2027 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Preview

Instead of doing a season recap of bullpens here, we decided to speculate a bit on 2027, looking ahead to who could be the closer for each major league team next season.

Thanks to all who have read or commented on my work this season. As always, it has been my pleasure to chat with all of you, and I truly hope that some of my work may have helped you on your way to winning a championship this year.

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2027 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Preview

AL East

Baltimore Orioles: This will be one of the more interesting bullpens to follow in the offseason. Felix Bautista should be back and healthy in 2027, and would ostensibly reclaim the closer role. Ryan Helsley has a player option for 2027, and after injuries decimated his season, would he return to a potential setup role in Baltimore? It’s hard to see that happening with the pervasive need for closers around the major leagues. Yennier Cano signed an extension and will be here, as will veterans Rico Garcia and perhaps lefty Josh Walker, who has been good in the second half. Andrew Kittredge is a free agent as well. It has been a committee most of the year here, with 10 different players earning at least one save.

Boston Red Sox: Aroldis Chapman has been his usual sturdy self, locking down 34 saves with a 1.95 ERA and a 32.4% K%. He has a vesting option for 2027 and should be back in Boston next season at age 39. Top setup guy Garrett Whitlock has a club option which the team seems sure to activate, and trade deadline acquisition Erik Miller seems primed for the other setup role. Should be an excellent bullpen again, given that Father Time does not catch up to Chapman.

New York Yankees: You may recall that last year at this time, the Yankees employed four different guys with closer experience: Luke Weaver, Camilo Doval, Devin Williams, and David Bednar. Well, free agency took that group apart, and Bednar rose from the ashes this year and claimed the job. He posted 34 saves with a 2.58 ERA and 27.6% K%. However, he is a free agent in 2027. The team does not seem to have a ready-made option to replace him, so look for him to re-sign in New York. Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn have been revelations as setup men; can they continue that trend in 2027?

Tampa Bay Rays: One may think it is a slam dunk that Bryan Baker will be the closer in 2027 for Tampa Bay, but what if I told you it is possible that he is not? Baker has a whopping 40 saves with a 1.52 ERA and a 26.7% K%. However, he is arbitration-eligible, and there is a possibility that management could look to sell high on Baker. Should he be moved, the team retains Edwin Uceta, who missed the season with a shoulder injury, or could turn to Tyler Wells, who has been a revelation for them in the season’s second half.

Toronto Blue Jays: Louis Varland had a terrific 2026 season, coming out of a setup role to save 34 games with a sparkling 1.30 ERA and 31.7% K%. It seems to be his job moving forward without much question.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: This situation could become very interesting in 2027. Arguably the most overused bullpen in the game, role clarity escaped the team for the entire season. The best arm in the bullpen, Grant Taylor, was never given the closer role. Instead, he shared it with journeymen Sean Newcomb and Bryan Hudson for a competitive White Sox team. The overuse seems to have cost them at the season’s most critical juncture. But here is where it is potentially intriguing: Taylor wants to start, and could move to a rotation that desperately needs a lifeline. If he does go to the rotation, I think lefty Hagen Smith could be the top candidate for the closer job; he has a 1.14 ERA and eye-popping 37.5% K% in 14 games this season. Stay tuned. This will be fun to watch.

Cleveland Indians: Cade Smith. Next. Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski will be the top setup options. Moving right along.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers have a club option on almost 39-year-old Kenley Jansen. Will they use it?  It seems iffy at an $11 million price tag. The veteran has 21 saves, throwing a cutter 88% of the time with a 3.43 ERA and 28.1% K%. He is undoubtedly nearing the end of a truly remarkable career. Kyle Finnegan is signed for next year, as are Will Vest and Tyler Holton. My best guess is that Detroit will go in another direction and sign a free agent or acquire a top-shelf closer.

Kansas City Royals: Egads, what will this team do? Their failure to address the back end of their bullpen this year led to a forgettable season. Currently, the team employs Steven Cruz and Nate Pearson as their co-closers. Both should return next year, but to what roles? The team has a club option for 2027 on would-be closer Carlos Estevez, who pitched one-third of an inning for them this year. Veterans Lucas Erceg and Alex Lange had the role for part of the year, but both have ERAs over six now and seem destined for middle relief roles, in Kansas City or elsewhere. Best guess right now? Estevez returns to the job.

Minnesota Twins: Minnesota got lots of mileage out of journeyman Yoendrys Gomez, and he posted 22 saves. But that came with a 4.22 ERA and a below-average 21.5% K%. Jeff Hoffman was acquired at the trade deadline and has another year left on his contract, and could usurp the top job.

AL West

Athletics: The Athletics have employed Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris as their closer combo down the stretch this season. For a team in transition, I would be surprised to see them go after top closing candidates on the free agent market. I like Harris better; he has 15 saves this season, but a 13.4% BB% leaves much to be desired. Luis Medina could factor in here as well.

Houston Astros: Josh Hader. Next question.

Los Angeles Angels: This is a nightmare for Los Angeles. This team desperately wants Ben Joyce to run with the role. But despite a 30.5% K%, he sports a 4.40 ERA and 15.3% BB%. Before you come at me, yes, I realize he’s been hurt much of his early career. But his inability to curb the walks is troubling and bodes poorly for a closer. A possibility exists that he is just not the guy. He’s 26, and it’s time to prove it in 2027. I remain intrigued by lefty Samy Natera Jr., and he could factor into the role as well.

Seattle Mariners: Andres Munoz developed a change-up in the season’s second half, and I will be following the continued development of that this winter. Despite an up-and-down season in 2026, he is their guy, and he is paid to close. Matt Brash hopefully returns healthy and remains their top setup option.

Texas Rangers: Jacob Latz seemed to come out of nowhere this season to seize the closing job in Texas. He has faltered a bit in September, but he has saved 30 games with a 2.11 ERA and a 29.8% K%. He is arbitration-eligible for a Texas team battling contract bloat, but my guess would be that he returns to the same role next year unless the team decides to move him.

NL East

Atlanta Braves: Current closer Raisel Iglesias will be a free agent in 2027 after notching 33 saves with a 2.73 ERA and 25.2% K%. Do they let him walk for his age-37 season? Tough question. Assuming they do, who would they turn to?  A free-agent acquisition?  Hard to say for a team built to win right now. If the organization decided to stay in-house, Dylan Lee and Didier Fuentes could be options to close out games.

Miami Marlins: The Pete Fairbanks era closes with a thud after the team revealed on Friday that he needed thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. He is a free agent for the 2027 season and will likely not pitch at all. Calvin Faucher will finish the season as closer and could be the favorite next year as things stand.

New York Mets: As usual, the organization has a player predicament on their hands. Kodai Senga is the current closer, and while he has shown glimpses, the results have been a mixed bag. Will he return to a bullpen role next year to close out his five-year, $75 million contract? Devin Williams will have something to say about that as he returns from injury.

Philadelphia Phillies: The closer will be Jhoan Duran, who has 32 saves this season with a 1.76 ERA and a 35.1% K%. The relievers behind him will be an interesting mix next season, but Duran will be the closer.

Washington Nationals: At this point, the team is using a co-closer approach with Erik Tolman and Jack Sinclair. I am not sure that either of them is the answer, although both could be pieces of the bullpen next season. I wonder if Washington will dip into free agency to try and solve this problem after Clayton Beeter did not work out this year due to a 15% walk percentage.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: This will be fascinating to watch for the start of the 2027 season. Talk about a bullpen that could use a staunch upgrade. Current closer Jacob Webb has a club option for next year; could-be closer Daniel Palencia is arbitration-eligible. But a team that has serious playoff aspirations has to be better at the back end of their bullpen. It’s just that simple. Personally, I would love to see Edward Cabrera get a shot at it.

Cincinnati Reds: Emilio Pagan closed when healthy this year in Cincinnati, and performed well: a 3.54 ERA with 24 saves and a nice 25.9% K%. Pagan has a player option for the 2027 season; will he exercise it and stay with the Reds? I would bet yes, unless he thinks he can get a multi-year deal on the open market. Should he exit, perhaps Graham Ashcraft could get a longer look?

Milwaukee Brewers: Milwaukee has one of the best bullpens in baseball, and the back end is as nasty as it gets. Trevor Megill proved this year that he is the top option, earning 28 saves with a 2.76 ERA and a 28.4% K%. Lefty Aaron Ashby has 13 wins, 15 holds, and two saves, while Abner Uribe has five wins, six saves, 21 holds, and a 26.6% K%. The Brewers are an astute organization that is always retooling on the fly while competing annually. I would not be surprised at all if they traded Megill for other pieces and installed Uribe as the closer. Or vice versa.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Can we talk about the job Mason Montgomery has done here in Pittsburgh? He is the guy now, and he should be again next year. Since the All-Star break, Montgomery has four wins, 13 saves, a sparkling 0.67 ERA, and a whopping 41% K%. He is the guy.

St. Louis Cardinals: Riley O’Brien has held the job all season and posted 37 saves. But with those saves, he has a 4.21 ERA and a low 23% K%. Could St. Louis attempt a bullpen upgrade for their young and developing team, or will they stick with O’Brien?

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks: Despite the excellent seasons of Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia, the best bet here is that Justin Martinez will be the closer again. A.J. Puk could be part of the mix as well if he can get through his shoulder and elbow issues. This will be one to watch in Spring Training, provided there is one.

Colorado Rockies: Jordan Romano has been the guy in the second half, but could Colorado look to upgrade? Romano has 15 saves but also sports a 5.12 ERA. Egads.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Both Edwin Diaz and Tanner Scott are signed to long-term contracts, both to close. If Diaz can work through both control and command issues, he will be the primary closer. But Scott is a capable second option should Los Angeles need him.

San Diego Padres: Mason Miller. Next question. Unless…the organization moves him to the rotation or sells very high on him.

San Francisco Giants: This could be a wide-open competition, but would-be closer Randy Rodriguez is pitching in the Arizona Fall League as part of his Tommy John rehabilitation. The job could be his when he is ready.