{"id":2125,"date":"2026-01-16T13:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T05:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/fantasy-baseball-news-or-hype-season-off-lawlars-tap\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T21:09:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:09:58","slug":"fantasy-baseball-news-or-hype-season-off-lawlars-tap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/fantasy-baseball-news-or-hype-season-off-lawlars-tap\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy baseball news or hype: Season off Lawlar&#8217;s tap?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<ul class=\"authors\">\n<li class=\"mugshot-shown\">\n<div class=\"author-img\"><\/div>\n<p>Eric Karabell<span class=\"timestamp \">Jan 15, 2026, 11:44 AM ET<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-overlay\">Shut up<\/p>\n<ul>Eric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of the FSWA Hall of Fame and author of &#8220;The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments&#8221;.<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>It&#8217;s January and fantasy baseball season is, pardon the pun, in full swing. Right now, most sports fans focus on the NFL, NBA and NHL, where sports (real and fictional) take center stage &#8212; and understandably so.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>You probably hear about the latest baseball buzz from time to time, if at all. That&#8217;s absolutely fine. We pay attention to what&#8217;s happening and we&#8217;re here to let you know about the top stories that may have slipped under your radar. Are they something you need to include on draft day or are they likely to have little impact when all is said and done?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Read on and find out if these top stories are real news or just hype.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><i>More baseball content: <\/i>Hot stove tracker<\/strong> | <strong>2026 league points<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Jan. 15: Arizona Diamondbacks with new Jordan Lawlar program<\/h3>\n<p>Arizona&#8217;s acquisition of future Hall of Fame 3B Nolan Arenado may seem to bury longtime infielder Lawlar, but fantasy managers shouldn&#8217;t shy away. It may sound like last year, when the Diamondbacks signed SS Geraldo Perdomo to a long-term contract, despite Perdomo&#8217;s mediocre production, pushing Lawlar off shortstop. Perdomo then delivered a monster season, and was arguably the fantasy MVP, considering the draft day investment. Maybe Arenado bounces back, too.<\/p>\n<p>The Diamondbacks intend to use Lawlar, 23, in the outfield, where there is a chance along with star Corbin Carroll. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. he was less successful in his 546 plate appearances as a regular lefty. He could miss at least the first half of the season recovering from an ACL tear in his knee. Jake McCarthy was traded to the Colorado Rockies. Alek Thomas produced a .659 OPS. Lawlar hit .313\/.403\/.564 at Triple-A Reno. Ignore his big league numbers in short playing time. Lawlar will get a chance to play.<\/p>\n<p><b>Effect of the dream:<\/b> News. Lawlar helps celebrate.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Jan. 15: San Diego Padres announce no innings cap for RHP Joe Musgrove<\/h3>\n<p>Musgrove has been a decent fantasy option for most of his career, especially over four seasons with the Padres (3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.4 K\/9). He missed the 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery late in 2024, but the good news is that the organization expects him to be completely ready for spring training \u2014 and there will be no limitations on his capacity this season. Musgrove has reached 181 innings twice with the Padres, though that last happened in 2022. We probably won&#8217;t count on him for 30 innings, but there&#8217;s a definite chance to sleep here.<\/p>\n<p><b>Effect of the dream:<\/b> Potential news, if he can stay healthy.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Jan. 13: The Kansas City Royals bring in the outfield!<\/h3>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0113%2Fr1600110_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0113%2Fr1600110_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0113%2Fr1600110_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0113%2Fr1600110_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img class=\" lazyload lazyload\" data-image-container=\".inline-photo\" height=\"320\" width=\"570\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"photoCaption\">What would the shallow fence at Kauffman Stadium mean for the power numbers of Royals hitters and opponents? <cite>Scott Winters\/Icon Sportswire<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Kauffman Stadium has always been known as a place to play football, but maybe things will change in 2026. The Royals announced that they will remove most of the 10-foot outfield fence, Jeff Passan wrote &#8221; [change] an irritating situation for a stadium notorious for hitting home runs for a team that hopes to play like a major league average.\u201d Well, it&#8217;s good for them, and, obviously, to some extent this move will have relevance to hit the numbers with the legendary bosses.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, for all the Jonathan India investors hoping he will hit 20 runs, the Cole Ragans investor might not be happy. No American League team has hit fewer home runs than the 2025 Royals, though, to be fair, this isn&#8217;t a list full of Aaron Judge types. Three Royals hit double-digit home runs in 2025 (Vinnie Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez). By comparison, eight Yankees have done this in 2025. The Yankees hit 140 home runs in home games. The Royals hit 70.<\/p>\n<p>In theory, the Royals should hit a few more in 2026, but it&#8217;s hard to tell if this is much of a correction to their fantasy value or preseason rankings. Jac Caglianone, like Pasquantino, Witt and Perez, has great potential. Being on the phone doesn&#8217;t help his communication skills. No, India will not be able to double their home run rate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Effect of the dream: <\/strong>Consider this information for editorial and keeper purposes, but don&#8217;t overdo it.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Jan. 8: David Fry can throw again!<\/h3>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598043_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598043_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598043_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598043_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img class=\" lazyload lazyload\" data-image-container=\".inline-photo\" height=\"320\" width=\"570\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"photoCaption\">Keep an eye on David Fry as the Guardians look to use him as more than just a DH in 2026. <cite>Frank Jansky\/Icon Sportswire<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Some may remember Fry hitting .263 with 14 home runs over 122 games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. Those numbers may not seem like a lot, but since Fry was eligible to catch at the time, he finished just outside the top 10 in the area in scoring. Fry played 20 games that season at catcher, first base and outfield, although most would agree that his best position is &#8220;hitting.&#8221; Managers dream like hitters, and Fry posted a .996 OPS that season against left-handed pitching. He was valuable as a second catcher in deep leagues and certainly in everyday formats.<\/p>\n<p>Fry will probably agree that it&#8217;s best to forget about his 2025 season. Don&#8217;t even look. He even started June as he was recovering from elbow surgery, he played a lot of games on the field because he couldn&#8217;t throw. Scouts say Fry, who is now recovering from nose surgery after a ball hit his face while attempting a foul in September, will play the field in 2026. Fry starts the year eligible only at DH, but if he adds catching eligibility as well, consider him. We know he can hit lefties, and the guards will be able to use him sparingly &#8211; and in multiple positions.<\/p>\n<p><b>Effect of the dream:<\/b> Seasonal news for in-depth formats<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Jan. 8: Brice Matthews will expand his versatility to play outside<\/h3>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a2.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598046_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a2.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598046_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a2.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598046_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a2.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2026%2F0108%2Fr1598046_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img class=\" lazyload lazyload\" data-image-container=\".inline-photo\" height=\"320\" width=\"570\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"photoCaption\">Houston&#8217;s versatile Brice Matthews may add more positions to his resume. <cite>Photos by Jonathan Hui-Imagn<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Matthews, an exciting athlete who has proven himself strong at second base, shortstop and third base, made his MLB debut for the Houston Astros last July. He hit a total of 47 times in the majors, hitting four home runs, but also struck out 20 times. OK, so his profile isn&#8217;t a guarantee of future success, but Matthews &#8212; a first-round pick in the 2023 rookie draft &#8212; scored 17 runs and stole 41 bases at Triple-A Sugar Land last season. Astros GM Dana Brown said Matthews will play the outfield again in 2026. If he can connect with many people and secure a regular role, he can make dream managers happy.<\/p>\n<p>The Astros looked set in the middle with veterans Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Carlos Correa at second base, shortstop and third base, and we saw how badly Altuve&#8217;s attempt to play lefty went. The outfield is far from settled, unless the Astros are done adding this offseason. Matthews played for the Space Cowboys in Triple-A and, with his raw power and electric speed, would be a deep-league sleeper if the Astros used him there this season. Watch this story in spring training. Matthews may not be known as one of baseball&#8217;s top prospects, but opportunity is everything. He may earn his own.<\/p>\n<p><b>Effect of the dream: <\/b>Stories that might be important, if he gets the chance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eric KarabellJan 15, 2026, 11:44 AM ET Shut up Eric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of the FSWA Hall of Fame and author of &#8220;The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments&#8221;. It&#8217;s January and fantasy baseball season is, pardon the pun, in full swing. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2125"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2126,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125\/revisions\/2126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}