Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: There Are Some New Closers

The 2025 MLB Trade deadline has come and gone. It was an action-packed week, and the rumor mill was fully abuzz. There were a lot of trades that were made and tons that never made it across the finish line. It will take some time to unpack the impacts of the moves that were made, but we don’t always have the luxury of time.

One area in which things were especially busy was the bullpen. There was an overabundance of relievers traded, and many bullpens have been reshuffled. In the quest for saves, let’s dig into some waiver wire options. Unfortunately, this likely isn’t the last time we’ll have this conversation, but here are some options for your consideration. The fact that we can have a whole waiver wire article based on new closers is simply insane.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire

Dennis Santana, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

When it comes to finding saves on the waiver wire, Dennis Santana might be one of the better options. Of course, it’s unclear how many opportunities the Pittsburgh Pirates will provide, but Santana already has six saves this year.

Santana has been successful with a 1.36 ERA (2.84 xERA) while benefiting from a .214 BABIP. The right-hander has kept hitters off balance with just a 32.3 hard hit rate. From the perspective of being a closer, Santana walks fewer than two batters per nine innings, which certainly limits the traffic on the bases. He’s only striking out 7.38 batters per nine innings, so that does leave something to be desired but it’s hard to argue with the rest of the results.

Randy Rodriguez, RP, San Francisco Giants

With Camilo Doval traded, the ninth inning is now available in San Francisco. At this point, it appears that Randy Rodriguez will graduate to the ninth inning. We have seen Rodriguez at various points in the game so far, but he has yet to nail down the ninth on a consistent basis.

Rodriguez has the potential to be an elite reliever, as he’s striking out 12.40 batters per nine innings while walking just 1.80. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he has a 1.20 ERA, and the fact that it comes with a 1.87 FIP generates more optimism.

Cade Smith, RP, Cleveland Guardians

In the case of the Cleveland Guardians, saves are available due to a suspension and not a trade. Regardless, Cade Smith now shifts into the ninth inning. In 2023, Smith saved 15 games in the minor leagues, so he does have some experience in the role.

This year, Smith has three saves, and he’s certainly pitching as if he deserves the role. Smith is striking out almost 13 batters per nine innings and allowing a barrel rate of just 4.4%. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Smith has a 3.13 ERA as his 2.13 FIP lends even more upside.

Kevin Ginkel, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks

With 12 saves over the past three years, including three in 2025, this is a role Kevin Ginkel is familiar with. The right-hander has consistently been a vital part of Arizona’s bullpen. He generally strikes out at least a batter per inning, so that gives him a solid base.

There have been some inconsistencies with Ginkel, and this year is no different. The right-hander is struggling with his control, but he’s also working through a .356 BABIP. That is, at least in part, to blame for his 7.66 ERA, although both his 4.50 xERA and 3.78 FIP point to improvements.

Jose Ferrer, RP, Washington Nationals

There’s a theme here, and it’s unfortunate. We’re talking about all these new sources of saves, but they are coming from teams that are struggling to pick up victories. After Kyle Finnegan was traded to Detroit, Jose Ferrer is no different. However, that isn’t going to stop us from targeting him on the waiver wire.

Again, he’s not an elite strikeout artist, 7.52 per nine innings, but there are a lot of good things to say. Ferrer is inducing a 61.1% ground ball rate while walking just 1.88 batters per nine innings. That’s a recipe for keeping the base paths clear. Given the ground ball rate, it also shouldn’t be a surprise that the quality of contact isn’t there. In fact, that might be an understatement as Ferrer’s allowing a barrel rate of just 3.1%. Now, we just need his 4.78 ERA to fall in line with his 3.07 FIP.

JoJo Romero, RP, St. Louis Cardinals

Not only did the St. Louis Cardinals trade All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, but Phil Maton changed addresses as well. That leaves, at least for now, JoJo Romero to pitch the ninth inning for the Cardinals.

Romero has four career saves and has consistently kept hitters off balance all season. The left-hander has just a 2.04 ERA with an also strong 2.61 xERA. That shouldn’t come as a surprise with Romero generating a 52.7% ground ball rate and holding opposing hitters to a 6.3% barrel rate. He strikes out a batter an inning and also keeps the ball in the park with just 3.2% of his fly balls being home runs (0.25 per innings). As we search the waiver wire for closers, Romero has a lot of attractive characteristics.

Cole Sands, RP, Minnesota Twins

It’s a surprise that there’s even a relief pitcher left in Minnesota’s bullpen. Cole Sands is essentially the last man standing after saving four games last year and two games so far in 2025.

Last year, he struck out 10.72 batters per nine innings, so there’s moderate concern that he’s dropped to 7.04 this year. Sands and his 4.11 ERA aren’t going to dominate anyone, but with his 3.72 FIP, he can be a solid option. Between walking just 2.15 batters per nine innings and generating a 46.45 ground ball rate, Sands can be a solid option.

Corbin Martin, RP, Baltimore Orioles

With Felix Bautista on the Injured List and Seranthony Dominguez switching clubhouses, the thought was that Yennier Cano would be the closer. Cano has 14 career saves and strikes out a batter per inning, so it was a logical thought. Instead, it was Corbin Martin who received the save opportunity earlier this week. As we target Martin on the waiver wire, Cano still shouldn’t be far behind.

The former top prospect and second-round pick secured his first career save on Wednesday. Strikeouts shouldn’t be an issue for Martin, and he appears to be past the health issues that have previously slowed him down.

Sean Newcomb, RP, Athletics

After a surprising but correct trade of Mason Miller, the Athletics are left searching for a closer. They did promote pitching prospect Luis Morales, but for now, Sean Newcomb is in line to take over for Miller.

Newcomb has been striking out a batter per inning, which certainly helps in his new role. He’s been keeping opposing hitters off balance with just a 6.3% barrel rate against. With a ground ball rate of 45.8%, Newcomb does a good job of avoiding trouble. The downside of that is he’s currently dealing with a .365 BABIP. Despite that, he has had success this season with a 3.30 ERA (3.22 FIP). Opportunities might not be in full supply, but Newcomb has the potential to pick up some saves over the next two months.