Play ball! The players and the owners finally agreed, and it is time for Major League Baseball. Players are reporting to Spring Training, and transactions are taking place. Things are happening fast, so I am here to keep you up to date on all the transactions that take place and their fantasy impact. Each morning I will publish a new article covering players that signed the previous day. There was a lot of action yesterday; let’s get to it!

Prepare for your fantasy baseball draft with our Mock Draft Simulator

Free Agent Signings, Trades, and News: March 14

*Transactions up to date as of 3/15/22 at midnight EST.

The crazy trades make the headline for Monday over the free-agent signings. A ton of great players are on the move. Let’s break it down.

Matt Olson traded to Atlanta for Cristian Pache, Shea Langeliers, Joey Estes, and Ryan Cusick

I won’t lie to you; this pains me to write as a Braves fan. Matt Olson is a great player, and I feel as if the Braves did great in this trade. But, this move signifies the end of Freddie Freeman‘s tenure in Atlanta after being with the team since 2007. But I’m not here to sulk about Freeman; let’s talk about the impact Matt Olson brings to Atlanta.

Last season, Olson had the best year of his career. He slashed .271/.371/.540 with 39 home runs. He added 101 runs and 111 RBI while improving his contact rate by over ten percentage points last season. Olson did all this while hitting in the worst home ballpark for left-handed hitters in all of baseball. Truist Park plays more neutral, but it is a massive park upgrade while also moving to a better lineup. Not to mention that Olson is going home. He grew up in Gwinnett, which is just outside of Atlanta.

Olson won’t provide the high-end batting average that Freddie Freeman did, but do not be surprised if he outperforms him from a fantasy perspective. The trade to Atlanta is a boost to Olson’s fantasy value.

Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez traded to Seattle for Brandon Williamson, Jake Fraley, and Justin Dunn

This trade continues the Reds fire sell, and the Mariners were the most recent beneficiaries. The first thing to note is Winker and Suarez get a massive ballpark downgrade from Great American Ballpark. Great American has had the highest home run factors of any park in baseball, while T-Mobile plays more neutral from a home run standpoint. In a general sense, T-Mobile Park is a pitchers park.

The benefit for Winker and Suarez is a lineup upgrade. With the Reds going into full fire sell mode, it would not have been great for one of them to have been left in that lineup. The Mariners are a young, talented team hungry to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Winker was in the midst of a breakout season in 2021 before injuries struck. He hit 24 home runs in 485 plate appearances with a .305/.394/.556 slash line. There is certainly fear of a platoon because the splits are pretty extreme. Winker hit .176 against lefties while posting a .346 average against right-handed pitchers. The good news is the AL West rotations are predominantly right-handed, which means Winker should get the bulk of starts on the strong side of the platoon.

For Suarez, he slots in as the everyday third basemen for Seattle. He posted a batting average below the Mendoza line last season at .198. The power was still there as he hit 31 home runs, but the rest of his batting profile was pretty ugly. Suarez did begin to trend in the right direction toward the end of the season. Over the final month, he hit .370 with eight home runs. The park downgrade does not have a significant effect on a player with the power of Suarez. I still expect him to hit 30 plus home runs in Seattle.

From the Reds’ perspective, the beneficiaries of the move are players like Nick Senzel and Jose Barrero should see more playing time. Jake Fraley will slot into the lineup every day, but he is a career .196 hitter. He did show solid OBP skills last season and had nine home runs and ten stolen bases in 265 plate appearances. The ballpark in Cincinnati could also help him out in the power department.

Andrew McCutchen signs a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers

Andrew McCutchen is not the MVP caliber player he once was, but there is still plenty left in the tank. Last season he hit 27 home runs and stole six bases with the Phillies. In 574 plate appearances, he slashed .222/.334/.444. I expect his batting average to trend upward playing in Milwaukee. McCutchen is a fantastic play in OBP leagues. Milwaukee is a solid hitters park for right-handers, and he should be in the heart of that order. McCutchen is a great target late in drafts. Tyrone Taylor, who has been touted as a popular breakout pick, loses playing time with this signing.

Newsworthy Items

Fernando Tatis fractured his left wrist during offseason

This news is just brutal. It’s painful that one of baseball’s most prominent superstars is slated to miss at least three months of the season due to injury. Tatïs will likely need surgery which will cause him to miss nearly three months of the season. Drop him down your draft board significantly.

It is slightly concerning that when Tatís was asked if the injury was related to his motorcycle accident that took place in the offseason, he responded with “which one?” This is not something you want to hear from your franchise player to whom you are paying $340 million. In redraft leagues, Tatís should be pushed down your draft board significantly. In a dynasty league, buy low if you can. If you roster him in a dynasty league unless you get 90 cents on the dollar and are competing for this year.

Pete Alonso involved in a major car accident

Fortunately, Pete Alonso and the passengers in his vehicle are okay. He was t-boned by a car running a red light, and his truck flipped several times. Things could have gotten bad for Alonso, but he says he is okay. He should be a full participant in workouts today.

Other Minor Deals

• Ian Kennedy: one-year contract with Diamondbacks
• Vince Velasquez: one-year contract with White Sox
• Brad Hand: one-year contract with Phillies
• Odubel Herrera: one-year contract with Phillies

Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit: View printable cheat sheets, sleepers & mistakes to avoid

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.

Chris Clegg is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @RotoClegg.