Jameson Tailon Returns to Mound: Pirates starting pitching prospect Jameson Tailon will make his triumphant return to the mound after missing the entirety of 2013 and 2014 due to elbow and hernia surgeries. Ranked the 15th best overall prospect by MLB.com prior to the 2013 season, the 6'6 right-hander features a 96 mph fastball and a knee-buckling curveball that MLB.com graded as a "plus" offering. In his 2013 season with AA Altoona, Tailon maintained a 3.67 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over 110.1 innings. He struck out 106 batters and issued 2.94 BB/9. The right-hander posted similar ratios in 37 innings that year with AAA Indianapolis. Expected to open 2016 in the Indianapolis rotation, Tailon will likely be on an innings limit this year. If he is quick to shake off the rust in AAA, Tailon may see some time in the big leagues. - as of Thu, 03 Mar 2016 09:40:46

Jung-ho Kang to Ramp Up Rehab: According to Pirates beat-writer Rob Biertempfel, Jung-ho Kang will ramp up "baseball activities" this week. Unfortunately, baserunning is still not part of the plan. The victim of a take-out slide, Kang suffered a broken leg and damaged lateral meniscus in September of last year. It sounds like the Pittsburgh third baseman still has some work to do before getting back on the field. Expected to return by the end of April, Kang will be a nice value pick for owners who can stash him. - as of Thu, 03 Mar 2016 08:30:22

Jung-ho Kang to Ramp Up Rehab: According to Pirates beat-writer Rob Biertempfel, Jung-ho Kang will ramp up "baseball activities" this week. Unfortunately, baserunning is still not part of the plan. The victim of a take-out slide, Kang suffered a broken leg and damaged lateral meniscus in September of last year. It sounds like the Pittsburgh third baseman still has some work to do before getting back on the field. Expected to return by the end of April, Kang will be a nice value pick for owners who can stash him. - as of Thu, 03 Mar 2016 08:30:17

Jarrod Dyson Injures Right Oblique in First Spring Training Game: Kansas City expected Jarrod Dyson to take over right field in 2016. That's probably still the plan, but the team is going to have to wait for at least two weeks or possibly more for him to take the field again. He apparently strained his right oblique during his first at-bat of his first Spring Training game, which was against Texas in Surprise, Ariz. The results of his MRI are expected on March 3. Dyson, who was already ranked low among outfielders in our rankings, is still a wait-and-see player. Monitor his injury before even thinking about drafting him. - as of Wed, 02 Mar 2016 20:52:11

Francisco Cervelli Homers: Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli blasted a solo homerun in the first inning Tuesday off Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd. Hitting second in Pittsburgh's lineup, Cervelli went 1 for 3 before being replaced by Elias Diaz. No stranger to spring training homeruns, Cervelli has tallied four round-trippers in each of his previous two Grapefruit League campaigns. Coming off the career-high seven dingers he launched in 2015, the Pittsburgh backstop likely will not suddenly discover a power stroke. Cervelli's fantasy relevance will be a result of his high batting average and on-base percentage. - as of Wed, 02 Mar 2016 17:14:39

Jordy Mercer Goes Deep: Shortstop Jordy Mercer kicked off Pittsburgh's first spring training game by going 2 for 3 with a solo homerun. The bomb was hit off Tigers' pitcher Kyle Ryan, a left-hander whose fastball averaged 88.4 mph last year. Expected to see significant playing time this year, Mercer cracked 12 HRs in 2014 and slugged .435 in 2013. The Pittsburgh shortstop will have difficulty matching those numbers but may offer value in NL-only leagues. - as of Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:36:34

Salvador Perez Signs Contract Extension With Royals: Royals fans can breathe a bit easier: Salvador Perez will be with Kansas City through 2021. His five-year extension is worth $52.5 million. Now that the contract negotiations are out of the way and any concerns about him walking after the 2017 season are gone, maybe Perez can have a year that bumps him up a Tier ranking or two, especially if his power and RBI numbers continue to rise. '16 looks promising for both Perez and fantasy fans who draft him. - as of Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:14:01

Gerrit Cole Signs Contract: Gerrit Cole and the Pirates agreed to a $541,000 contract for the 2016 season. Still not arbitration eligible, Cole was upset by the Pirates' initial offer of $538,000, which was less than the $541,000 total the right-hander received in 2015. Cole commented on the situation, "They even threatened a salary reduction to the league minimum if I did not agree." Represented by Scott Boras, Cole will likely test the free agent market when eligible in 2020. Pirates GM Neal Huntington is not winning any good will with Cole by lowballing the star pitcher, but the dispute should not have any affect on the upcoming season. - as of Tue, 01 Mar 2016 14:06:40

Abraham Almonte's Suspension Costs Him A Starting Job and Fantasy Relevance: The Indians have announced that their projected starting center fielder Abraham Almonte has received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. Just like that, Almonte has now blown three starting gigs in three consecutive seasons, this latest before it even began. With Cleveland picking up Will Venable on a minor league contract, there now exists the possibility he returns to sit on the bench, if he is even allowed back on the team. Barring unforeseen injury or performance issues by the other outfielders, Almonte is unlike to regain his starting position upon reinstatement and should be avoided in all leagues. - as of Mon, 29 Feb 2016 20:03:18

Socrates Brito Hoping To Make Team In 2016: As of this writing, Manager Chip Hale has not ruled out the possibility of Brito beating out Yasmany Tomas for the starting job in left field. The Diamondbacks love this kid, and apparently even enough to see if he can beat out their big Cuban acquisition from 2015. He is described as showing a lot of maturity, particularly in how well he runs the bases. When he was called up in September last season, Brito hit .303 with five runs scored and a stolen base. There is a very real chance that the youngster can make the team, and if he does he will become fantasy relevant in most leagues. Keep your eyes peeled. - as of Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:56:22

Brandon Drury Ready For The Show In 2016?: Brandon Drury had a nice showing in September when the Diamondbacks gave him a cup of coffee. Drury actually almost made the team out of spring training but was ultimately sent back down to Double-A. In 56 AB with the big league club, Drury went yard twice and hit three doubles. The question now becomes, can he win a starting job in 2016? If he does, it would be at second base in all likelihood and that actually adds to his value. A second baseman who can hit for average and power? Sign me up. - as of Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:21:43

Nick Ahmed More Than A Glove?: Nick Ahmed got the starting shortstop job for the Diamondbacks last season on the strength of his defensive prowess. However, he actually showed he can hold his own at the plate. He wasn't at a level where you'd feel comfortable starting him in standard sized leagues, but he came on strong in terms of hitting 31 extra base hits after May 12th. He can run a little, and as a bottom of the order guy, that's really all you can ask for. With the addition of Jean Segura he's going to have to compete with Drury for the second base job in 2016 but, should he win the job, Ahmed could be worth a look in deep leagues. - as of Mon, 29 Feb 2016 17:51:29

Can Jake Lamb Put Things Together In 2016?: In his rookie season, Jake Lamb looked like he was ready to make a big splash. He beat out Yasmany Tomas for the starting job at the hot corner, although given Tomas' ineptitude that was no great feat. Then Lamb hit .414 before succumbing to a foot injury. He was never quite the same after that, but the potential is still there going into 2016. He has hit for power in the minors, and playing at Chase Field should bring that out in the big leagues. A thing to keep an eye on is the role Brandon Drury will play, but for a late round pick in drafts Lamb is worth a flier. - as of Mon, 29 Feb 2016 17:34:21

Ian Desmond Signs One-Year, $8 Million Deal with Rangers: Ian Desmond will likely play left field for the Rangers, as Josh Hamilton will be out until May with a knee injury. The 30-year-old is coming off a 2015 season which saw him post his lowest home run total since 2011 (19), and the worst stolen base total of his career (13). While a move to Arlington could help reignite the power, it remains to be seen whether he will produce enough to be a fantasy-relevant outfielder. - as of Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:28:25

Tyler Clippard Set Up To Be DBacks' Setup Man: Tyler Clippard did not have a great 2015 campaign. His strikeout rate was down, and his flyball rate was up. In 2014 with the Nationals, Clippard had an impressive 10.5 K/9 ratio. However it fell to 8.8 in Oakland in 2015, and then after going to the Mets in the same season it fell to a pedestrian 7.2. Despite all this, he is still poised to be the setup man in Arizona in 2016. The hope here is that he can rack up some holds, and return to the form he displayed in Washington. The other thing to remember is that Brad Ziegler is not a sure thing to remain the closer, and Clippard would likely be the next player to get a crack at closing games for the snakes. So there is value here in leagues that value holds, and even as a stash in ones that don't in case he takes over as closer. - as of Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:04:01

Impending Suspension For Aroldis Chapman: Jon Heyman is reporting on Twitter that Aroldis Chapman will soon be facing a suspension related to his off-season domestic violence incident. This is following MLB putting Jose Reyes on paid leave until his domestic violence court case has been settled. One interesting wrinkle in Chapman's situation is that criminal charges were ultimately not filed. Chapman's girlfriend changed her testimony and no other witness would corroborate the initial claims, leaving prosecutors with little to work with. Under MLB's new domestic violence policy though, the commissioner has the power to punish a player, even if criminal charges are not filed. Any decisions made under this policy are subject to objection, and it seems a definite possibility that Chapman's camp would challenge any suspension on the lack of criminal charges alone. Being a closer on a team like the Yankees provides a closer plenty of saves opportunities. If Chapman misses one or two weeks' worth of games (be it at the start of the season or later in April), his owners will miss out on a bucket full of saves along with his usual strikeouts. While that will sting, it is unlikely to alter Chapman's draft value. Andrew Miller, the next reliever in line for saves in New York, will see his draft value inflate in proportion to the length of Chapman's suspension. - as of Fri, 26 Feb 2016 05:37:52

Watch Brandon Maurer's Spring Training Efforts Before Considering Drafting Him: Brandon Maurer had a decent 2015 season: He was 7-4 with a career-low 3.00 ERA. Not bad, huh? He got those numbers in only 51 innings, which doesn't show what he could do stretched as a starter for a whole season. His strikeout numbers haven't impressed, far less than one an inning. Since he came into the league in 2013, he's never thrown more than 90 innings and San Diego has him penciled as the No. 4 starter. Maurer will face competition from others like Carlos Villanueva and Phil Humber as the team brass tries to see who will stick around. Our writers aren't too sure about him either, on our list of Top 350 players, there were four players listed with the first name of "Brandon." He wasn't one of them. He is considered a reliever right now in our rankings and he was Tier 8. In other words, monitor him and only pick him in really deep leagues. - as of Thu, 25 Feb 2016 21:34:21

Jose Reyes Placed On Paid Leave, Return Unknown: In a move wildly speculated about all off-season, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has finally begun the discipline process with Jose Reyes. His first decision is that while Reyes waits for his off-season domestic violence case to be resolved, he will be on paid leave. This means no official baseball activities. After the legal process has played out, the Commissioner's Office will make a decision whether to impose further disciplinary actions against him or not. How hard Manfred will come down on Reyes is anyone's guess at this point. With a trial date set for April 4th, Reyes is guaranteed to miss the start of the season. As a first-time offender, the ceiling for his punishment will likely be similar to the suspension for a first-time drug test failure, which is in the range of 15 to 25 games. With no Spring Training, Reyes will likely need a couple weeks of tuneup before returning to Colorado, putting his possible return between May and June. The Rockies, for their part, have been mum on the topic of Reyes' place with the team. The team is currently holding auditions at shortstop between two utility-men (Daniel Descalso and Rafael Ynoa) and two prospects (Trevor Story and Cristhian Adames), all of whom Reyes could easily outperform under normal conditions. But these conditions are anything but normal. With the team quietly distancing themselves from Reyes, drafting him as anything other than a bench player with upside would be quite a reach. - as of Thu, 25 Feb 2016 21:09:51

Miguel Cabrera May Open 2016 At Third, Victor Martinez at First: Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus is contemplating employing an offensively-minded lineup during the team's opening interleague series in Miami (presumably longer if it is successful). This would see regular first baseman Miguel Cabrera return across the diamond to third base, regular DH Victor Martinez play first base (with regular third baseman Nick Castellanos moving to the bench), all contingent on Martinez's ability to handle first. With seven of the Tigers' nine interleague games occurring before May concludes, fantasy owners who play in leagues with low minimum position requirements could be in for a treat. Miggy gaining eligibility at the other corner infield spot would give his owners a little extra maneuverability throughout the season, a godsend when the unexpected injury hits. V-Mart having any sort of non-DH eligibility is a bigger deal though as he would no longer be pigeon-holed into a single lineup position, and for most of the season. In leagues where a DH is tied to the DH slot, suddenly Martinez can be used around the lineup, freeing up the ever-valuable DH slot. This move may be a tipping of the cards for Ausmus' plans for his lineup in 2016. Fantasy owners have to applaud a manager who is conscious of what is best for his team's offensive. - as of Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:55:54

Triceps Inflammation Threatens Anibal Sanchez's Spring Debut: During a mound session on Monday, Anibal Sanchez felt his right triceps flare up as he intensified his throwing. Since then, he has been pulled from all throwing activity and underwent an MRI exam, which revealed minor inflammation near the elbow. The team is saying that this injury, though on the same arm, is not related to last year's rotator cuff issue. If Sanchez's pain subsides, he'll be allowed to return to throwing on Monday. Before this news, Sanchez was a fantastic bounce back candidate. The team is stay cautiously optimistic about the situation, but fantasy owners are allowed to approach things with a bit less bias. This injury could have no lasting effects, it is after all minor inflammation. But it could just as easily be a warning sign of a worse injury to come. Rest is an important part of healing, and with Sanchez an important player on a contending team who is coming off a down season, there is a chance he gives into that pressure and rushes. Another thing to keep in mind is an injury, or the fear of one, can subconsciously alter the way a person uses their body in hopes of preventing an injury or making one worse. Monitor this closely as the longer it lingers, the more likely Sanchez will be a bust again. - as of Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:47:14