Tag Archives: Aroldis Chapman

2018 MLB Season Preview: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are once again making the biggest moves in baseball. They traded for the best power hitter in the Majors and only gave up Starlin Castro and some ‘okay’ prospects. The Marlins just wanted to get rid of Giancarlo Stanton’s massive contract and the Yankees obliged.

Youth is a huge key to the Yankees success. They need their future stars like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez to keep improving. Judge was making hard contact with every ball that met his bat, but strikeouts were a huge issue down the stretch. Can he cut down on strikeouts and keep his power stroke?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the New York Yankees.

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2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 75 Relief Pitchers

We finish up our fantasy baseball rankings by ranking the 75 best relief pitchers.

The top of the relief pitcher rankings are loaded with closers with secure jobs. There are also some sleepers on the list since a ton of closers start out the season on shaky ground or in a committee role.

The Yankeess demoted Aroldis Chapman late last season. He starts the season as closer, but does Dellin Betances find his way back into the role this season?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

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2017 MLB Season Preview: New York Yankees

Before last season, I proclaimed, “The Yankees championship window is closing shut.” Well, thanks to the Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller trades, they jammed a crowbar in that window and swung it wide open. They made out like bandits in both trades.

There are rumors that the Yankees are stockpiling prospects to make a move on Angels outfielder Mike Trout, but I doubt any team will have enough talent to swap for the perennial MVP candidate.

I like the Yankees this season, but think they could run into some issues with their starting rotation. Will they try to make some moves early in the year to improve it?

Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the New York Yankees.

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2016 MLB Season Preview: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees championship window is closing shut. They were quiet this offseason when it came to free agents, but they made two important trades to acquire shortstop Starlin Castro and closer Aroldis Chapman.

The AL East is expected to be one of the most contested divisions in Major League Baseball. Boston added some big free agents, Toronto’s offense is a beast, Baltimore is always dangerous and Tampa Bay is on the rise.

Does A-Rod, Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira have one more championship run left in them?

Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the New York Yankees.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have been NL Central contenders for the last few years, but Pittsburgh and St. Louis have taken control of the division. The destiny of the Reds rides on the health of Joey Votto, who missed a huge chunk of time in two of the last three seasons.

The Reds will rely heavily on their starting rotation. They do have a slight edge in that category over the top teams in the NL Central. They need their offense to come back (28th in Runs Scored in 2014) in order to take advantage of having aces Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey.

Can Devin Mesoraco become an elite catcher?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Cincinnati Reds.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have been NL Central contenders for the last few years, but Pittsburgh emerged and St. Louis doesn’t seem to have an off-year. They lost Shin-Soo Choo and Bronson Arroyo to free agency and didn’t do much in free agency.

Their biggest offseason move was firing Dusty Baker. They hired pitching coach Bryan Price as their new skipper. He’s an experienced and heralded pitching coach, but this will be his first season as a manager.

The Reds will rely heavily on Jay Bruce and Joey Votto to drive in runs this season. They also need Todd Frazier to bounce back from a forgettable 2013 season. It’s not much to ask since he looked like a future All-Star his rookie season.

Super prospect Billy Hamilton is expected to be on the Opening Day roster. He is one of the best base runners in all of baseball, but is expected to have issues getting on base. Will he succeed or end up in the minors at some point?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Cincinnati Reds.

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2013 MLB Team Preview: Cincinnati Reds

In 2012, the Cincinnati Reds won the NL Central by nine games, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Walt Jocketty, the general manager of the Reds, doesn’t want to just make the playoffs, he wants to win. He made a trade in the offseason to acquire Shin-Soo Choo, a move shows the Reds are built to win now.

The biggest offseason news was the decision to move Aroldis Chapman into the starting rotation. He was such a dominant relief pitcher, but the transition has been successful with pitchers in the past. Will Chapman succeed as a starter?

Now that Joey Votto is healthy, will have another MVP caliber year?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Cincinnati Reds. Continue reading →