Spring training 2022 is coming to a close and we are just two days away from MLB Opening Day. Can you feel the excitement? Fantasy baseball drafts are in the books and the 2022 MLB season is going to be one for the ages. Despite a rash of MLB injuries, the superstars of MLB are ready to do battle on the field and this year’s crop of MLB rookies is stronger than ever. 

But while the start of the season is nearly here, there are still some adjustments to be made to your fantasy baseball rosters. Most leagues, if you didn’t already have it on Sunday, will have an MLB waiver wire session Wednesday night so you can fill out your roster among all the injuries, demotions and spring training position battles won and lost. It is imperative that you stay on top of all the latest news, including last-minute MLB trades and roster promotions. We’ve got you completely covered here at Fantasy Alarm with updated 2022 fantasy baseball player rankings and a rash of content to keep your teams string as you enter the field of battle.

 

 

MLB Trades

 

Detroit Tigers Acquire OF Austin Meadows from the Tampa Bay Rays

 

 

With the likelihood that rookie Riley Greene, who suffered a broken foot over the weekend, is going to miss at least the next six weeks and possibly more, the Tigers felt they needed to make a move to sustain the momentum they’ve been building heading into the 2022 MLB season. Akil Baddoo will slide into center field and Meadows will handle the work in left. I’m a big fan of Meadows and have already invested in him once again this season. Yes, his batting average plummeted last season as his struggles against left-handed pitching were exposed even more with the unbalanced schedule and heavy dose of southpaws in the AL East, but he is more than capable of turning things around, especially against a softer group in the AL Central where Dallas Keuchel of the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals starter Kris Bubic appear to be the only lefties currently in a rotation at this time. Look for a rebound from Meadows once he gets settled in with Detroit. For the Rays, they receive utility man Isaac Paredes and a competitive balance pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Not a great haul, but keep reading to see what this deal really does for them. 

New York Yankees Acquire Relief Pitcher David McKay from the Tampa Bay Rays for Cash

Just a depth move for the Yankees bullpen as McKay, who posted a 6.08 ERA over 26 appearances since 2019, dons the pinstripes for a minimal cost to the team. The Rays had already designated McKay for assignment, so the Yankees probably aren’t expecting much from the journeyman righty. There is no fantasy value to be had here at all, however, but we still wanted to report the news.

 

 

2022 MLB Spring Training Updates

 

Tampa Bay Rays OF Josh Lowe Joins the 2022 MLB Rookie Campaign

 

 

In the wake of the Meadows to Detroit deal, the Rays are expected to award outfield prospect Josh Lowe a roster spot for Opening Day. If he wasn’t already on your radar for this week’s waiver wire, make sure to add him to your list. Last season at Triple-A Durham, Lowe slashed .291/.381/.535 with 22 home runs and 26 stolen bases over 470 plate appearances. He profiles as a strong five-category contributor for fantasy purposes and is expected to be the Rays’ primary right fielder now. People can criticize the new CBA however they like, but the rule change to incentivize teams to bring up their rookies (extra draft picks for landing in the top three of ROY vote-getters), is most definitely working as this year’s rookie class is both abundant and flush with talent.

Diego Castillo Shines Again for the Pittsburgh Pirates

 

If you’re looking t pre-season waiver and are in need of some middle infield help, then Castillo is someone worthy of your attention. He was already expected to make the Opening Day roster, but another strong performance – 4-for-4 with another home run – has all but solidified his place in the lineup. All eyes had been on Oneil Cruz, but the 6-foot-7 shortstop needed to be moved off the position to ensure some longevity in the majors. Castillo has given the Pirates every reason to continue with their plan as he has slashed .406/.429/.969 with six home runs and 12 RBI this spring while playing solid defense in the field. Cruz will be back up at some point soon, but more likely as an outfielder. Meanwhile, Castillo will likely sit at third base while Ke’Bryan Hayes is out and then possibly move over and push Kevin Newman off of shortstop if he continues to rake like is this spring.

St. Louis Cardinals Officially Settle on Paul DeJong at Shortstop

 

 

We reported this a few weeks ago when the Fantasy Baseball Round Up first started. There was a small competition between DeJong and Edmundo Sosa, but it looks like the Cardinals are going to go with the bat over the plus-defense. That’s not to say DeJong is a mess defensively, but Sosa really is the better fielder. Maybe something changes should DeJong fail to hit his weight – the dude hit .197 last year over 402 plate appearances – but for now Sosa is nothing more than bench fodder. You could probably leave him on waivers too as we expect the Cardinals to give a long leash to DeJong over this first month of the season.

Velocity Down for Boston Red Sox Closer Matt Barnes

 

 

Throwing on the back fields Monday didn’t do much for the case of drafting Barnes this season as the reliever was down to roughly 92 mph on the gun. Manager Alex Cora doesn’t seem too concerned and hasn’t made much out of his closing situation just two days ahead of Opening Day. Cora did say there was “hop” to Barnes’ fastball, so maybe he believes that with some additional sessions all will be well, but be very careful if you’re tabbing Barnes as your fantasy closer this year. The team is still committed to stretching out Garrett Whitlock, so the only legitimate competition for saves might be Hansel Robles, so keep an eye on this situation early in the season. Cora may just mix and match until he feels Barnes is ready or he could just throw him into the fire right from the start. Get that waiver trigger-finger ready. You might need it.

 

 

MLB Injuries

 

New York Mets OF Brandon Nimmo Still Out with Neck Injury

 

 

First it was a day off due to thumb soreness and now Nimmo is missing time due to neck stiffness as well. He’s actually now been absent from the lineup for more than a week which doesn’t bode well as manager Buck Showalter was expecting him to at least return to the cage by Tuesday. While Nimmo, who received a cortisone shot for treatment, is in no danger of losing his roster spot, his status for Opening Day seems to be in jeopardy and the Mets may have to go with journeyman Travis Jankowski in center until Nimmo is ready. Nimmo’s upside in fantasy may be limited to batting average and on-base work, but there’s still a market for that, depending on how you’ve constructed your fantasy roster. Jankowski, unfortunately, doesn’t carry the same value, though with some early playing time could nab you a stolen base or two. Probably not worth the roster move, though. 

Baltimore Orioles Catching Prospect Adley Rutschman Still Not Ready

 

We knew that Rutschman, who is dealing with a triceps injury for some time now, would not make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster, but reports from Baltimore camp say that the rookie backstop is progressing nicely and could return to game-action in a few weeks. It sounds like the plan is to start Rutschman in the minors for the season and let him heal down there. That means you are not going to be able to stash him on your IL. If you drafted him, you’ll either have to eat the bench spot and keep him stashed or you’ll have to let him go. Given the draft capital likely spent to acquire him, I would hold him on the bench until you absolutely need the spot. He could return in mid-May which isn’t too far off. Hopefully the injury bug has been kind to the rest of your team. 

 

 

MLB Free Agency

 

Chicago White Sox Add Johnny Cueto on a Minor League Deal

 

 

The White Sox are trying to maneuver around the loss of starting pitcher Lance Lynn and have brought in Cueto, a veteran right-hander who posted a 4.08 ERA with 93 strikeouts over 114.2 innings for the San Francisco Giants last season, on a minor league deal that could pay him roughly $4 million should he stick with the club. Cueto is nothing more than an insurance policy at this time as the club still has the trio of Michael Kopech, Reynaldo López and Vince Velasquez working the back end of the rotation for now. We’d like to see Kopech unleashed this season, so maybe this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, instead of watching them push him to the bullpen again. 

 

 

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