This week, the closer carousel stops in Los Angeles, where Cody Allen is no longer the closer for the Angels. Allen was the biggest faller in my closer rankings last week following a couple of dreadful outings. Coming to a new team off of a poor 2018, I did not think manager Brad Ausmus would give Allen a large leash this year. That has indeed turned out to the case. He has since been placed on the 10-day Injured List with a strain in his spine. The injury may have played a part in Allen’s struggles, but the fact is that he is a very flawed pitcher. Between the demotion and the injury, he is safe to drop in all leagues.
The leading candidates to replace Cody Allen in Los Angeles are Ty Buttrey and Hansel Robles. Buttrey was a popular late-round flier for those who did not believe Allen was long for the job. So far this year, he is 1-1 with a 0.75 ERA. He averages about 96 MPH on his fastball and features an excellent slider. Buttrey has an impressive 24 percent career whiff rate on his slider. I do worry about the usage a little, though. He pitched 2.2 innings on Wednesday. To me, this signifies that Ausmus may prefer Buttrey as a pitcher he can use in high-leverage situations rather than simply having him close games.
Robles has a 3.00 ERA this year but has been just as dominant. He also features a 96 MPH fastball and a slider. Robles has had better results with his fastball, whereas Buttrey has more success with his slider. Robles is also not without usage concerns. He was actually used as an opener recently. I do not expect that to continue, especially in the absence of Allen, but it is worth paying attention to.
I don’t think Ausmus can go wrong with easier choice. Both pitchers have K-BB rates north of 25 percent. They have each posted a sub-.200 xBA, sub-.300 xSLG, and sub-.250 xwOBA. Simply put, both have been great. They both fare a little better against right-handed hitters. Buttrey induces more groundballs whereas Robles is primarily a flyball pitcher. I think that ultimately this is a two-man show that will depend on matchups unless one has a prolonged slump. Buttrey is currently owned in 55 percent of leagues, while Robles is only rostered in 19 percent. Personally, I think Buttrey ends up with more saves, but I’m rooting for Robles because he enters games to The Undertaker’s theme music.
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 Bullpen Depth Charts
Mychal Givens finally picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday. But he had to throw 36 pitches and finish two innings to do so. That has been the norm in 2019. Givens’ usage and ballclub simply are not going to be conducive to many saves this year. He is the reliever you want in Baltimore, to the extent that you want a reliever in Baltimore. But I cannot imagine him finishing the year with more than 20 saves even in a best-case scenario where he closes in Baltimore all year.
Boston’s bullpen usage has been a bit clunky this week, in part due to multiple rainouts. But last weekend’s sweep in Tampa seems to have solidified Ryan Brasier as manager Alex Cora’s preferred choice to close out ballgames. Brasier earned saves in all three wins, while Matt Barnes was used in the eighth inning in all three instances. Barnes also gave up the lead in two of the three outings. I still believe that Barnes has value and that Brasier is not completely out of the woods yet. But he seems to have distanced himself from Barnes a bit and finds himself in a prime spot going forward.
It is not often that a team wins seven games in eight days and their closer receives just one save, but it has been that kind of year for Aroldis Chapman so far. Chapman blew a 12th inning save against the Angels during that stretch and has also pitched twice with four-run leads. The veteran enters the weekend with just four saves in 2019 but should be able to rack up plenty of saves throughout the rest of the year. He has only allowed the one run over his last nine appearances and has at least one strikeout in all 11 of his appearances this season.
Rays relievers have had a maddening week. It started last Thursday when Diego Castillo gave up his first run of the year and took the loss against Baltimore. He came in Friday in a tie game in the ninth against Boston, only to surrender home runs to both hitters he faced before being unceremoniously yanked. Not to be outdone, Jose Alvarado entered a tie game in the ninth on Saturday, and gave up his first run of the year, taking the loss in the process. He then pitched the 11th on Sunday, and gave up a run and took another loss. Each reliever took two losses in a four-day span. Here’s where it gets really fun.
With both of his star relievers suffering back-to-back losses and pitching so frequently during that stretch, manager Kevin Cash wisely decided to give both of his relievers a couple of days off following the Boston series. Naturally, the next two days, Tampa walks into “easy” save opportunities against the lowly Royals, entering the ninth inning with a three-run lead in both cases. Cash called upon Emilio Pagan on both nights, and he responded by picking up the first two saves of his MLB career. No, this is not a changing of the guard by any stretch. Alvarado and Castillo are still the relievers to own.
Ken Giles picked up a four-out save in Oakland on Sunday, though he did give up three hits while doing so. He then pitched the top of the ninth in a tie game and picked up the win after a scoreless inning when the Blue Jays scored in the bottom half of the frame. Giles has been solid so far in 2019, saving seven of eight games and striking out 19 in 12.1 innings. The WHIP is high, but he is unchallenged at the moment in the Toronto pen and should be a solid source of saves all season long.
AL Central Bullpen Depth Charts
Save opportunities have been hard to come by for the Chicago White Sox. They currently sit at 10-14 on the year and are on the heels of consecutive series losses. Alex Colome has not had a save chance since April 15 but did pick up a victory in a wild game on Friday night. He and Kelvin Herrera (who blew a lead in the eighth inning of that game) have very similar numbers, but Colome still has the job and should be fine going forward.
Brad Hand has saved each of the last two Cleveland victories in Houston. He took the ball on Friday after pitching both Wednesday and Thursday. This is already the second time Hand has pitched three consecutive days. Cleveland is definitely not shying away from using their closer when the situation arises. Hand is presumably unavailable Saturday, and I am very interested to see how manager Terry Francona handles his bullpen if Cleveland is ahead. I mentioned last week that Nick Wittgren has taken over the setup role. But he has pitched on two of three nights, including recording four outs on Friday. I would not overreact if another reliever gets a save on Saturday. I still think Wittgren is Hand’s most likely handcuff.
Shane Greene continues to rack up saves, and Joe Jimenez continues to scuffle. Greene hilariously has saves in 11 of Detroit’s 12 victories. The lone exception was when Detroit swept a doubleheader. There are years when guys just run hot. That could be what we’re experiencing here with Greene. As for Jimenez, it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine a scenario where he takes over for Greene at some point this season. Entering the weekend with an ugly 5.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP, it’s fair to wonder if he is even the number-one setup man at this point. He entered the game in the seventh inning on Tuesday, with four other relievers forming the bridge to Greene, who pitched the inning. I see no reason to keep Jimenez in leagues with limited roster spots.
Kansas City has only won one game since last Friday, and both Ian Kennedy and Wily Peralta pitched in that game. After pitching quite well for roughly three weeks and looking like the preferred closer, Kennedy came into the game in the seventh inning with the Royals leading 9-1. He struck out four in 1.2 innings, but also allowed a run on four hits. Peralta then pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off a 10-2 win. I am inclined to think that Kennedy is still the preferred choice and that both pitchers were simply getting their work in during a game they figured they had in hand. But I’m not going to lie – I’m more confused about this situation following this game than I was before it.
Taylor Rogers pitched two innings to pick up the save in Baltimore on Saturday. The usage in that game was fairly easy to explain. It was the first of a doubleheader. I believe the team may have simply been saving Blake Parker for the nightcap, which turned out not to be necessary. However, Rogers also pitched the ninth and got the save on Sunday. That was strange considering that prior to the weekend, Rogers had not registered a save since Opening Day. Parker hasn’t really done anything to lose the job, but it is quite possible he never really had it in the first place. I wouldn’t cut him or anything, but I would certainly pick up Rogers in the 61 percent of leagues in which he is available.
AL West Bullpen Depth Charts
The Astros have won just three of their last nine games and have not recorded saves in any of them. But the beat goes on. Roberto Osuna is an elite closer and Ryan Pressly is an elite setup man. The two have combined to allow five baserunners in 20 innings. Osuna is still on pace to rack up 40 saves despite the recent drought, and Pressly would fill in seamlessly if Osuna were to ever falter or get injured.
Oakland is in a situation quite similar to Houston. Both teams have struggled lately and have not had a save all week. But both also have elite options at the back ends of their respective bullpens. Blake Treinen picked up a win on Wednesday and is among the very best in the game. His walk rate is a bit alarming, but that could just be picking nits over a small sample size.
Anthony Swarzak suffered his second blown save of the season on Friday night against Texas. Swarzak has now allowed runs in his last three appearances, all via the long ball. This has been a problem in three of the last four stops for the Major League journeyman. If he cannot keep the ball in the yard, his already tenuous grip on the job will continue to weaken. Roenis Elias pitched two perfect innings following Swarzak’s exit and picked up the win. I mentioned Elias as someone who needs to be added where available and the events from Friday night only lend further credence to that opinion.
If I am going to double back on something I said last week, I also have to point out that I thought Jose Leclerc had turned things around last week. Not so much. On Sunday he had another epic meltdown. Entering the ninth inning up three, Leclerc allowed a home run and walked four batters, retiring just two hitters before being saved by Shawn Kelley. His next appearance came on Wednesday with Texas down by double digits. Leclerc enters the weekend with a horrific 7.27 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. The ERA could actually be worse. Rangers’ relievers have cleaned up Leclerc’s messes on more than one occasion. I do not know who the next chance will go to, but I do know that Kelley should be owned in much more than 20 percent of leagues given the circumstances.
NL East Bullpen Depth Charts
I also talked a bit of smack about A.J. Minter last week. Since then, he has two saves and has retired all six hitters he has faced, four via strikeout. Well played, sir… Minter may have just needed some time to get his sea legs under him after dealing with an injury in Spring Training. It also probably doesn’t hurt that the best hitter he faced in those two outings was Jose Peraza, but I digress. At the very least, he has what should be a relatively long leash following the season-ending injury to Arodys Vizcaino. That is a valuable commodity these days.
Sergio Romo has picked things up after a slow start. He has recorded clean innings and saves in each of his last three appearances. The veteran has a 2.45 April ERA, but just three saves to show for it. That is the reality of closing in Miami. The good news is that Drew Steckenrider and Adam Conley have not yet found their way back from similar slow starts, so Romo is on solid footing for now.
There really isn’t much news to get into in New York. Manager Mickey Callaway has, at least to this point, made good on his vow to not use closer Edwin Diaz in unnecessary situations. The result, however, is that Diaz has just one appearance in a non-save opportunity to show for it this week. The saves will come. Diaz is still the best in the business.
Hector Neris’ audition to close while David Robertson remains sidelined started good enough. He pitched a perfect 1.2 innings in Coors Field, striking out two and getting his third save of the season on Saturday. But things took a turn for the worse on Thursday. Neris gave up a game-winning, two-run home run to Starlin Castro in extra innings and took the loss against Miami. With Robertson feeling better and on the verge of being reevaluated, the window may be closing on Neris staking his claim to be the closer. I would not cut bait yet. Neris is supremely talented, and Robertson can have a setback. But he may only be Philadelphia’s primary option for another week or so.
Even well-established closers give up game-winning dingers at times. Such was the case for Sean Doolittle on Friday night. Both the homer and the loss were Doolittle’s first suffered this season. He is not in any danger of losing the job, but he has been more hittable this season. The lefty has allowed 12 hits in 12.1 innings, good for a .245 batting average. That is a far cry from the .135 mark hitters posted against Doolittle in 2018, or even the .182 average the year prior. It could be nothing more than a little BABIP regression, but it’s something to monitor in the coming weeks.
NL Central Bullpen Depth Charts
Pedro Strop blew a save chance on Sunday but emerged with a victory when the Cubs walked off against Arizona. He was able to close out Chicago’s Wednesday win against the Dodgers. Brandon Morrow suffered a setback over the weekend, which unfortunately is not uncommon. Strop should remain the closer in Chicago for a minimum of another month or two. I would not be surprised if he is the closer all season long, which would make him an incredible bargain for those who drafted him.
Raisel Iglesias suddenly has six saves and an ERA under 4.00. The Reds have turned things around after a dreadful start, and Iglesias has been a beneficiary. He even went seven consecutive outings pitching an inning or less. This was a change after Iglesias had pitched 4.2 innings in his first three appearances. He was used to record five outs in a save on Thursday. It was his fifth straight scoreless outing and fourth save in eight days. Manager David Bell is still likely to leverage Iglesias out of the occasional save. But perhaps he has decided to be a bit more judicious in how often he extends his closer.
Josh Hader has not recorded a save in nearly three weeks. He has also only pitched four times since his last save, with the last three being incredibly strange. Hader has allowed a home run in all three games. He has also struck out the side in all three. He has faced 14 batters and none of them have hit the ball in the field of play. Nine strikeouts, two walks, three home runs. Talk about your three true outcomes. For fantasy purposes, it is not an ideal situation. I cannot drop Hader down too far in my rankings because his upside is otherworldly. But the usage continues to be an issue and Milwaukee having other options, particularly with Jeremy Jeffress back.
The Pirates have lost six straight, including a four-game sweep suffered at the hands of Arizona. Felipe Vazquez continues to amaze and impress, but the pieces behind him have not. To add injury to insult, Nick Burdi blew up figuratively and almost literally on Monday night. In a scary scene, Burdi collapsed in pain following a pitch and had to be taken out of the game. Pittsburgh subsequently placed him on the Injured List with a strained tendon and flexor mass. He does not figure to be back anytime soon. The lone bright spot outside of Vazquez has been Francisco Liriano, who has seemingly reinvented himself as a valuable bullpen piece. I still do not see any fantasy value outside of Vazquez, however.
Jordan Hicks is the biggest riser in this week’s closer rankings. Hicks continues to keep his foot on the gas pedal and lead the Cardinals’ bullpen. The 22-year old fireballer has saves in seven straight appearances, including three this week. He has given up just one run and three hits over nine April innings and looks poised to keep the job. Andrew Miller continues to be in what is hopefully just a prolonged slump and not a sign of his demise. Either way, Hicks has inched his way up the rankings in recent weeks and will likely continue to do so with a few more appearances without incident.
NL West Bullpen Depth Charts
The Diamondbacks are 16-11, Jarrod Dyson has three home runs, and Greg Holland has pitched eight scoreless innings this season with 13 strikeouts. What a time to be alive in Arizona. I can’t imagine any of it lasts much longer, but those who have Holland should ride until the wheels fall off. Holland only has five saves, which seems a bit low given the team’s win total. But his relatively low usage has also kept him from being overexposed. This is good for his long-term prospects this season. Arizona wants Holland to close and they want Archie Bradley to help set up games. So far, it’s hard to argue with the results.
The Rockies have finally started to turn things around. They have won eight of their last 10 games. Not coincidentally, all four of Wade Davis’ saves have come during this stretch. Davis is the anti-Hader in terms of usage. Davis incredibly has registered three one-out saves already this season. There will be future ratio damage, especially if he continues to walk hitters at anywhere near his current 15.4 percent walk rate. But Davis will rack up his fair share of saves and is the only Rockies’ reliever with significant value.
I moved Kenley Jansen up in my rankings last week but felt a bit uneasy about it. I am keeping him there for now, and feel even more uneasy about it. Jansen has allowed an earned run in five of his last seven appearances and has given up a home run in three of four. On the bright side, he has yet to give up multiple runs in an outing. He also is put in situations to succeed. In the current era of using closers in high-leverage situations, Jansen is among the few who are rarely utilized unless a save or win is at stake. I do think we are approaching a point where it is safe to wonder if Jansen will ever be what he was a few years ago. But his usage keeps him among the elite for the time being.
Kirby Yates leads the world in saves and shows no signs of slowing down. The former journeyman has really found a home in San Diego. His 23 strikeouts are more than Jordan Zimmermann, Miles Mikolas, and Andrew Cashman have recorded. Each of those pitchers has started six games. His xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA are better than his actual numbers, so there may even be room for improvement. Yates checks all of the boxes. He is on a decent team with a so-so offense and a solid pitching staff. He pitches in a good park and in a division with some questionable teams. Yates has saved 13 of San Diego’s 15 wins. There is a lot to like here and I think a lot of it is sustainable, even if the actual number of saves may not be.
Will Smith picked up a couple of saves this week, as the Giants had won three straight prior to losing on Friday night. Smith checks many of the same boxes Yates does. Like Yates, Smith is top-30 in all of baseball in xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA, But Smith lacks the upside that Yates has. The Giants are not expected to make much noise, and questions remain as to how long they will keep all of their pieces. Smith is a valuable asset, and fantasy owners should continue to utilize him as such. Just be prepared to cash out if he winds up as a middle reliever on another team in July.
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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