The headaches associated with bullpens continue unabated this week as we navigate these landmines to find those last-minute saves. There is help on the waiver wire if we look deeply enough. Enough prattling, let’s get to it.
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report
AL East
Baltimore: much has been written about this committee over the last few weeks, but the lean most nights seems to be toward veteran Andrew Kittredge. Would-be closer Felix Bautista is nearing a return to the major league roster; how will he be used upon his return?
Bryan Baker left the game Friday night with an illness; everyone worried he had gotten injured when he left with the trainer. He has 39 saves and a sparkling 1.64 ERA and 27.6% K%. Tyler Wells earned the save in place of Baker; Wells has six saves this season between Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Baker did not pitch on Saturday in what looks to have been a day off; Wells did earn the win in that game. Tyler Rogers leads the major leagues with 31 holds.
Louis Varland is not getting enough credit for the monster season he has put up in Toronto. Coming from a middle relief role to the closer spot, Varland has 33 saves, a minuscule 1.15 ERA, and a very nice 31.6% K%. I wonder if Minnesota wishes they had kept him now, even though they have seen Yoendrys Gomez earn 21 saves for their squad.
AL Central
Things are a mess in Detroit, where closer Kenley Jansen has fallen on hard times. He had both a blown save and a straight loss this past week, but even with those, the veteran has 17 saves, a 3.82 ERA, and a 28% K%. Overall this season, he has thrown his cutter a whopping 84% of the time. If they decided to give him a break from the closer role, both Tyler Holton and Kyle Finnegan could get chances, but I look for Jansen to finish the year in the role unless that becomes an impossibility due to poor performance.
Chicago: no clarity here for the White Sox, who continue to use a committee of Bryan Hudson, Sean Newcomb, and Grant Taylor, despite Taylor being the best arm the major league team has at this point.
Cleveland has seen strong performances from their back-end trio of Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Erik Sabrowski. Smith has 35 saves to go with a 2.32 ERA and 34.5% K%. Gaddis has 28 holds, which puts him in the top five in MLB in that category, and Sabrowski is also in the top 10 with 23. They are a huge reason for Cleveland’s late-season playoff push.
AL West
A full-on headache in the Athletics’ bullpen as Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris share the closer role. Harris has earned and converted the last two chances, giving him 15 saves on the season. Alvarado threw 24 pitches on Saturday night in a non-save situation. The headache shall continue, it seems.
Josh Hader continues his amazing run in Houston with three more saves this week; he’s up to 23 on the season with a sparkling 0.70 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP. Bryan Abreu and AJ Blubaugh are the top setup options now, with Blubaugh replacing lefty Steven Okert, who his the IL Friday with a hamstring strain.
I will be interested to see how Los Angeles deploys Samy Natera Jr., now that he is back from the IL. Would-be closer Ben Joyce only pitched once this week, and it was a non-save situation. Could this end up in a timeshare? I am watching to find out. I remain unconvinced that Joyce is the full-time closer.
NL East
Raisel Iglesias locked down his 30th save on Friday, and he has a 2.77 ERA and 25.7% K%. He has been his consistent self all year. He will be a free agent this offseason, and it will be fun to speculate on where he may end up playing out what could be his last contract.
Calvin Faucher is the closer right now in Miami; he got the only save chance this week and converted it, his third of the year. Pete Fairbanks is throwing, but there is no timetable on his actual return date yet.
NL Central
I am watching the Chicago Cubs with intense scrutiny these days. Aaron Civale and Ryan Rolison each had a save this week for the North Siders. On Saturday night, it was Ryan Zeferjahn who locked the save down. Current closer Jacob Webb is having forearm soreness but is expected to avoid an IL stint; former closer Daniel Palencia has struggled thus far in his return from the IL, surrendering runs in four of his last five outings. Best guess: if Webb can weather the forearm issues, he will be the best bet most nights to get a save chance.
Emilio Pagan continues a strong run in Cincinnati. In the span since the All-Star break, the veteran has three wins, 14 saves, a 2.25 ERA, and a 27% K%. He is the clear top choice for the Reds as we find ourselves in the last month of the season.
There is not enough excitement around the job Mason Montgomery has done in Pittsburgh. He is up to nine saves on the season, with three of those this last week, as well as a win. How is he only rostered in 37% of Yahoo leagues? I just don’t get it.
NL West
Juan Morillo looked like he was the closer in Arizona this week. Or so I thought until Saturday night, when lefty Brandyn Garcia got back in on the save action and earned his fifth save. Interesting, Morillo pitched in the eighth inning while Garcia got the tenth after the Diamondbacks scored one in the top of the inning. We will continue to call this a co-closer situation; Justin Martinez is back but has not been used in a save situation yet as he rebuilds after Tommy John surgery.
In Colorado, veteran Jordan Romano continues to pitch well as the closer. He locked down two more saves this week sandwiched around a blown save and loss. Since the All-Star break, Romano has nine saves, a 2.81 ERA, and a decent 24% K%. He is getting saves there if you need them, and he is available in many leagues.
Los Angeles: Tanner Scott remains the closer despite odd usage patterns by manager Dave Roberts. Scott earned the save on Saturday night after pitching to only one batter in the eighth inning on Friday night before surrendering the ninth inning to Seth Halvorsen, who nearly blew a five-run lead. Edwin Diaz starts a minor league rehab assignment this weekend, but even upon his return, will be used in lower-leverage situations for the time being. Scott remains the best option for the Dodgers.
Dylan Smith holds a tenuous grip on the San Francisco Giants’ job, where Trent Harris could also establish himself as a top setup guy or perhaps even get some save chances too. Smith did earn his fourth save this week but stands on shaky ground.
