That sound you hear is the 2022 fantasy baseball season knocking on your door. Oh baby! We are officially one week away from MLB Opening Day and the excitement level couldn’t be higher. The MLB lockout is a thing of the past and while a select few may still harbor a grudge, the number of fantasy baseball drafts taking place this weekend tells a much better story of fans’ forgiveness.

Before we get to some of the 2022 spring training highlights, rumors and MLB injuries, allow me to tell you what is happening at Fantasy Alarm this weekend. We know how chaotic it can get on Draft Day, so we have taken steps to ensure that you have the best support system in the fantasy sports industry. You are not alone. 

First and foremost, all fantasy baseball content – from the 2022 fantasy baseball player rankings to the Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Cheat Sheet to our 2022 fantasy baseball projections – will be updated. Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide articles like Top 20 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers and Catchers You Must Draft will also be swept through for updates. The team is hard at work as we speak.

We are also going to ensure that a variety of our analysts will be in the Fantasy Alarm Discord throughout the weekend. That means, if you’re in the middle of your fantasy baseball draft and you have a question, we will be here to answer it. We have provided you with all the tools to succeed, but if you get stuck, we’ll be here. Not in a “I’m on the clock and need to decide between these three players within 60 seconds,” kind of way. What would be the purpose of playing if you aren’t going to draft your own players. But we’ll be here to guide you through your draft to ensure you are making the right decisions for your team in the long run. Pretty sure I’ll be in there from 10am to 4pm ET on Saturday and then again from 10am to 2pm ET on Sunday.

Sound good? Great. Now let’s hit the latest fantasy baseball news.

 

 

MLB Rumors:

 

San Diego Padres Showing Interest in Pittsburgh Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds

 

 

We all love the rumor mill, right? Especially when it involves a player who can make an impact on your fantasy team. Reynolds put together a fantastic year last year, slashing .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs and 90 RBI. Ideally, you’d like to see him have more than five stolen bases, but we’re still pretty happy with him as a four-category contributor. Padres GM A.J. Preller is known to be a wheeler-dealer and Reynolds would certainly be an upgrade to any of the outfield spots in San Diego, so if something does happen (we’re hearing Chris Paddack and Ryan Weathers) we’ll get it this weekend before the season starts. It won’t vault Reynolds up the rankings really, but the potential for an uptick in runs scored and/or RBI would certainly be welcomed. 

What More Could the Toronto Blue Jays Need?

Were you listening to Wednesday’s Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio? It sounded to me like Jim Bowden has heard some rumblings that maybe the rest of the world hasn’t quite heard yet. When asked about the potential for the Blue Jays to acquire José Ramírez from the Cleveland Guardians, Bowden said no. well, he said ‘not yet.” If the Guardians trade Ramirez, it won’t be until the MLB trade deadline. However, he did sort of insinuate there was something else in the works. The Jays are in serious need of a left-handed bat, so pay strong attention to the latest MLB news all weekend. It feels like something is going to happen so be prepared. 

 

 

MLB Injuries

 

No Contract for Michael Conforto Due to Injury?

 

 

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times people have asked me and I have asked Jim Bowden, “why the heck does Conforto not have a job?” Obviously, I know his agent Scott Boras can make things difficult in negotiations, but this recent news that he suffered a shoulder injury back in January and opted to not resume negotiations until he was back to 100-percent is pretty eye-opening. Given the fact that the MLB season opens in just seven days and a number of teams are looking at holes in their outfield, Conforto could land somewhere pretty quickly. Didn’t I just say the jays needed a lefty bat? Would the Padres consider him instead of a deal for Reynolds? This is fixing to be one heck of a weekend for Major League Baseball. 

Toronto Blue Jays Closer Jordan Romano Suffers Mild Ankle Sprain

 

 

The team is downplaying it and manager Charlie Montoyo said he still expects Romano to be ready for Opening Day. Apparently, the right-hander slipped while walking his dog and just twisted it up a bit. Expect Romano to be sidelined for a day or two while he rests his ankle, but there is no need to panic and look past him if you need a closer in your draft. It was very encouraging to see the Jays build around Romano in the bullpen rather than bring in someone to replace him in the ninth. The talent is there and apparently so is the job security.

Boston Red Sox Hoping for Good News from Chris Sale’s MRI on Thursday

 

 

This is just a follow-up exam for the big lefty. What they are looking for here is how the rib fracture is healing and if everything is on-schedule, Sale could resume his throwing program as early as next week. He’s been out for two weeks so far and is expected to be out for the duration of April, opening the season on the injured list. However, if the results from this MRI are positive and he doesn’t incur any setbacks, we could see Sale on the mound for Boston by mid-May. His current ADP sits just outside the top 100 right now and that’s probably a good safe spot to get him. Watch how he slides in drafts, but don’t be afraid to make the investment, especially if your league has unlimited IL spots.

 

 

2022 Spring Training Updates:

 

C.J. Abrams Continues to Impress the San Diego Padres

The injury to Fernando Tatis Jr. has caused the Padres to make a few adjustments to their infield and while Ha-Seong Kim is expected to fill in for the injured All-Star at shortstop, Abrams is making a strong pitch to stay up with the big club. Through 23 spring at-bats, Abrams, a top prospect in the system, is slashing .304/.333/.565 with two home runs, three RBI and a stolen base. The team already sent Eguy Rosario down to Triple-A which means the final roster spot for the Padres will likely go to a player not on the 40-man roster. Yes, that could mean an outsider, as we noted above in the MLB Rumors section, but if Preller doesn’t add another bat, Abrams could receive an early call.  

Zac Gallen Makes Strong Debut for Arizona Diamondbacks

 

 

If you were a Fantasy Alarm listener/subscriber last season then you would have heard all the great things Jim and I had to say about Gallen. After two years of impressive work, we expected him to elevate his game in his third season. In his second year, he was able to improve his command and control during the 2020 pandemic while maintaining his strikeouts, something you don’t often see with a young hurler, so expectations in 2021 were high. Unfortunately, a fractured forearm put him on the shelf early and while he managed to throw 120 innings, he wasn’t the pitcher we had originally expected to see as he worked his way back. We are hoping that changes this year, though wins could be tough to come by given Arizona’s overall team. Let people overreact to last year’s ERA spike and you’ll get him for a bargain price.

Is Kansas City Royals Starter Carlos Hernández’ Rotation Spot in Jeopardy?

 

 

While you never want to overreact to a bad spring training, Hernandez could be in trouble right now after another poor outing in Cactus League play. The 25-year-old right-hander got beaten up for six runs (five earned) over just 2.2 innings Wednesday and has now allowed a total of nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits and one hit-batsman over just 4.2 innings. The Royals were looking to start the season with Hernandez in the rotation, but may now have to re-think that plan, especially since his previous appearances in the majors haven’t exactly gone well. Keep an eye on Daniel Lynch Jackson Kowar over the next few days. If either shows manager Mike Matheny that they are more ready than Hernandez, we could see a shift in the starting rotation.

Nick Lodolo Still in the Rotation Mix for the Cincinnati Reds

During Wednesday’s Round Up, we discussed the announcement that Hunter Greene earned the fourth-starter’s spot in the Reds rotation and what that could mean for the Reds with the new CBA. If you missed it and don’t understand what some of the changes made for rookies, it’s simple – teams can earn extra draft picks, and good draft picks at that, should their rookies finish in the top-three of Rookie of the Year voting. Greene is definitely capable of a strong season which would help the Reds on numerous levels. Well, don’t count out Lodolo, the big lefty we actually thought might push past Greene on the Opening Day roster. Lodolo has looked impressive this spring, allowing just one run on five hits with a 9:1 K:BB ratio across 7.1 innings (three appearances, two starts) and is still very much in the running for the fifth spot in the rotation. With injuries to Luis Castillo and Mike Minor, the door is open.

 

 

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