With the MLB season in its stretch run, every save counts. This week we have a couple of bullpen situations where changes have been made, including one of the top closers of the last few years getting sent down to the minors.
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Update
AL East
Clay Holmes is holding on to the top job in New York. He earned two saves but also blew one this week. Holmes has 24 saves on the season with a 2.70 ERA and 24.5 K%.
Pete Fairbanks was not moved at the trade deadline, and he earned two saves this week, pushing his total to 22 now. Interestingly, Manuel Rodriguez and Edwin Uceta have moved into the setup hierarchy here, proving once again that Tampa Bay will always find guys to pitch and get big outs late in games.
In Toronto, veteran Chad Green has locked down the ninth inning, earning three saves in four days this week. Interestingly, Erik Swanson is also back in a setup role here, working out his early-season kinks.
AL Central
Veteran setup guy John Brebbia appears to be the closer in Chicago. When you have losing streaks of 14 and then 21 games, though, closer is not a major concern for the worst MLB team I have ever seen. Nothing to see here; move on.
Tyler Holton, a name to watch in Detroit, earned a save and a hold this week. Jason Foley has a tenuous grip here and Holton could continue to mix in more opportunities; he has four saves now on the season. Foley blew a save and took a loss on Friday night.
Kansas City: this looks like a committee situation at this point, with Lucas Erceg, James McArthur, and Hunter Harvey all seemingly getting chances. Harvey and McArthur both blew saves this week, in fact in the same game; Harvey earned one the next night. Harvey missed the game Friday night with back tightness, so we need to watch that moving forward this weekend.
AL West
Houston: after a tough start to the year, Josh Hader appears to be his vintage self. Despite a high ERA of 3.75 for an ace reliever, he’s got 25 saves and an eye-popping 38.7 K%. He’s fine.
In Los Angeles, it feels like phenom Ben Joyce has graduated to the top of the class and become the closer. He earned a save last Saturday night, but then journeyman Roansy Contreras earned the next one, and there has not been an opportunity all week. Joyce enjoys ridiculous velocity, averaging 102.3 MPH on his fastball despite a lower-than-average 21.7 K%. It seems like this will be a situation where the Angels use the rest of the season to determine who fits into this picture for next year.
Mason Miller returned from the IL on Wednesday and immediately earned a save. Tyler Ferguson and Austin Adams should remain the top candidates for holds. Miller has 17 saves and a whopping 44.9%K% this season for the Athletics.
NL East
Calvin Faucher seems to be the guy in Miami now, with Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi being the prime setup men. Faucher earned two saves this week and should have some runway to work with here.
Many folks were surprised that the Washington Nationals held on to Kyle Finnegan at the trade deadline, but there is also a feeling that this team is turning the corner and could contend in 2025, in which case, they need a closer. Finnegan has 30 saves and has been remarkably consistent over the past two seasons.
NL Central
David Bednar has run on hard times in Pittsburgh. He has blown two saves in a row and has a woeful 5.77 ERA on the season. Should the Pirates decide to give him a break, Aroldis Chapman would seem to be next in line for save chances. Bednar has battled nagging injuries this year, and it has taken a toll on his effectiveness. Develop a backup plan if you roster Bednar at this point in the season.
St. Louis: Ryan Helsley continues to be a lockdown closer with 37 saves for the Cardinals, including three in a row this week. Andrew Kittredge has a whopping 30 holds in 2024, proving to be one of the most effective setup men in the game.
NL West
The Arizona bullpen has taken some interesting turns over the last two weeks. Former closer Paul Sewald has only pitched twice this week, but manager Torey Lovullo said that Sewald is making some mechanical changes and they expect him to correct the issue, which has led to control and command issues. In his absence, Justin Martinez has seized the role, earning two saves, a win, and a hold this week. Relievers Ryan Thompson, A.J. Puk, and Kevin Ginkel remain in the setup mix. In the short term, the job belongs to Martinez most days, but Lovullo has shown a willingness to use any of his weapons at any time in a game.
In Colorado, Victor Vodnik has locked down the closer job for the Rockies. He did take a loss this week, but also earned two saves, giving him seven saves and a 3.98 ERA on the season despite a below-average 20.8%K%. Tyler Kinley has seven scoreless outings in a row and has claimed the top setup role. Should Vodnik struggle, Kinley would be next in line.
Los Angeles: continues to be a committee situation with Daniel Hudson, Evan Phillips, and perhaps Michael Kopech. Phillips has only pitched twice this week, and Hudson earned a save this week, as did situational lefty Anthony Banda. Kopech is working on some pitch mix changes and could be an integral part of this bullpen moving forward. The Dodgers lost both Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen this week to injury. This is going to be an interesting bullpen to watch down the stretch.
Checking in on San Diego. Robert Suarez has remained the closer, with a significantly upgraded bullpen led by Tanner Scott, Jason Adam, and a resurgent Adrian Morejon behind him. Morejon earned a save this week as did Suarez, and Scott and Adam each earned wins. Should San Diego make it to the playoffs, their bullpen could be deadly to other teams, with a bevy of options to get batters out in key situations.
San Francisco: in a shocking move, the Giants optioned closer Camilo Doval to Triple-A yesterday due to his persistent struggles this season. Manager Bob Melvin announced that Ryan Walker would be the interim closer now. He looks up to the task; Walker has seven wins, 21 holds, and 71 strikeouts in 60.1 innings with a 2.24 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Worth adding in most leagues, especially in daily move leagues where he has both SP and RP designations.