As we chart another week of bullpen usage and insanity, guess how many MLB pitchers have saves already this year? Keep in mind most teams have played about 20 games. Read on to find the answer.
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Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Update
AL East
Of note in Boston, Chris Martin went on the IL which has opened a space in the hierarchy here. Ryan Brasier got a save last Sunday when Kenley Jansen needed a break. The best candidate for holds right now is John Schreiber, who leads the team with four. Brasier could get holds in the short term as well. So far Jansen is a perfect 5-5 in save chances this year and has also chipped in a win.
AL Central
Liam Hendriks announced that he is in remission from his non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis from January. There has been limited speculation on a potential return, and obviously, baseball pales in comparison to battling cancer. But we do know that Hendriks has continued to work out and done some level of throwing while managing his treatments.
Could a potential return happen in May? If anyone can do that, Hendriks can; he is the epitome of a warrior on the mound, and it would not surprise me to see him back toeing the slab in the ninth for the White Sox sooner than later.
The bigger question may be, will his return even matter to a lifeless team besieged by a lack of intelligent play and injuries? Maybe his return could be the swift kick this team needs to get back in the race.
The Sox bullpen continues to be a mess with Reynaldo Lopez, Kendall Graveman, and Aaron Bummer taking turns at implosions over the last two weeks. Lopez is likely the best bet of the bunch to get save opps in the near term. They wait on returns from Hendriks, Joe Kelly, and lefty Garrett Crochet. Lopez blew the save in Tampa last night, making this team unwatchable at this point.
AL West
Raise your hand if you had April 21 as the first converted save for Ryan Pressly in Houston. Essentially, he has had two rough outings (two earned runs and three earned runs, respectively) that blew up his peripherals. We know Dusty Baker has a calm hand and will give Pressly every opportunity to work through it, and Pressly had three scoreless outings in a row this week. Still, it is worth having Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero in deep leagues where you get holds. Either one could get save chances should Pressly continue to falter.
In Los Angeles, Carlos Estevez had a night off this week, leading to lefty Jose Quijada getting his fourth save. It appears that the hierarchy here has Estevez at the top with Quijada getting the eighth but they don’t seem to be afraid to flip-flop that. We will be watching the usage pattern here to see how long this arrangement lasts.
Oakland’s Trevor May hit the IL this week as he battles anxiety. Kudos to him for being courageous enough to shine a light on the truth of this ailment. One in four Americans will deal with a diagnosed mental health issue in their lifetimes. I applaud those who use their platform to talk about mental illness and remove the scourge that used to come along with this. Here’s hoping May uses this time to get recalibrated and reenergized and back on the mound soon with a vast repertoire of coping skills. In the short term, Zach Jackson appears to be the closer for the soon-to-be ex-Oakland Athletics. If you are in a league that counts holds, you may want to bump Sam Moll and Jeurys Familia up for the next couple of weeks.
NL East
In Miami, lefty A.J. Puk has been outstanding with one win and three saves for the Marlins. He’s only given up one run all year and has been dominant. Lost a bit in this revelation is how good Dylan Floro has been in the eighth or earlier: a win, eight punchouts, four holds, and no runs surrendered. A potent duo is forming in South Florida.
Watching my moribund White Sox lose two of three to the Philadelphia Phillies last week allowed me to see the wonder of Jose Alvarado. Just wow. He’s pitched 9.1 innings this year and has a whopping 18 strikeouts in those innings. Add in that he has three saves this week and you have a hot buy if available in any of your leagues. Do keep in mind a couple of facts we know about Philadelphia:
- they have four guys who are all capable of getting saves.
- Manager Rob Thomson likes to play matchups and ride hot hands.
- that Alvarado has always had the stuff to close but has not always had the command.
My point here is that it could change again but ride the hot hand while you can.
NL Central
We suggested early on that the Chicago Cubs’ situation might be in flux all year, and then Michael Fulmer got the first chance. However, he has pitched poorly, which opened up an opportunity for fellow veteran Brad Boxberger to step into the role, which he did on Thursday night. I still think Adbert Alzolay is their best bet, but alas, I sit behind a keyboard and have no say in the matter. Looks like it is Boxberger for now for a surprisingly competitive Cubs team.
Matt Bush earned a save for the Milwaukee Brewers this week, but do not be concerned about the role of Devin Williams. This was a day of rest for Williams and Bush pitched in his stead. Bush should be a relevant saves + holds guy all year. Williams remains one of the top save pitchers in the game.
NL West
Arizona signed Andrew Chafin late in spring and he’s been the glue holding this bullpen together as they sort through roles here. Scott McGough looked to be the top guy initially, but manager Torey Lovullo has turned to the experienced Chafin to close games in the desert. Of note is that Joe Mantiply is back; Lovullo put him right into a tough spot this week and he got the Dbacks out of it. Mantiply fits better in that stopper role and should continue in it. Veteran righty Miguel Castro is also an option here; he did get a save in relief of Chafin this week. Don’t be surprised if Castro gets some opportunities here as well. For now, I would say it is Chafin’s job with three saves on the year.
Closer Daniel Bard was activated off the IL following his treatment for anxiety. He pitched the eighth inning in his first work back, but he should resume closing here in his next outing or two. Great to see him back out there and hope he is feeling well!
Trivia answer: There have been 70 different pitchers earning saves through April 21st. Seventy. Could the number approach 250-300 before the season is over? Egads! We’re less than a month in and we need Tums already.