San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates blew his first save Thursday against the Colorado Rockies. With two outs in the ninth, Yates surrendered a two-run homer to Ian Desmond to end the game in walk-off fashion. Since taking over closer duties in mid-July, he had converted all three of his previous save opportunities. Yates has scuffled in his last four appearances with a 9.82 ERA but still holds a sturdy 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 12.6 K/9 this season. [...]

This week was a particularly slow week in the world of prospects; just eight rookies have debuted since the publishing of last week's column. With that being said, there are still a handful of newcomers worth highlighting and a bunch of returners still cooking with gas. As we come up on the end of the season, it's worth looking into guys worth stashing for next season, so I'll be highlighting a handful of those guys each week in the opening paragraphs of my article. I think Eloy Jimenez and V[...]

With the non-waiver trade deadline now a few days behind us, we can confidently say: "a lot happened." But, seemingly more so than other trade deadlines in previous seasons, this time around we can also say: "a lot didn't happen." Zach Britton changed teams, to a team that absolutely no one suspected. Brad Hand changed teams. Also to a team not very highly suspected, and to a role much more confusing than his previous one. Keone Kela moved, but Shane Greene stayed put. Kyle Barraclough stayed[...]

The MLB Trade Deadline is one of the most exciting parts of the baseball season. Contenders get to bolster their rosters for the playoff push while rebuilding clubs get to add potential studs to their growing farm system. With players such Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Mike Moustakas and many others already moved, teams around the league have kicked the trade deadline off early. While the deadline is used as an opportunity for clubs to improve their team in the present and future, it could hav[...]

While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we'll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire in Week 18. One-inning middle relievers are the constant sources for holds and specialists can manage to secure a hold even with one out. However, while specialists can get many holds, their fantasy value is limited to how effective they are in their specific role. Long relievers are not a strong source of holds, they are often used in emergency or m[...]

Every week in baseball, a significant player will hit the disabled list, slip into a slump, or get traded out of a good spot. How fantasy owners adapt to these situations can make or break the season as a whole. One lousy add might not hurt the long-term standing of a team, but failing to take advantage of breakouts or impact bats before others sure can. The primary challenge of playing in an NL or AL-only league is often the lack of options regarding adding and subtracting players when neede[...]

The stove is warming up! Just when we were all being entertained by the All-Star Game being the most 2018 baseball game of the year, the Dodgers and Indians were busy making their teams better for the playoff push. While we're far from done with trade rumors and actual trades, two big dominoes did indeed fall during the break. The Los Angeles Dodgers got Manny Machado from Baltimore, of course. More relevant to bullpens, the Cleveland Indians picked up both Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from San [...]

While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we'll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire in Week 17. One-inning middle relievers are the constant sources for holds and specialists can manage to secure a hold even with one out. However, while specialists can get many holds, their fantasy value is limited to how effective they are in their specific role. Long relievers are not a strong source of holds, they are often used in emergency or m[...]

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 38% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Brad Hand shipped off to Cleveland, Kirby Yates figures to be first in line for saves in San Diego. The 31-year-old has been exceptional this year, with sparkling ratios (1.43 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) and 48 strikeouts in 38 innings. Yates had previously shown an ability to miss bats, but his vulnerability to the long ball kept him from breaking into the ranks of the elite. That problem appears to be resolved. The fix was the[...]

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Kirby Yates, who is set to take over as closer after Brad Hand was traded to the Indians, is drawing significant trade interest, according to a source. The Padres are clearly sellers yet again, and they could deal Yates, who has a nice 1.43 ERA, 0.88 [...]