neither a .265 average nor a .321 OBP are going to be of much help to your roster. He'll dazzle in the field for Mike Scioscia this season, but he's likely to hit (and that word is used loosely) just the same as he's done for the Braves in recent years. |
| Jonathan Villar | MIL | HOU | trade | If Villar were to really earn the third base job this spring (he's penciled in there on the team's depth chart) the Brewers would certainly be a team built for speed and not comfort. Sure, there are a couple of big bats in the middle of the lineup, but Villar is built much in the same mold as Jean Segura, Scooter Gennett and Domingo Santana. He's a 24-year-old switch-hitter with the ability to steal 30-plus bases if given the opportunity. He's been limited to utility work during any stint in the majors and has continued to struggle with hitting big league pitching with any sort of consistency. The strikeout rate, though, has dropped each year which is certainly promising, but still has a long way to go. Keep an eye on the way things unfold this spring. Should he land the starting job, he could be a fantastic source for cheap speed which would go nicely with his shortstop eligibility. |
Outfielders
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Nori Aoki | SEA | SF | free agency | The Mariners beef up their defense in left field with the signing of Aoki and also add a little bit of speed, preferably to the top of their order. Any combination of Aoki, Leonys Martin and Ketel Marte will provide the necessary table-setting this team needs and Aoki has proven to be a fantastic asset with a career .354 OBP and 8.0-percent walk rate from the leadoff spot (1,888 PA). It seems unlikely that he will ever return to the double-digit home run level he once displayed in Milwaukee, but power is not the reason the Mariners signed him nor should it be your reason for drafting him in fantasy. |
| Alejandro De Aza | NYM | SF | free agency | De Aza is turning into quite the well-traveled journeyman as the Mets are the outfielder's fifth team in the last two years. Unfortunately for him, though, he hasn't had a full-time job since leaving the White Sox and his ineffectiveness against left-handed pitching dictates a role in a platoon rather than a job all to himself. He seemed to peak back in 2013 when he hit 17 home runs and stole 20 bases, but it's been downhill ever since as both the power and speed have diminished along with his role as an everyday player. He'll join the Mets as the primary backup to all three outfield positions and could work himself into more of a platoon with Juan Lagares in center. Unless you're in a crazy-deep NL-only league, DeAza is really nothing more than a plug-and-play for when your outfield is dealing with injuries. |
| Craig Gentry | LAA | OAK | free agency | There's no denying that with Gentry playing left field for the Angels, the outfield defense is going to be killer. Guaranteed web gems on a regular basis. However, Gentry has never had the stick to hold a full-time job and he's usually better-suited as a fourth outfielder who can provide you with a little bit of speed but little else on the offensive front. Expect him to share the corner with Daniel Nava and possibly even Efren Navarro. That probably keeps him as a modest play in deep AL-only leagues only. |
| Jason Heyward | CHC | STL | free agency | While we may never see the power he displayed back in 2012 when he hit 27 home runs, Heyward has at least proven to be able to hit for a solid average, drive in runs when given the opportunity and to create them as well with his 20-steal talent. He is good about drawing walks and has now reduced his strikeout rate in each of the last three seasons. Perhaps the move to a more hitter-friendly home ballpark will help, but overall, Heyward should, at the least, produce very similar numbers as he's done over the last two seasons. An eight-year, $184 million deal is likely to bring close scrutiny to his every move this spring and well into April, but he's dealt with watchful eyes his entire career and should be able to handle himself accordingly. Besides, with players like Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler and even Anthony Rizzo around him, he may not spend much time front-and-center in the spotlight which is always a good thing. |
| Aaron Hicks | NYY | MIN | trade | There seem to be two schools of thought as to how Hicks will fare with the Yankees. On one side you've got those who cite his struggles against right-handed pitching (the switch-hitter has just a .206 average for his career against them) while others seem to believe he could be similar to Carlos Gomez, though without as much speed. Regardless of which side you land on, Hicks' overall value will be limited if he doesn't have a starting job. True, he may be able to be platooned in both fantasy and reality as he will likely only start against lefties, but he doesn't have the power or the speed to really be as productive for you. He's basically Chris Young's replacement without the power and that's not exactly the type of player you should seek out. |
| L.J. Hoes | BAL | HOU | trade | Acquired in a small deal with the Astros, Hoes will be given a chance to compete for a reserve outfielder job with the Orioles this spring and could land a roster spot if he can flash some of that speed he showed in the minors last year when he stole 26 bases for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Astros' Triple-A affiliate. He does not possess much in the way of fantasy value, especially without a starting job, so don't look for him unless he has such a monstrous spring that the Orioles feel compelled to give him full-time at-bats. |
| Ender Inciarte | ATL | ARI | trade | Inciarte landed with the Braves as part of the package coming back from the Diamondbacks in the Shelby Miller trade. He is expected to slot in as their starting center fielder, though with Michael Bourn still in town, there might be a little battle during the spring. Inciarte's game is simple. He is capable of hitting for a solid average, he's got good plate discipline and can be relied upon for roughly 20 steals. Unfortunately, though, with speed being the bulk of his game, he runs into a bit of an issue in Atlanta as manager Fredi Gonzalez likes to keep it ultra-conservative on the basepaths. In fact, last season the Braves had just 102 stolen base attempts which to the Diamondbacks' 176. If Inciarte is going to help his fantasy owners in 2016, he's going to have to find another aspect of his game to boost. |
| Jon Jay | SD | STL | trade | With the team flush with young hopefuls in the outfield, the Cardinals dealt Jay to the Padres in exchange for infielder Jedd Gyorko. He's hoping to land the starting left field job, but he's been languishing as a fourth outfielder for the last few seasons and doesn't post numbers one would attribute to a full-time starter. The plate discipline is decent and the contact rates are good, but he doesn't hit for power, he doesn't possess game-breaking speed and injuries have been an issue over the last two or three seasons. The Padres don't have much else in the range of seasoned-vets to compete with him, so the competition won't be too tough, however, keep in mind that he's really nothing more than a complementary fifth outfielder in deeper mixed-league play. |
| Leonys Martin | SEA | TEX | trade | After two straight 30-plus stolen base seasons, Martin failed to take the next step in 2015, a year many predicted would be the now 27-year-old's breakout campaign. Despite his attempt to be more selective while in the batter's box, his overall plate discipline took a step backwards as both his strikeout and swinging-strike rates increased alongside a diminishing walk rate. When it did make contact, it was fairly weak and his BABIP suffered (career-low .270) which, in turn, dropped his average down to .219 on the season. He gets a fresh start as the expected starting center fielder for the Mariners, but if he doesn't return to his 2014 form, at the least, he could be looking at Franklin Gutierrez and Nori Aoki poaching some time. |
| Cameron Maybin | DET | SD | trade | One of these days we're all going to stop reminding ourselves that Maybin was once the key component heading back to the Marlins in the Miguel Cabrera trade. Once considered a can't-miss five-tool player, Maybin has continued to disappoint over the years, save for one season in which he hit nine home runs and swiped 40 bases. He did steal 26 the year after his big breakout and he also swiped 23 last season, but there's really just not much else there for fantasy owners to enjoy. He's done plenty of work over the years to improve his plate discipline, but the power never developed, the on-base work is barely average and while he should be able to come close to another 20-steal season, that's really all he has to offer. Someone in your league will reach for him with the hopes of a strong season on the basepaths. Don't be that guy. |
| Daniel Nava | LAA | TB | free agency | Nava will head to the Angels this year with the hope of earning full-time at-bats in left field. Unfortunately for him, the club also brought in Craig Gentry and still has Efren Navarro meandering about. The fact that Nava is a switch-hitter and can play solid defense should work to his advantage and could give him a leg up in attaining the lion's share of the at-bats, but unless he tears it up this spring and then also starts the season hot, manager Mike Scioscia won't hesitate to mix and match his outfielders. |
| Justin Ruggiano | TEX | LAD | free agency | The 33-year-old was considered a potential late-blooming star after coming close to a 20-20 season back in 2013, but he's completely failed to build off that season thanks to injuries and a general regression towards his true talent level. He'll now join an overpopulated Texas outfield corps and hope to land a job as a fourth or fifth option, but doesn't seem to figure intoa plan beyond that. If he does stick with the Rangers, the favorable ballpark dimensions could help if he can garner some regular at-bats, but he is unlikely to be anything more than a temporary plug-and-play. |
| Denard Span | SF | WAS | free agency | While many will say the Giants should have gone out and used the money here to land a bigger bat, the signing of Span seems to fit in well with their plans of strong defense and more of a small-ball approach to create runs. Injuries plagued the 31-year-old centerfielder last season, but he still managed to bat .301 with a .365 on-base percentage over 275 plate appearances. He's a classic table-setter and has the speed to give the Giants a legitimate 25-30 stolen base threat atop the order. It seems likely that he will get the starting nod over Angel Pagan, but you'll have to see how things unfold once they get into camp. There's also the distinct possibility that one of them slides over to left field should Mac Williamson not be ready for big league duty. |
| Mark Trumbo | BAL | SEA | trade | The Orioles made it abundantly clear to free agent Chris Davis they would not be meeting his contract demands when they traded for Trumbo in the offseason. After back-to-back 30-plus homer seasons with the Angels, things didn't go so well for the lumbering slugger over the last two seasons. A broken foot all but ruined his 2014 campaign and last year was riddled with general struggles as he split time between both the Diamondbacks and the Mariners. Now in Baltimore, things could change significantly. Trumbo will see full-time work at first base and the dimensions at Camden Yards play favorably to his right-handed power bat. Strikeouts will always be a bit of an issue, but if he can return to his 30-home run level, few fantasy owners will complain. |
| Chris Young | BOS | NYY | free agency | Last season, he was a DFS dream when the Yankees were facing a lefty as he hit .327 with 15 doubles and seven home runs, but seasonal owners were forced to pair him up with a platoon partner due to his ineffectiveness against right-handed pitching (.182 with a 25-percent strikeout rate). While you'd like to assume that the trend will basically stay the same, you may have to worry about how things will work for him now that he calls Fenway Park home. Young is a dead-pull hitter and is likely to see a number of those home runs bounce off the Green Monster. Sure, it will increase the number of doubles he hits, but for the HR and RBI categories, we could see a decrease in 2016. |
Starting Pitchers
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Henderson Alvarez | OAK | MIA | free agency | Alvarez is a deceptive pitcher for fantasy owners. While he has shown the ability to post a strong ERA (2.65 over 187 innings in 2014), he simply doesn't offer anything else. A career 4.73 K/9 should be all you need to tip you off. His career 55-percent ground ball rate helps him out immensely, but it also leaves his ERA heavily reliant on his defense and if that lets him down, then fantasy owners are left with bloated ratios and no help in any other category. It's tough to say whether the 2016 A's will be a better club to pitch in front of than the 2015 Marlins, but with that in question, you're better off leaving him be. AL-only owners may be able to give him a look, but that's about it. |
| Jesse Chavez | TOR | OAK | trade | After a few years of bouncing around from bullpen to bullpen, Chavez stepped into the spotlight when he jumped into the A's roation in 2014 and posted a 3.45 ERA with a 136:52 K:BB over 146 innings. Unfortunately, few people realized his age and the amount of mileage that was already on his arm, so when they drafted him in 2015, they were taken aback by his inability to build off his previous season's success. He wasn't a bad guy to own, but after a hot start, he cooled off much quicker than he did the year before. The 32-year-old now heads to Toronto where most pitchers go to die. He does not appear to be someone you're going to want to target this season as pitching in the Rogers Centre can be deadly to one's ratios. |
| Johnny Cueto | SF | KC | free agency | Fantasy owners couldn’t have asked for a better situation for Cueto who left the World Champion Kansas City Royals to sign a six-year, $130 million deal with the Giants. Even just a cursory glance at his splits last season will show you the American League was not where he belonged as he posted a 4.76 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP over 81 1/3 innings with the Royals after recording a 2.62 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP over 130 2/3 innings with the Reds. He also saw his strikeout rate drop and his walks increase during his time in the AL. Now back in the National League and, for the first time, calling a pitcher's haven his home, Cueto should see his numbers regress to the mean. He'll challenge hitters the way he did while with the Reds, his strikeouts should increase and there shouldn't be any concerns over his diminishing ground ball rate as cold, damp air and cavernous dimensions of AT&T Park should help keep the ball in the yard. If he does regain that 2014 form, there's no reason to believe he can't compete for the Cy Young this year. |
| Roenis Elias | BOS | SEA | trade | The 27-year-old southpaw will leave pitcher-friendly Safeco Field and join the big, bad AL East and serve up his mid-level offerings in a much more hitter-friendly environment in 2016. He doesn't possess overpowering stuff as his fastball routinely sits in the low-90's, so he relies a fair amount on deception with his curveball and 85 mph changeup. His numbers over the last two seasons haven't exactly been dazzling as he's posted a 3.97 ERA with strikeout and walk rates slightly below league average. Still, the Red Sox are planning on rolling him out every five games as their No. 4 starter. AL-only leaguers should give him late-round consideration in their drafts, but he can likely be left to the waiver wire in mixed league play. |
| Zack Greinke | ARI | LAD | free agency | While David Price saw the larger total this offseason, it was Greinke who stole the per annum show with his six-year, $206 million deal. He may have lost a little off the strikeout rate in 2015, but everything else he did was spot on as he finished with a ridiculously impressive 1.66 ERA, a 5.00 K/BB, a higher strand rate and fewer home runs allowed. It should be interesting to see how the ballpark factors affect his overall performance, but don't think that Chase Field is just going to ruin him. In fact, over his last six starts at Chase, he's 6-0 with a ridiculous 0.65 ERA with a 41:7 K:BB ovder 41 1/3 innings. Consider him one of the elite starters out there once again and expect him to be worth every penny of that early-round draft pick. |
| J.A. Happ | TOR | PIT | free agency | It has to boggle the mind when an American League club throws a three-year , $36 million deal at a guy who, after four and a half years of getting pounded by AL hitters, posts one good half-season in a pitcher-friendly NL ballpark under the guidance of pitching guru Ray Searage. But that's exactly what the Blue Jays did when they brought back Happ who posted a 1.85 ERA over 63 1/3 innings for the Pirates late last season. The strikeout rate is average at best, the command is okay but not great and he pitches to a fair amount of contact. Prior to last season, he also had a bit of an issue with the long ball. This trip back to Toronto is not going to end well. It won't end well for Happ, it won't end well for the Jays and it certainly won't end well for those fantasy owners who don't dig deep enough into the guy's 2015 totals. |
| Jeremy Hellickson | PHI | ARI | trade | In what was really his first full season back from a major elbow issue that saw him miss the entire first half of the 2014 season, Hellickson still threw just 143 innings due to a variety of ailments, none of which were really related to his orginial elbow problem. He finished the year with a 4.62 ERA, a diminished 7.43 K/9 and a penchant for giving up the long ball, leaving many to question if he's ever going to be more than just a mediocre fourth or fifth starter. The move to Philadelphia doesn't seem to favor him all that much though the ballpark shift from Chase to Citizens is fairly minimal. He should slot into their rotation but you should save your ratios a steady beating all year and look elsewhere. |
| Liam Hendriks | OAK | TOR | trade | He was groomed as a starter throughout his years in the Twins organization and failed virtually every time the club brought him up to the big stage. He bounced between the Royals and Blue Jays in 2014 with much of the same results, but last season when the Jays kept him exclusively as a reliever, he immediately turned into one of the most trustworthy arms in the game. He picked up almost 3 mph on his fastball and increased the use of his slider which pushed his ground ball rate up to career-high 46.3-percent. The results were astounding as a he posted a 2.92 ERA (2.14 FIP) with a 71:12 K:BB over 64 2/3 innings. He now takes his game to pitcher-friendly Oakland where he will join a very heavy right-handed bullpen. If you're in a league that counts holds or you like to supplement your strikeouts with relievers, Hendriks could be one to watch so long as he continues to build off 2015 and not return to any form prior to that. |
| Scott Kazmir | LAD | HOU | free agency | The 31-year-old lefty looked like a new man when he was with the A's in 2014 and then a bona fide ace when he kicked off the 2015 season with them. But with Oakland rebuilding, he was dealt to the contending Astros and the wheels seemed to fall off the wagon as he went from a 2.38 ERA over 109 2/3 innings with the A's to a 4.17 over just 73 1/3 innings in Houston. The move back to a more pitcher-friendly park such as Chavez Ravine should do him well and the change to the National League is also likely to give him a boost in strikeouts. In fact, for his career, he actually has 185 strikeouts over 165 interleague innings which is a significant jump from his career average. So long as he remains healthy, he should prove to be a solid No. 3 fantasy starter with the potential to be a borderline No. 2. |
| Casey Kelly | ATL | SD | trade | Prior to Tommy John surgery in 2013, Kelly was considered a decent prospect with a low-90's fastball and killer ground ball rates. Following his recovery, he was able to maintain his velocity, but obviously wasn't inducing as many grounders given the reduction in use of his slider and curveball. He was still struggling through command issues last year and while he's being given the opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation, he seems to be more of a long shot at the moment. Even if he does manage to grab one of the last spots, his weak strikeout rate makes him less of an appealing option for fantasy purposes. |
| John Lackey | CHC | STL | free agency | While it's going to be extremely difficult to duplicate last year's 2.77 ERA, the Cubs are still getting a huge asset here and fantasy owners should be targeting him in the middle rounds of their drafts. The 37-year-old righthander will slot in perfectly as the No. 3 starter behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester and should provide a stable mid-3.00's ERA with a respectable strikeout rate that sits between 19 and 20 percent. Given the Cubs' vast improvement as a team, he should see plenty of run support and provide fantasy owners with numbers you'd like to see from a third or fourth fantasy starter. |
| Mike Leake | STL | SF | free agency | Leake is very much your consummate No. 4 starter on most teams. Maybe even a No. 3 if the rotation is lacking. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but does a good job of mixing up all five pitches in his arsenal and maintaining an ERA that hovers between 3.50 and 4.00. His 50.2-percent ground ball rate helps to keep his ratios down, but he has had some troubles with the long ball and he's really not someone to turn to if you're in need of strikeouts. Still, in a park that plays relatively neutral, he should do reasonably well and won't see much in the way of pressure as he will be the No. 4 guy in the Cardinals rotation. He'll be good for NL-only leaguers as he won't cost much to acquire and could even be a decent asset in deeper mixed leagues. |
| Kyle Lobstein | PIT | DET | trade | For those fantasy owners who love to track pitching coach Ray Searage's latest projects, you've got a number of hurlers to monitor this spring, including Lobstein, a 26-year-old southpaw who has now had his second taste of the big leagues and looking to make more of a lasting impression with his new team. His fast ball makes Mark Buehrle look like Aroldis Chapman at times, but he does have a four-pitch arsenal which, if used properly can be trouble for over-aggressive hitters. The strikeout rate has been unimpressive but could see a slight uptick, not just from the switch in leagues, but also from Searage's guidance. He's definitely off most people's radar, so keep tabs on him this spring and see how things shake out in the Pirates rotation. |
| Wade Miley | SEA | BOS | trade | It was another tough season for Miley who always appears to have the skill set to succeed but just doesn't seem to be able to put it together on a regular basis. He did show some improvement with a reduced walk rate and fewer home runs allowed, but the move to the AL helped surpress his K/9 and his BABIP staying up at .307 for the season helped jack his ERA up to a place no fantasy owner wants to see his pitcher go. The move to Safeco Field should help neutralize the continued drop in his ground ball rate and could end up being a nice help to his ratios as well. He could make for a nice late-round flier, but if you want to leave him for the waiver wire, make sure you keep an eye on his peripherals. |
| Shelby Miller | ARI | ATL | trade | While some might find it odd that a team rebeuilding, such as the Braves, would trade away a promising 25-year-old pitcher, but apparently the Braves learned what the Cardinals already found out the year before -- without that curve ball, he's pretty much a two-pitch pitcher and hitters eventually catch on to him. You saw it in 2014 when his strikeout rate took a significant drop and while that rate improved in 2015 thanks to an increased use of his cutter, the hitters caught up to him and went off on him in the second half. Perhaps the Diamondbacks see something in Miller the other clubs didn't, but if he doesn't get that third pitch working, he's going to have problems once again. Look for him to start out hot again this season, but track his pitch mix through the first half. If it's all fastball and cutter again, you'll want to sell as high as you can. |
| Charlie Morton | PHI | PIT | trade | After two solid years of working with pitching guru Ray Searage it looked like the magic wore off last season as Morton, still hindered throughout the year with minor injuries, posted a disappointing 4.81 ERA (4.17 FIP) despite an impressive 57.3-percent ground ball rate. He now takes his act over to Philadelphia where it's difficult to see things getting much better for the 32-year-old righthander. While ballpark factors don't usually hurt ground-ball specialists, Morton's 14.9-percent HR/FB could get a little out of hand in the hitter-friendly confines of Citizen's Bank Ballpark. He should lock down a rotation spot this spring, but he's going to be a low-end option at best and, more than likely, only useful in NL-only play. |
| Jon Niese | PIT | NYM | trade | What's the best way to help a 29-year-old lefty with a middling ERA and diminishing strikeout rate? Send him to Pittsburgh and let pitching guru Ray Searage get his hands on him. While some of his mound implosions are what most folks remember, you might be surprised to see that he's got a career 3.91 ERA with a 50-percent ground ball rate. He's not a big strikeout guy, but with the right guidance, he can certainly become a reliable No. 3 or 4 starter for some teams and a decent contributor for fantasy rotations as well. Without overpowering stuff, Niese can still be an effective hurler if he learns to trust himself and out-think the hitters. He won't be someone you need to target, but he could be a worthwhile last-round flier or early-season waiver add depending on his work this spring. |
| Bud Norris | ATL | BAL | free agency | Norris was relegated to the Orioles' bullpen to open the season in 2015 and proved exactly why when he posted a 7.06 ERA with a less-than-appetizing 50:25 over 66 1/3 innings. Baltimore dealt him to San Diego at the deadline and his struggles continued with an ERA above 5.00 the rest of the way. Once a promising arm who was even, at one point, being considered as a potential closer, Norris is likely nothing more than middle-relief/spot-start/mop-up duty material. |
| Brett Oberholtzer | PHI | HOU | trade | While the list of candidates for the Phillies 2016 rotation isn’t exactly riddled with quality names, it would be a surprise to see the 26-year-old southpaw land a job in the starting five. His career 3.94 ERA gets a little more tolerable if his 48-percent ground ball rate from 2015 was actually sustainable, but with a well below-average strikeout rate, he gets himself into trouble by pitching to so much contact. Even if he were to land a job in the rotation, he is far too much of a risk in fantasy leagues. You could tolerate the anticipated ERA increase if there was a healthy strikeout rate involved, but since there isn't, he is not a name you're going to want to roster. |
| Mike Pelfrey | DET | MIN | free agency | It's astounding that this guy continues to get work in the majors, given the overall numbers and lack of success. He failed to offer much of anything to the Mets, he was equally disappointing with the Twins and now the Tigers are ponying up $16 million for two years. His ratios can be an adventure, he doesn't strike anyone out and it's yet to be proven that anyone who has ever owned him has won their fantasy league's championship. And while some may turn and say the change of scenery and the pitcher-friendly ballpark will help him, but remember, that's what those knuckleheads believed when he was in Minnesota. |
| Yusmeiro Petit | WAS | SF | free agency | Though used nearly exclusively as a reliever last season, Petit did a really nice job as the Giants swingman for the past few years. He always seemed to come through in the clutch when called upon and he always managed to maintain strong ratios. Unfortunately though, last season seemed to be the year where things a began to unravel. His strikeout rate dropped significantly, the walks increase, the home runs allowed grew and his ground ball rate dipped as well. The Nationals will hope the down year was just that and he'll be able to rebound nicely as he works out of their bullpen. With a below-average strikeout rate, he doesn't hold much in the way of fantasy value as a reliever, but if he slots back into that swingman role and gets a few spot starts, he could be a nice waiver add once again. |
| Drew Pomeranz | SD | OAK | trade | The once-promising arm of the 27-year-old lefty has suffered through injuries and misuses over the years but after a two-year recovery stint in Oakland where he was used both in the rotation and the bullpen, Pomeranz will get a "clean" slate and be given an opportunity to land a spot in the back-end of the Padres starting five. His velocity hasn't changed but he has seen a nice uptick in strikeouts and has a 8.42 K/9 during his time spent with the A's. If he can maintain his command and continue to keep runners off base, he could be a nice low-end NL-only oiption. Of course, given the innings he's logged in recent years, it would be odd to see him pitch more than 120 innings this season, which, of course, negatively impacts his fantasy value. |
| David Price | BOS | TOR | free agency | KA-BOOM! We all expected Price to command a big contract, but at the time of the signing, this was a deal of epic proportions. With Zack Greinke's signing in Arizona, though, this deal looks like a potential steal for the Sox. While the big lefty enjoyed some stellar years in Tampa Bay, his peripherals have actually improved over these last two seasons, most notably his strikeout and walk rates. Little should change this season in Boston. He's all too familiar with the AL East and if he can pitch successfully in Toronto, then the dimensions of Fenway Park, a stadium in which he's posted a 1.54 ERA over his last four starts, shouldn't even be of remote concern. Expect another year of big wins, big strikeouts and microscopic ratios. |
| Vincent Velasquez | PHI | HOU | trade | After dominating in the minors, the 23-year-old righthander got his first crack at major league hitting last season and proved to be as promising as advertised. His mid 90's fastball looked strong, but he did struggle with his secondary offerings and left a number of sliders and curveballs up in the zone for hitters to jump on. He mainatined a near double-digit K/9, but with a weak ground ball rate and some spotty command issues, he was found to be a little on the hittable side which sent him into high pitch counts, shorter outings and too many runs crossing the plate. It's tough to say that a move to Philadelphia will help or hinder him as he still has a bit of a ways to go before he fully harnesses all of that raw talent. Expect the team to give him a crack at a rotation spot this spring, but don't be surprised if he opens in Triple-A once again with an eye on a mid-season call-up. |
| Ryan Vogelsong | PIT | SF | free agency | Try as he might, Vogelsong has not been able to recapture the magic he had on the hill throughout the 2012 season and his numbers over the last three seasons have been very much on the uninspiring side. He's been able to maintain his strikeout rate, but his command has been spotty and he's been serving up the long ball a little more often. He'll now head back to Pittsburgh and see if he can get a little guidance from pitching expert Ray Searage who gets yet another reclamation project to play with in 2016. He's currently penciled in as the sixth starter, but could end up holding that last rotation spot should rookie Tyler Glasnow not prove ready during the spring. He's probably better suited for NL-only play at this point, but if Searage can even remotely get him closer to his 2012 form, he could pick up nice value in deeper mixed leagues. |
| Adam Warren | CHC | NYY | trade | Warren proved to be a solid asset in the Yankees bullpen as he hovered in middle relief most of the time but was able to perform at a high level when summoned for spot-start duty as well. His 7.13 K/9 last season was slightly below league average but his overall command was strong as he kept the walks to a minimum and maintained a 3.29 ERA over 131 1/3 innings. He'll hold down a job in the Cubs bullpen this year and could increase in value should he end up a swingman in their bullpen. With the back-end of the rotation looking a bit sketchy, Warren just may be able to grab some early starts and impress. |
| Jordan Zimmermann | DET | WAS | free agency | The 2015 season was a tough one for Zimmermann as he endured numerous trade rumors, a dip in velocity, a diminishing strikeout rate and an increase in home runs allowed. He still managed to post a 3.66 ERA, but it was clear that he was struggling. He'll get a fresh start now in Detroit who gave him, not only a five-year, $110 million deal, but a full no-trade clause as well. The dimensions of Comerica Park should help offset the difficulty most NL pitchers have when they cross over to the AL and he should be able to continue posting solid ratios. Don't expect a return to the 8.20 K/9 he posted back in 2014 as he now faces a DH instead of a pitcher, but you can still consider him a solid No. 3 starter for your fantasy team. |
Relief Pitchers
| Player | New Team | Old Team | How Acquired | Comments |
| Joaquin Benoit | SEA | SD | trade | After closing out the 2014 season as the Padres closer, there were high expectations for Benoit last season. Unfortunately, those expectations were shattered by a very late-spring deal that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Padres and pushed Benoit back into his set-up role. He still posted a 2.34 ERA over 65 1/3 innings, but his strikeout rate took a major dip (from over a 10.00 K/9 to below 9.00) and he was walking a few too many as well. It was a strange season for all things Padre last year, so perhaps a fresh start and the closer's role in Seattle will help point him back in the right direction. |
| Rex Brothers | CHC | COL | trade | The one-time future closer for the Rockies has been a veritable disappointment over the years and his value has diminished greatly as a result of his injuries and struggles at the big league level. He'll slot into a set-up role with the Cubs if he can stay healthy and earn a spot with the Cubs bullpen, but as for overall fantasy value, the word "minimal" probably doesn't even do it justice. |
| Aroldis Chapman | NYY | CIN | trade | After the investigation over domestic violence issues nixed the trade that would have sent Chapman to the Dodgers, the Yankees moved in quickly and shipped off four prospects in exchange for the dominant left-hander. Despite the established presence of Andrew Miller and even Dellin Betances, the assumption is that Chapman will be their primary ninth-inning guy. That's not to say the other two won't find their way into a few save opportunities, but this is not a trio you want to put into a committee situation. Chapman's numbers are elite and while the personal problems should not be casually dismissed, they are unlikely to have any adverse effect on his abilities and fantasy owners should respect that. He remains a must-own in all formats. |
| Steve Cishek | SEA | STL | free agency | After back-to-back 30-plus save seasons for Cishek, the now 29-year-old right-hander struggled to maintain his prowess in the Marlins bullpen last year and was bumped from the job late in the first half. His struggles continued in middle relief and the strikeout rate took a nasty turn for the worse while his walk rate, ERA and home runs allowed found themselves headed north as well. He was dealt to the Cardinals at the deadline and began to improve as he posted a 2.31 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings. The free passes continued, though, which is probably one of the reasons it was so easy for the Cardinals not to try re-signing him. He'll head the the American League which is always a tough transition, but the fact that he now calls pitcher-friendly Safeco Field home, he should have a slightly easier time making the move. He will likely battle with Joaquin Benoit for the closer's role this spring, but keep in mind that even if he wins the battle, he could be on a fairly short leash. |
| Ken Giles | HOU | PHI | trade | With the Phillies attempting a rebuild, the thought process was to get some value for Giles now rather than have him waste away as the closer for a team likely headed nowhere for at least the next few seasons. The Astros, whose bullpen let them down last year, ponied up the necessary prospects and will now use the 25-year-old right-hander in the ninth while pushing former closer Luke Gregerson back into a set-up role, a job in which he is much more comfortable. The fantasy world had been waiting on Giles for almost a full year, just itching for the day the Phillies traded Jonathan Papelbon, and he certainly didn't disappoint as he finished last season as the closer and posted a 1.80 ERA and 11.19 K/9 over 70 innings. The strikeout rate took a slight dip and the walk rate jumped a tad, but each change was negligible in the grand scheme of things as the rest of his peripherals remained just as tasty as before. He'll be a hot commodity on Draft Day this season, for sure, so just make sure you're not reaching too high. |
| Jim Johnson | ATL | LAD | free agency | Johnson is certainly an old face, but Atlanta isn't really much of a new place for him. After a dismal 2014 with Oakland and Detroit, Johnson signed with the Braves to work as a set-up man and when Jason Grilli went down with an injury, it was Johnson who stepped in as the closer. He was then shipped off to the Dodgers at the trade deadline where he ultimately finished the year with a 4.46 ERA with a 50:20 K:BB over 66 2/3 innings. The numbers weren't great but there was a marked improvement over his dismal 2014 campaign. He signed on with Atlanta in the offseason again where he will work as a set-up man once more. There's minimal value here for fantasy purposes, but given his experience, should the Braves need someone to fill in as a temporary closer, Johnson could be called upon in a pinch. |
| Shawn Kelley | WAS | SD | free agency | The Nationals got themselves a real solid set-up man when they signed Kelley to a three-year deal. He's proven to be more than capable of maintaining a strong double-digit K/9, keeping free passes to a minimum and, after last season's 2.54 ERA over 51 1/3 innings, keeping runs off the board. The move from Petco won't hurt as Nationals Park plays neutral enough that his lack of a strong ground ball rate won't matter much at all. He'll likely live in the seventh inning for the most part, but with the trade of Drew Storen, Kelley should become the primary eighth-inning guy which is always nice for holds. |
| Craig Kimbrel | BOS | SD | trade | After spending last season with an injured Koji Uehara and little else to help solidify the ninth inning, the Red Sox raided their prospect coffers and sent a four-player package to the Padres in exchange for Kimbrel, arguably the No. 1 closer in the game over the last several years. He seemed to get tagged by the long ball a bit more often last year but he still maintained a 13.20 K/9, his usual peripherals as well as his 97 mph fastball velocity. Unless there's some major injury, there's no reason to believe he can't continue to be one of the elites in the ninth inning. |
| Jason Motte | COL | CHC | free agency | Considering the Tommy John surgery at such a late age (he was 31 when he had the prcedure), Motte posted a fairly nice 2015 season, his first and only with the Cubs. He had a 3.91 ERA but saw a slight uptick in his strikeout rate as well as a reduction in both walks and home runs allowed. It wasn't like the numbers were eye-popping in any way, but they were more reassuring that the surgery was a success and he was steadily recovering and getting back to his game. That translated into a two-year, $10 million deal from the Rockies and while Motte should find himself in a spring battle for the closer's role, the new home park could prove to be a big problem for the right-hander and his 47.1-percent fly-ball rate from last year. Given the rest of the arms in the Rockies pen right now, Motte should have a good chance at some saves for them, but given the typical volatility with the position and the wealth of new bullpen arms, he could lose the job as quickly as he "earned" it. |
| Juan Nicasio | PIT | LAD | free agency | He was, at one time, considered a solid prospect with mid-90's heat and an electric arm, Nicasio succumbed to injuries regularly and never reached that point where the Rockies could trust him as a regular in their rotation. They finally gave up on him and allowed the Dodgers to swoop in and give him a try out of their bullpen. He posted a 3.86 ERA (2.83 FIP) over 58 1/3 innings, but what was most impressive was the return of velocity and a 10.03 K/9. The Dodgers let him walk via free agency and the Pirates, with pitching guru Rich Searage at the helm, brought him in on a one-year deal. Nicasio will likely pitch out of the bullpen still, but if Searage sees that he can do more with the 29-year old righthander, he may just give him a try. |
| Oliver Perez | WAS | SEA | free agency | Mention the 34-year-old southpaw's name to any fantasy player and you'll get them to shudder each and every time. He's actually not that bad and has rejuvenated his career as a set-up man in recent seasons, but the fact remains that his 4.17 ERA last year is probably a little more in-line with what to expect from him rather than the 2.91 ERA he posted in 2014. He's been a solid source for strikeouts as far as relievers go and the return to the National League should prove to be a boost for him overall. If it weren't for the fact that both Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen are sitting on the roster, there may have even been an outside chance for a save or two if he was needed. |
| Chad Qualls | COL | HOU | free agency | While the overall numbers aren't the least bit inspiring, the 37-year-old right-hander continues to land contracts thanks to his career 57.2-percent ground ball rate. The ability to induce double-play ground balls seems to be Qualls' bread and butter these days and he does have the ability to serve as a part-time, emergency-based closer. The immediate flinch is Colorado and Qualls' spike in HR/FB last season, but the heavy ground ball rate should neutralize most of that. If he wins the closer's job in Colorado, he'll have value in fantasy, but if he sits in middle-relief, he can be left to the waiver wire. |
| Francisco Rodriguez | DET | MIL | trade | The bullpen has long been an issue for the Tigers so they opted to go out early in the offseason and make a move for an established closer in K-Rod. Even at 33 years old, he was posting All-Star caliber numbers in the Milwaukee bullpen as he finished 2015 with 38 saves, a 2.11 ERA and a 62:11 K:BB over 57 innings. His velocity did take a slight dip last year, so that should obviously be of some concern when you're deciding, but should he have himself a strong spring, you can probably feel comfortable with drafting him in the middle to later rounds for your fantasy bullpen. |
| Carson Smith | BOS | SEA | trade | The Red Sox did a really nice job of revamping their bullpen during the offseason and the addition of a big-time arm in Smith should do an outstanding job of bridging the gap from starter to closer. He did a nice job as a short-term closing option for the Mariners last season, but with the acquisition of Craig Kimbrel, the Sox will utilize that strikeout-laden right arm to work as a shutdown reliever in the seventh and eigth innings. Smith's fantasy value will be limited to those in leagues which count holds, but considering his 11.72 K/9 over his last 78 1/3 innings, he could be a nice strikeout supplement in leagues which allow daily roster adjustments. |
| Joakim Soria | KC | DET | free agency | Who says you can't come home again? After a second Tommy John surgery and three years spent between Texas, Detroit and Pittsburgh, Soria is returning to Kansas City on a three-year deal. The fact that his return is coming on the heels of a season in which former closer Greg Holland was lost to a Tommy John procedure of his own should not be lost, however, it seems unlikely that Soria will unseat incumbent closer Wade Davis. Look for Soria, who finished last year with 24 saves, a 2.53 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings, to slot in as the primary set-up man and should Davis need time off from the closer's role, be available to fill in. |
| Allen Webster | PIT | ARI | trade | Once a heralded prospect within the Dodgers (and then Red Sox) system, Webster has been unable to translate some of his minor league success to the majors. His strikeout rate dropped significantly and his inability to limit the long ball basically ran him out of the starting pitching world. He has since tried to make his bones as a reliever with little to no success which is now why the Pirates will gift him and his four-pitch arsenal to pitching guru Ray Searage who has been credited with fixing the likes of A.J. Burnett, Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano. Webster will likely be used as a right-handed arm out of the pen and if he can actually be fixed, he could see some work as a swingman. The overall fantasy value, though, is limited to deep NL-only leagues. |
| Tom Wilhelmsen | TEX | SEA | trade | For Wilhelmsen, 2015 was a tale of two pitchers. He posted just a 4.68 ERA over the first half of the season but offered a 10.08 K/9 giving him a little bit of value in deeper fantasy leagues. In the second half, that strikeout rate diminished, but he not only posted a 2.19 ERA, he also returned to the closer's role and tallied 13 saves, making him a fantastic waiver claim for those in search of saves. He'll slot in behind Shawn Tolleson this spring, but offers the team solid insurance should Tolleson struggle. |