The biggest news in the land of closers this week came out of Colorado. The Rockies placed closer Wade Davis on the Injured List with an oblique strain. The injury is not considered severe, but owners need to monitor this situation closely. Davis is no spring chicken at 33 years of age, and these injuries tend to linger. In the meantime, Scott Oberg will fill in, which is not a surprise. Oberg has been second in command all season. To see what I think of Oberg and where he falls in this week’s closer rankings, keep reading. Below you will see each team’s bullpen depth charts as well as some of my thoughts on the fantasy-relevant news and notes from around the league. Let’s get to it.
MLB Bullpen Depth Charts and Closer Rankings
+ Injury Concern
* Part of Committee
NMU Rank = The potential rank if the Next Man Up becomes closer
AL East
Mychal Givens’ recent hot streak may have swayed owners to risk the reliever in a week where he would face the Yankees and pitch in Coors Field. Those who gambled lost in a big way. Givens has lost three games in five days, punctuated by Trevor Story’s walk-off home run on Friday night. In that timeframe, he has allowed 11 baserunners and eight earned runs in just 2.2 innings. Yikes. The Orioles do not really have any better options, so Givens should continue to get whatever save chances that Baltimore can generate in the immediate future. Shawn Armstrong had been solid since coming over from Seattle, but he too had a rough go of it in Coors on Friday. Armstrong is probably next in line for saves at the moment, but he would be no better than Givens is.
I mentioned a couple of tidbits in last week’s report that came into play again this week. The first was that Matt Barnes’ continued usage in high-leverage situations caps his upside. Barnes pitched the eighth inning in both of his appearances this week. This resulted in another week without Barnes getting a save. The second thing I mentioned was that Brandon Workman and Marcus Walden have pitched great this season. Well, guess who got the save chances in the games Barnes pitched? Workman saved Sunday’s win against Houston, striking out two in a hitless inning. Walden pitched the ninth on Wednesday in Toronto. Unfortunately, he blew the save. My stance is the same as it was a week ago. I still think Barnes will get the most saves. But Boston has multiple options they feel comfortable with when they decide to use Barnes earlier in games.
We knew the law of averages would turn in Aroldis Chapman’s favor at some point. That is exactly what has happened this month. Chapman has eight saves in 20 games in May. Not surprisingly, this stretch has coincided with six games against Baltimore. He earned the save in four of New York’s six victories against the Orioles. It could have been five, but manager Aaron Boone elected to go with Zack Britton on Thursday. Chapman had pitched five innings over an eight-day span, so the Yankees wanted to give him a break. Britton does not have a ton of standalone value on his own but would stand to benefit greatly if something were to happen to Chapman at any point.
I finally threw in the towel on Jose Alvarado after Friday night’s debacle in the Bronx. Naturally, he earned his first save in nearly six weeks the very next day. His next appearance came in a tie game in the seventh inning on Friday in Cleveland. He was undone by his wildness, allowing three free passes and taking the loss. So no, he is not suddenly the full-time closer again either. Diego Castillo, the presumed co-closer, pitched in the fifth inning on Sunday. Following Alvarado’s lead from last Friday, Castillo got roughed up, conjuring up images of Castillo and Alvarado in the dueling SpiderMan meme. The long and short of it is that both pitchers are good, but they are also both struggling. Save chances are possible for both but guaranteed for neither. I would still keep both where I have them, but it is not an ideal situation.
Toronto has not been able to turn it around. The Blue Jays went 2-5 this week. As a result, Ken Giles had just one save this past week. He also has just three over the last 30 days. When given the chances, Giles has been outstanding. He has a 33.3 K-BB rate and his 1.31 ERA is fully supported by a 1.34 FIP. I do think the ERA will come back to earth a little. After all, his 91.8 percent LOB rate is likely to regress. But he has been great and should be an excellent option going forward. However, we have to start considering the possibility of Giles getting dealt. He still has another year on his contract, but Toronto has no chance of competing in the AL East anytime soon. They would be wise to shop him. If that scenario plays out, his value would become inherently tied to his landing spot.
AL Central
Alex Colome does not have any saves this week. But he pitched well in both appearances so far as his solid season continues. Colome has nine saves to go along with a 1.83 ERA and 0.61 WHIP. He has been a steady RP2 in fantasy leagues and I expect that to remain the case. Colome is far and away the best option in Chicago.
Brad Hand tallied three more scoreless appearances and two more saves this week. The veteran lefty is a steady source of saves and should stay in the top-10 of my closer rankings going forward barring injury. A.J. Cole is a name to watch for those in leagues that count holds. Cole earned the win on Friday night and has pitched four perfect innings with eight strikeouts over the last week. He is not in the main setup role quite yet but is earning looks in more important situations with each passing outing.
Shane Greene blew a save in spectacular fashion on Thursday, allowing a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning. On the bright side, all five runs Greene allowed in the frame were unearned. He rebounded the night next to pick up his 16th save of the year. It was both his first save and the team’s first win since May 12. Greene is essentially in the same boat at Giles and Colome. There is little danger of them losing their position outside of a trade. But trades are a very distinct possibility given the struggles their teams are having. Fantasy owners may want to consider dealing some of these players before their real-life teams do.
Inconsistent play and a couple of rainouts and subsequent doubleheaders have not helped to clarify much in Kansas City’s bullpen. Ian Kennedy closed out a win on Sunday, but a save was not on the line. He has basically been the preferred option for over a month but has just two saves to show for it. That number does not figure to dramatically increase anytime soon, as the Royals are on pace to lose over 100 games. He has pitched well enough to roster and start given the landscape of the position. But Kennedy is not going to be a consistent source of saves at any point.
The Minnesota Twins have won nine of ten. However, it has not manifested itself in many save opportunities. That is because the Twins are basically bludgeoning their opponents with the league’s most potent offensive attack. They have scored 90 runs in the 10-game stretch, and just three of their victories have come by less than five runs. Blake Parker has the only save this week and is still the “1A” to Taylor Rogers’ “1B” in Minnesota. Rogers blew a seventh-inning lead on Monday when he allowed an inherited runner to score but picked up the win when the Twins scored two in the eighth. Both relievers should hold value throughout the season as the Twins are poised to make a run towards the playoffs in the American League.
AL West
Roberto Osuna gave up his second run of the season and first since April 5 on Friday night against Boston. Osuna still got the save, his 13th of the year. He and Ryan Pressly will keep racking up the saves and holds respectively for Houston. Pressly also allowed a run on Friday but picked up his 11th hold. The run was the first Pressly has allowed since August 10 of last year. Prior to Friday, Pressly had an MLB-record 40 consecutive scoreless appearances. You would be hard pressed to find a better duo at the back end of any bullpen in baseball.
Owners believing that Cody Allen is going to assume closer duties in Los Angeles are in for a rude awakening if you ask me. Allen has not looked any better since returning from injury than he did before he was hurt. He has allowed a walk in six straight appearances. Sadly, it is already his second time doing that. Allen has now allowed 16 walks to go along with 16 hits and 10 earned runs in just 16.1 innings. Hansel Robles and Ty Buttrey are way ahead of Allen at this point. Buttrey got the last save, but I still think Robles the better option for fantasy purposes. Robles has not allowed a baserunner in five straight games over the last two weeks. Owners are not buying in for whatever reason. Robles is still the lowest owned among the three, which seems strange to me. I would not be surprised at all to see Robles keep the job for the rest of the season.
The moment I lower Blake Treinen in my closer rankings, Oakland goes on a seven-game winning streak. Well, then. Treinen saved three of the wins, but overall, he has still taken a step back from last season. Perhaps that is an unfair criticism, as last season was really one for the ages. But I just do not know if he is still at the very top of the position anymore. It’s not as if owners should look for a reason to sell. He is still a solid RP1 for fantasy purposes and is not in any danger of losing his standing with the club. I just think that going forward, he is more likely to float between 5-10 in closer rankings than he is to finish in the top two or three.
Remember when the Mariners were good? Seattle has gone 5-16 in May, rendering their already confusing bullpen an even bigger headache for fantasy owners. It still looks like Roenis Elias is the favorite for saves, but he has pitched poorly of late. Elias has allowed 11 baserunners and five earned runs over his last 5.2 innings. The rest of the arms in the pen are simply uninspiring. Brandon Brennan and Connor Sadzeck have the best numbers, but neither figures to see many save chances over the next several weeks. Hunter Strickland is scheduled to ramp up his rehab this weekend. Barring a setback, he hopes to return in about three weeks. If Strickland is healthy, he might be the best option for the rest of 2019 if only by default.
This week was a good one if you own a Rangers’ reliever not named Chris Martin. Martin pitched his first scoreless inning of the week on Friday, but it is too late for him to salvage any fantasy value. Shawn Kelley returned from the IL and promptly saved three games in four days while Martin was scuffling. Despite the big week, those who have stayed the course with Jose Leclerc should not have to wait much longer for their patience to be rewarded. Leclerc has been downright dominant as he works his way back towards closing games. Leclerc has pitched 5.1 perfect innings over his last four appearances. Even more promising is that he has struck out 11 of the 16 batters he has faced in that span. I would imagine Leclerc resumes the role in short order and hopefully keeps his recent gains.
NL East
Luke Jackson blew two straight saves for Atlanta to start the week. He did rebound to pitch two scoreless innings and pick up a win on Thursday. I still believe Jackson is the best bet going forward, but there are other options should his struggles continue. Sean Newcomb picked up a save on Monday and finished Friday’s game as well. Dan Winkler has seen more situational usage, but he has arguably been the team’s best reliever. Atlanta acquired Anthony Swarzak this week in exchange for injured closer Arodys Vizcaino and Jesse Biddle. The move doesn’t figure to move the needle much fantasy wise. Swarzak and Biddle will both continue to be used in middle relief for their new clubs and Vizcaino is out for the season.
The Miami Marlins won six straight games before losing on Friday night. See, Jeter knows what he’s doing… Seriously, though, they still have the worst record in the National League, and that will likely remain the case all year. The only saving grace for Sergio Romo owners is that the rest of the bullpen is just as bad (if not worse) than he is. The loss on Friday occurred when Miami’s bullpen surrendered eight runs in 4.1 innings. Adam Conley, Nick Anderson, and Tayron Guerrero each allowed two runs in the loss. Romo is another candidate to be dealt, but for now, he is the only Marlins reliever worth owning.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway reversed course on previous statements he made stating that closer Edwin Diaz would only be used to get three outs. Callaway has not utilized Diaz in such a fashion yet, but if he does, Diaz could see a few more saves this season. Diaz still has elite strikeout and walk rates. My only knock against him is that his 100 percent LOB rate can only go in one direction. On the flip side, his career-high 18.8 percent HR/FB rate should also come down. For me, it is a wash, and Diaz is still at the top of the totem pole in all formats.
I was taken aback when Pat Neshek picked up a random save on May 13. But since then, order has seemingly been restored in Philadelphia. Or at least as much as manager Gabe Kapler will allow. Hector Neris has pitched 7.1 innings and has four saves over the last 10 days. Neris now has nine saves and a strikeout rate north of 35 percent. Neris looks the part, and the Phillies have a solid club. He should be rostered in virtually every league, yet is available in nearly a third of leagues. Neshek picked up another save with Neris unavailable last weekend but also struggled mightily in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field on Thursday. He remains a distant second behind Neris on the Phillies’ bullpen depth chart.
Not to be outdone by Mychal Givens, Sean Doolittle has been a mess lately. Perhaps there is something in the air around the beltway. In his last four appearances, Doolittle has given up seven runs and 11 baserunners spanning just three innings. Somehow, he has managed three saves during this stretch. It looks like Doolittle is coming back to earth after an outstanding 2018, ala Blake Treinen. Ironic. The Nationals have been the sport’s most disappointing team, and their bullpen is a major reason why. I don’t think Doolittle is in danger yet, but rest of season projections may need to be altered a bit.
NL Central
Steve Cishek earned an impressive seven-out save on Sunday night in Washington. He pitched another scoreless inning on Wednesday, his 11th straight scoreless outing. But that streak ended on Friday against Cincinnati. The Cubs brought Cishek in to hold a one-run lead, but the veteran disappointed. He quickly allowed a leadoff walk and a home run, thus giving up the lead. He hit the next batter and was pulled, taking the loss. Cishek has done enough to be given a little more rope and should see the next save chance in Chicago.
Raisel Iglesias picked up two saves this week and seems to have found a nice rhythm. The mental game plays a big role in baseball, especially for relievers. I do not think it is an accident that his recent hot streak has coincided with more traditional usage. What remains to be seen is if this will be the case going forward. I still think he will be used in some high leverage situations and will lose a few saves as a result. But Iglesias remains unchallenged in Cincinnati and the Reds have played better ball of late. His ceiling may be a bit lower than those of the top closers, but Iglesias is still an above average closer.
As I suspected, Josh Hader was in line for longer appearances this week due to off days. He lost on Saturday when he allowed a walk-off home run to Freddie Freeman, but that was the only blemish in an otherwise fine week. Hader picked up a win and a save, and Freeman was the only batter who reached base in 4.2 innings. The long ball continues to be an issue and is the only real flaw in his game. He has still allowed just seven runs despite the five homers. Hader has the highest strikeout rate in the Majors and the lowest WHIP of any pitcher not in the Astros bullpen.
It has been a pretty slow week for Felipe Vazquez. He got a save on Sunday but has not pitched since. That is not always a bad thing, as we have seen many a closer blowup in non-save spots. I do expect Vazquez to see plenty of work this upcoming week. The Pirates have no off days and a doubleheader on Monday. Vazquez has been dominant all season long. He is tied for fourth in saves as well as K-BB rate. Vazquez should remain among the league leaders in both categories all year long.
Do I need to put out an APB on Jordan Hicks? The 22-year old has pitched in just four games in May, with zero saves to show for his efforts. Hicks finally got a chance on Sunday but took the loss when he gave up two runs in Texas. The Cardinals have won just six games this month, and most of those have been blowouts. Owners will just have to remain patient and hope the tide turns in Hicks’ favor sooner rather than later.
NL West
Much like Hicks, Greg Holland has not seen much action of late as his team has scuffled. Arizona has won just six of its last 18 games, and Holland does not have a save in any of those games. In fact, he has only seen the field twice in the last two weeks. Zack Godley has Arizona’s last two saves despite being just as terrible in the bullpen as he was in the starting rotation. Back to Holland… a four-game series in Colorado beginning on Monday looms. The only thing worse for Holland owners than him not pitching might be him pitching multiple games in Coors Field. If he can get through the next week unscathed, it should go a long way towards him keeping the job all summer long.
As I mentioned at the top, Scott Oberg will get the bulk of save chances in Colorado while Wade Davis remains sidelined. Oberg’s 1.69 ERA and 1.13 WHIP are solid, but I get a “smoke and mirrors” feel when diving in a bit deeper. His K-BB rate is a minuscule 4.7 percent. That ranks him 258th among 274 pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings. His ERA is the result of a .193 BABIP, which is 16th among those 274 pitchers. His 89.6 percent LOB rate is 23rd. Oberg ranks outside the top-100 in hard-hit percentage and barrels allowed, so it is not as if batters cannot square him up. It just seems he is getting really lucky. I cannot imagine this ending well, especially in Coors. I would recommend leaving Oberg on the waiver wire unless you are absolutely desperate and in an incredibly deep league.
Kenley Jansen did not record a save this week. He only made one appearance, pitching a scoreless inning in Tampa on Tuesday. Jansen’s path seems to be the polar opposite of someone like Aroldis Chapman. Only two of Jansen’s 14 saves have taken place in the last three weeks. Such is the norm when it comes to closers. Fantasy owners have to ride the roller coaster and deal with the peaks and valleys. Jansen will probably enjoy another peak shortly. His ceiling is still among the highest at the position despite some cracks in the armor. Jansen’s role is plenty secure and the Dodgers have the National League’s best record.
Kirby Yates recorded saves on three straight days to begin the week. We have passed the date I had projected for the other shoe to drop, so mark another one in the “L” column for yours truly. I still don’t think he’s this good, but it’s hard to deny 20 saves in two months and a 46.8 percent strikeout rate. He has yet to allow a home run this year, which is not sustainable. However, his .375 BABIP is also likely to regress in a positive way. All told, there is not a whole lot to suggest that Yates will fall off any sort of cliff. For those keeping score, Craig Stammen earned a save on Friday with Yates unavailable after saving every single game.
Will Smith continues to be one of the best-kept secrets in baseball. In his last eight appearances, he has permitted just two baserunners in eight innings. Unfortunately for Smith, both of those hitters reached via the home run. But Smith has retired the other 24 batters he has faced in that span, with 15 of them coming by way of strikeout. Smith has 12 saves this season despite the Giants languishing in last place in the NL West. He may get some added opportunities this coming week, as San Francisco has favorable matchups against Miami and Baltimore on the docket.
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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