Fantasy News

• Royals' Chris Stratton: Takes first loss

  Rotowire Apr 15, 2024

  Stratton (1-1) allowed two runs on a hit and four walks without striking out a batter over one inning, taking the loss Sunday versus the Mets. Stratton lost his control Sunday, throwing just 11 of 28 pitches for strikes in the poor appearance. He's kept runs off the board in four of his six outings while also earning a save, but he has an ugly 5:7 K:BB that belies trouble ahead. The right-hander is in the high-leverage mix as one of three Royals to log a save this season, but it's fair to say he shouldn't be manager Matt Quatraro's first option in the ninth inning most of the time.

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• Royals' Chris Stratton: Picks up save Saturday

  Rotowire Apr 6, 2024

  Stratton registered the save Saturday versus the White Sox, striking out one in a perfect inning. One night after James McArthur rescued Will Smith to net a save, Royals manager Matt Quatraro turned to Stratton in the ninth up three with the top of the lineup due for the White Sox. He disposed of the side on just 12 pitches to record his first save of the season and 13th of his career. Nick Anderson got the hold in this one with a scoreless eighth inning, although he had to pitch around a double and a walk. The Kansas City bullpen situation could continue to be a headache for fantasy managers to figure out. Stratton has thrown his hat in the ring, but he's one of maybe five options Quatraro could potentially look to when the next save opportunity arises.

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• Royals' Chris Stratton: Nabs win Friday

  Rotowire Apr 6, 2024

  Stratton (1-0) earned the win Friday over the White Sox, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one over one scoreless inning. Stratton worked the top of the eighth inning, and the Royals broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the frame. The right-hander allowed two runs in his season debut March 28 versus the Twins, but he's bounced back with a pair of scoreless outings. The Royals' bullpen roles remain unsettled, but Stratton is still far down the pecking order for save chances even with Will Smith struggling out of the gate.

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• Royals' Chris Stratton: Ugly start to spring

  Rotowire Mar 5, 2024

  Stratton has allowed four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two over two Cactus League innings. Stratton signed with the Royals in December. The 33-year-old figures to have a decent chance to make the Opening Day roster, at least as a multi-inning relief option. He posted a 3.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 81:25 K:BB, one save and seven holds over 82.2 innings between the Cardinals and the Rangers last season. Stratton has occasionally been a setup man, but he tends to allow too many baserunners to be truly effective in a late-inning role.

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• Royals' Chris Stratton: Heading to Royals

  Rotowire Dec 12, 2023

  Stratton signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Royals on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. The deal also includes a $4.5 million player option for 2025, per Rogers. Stratton operated as a multi-inning reliever for the Cardinals and Rangers in 2023 and posted a combined 3.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 81:25 K:BB across 82.2 regular-season innings. He'll likely reprise that sort of bullpen workhorse role with Kansas City.

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• Rangers' Chris Stratton: Shipped to Texas

  Rotowire Jul 30, 2023

  The Rangers acquired Stratton and left-hander Jordan Montgomery from the Cardinals on Sunday in exchange for left-hander John King, infielder Thomas Saggese and right-hander Tekoah Roby, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Stratton is the secondary piece in the deal for the Rangers, who will fortify their rotation with the addition of Montgomery. Meanwhile, Stratton should work as a setup man in Texas, likely settling in behind closer Will Smith and Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen hierarchy. Playing under a $2.8 million salary in his final year of arbitration, Stratton has produced a 4.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 59:17 K:BB in 53.2 innings with St. Louis. He'll likely set himself up for a nice pay raise in free agency this winter if he can finish the season on a high note with his new club.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Notches first save

  Rotowire Jul 19, 2023

  Stratton picked up the save in Wednesday's 6-4 victory over the Marlins, allowing a run on two hits while logging a strikeout over an inning of work. The Cardinals turned to Stratton to protect a three-run lead in the ninth inning, with Jordan Hicks and Giovanny Gallegos both having pitched in consecutive games. Stratton allowed a run on a Luis Arraez double before coaxing a flyout from Jorge Soler to earn his first save this season. The 32-year-old Stratton has a 4.17 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 53:13 K:BB across 49.2 innings this year. Stratton could be a name to watch if the Cardinals elect to move some relief pitching at the trade deadline, though Ryan Helsley (forearm) looms as another obstacle to saves down the road.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Stuck with loss Monday

  Rotowire Jun 13, 2023

  Stratton (1-1) allowed a run on three hits over one inning, taking the loss Monday versus the Giants. Stratton has been scored on in four of his last 10 outings, yielding nine runs over 13.1 innings in that span. He's added a 15:5 K:BB over those appearances. For the season, he has a passable 3.93 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 39:8 K:BB over 36.2 innings in a middle-relief role. His inconsistency of late makes it unlikely that he'll get many late-inning looks even with Ryan Helsley (forearm) on the injured list.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Picks up first win

  Rotowire May 10, 2023

  Stratton (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two batters over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Cubs. Stratton got the last out of the seventh inning and stayed in for the eighth in a 4-4 game. The Cardinals pulled ahead in the ninth, and Giovanny Gallegos earned the save to give Stratton his first win in 14 appearances this season. Stratton has done relatively well in a low-leverage role with a 2.95 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB over 21.1 innings. He's logged the most innings of any Cardinals reliever this season, but his ability to cover multiple frames likely prevents him from being a candidate for save chances.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Some struggles in spring

  Rotowire Mar 14, 2023

  Stratton has allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings across four Grapefruit League appearances. He's also struck out three batters. Stratton has 11 career saves, but he's likely ticketed for a middle-relief assignment in his first full season with the Cardinals. The right-hander has had issues with permitting too many baserunners throughout his career -- he's never posted a BB/9 lower than 3.4 or a WHIP lower than 1.30. He could also be a long-shot candidate to be a spot starter, though he's only made six starts over the last four seasons and the Cardinals have a surplus of potential starters.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Agrees to one-year deal

  Rotowire Nov 17, 2022

  Stratton signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Cardinals on Thursday. Stratton was traded from the Pirates to the Cardinals last season and will remain in St. Louis for at least one more year after reaching a new deal ahead of Friday's non-tender deadline. Over 60 appearances (one start) in 2022, he posted a 4.26 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 63.1 innings.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Left off wild-card roster

  Rotowire Oct 7, 2022

  Stratton was left off the Cardinals' wild-card roster Friday. Stratton will begin the postseason as a member of the Cardinals' taxi squad after failing to be selected for their wild-card roster. The right-hander is a surprising omission from the postseason roster after posting a 1.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 16 strikeouts over 18 innings in his final 16 appearances of the regular season. He'll have another shot to join the active unit if St. Louis advances in the postseason.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Defeats former team

  Rotowire Oct 5, 2022

  Stratton (10-4) earned the extra-inning win Tuesday, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two over two scoreless innings. Stratton's 10 wins are tied with Toronto's Adam Cimber for the most among major-league relievers this year. Since the start of September, Stratton has allowed just two runs on eight hits and four walks over 10.1 innings. The righty owns a 4.26 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 60:25 K:BB through 63.1 innings between the Cardinals and the Pirates this season. Stratton will likely serve as a multi-inning reliever for the Cardinals during the postseason.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Grabs another win

  Rotowire Sep 17, 2022

  Stratton (9-4) retired the only batter he faced to earn the win Friday over the Reds. Stratton got the last out of the top of the seventh inning before the Cardinals rallied ahead in the bottom half of the frame. Stratton has picked up two wins in his last three appearances, and he's logged a solid 3.06 ERA despite a 1.47 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB in 17.2 innings with the Cardinals since joining them from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Collects win Sunday

  Rotowire Sep 11, 2022

  Stratton (8-4) pitched a perfect two-thirds of an inning and earned the win Sunday over the Pirates. Stratton got the last two outs of the eighth inning, and the Cardinals exploded for four runs to take the lead in the ninth. Over his last nine outings, he's allowed just one run and four hits, though he's also issued seven walks in 12.1 innings in that span. The improved pitching has trimmed his ERA to 4.37 with a 1.53 WHIP and 54:22 K:BB across 57.2 innings between the Cardinals and the Pirates this year. He's earned three wins since he was traded in early August, but he hasn't picked up a save or a hold with his new team.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Snags win Monday

  Rotowire Aug 30, 2022

  Stratton (7-4) allowed two walks and struck out two over 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win Monday over the Reds. Starter Miles Mikolas couldn't complete the necessary five frames to get the win, so it went to Stratton instead in a game the Cardinals thoroughly controlled. Through nine appearances with St. Louis, Stratton has allowed six runs (five earned) with a 14:8 K:BB through 12.1 innings. He's pitched to a 4.75 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 51:21 K:BB through 53 innings overall across 49 appearances between the Cardinals and the Pirates. He saw some setup work with Pittsburgh but has mainly functioned as a middle reliever since his move at the trade deadline.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Grabs first win with new team

  Rotowire Aug 8, 2022

  Stratton (6-4) allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four over 1.2 innings, earning the win Sunday over the Yankees. Stratton didn't have a great outing, allowing two runners inherited from Adam Wainwright to score in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Stratton was charged with two more runs, but the Cardinals never fell behind, and he ended up with his first win in three appearances with his new team. This was the first time the right-handed had allowed multiple runs since June 27. He has a 5.08 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 43:15 K:BB across 44.1 innings between St. Louis and Pittsburgh this year. He picked up two saves and eight holds with the Pirates, but he's expected to see lower-leverage assignments with the Cardinals.

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• Cardinals' Chris Stratton: Goes to Cardinals

  Rotowire Aug 2, 2022

  The Cardinals acquired Stratton and left-hander Jose Quintana from the Pirates on Monday in exchange for right-hander Johan Oviedo and corner infielder Malcom Nunez, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The veteran reliever hasn't had a great season, posting a 5.09 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over 40.2 innings. However, the Cardinals will slot him into their middle-relief ranks with the hope he can get on track and boost their bullpen the rest of the way.

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• Pirates' Chris Stratton: Opening Tuesday

  Rotowire Jul 11, 2022

  Stratton has been named the starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Stratton hasn't tossed more than two innings all season, so he's set to serve as the opener before making way for a primary pitcher, who has yet to be named. Stratton has allowed just one run over his last five appearances, walking two and fanning five over that stretch (3.2 innings).

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• Pirates' Chris Stratton: Stuck in setup role

  Rotowire Jun 1, 2022

  Stratton struck out the side to record a scoreless eighth inning and earn a hold Tuesday against the Dodgers. Stratton was called upon to protect a one-run lead and earned his fifth hold. However, he appears to be out of the picture for saves in Pittsburgh, as the team turned to Wil Crowe in the ninth inning with David Bednar unavailable after throwing 50 pitches Monday. Despite a bloated 4.34 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, Stratton has held opponents scoreless in 15 of his 20 appearances this season and should remain locked into the top setup role for the Pirates.

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