Well, my friends, this is it; the final bullpen column of the 2024 season. I hope at some point I entertained you, but even more than that, I hope you learned something new or got a name here that could help you in your fantasy leagues.
As an older guy working in the so-called “fantasy industry,” I never take the work or responsibility for granted and I appreciate that many of you read my words and take the time to comment and ask questions. The community has to be about community, and all are welcome here. Should you have any questions or want to chat in the offseason, hit me up at the worst Twitter handle of all time, @mdrc0508. Thanks to all of you and I hope you can enjoy a championship this week and the coming baseball playoffs!
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report
AL East
The Baltimore Orioles released former closer Craig Kimbrel on Wednesday. The return of Yennier Cano from the IL hastened the veteran’s departure; without a clear role moving forward in the bullpen, the team decided to simply release Kimbrel. Seranthony Dominguez remains the closer here, for better or for worse; he blew the save on Thursday night before Gregory Soto got the victory. Could Cano see some chances here?
Kenley Jansen is set to finish another season as he cements his Hall of Fame case: 27 more saves. I will own that I was wrong about him, once again. How long can he keep going? Time will tell.
New York: the saga continues. Luke Weaver appears to be the top option, although Tommy Kahnle also earned a save this week. Clay Holmes blew a save on Wednesday night before Weaver came on and earned the win. Weaver followed up with a save on Friday night. I still think the Yankees want Holmes to figure it out this week before the playoffs start.
Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodriguez: the debate continues, or does it? Neither earned any of their saves this week; Garrett Cleavinger earned one, and Hunter Bigge the other. Uceta only pitched twice this week, earning holds in both. Rodriguez only pitched once this week.
AL Central
Does anyone care who is closing for the Chicago White Sox? Both Chad Kuhl and Justin Anderson blew saves this week. Prelander Berroa and Fraser Ellard are of interest to those paying attention. One is left to wonder why these younger guys with upside were not on the roster before September. Ellard earned his first career save on Sunday, and Berroa has two holds in his last two outings. This was probably the worst bullpen I have seen in over 40 years of watching major league baseball games.
Emmanuel Clase is in the hunt for 50 saves; he is at 46 on the season. Trivia question: who was the last closer to earn 50 saves in a season? See the bottom for the answer.
Will Vest earned a save on Wednesday for the Detroit Tigers. New closer? Nope. Jason Foley earned three saves in a row this week and needed a day of rest. Tyler Holton appears to be the next best option right now behind Foley and should get a couple more save opportunities.
Minnesota: this bullpen looks so much different than it did at the beginning of the 2024 season. Jhoan Duran has 23 saves but has seen his share of struggles this year, and other top options like Brock Stewart and Justin Topa have missed significant time with injuries. Griffin Jax has remained a stalwart, with 10 saves, 24 holds, and a tidy 2.10 ERA.
AL West
Three guys earned saves for Houston this week: Josh Hader, Hector Neris (!!), and Ryan Pressly. Hader is in no danger of losing this job, with 33 saves on the season and a whopping 38.5 K%. This deep bullpen could cause fits during the playoffs.
Los Angeles: Ryan Zeferjahn has opened some eyes in yet another lost season for the Angels. It appears the rest of the season will be a committee of Jose Quijada, Hunter Strickland, Brock Burke, and Zeferjahn. Ben Joyce should get every opportunity if healthy next spring to prove he is the best option for the closer job. Only those desperate for saves should mine here this last week of the season.
Mason Miller had three more saves this week, running his total to 27 saves. Michael Otanez has been a pleasant surprise here, throwing 33 innings with a 3.27 ERA and a 37.9%K%. Most intriguing here will be to see if the team decides to keep Miller in a closing role; if they do, he’s perhaps a top-five pick next year when closers start coming off the board.
NL East
Jesus Tinoco is now the clear closer in Miami, set up by Anthony Bender and Declan Cronin. Tinoco only has two saves but he is the top option. This could be an interesting competition to watch in Spring Training between Tinoco and the injured Calvin Faucher.
Philadelphia: not much happening this week in the bullpen. Carlos Estevez took a loss on Wednesday, and Jeff Hoffman only pitched twice. Estevez should continue to be the top choice for saves.
Jose Ferrer has moved into a top setup role in Washington and nabbed a save this week. Kyle Finnegan earned two more saves this week and has experienced a wonderful season, with 38 saves and a 3.30 ERA. Ferrer is a name to watch next year for holds. File him away now.
NL Central
Porter Hodge has nailed down the job for the rest of the season in Chicago, locking down his last two chances to give him seven saves on the season. The Cubs may have accidentally stumbled on to a close for the 2025 season. His 1.98 ERA and 31.6%K% are desirable for any fantasy team. Former closer Adbert Alzolay is arbitration-eligible and should be a big part of the bullpen mix next season if he is healthy. Maybe he would best be used in a multiple-inning role? Who knows?
Aroldis Chapman should have the role in Pittsburgh for the last days of the season. One wonders if former closer David Bednar will get a fresh opportunity in 2025 when he returns to full health. While Chapman converted both saves this week, Bednar blew one and took the loss on Wednesday night. The Pirates have built a nice crew to get to the ninth: Carmen Mlodzinski, Colin Holderman, and Dennis Santana, although it is anyone’s guess as to how these guys will be deployed in 2025 if they even all return to the fold.
Ryan Helsley ran his saves total to 45 this week in an excellent rebound season for him. Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero proved their worth this season with 34 and 30 holds, respectively.
NL West
Arizona is fighting for a playoff spot right now, and manager Torey Lovullo has shown he will use any of his weapons at any time to win a game. On Friday night, he used would-be closer Justin Martinez to set up lefthander A.J. Puk, who notched the save. Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson also get heavy usage here. Martinez should still be the best bet most nights, but Lovullo will deftly play matchups to win every game possible down the stretch here.
Colorado: a name to watch here is Seth Halvorsen. Anecdotally, I saw him pitch in relief in a game in Milwaukee two weeks ago, and I was impressed with his command and velocity. He has two holds but do not be surprised if he should earn a save chance or two down the stretch, as Tyler Kinley hit the IL this past week and Victor Vodnik appears better suited for a setup role. Even still, file Halvorsen away for next year as a name to know.
San Diego has three saves this week, all by different pitchers: Robert Suarez, Tanner Scott, and Adrian Morejon. Suarez has run on hard times at a bad time, blowing two saves this week for a team trying to earn a playoff spot. This is interesting to watch because they have another top option in lefty Tanner Scott, who got a save this week and could get more opportunities this coming week if manager Mike Shildt wants to go a different direction than Suarez. Suarez has been great all year with 33 saves and a 2.76 ERA, but every game counts now. If Scott is floating free in your league right now due to his setup role, he might be worth an addition this week if you are speculating for saves at this very last moment.
Don’t look now, but did you see who got the save Friday night for San Francisco? Camilo Doval. Ryan Walker has been one of the best relievers in all of MLB this season, but he got a night off after pitching two in a row, and Doval swept in and got his 23rd save. This will be interesting to watch in Spring Training, but I expect Doval to be back as the closer and Walker to be a top option either setting up or in a multiple-inning role.
Trivia answer: the inimitable Jeurys Familia earned 51 saves for the New York Mets in 2016.