Fantasy reaction to the Winter Meetings rumblings

USATODAY

Outfielder Shane Victorino was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers last July. He signed as a free agent this offseason as part of the Boston Red Sox's roster overhaul.

OF Shane Victorino will need to keep his steals totals high to be a worthwhile fantasy starter
Despite a better home park, B.J. Upton's arrival in Atlanta may not increase his fantasy value
Mike Trout's peripheral stats in 2012 indicate he'll be hard-pressed to repeat his magical season

With the fantasy football season winding down (or already over for some of us) now is the perfect time to turn our attention to fantasy baseball. What better time to start your preseason preparation for fantasy 2013 than during the unofficial start of the baseball season, the annual Winter Meetings?

Since new, offseason content is difficult to find, we thought we would compile the best, free content and bring it directly to you.

The Hot Stove is officially cooking with a number of moves already made. A number of sites have commented on the fantasy ramifications of the following signings:
- B.J. Uptonsigns with the Atlanta Braves - KFFL.com believes Upton may be overpriced heading into 2013 and should not be bought any rate higher than he was in 2012. BaseballPress.com looks at how Upton will fit into the Atlanta lineup.
- Mike Napoliand Shane Victorino sign with the Boston Red Sox - KFFL.com believes Mike Napoli is highly overrated and Shane Victorino needs to maintain his stolen base rate in order to maintain his fantasy value. BaseballPress.com believes Victorino will ultimately be a platoon player, hurting his long-term fantasy value while Napoli may benefit from moving up in the lineup.
- Jordan Waldentraded to the Atlanta Braves for Tommy Hanson - KFFL.com believes Walden's fantasy value takes a major hit in Atlanta while Hanson just needs to trust his stuff to succeed in Los Angeles.
Mastersball.com wonders if Mike Trout will be able to repeat his 2012 success in the future as some of his peripheral statistics appear to be unrepeatable.
Rotoprofessor.com explains why fantasy owners should avoidKyle Lohse in 2013; wonders whether we have already seen the bestHanley Ramirez has to offer; and explains why Chris Tillman has become a viable fantasy option.
BaseballHQ.com prefers to look at a pitcher's base skills, such as his strikeout rate (K/9), walk rate (BB/9) and command ratio (K/BB) when uncovering starters to target heading into 2013.
KFFL.com believes Alex Rodriguez is worth a few bucks, at most, in AL-only leagues now that he is going to miss a good portion of the season after hip surgery.
After years of disappointment as a starter, BaseballPress.com wonders if Brian Matusz will enjoy a career renaissance as a dominant reliever, making him fantasy-relevant
Rotoprofessor.com wonders if Carlos Gonzalez is more valuable as a fantasy platoon player, to be benched when playing outside of Coors Field.
FantasyRundown.com is a clearinghouse for all of the best fantasy baseball and football content, 365 days a year, including compiling all of the 2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings and 2013 MLB Prospect Rankings from the top, free sources on the Internet.

For a daily rundown of the top fantasy baseball and fantasy football information, check out FantasyRundown.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media Group affiliate

Featured Weekly Ad