Top Saves Waiver Wire Relief Pitchers to Pickup - Fantasy Baseball Closer Outlooks

Dan's fantasy baseball saves (SV) waiver wire advice -- top MLB free agent closers and relief pitchers to add off waivers for the fantasy baseball stretch run.

At this point of the fantasy baseball season trade deadlines have come and gone but managers know their teams might still need something extra to seal a first-place finish. From here on out the waiver wire is the only place to turn to for a manager looking to climb the standings. Managers looking to collect more saves as the season winds down should be staking out bullpens league-wide. 

Something that will make this task much more efficient is the Rotoballer Closer Depth Charts. These charts offer a concise view of each team’s closer situation and a suggested waiver wire add when applicable. Not to be missed is the Closer News and Bullpen Updates section which contains brief notes on relievers’ recent usage and performances. 

Making that resource part of your daily research will be useful as the season winds down. Knowing which relievers are rising through their bullpens’ ranks gives you the ability to scoop up your favorites before they have the opportunity to break out. Are you looking to rack up a few extra saves in your push to the championship? Let’s take a look at some pitchers with low ownership but who are poised to earn saves down the stretch.

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Top Fantasy Baseball Saves Candidates

Adbert Alzolay - Chicago Cubs (72% rostered)

This is stretching what I mean by “low ownership” but Adbert Alzolay should not still be available in this many leagues. Earlier in the season the Cubs had rolled with Alzolay and Mark Leiter Jr. as a committee which may be affecting the former’s ownership. Alzolay worked his way to holding the closer role outright and has performed admirably, racking up 16 saves this season with a 2.52 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. The Cubs are on the cusp of a playoff berth and Alzolay should see plenty of chances in the weeks ahead. 

Kyle Finnegan - RP, Washington Nationals (67% rostered)

Similar to Alzolay, Kyle Finnegan should certainly be rostered in more leagues than this. Finnegan’s uninspiring past seasons may be to blame for his low ownership. In 2021 and 2022 he logged ERAs over 3.50 and earned 22 saves. So far in 2023, the righthander has an ERA of 2.55 and has converted 19 saves.

In the last month, Finnegan hasn’t allowed an earned run and has given up only six hits in his 14 appearances. The Nationals won’t have an abundance of save opportunities but it looks like Finnegan will be the pitcher trusted with those chances.

Matt Brash - SP/RP, Seattle Mariners (27% rostered)

A former starting pitcher, Matt Brash has the durability to be called on early and often. So far in 2023, he has logged 53.0 innings pitched and more than half of his 61 appearances have come on one or no days of rest. This strength provides ample opportunity for Brash to step in and pitch the ninth whenever the Mariners want an alternative to Andres Munoz. So far in August, Brash has earned three saves (Munoz has four) including back-to-back conversions in Seattle’s series against the Kansas City Royals. 

Justin Lawrence - RP, Colorado Rockies (27% rostered)

Sometimes the solution you need is not the one you want. If you are looking for saves at this time of year, you cannot be picky. Justin Lawrence will not see many chances to earn saves for the Colorado Rockies, but he will be the one seeing that work. And while his season statistics are modest at best, his expected stats leave some room for hope that his 3.49 ERA will work its way down as the season draws to an end.

Gregory Santos - Chicago White Sox (21% rostered)

Gregory Santos was the last man left standing after Chicago purged their bullpen at the trade deadline. Up to that point in the season he was boasting a 2.68 ERA and K:BB ratio of 49:11. Since inheriting the closer role at the end of July, Santos has converted on three of his four save opportunities.

This is not a lot of work for a team’s sole closer, but the White Sox are not going to provide many chances for whoever is doing the work. When those situations do arise Santos is deserving of the work. His ability to keep the ball in the park (only two home runs allowed in 57.0 IP this season) and limit walks (5.3 BB%) will make him the South Siders best option to finish games.

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