Florio's Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: New Closer In Philly, What Is Going On In Chicago?

May 21, 2025

Michael Florio reviews fantasy baseball closers, saves, and waiver wire pickups for Week 8 of 2025. He analyzes changing bullpens and RP risers with elite ratios.

We are quickly approaching my favorite time of the fantasy baseball calendar! The trade deadline is two months away, but we will (hopefully) start to see trades happen before that. No position is more impacted by trades than the closer position.

There will be current closers dealt to teams where they are no longer in that role. Then, there will be the relievers who get to replace the closer who gets traded. If you need saves, there is no better time to be aggressive on the waiver wire.

Of course, if you get out in front of these moves and stash a closer or two in waiting, you can nab them for much cheaper. That is where I am starting to turn my eye. Plus, there is never a dull week as there are several teams now dealing with new closers.

Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

No team's bullpen took more of a hit this week than the Phillies. Closer Jose Alvarado was suspended for PED use and will miss 80 games and not be eligible for the postseason. Not only does this likely cement the Phillies in the trade market, but it makes it very unlikely we see Alvarado consistently close again this season. Since he cannot pitch in the playoffs, they are likely to find another option and stick with it. That means Alvarado can be dropped.

Jordan Romano's last 8 appearances 🔥

8 IP
0 ER
11 K
4/4 SV
.115 Opp. AVG
.302 Opp. OPS pic.twitter.com/kff341pl5M

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 19, 2025

In the meantime, it appears Jordan Romano is back as the Phillies' top pick to close. On Sunday, we saw Orion Kerkering pitch the seventh, Matt Strahm the eighth, and Romano the ninth. He has two saves in the past week now. I would spend between 10 and 15 percent of FAAB if you need saves. If you don’t, throw in a cheap bid just in case. Strahm is next in line, and I would not be surprised if he got a save chance here and there. He can be nabbed for cheap. This is certainly a bullpen to monitor moving forward.

The Cubs bullpen has officially reached fantasy nightmare territory. After Ryan Pressly was removed from the role, we have seen Porter Hodge, Drew Pomeranz, and most recently, Daniel Palencia get save chances. Hodge was placed on the IL on Monday. That night, Pressly pitched the seventh, Pomeranz the eighth, and Palencia the ninth. He allowed two runs and a walk-off victory to the Marlins.

This is a full-out committee, which is the worst situation for fantasy purposes. I still believe Pressly eventually takes this gig back and would stash him in Roto formats. With Pomeranz pitching the eighth, securing his lone save shot, and currently pitching the best of the bunch, he would be my next preference, followed by Palencia. Expect the Cubs to be big players in the reliever market, though.

The Diamondbacks have landed on Shelby Miller as their full-time closer … for the time being. Justin Martinez is set to pitch in Triple-A on Tuesday and then will be evaluated again. He is closer than ever to returning. When he does, the Diamondbacks may opt to give him an outing or two before throwing him right back into the fire, but it won’t be long before he is pitching late in games for the D-backs again.

Earlier this season, we saw the D-backs go with a committee approach with Martinez and A.J. Puk. With Miller pitching so well, we could see that continue now with him and Martinez. I would not drop Miller yet. At the very least, he provides elite ratios and strikeouts. We need to watch how this plays out. But Martinez's managers have been patient and should get excited!

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo offers an injury update on pitchers Justin Martinez, AJ Puk and Eduardo Rodriguez. pic.twitter.com/7NzKg3iDon

— José M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) May 20, 2025

The Tigers have a set closer in Will Vest. For a while, it appeared like he and Tommy Kahnle were in a committee, but that just has not been the case as of late. Since April 19th, Vest has picked up five of the Tigers' six saves. Last week, I wrote that he was the preferred option of the two.

But it is becoming more and more evident that he is THE option of the two. Kahnle provides good ratios, is next in line, and could still get a save chance here and there. That keeps him in play in deeper Roto formats. But Vest should be universally rostered at this point.

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball

Luke Weaver remains the Yankees closer. He picked up their lone two saves in the last week and has now surpassed Devin Williams in saves on the season, five to four. Weaver remains a must-start fantasy option as long as he is getting save chances on a very good team. Even if he is ever removed, he is an elite ratio and strikeout arm. But what about Williams?

The former stud closer is starting to look like himself again. Williams has spoken about the lack of command and trust in his fastball early on. He has fixed that problem and has not allowed a run in five straight appearances and eight of his last nine. At the very least, he can provide ratios and strikeouts. I do not expect the Yankees to just make a change for change sake, but if Weaver struggles or an injury occurs, we are likely to see Williams back as the closer. I would rather stash him than drop him.

Devin Williams, 2863 RPM Airbender. 🛸 pic.twitter.com/o7uv3h7kXV

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 17, 2025

Last week, I wrote about how Braves closer Raisel Iglesias was putting career highs in all the wrong categories. He is still sporting a 5.89 ERA and 5.06 xERA. He did pick up two saves in the last week. You have no choice but to live with the ratios if he is getting consistent save opportunities. However, I speculated last week that if a change were to occur, Pierce Johnson is my top option to take over, despite other arms being used in the setup role. We saw Johnson pick up his first save of the season this week.

Closer experience matters to MLB managers, and Johnson brings that. Unlike others like Rafael Montero, who also have experience closing, Johnson is pitching well. He still throws gas and has the ability to miss bats, which is another feature managers love in a closer. The job is still Iglesias', but if he continues to struggle, we could see a switch. Johnson is a top stash candidate for closer-needy teams.

The Giants have not been featured here too much, as their bullpen has been pretty steady. Ryan Walker has been the lead option, with Camilo Doval sprinkled in. However, Walker has been struggling as of late. He now sports a 5.29 ERA with a 3.54 xERA. Doval, meanwhile, has pitched to a 1.25 ERA and 2.27 xERA. Given his struggles, Walker is officially on notice. It is possible we could see Doval overtake him as the primary option or even take over altogether.

Managers with Walker need to continue to use him as long as he is getting save chances. However, those with Doval should do the same as the arrow is certainly pointing up for him. Both are starts in Roto formats while this situation works itself out.

Last week, I declared I was ready to remove Anthony Bender from the Marlins' closer equation. And then on Sunday, we saw Bender get the ninth in a four-run game, with Calvin Faucher pitching the eighth and Jesus Tinoco the seventh. On Monday, Tinoco pitched the sixth and was shelled, while the others had the day off.

Tinoco leads the team in saves, but his recent usage and ERA over six make it tough to trust him. As of now, though, I would still rank him as the top option, followed by Faucher and Bender. However, this bullpen is purely for those in dire need of saves, as all three options are in play on a team that does not win many games.

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

Ryan Zeferjahn is a sneaky stash candidate right now. His 5.06 ERA makes him look unappealing, but his 34 percent strikeout rate makes up for that a bit. The main reason, though, is that the Angels are uncompetitive, but have a reliable closer with a ton of experience in Kenley Jansen. A 38-year-old closer on a one-year deal is a prime trade candidate. If they ship him, Zeferjahn could be next in line. He is one of two non-Jansen Angels relievers to pick up a save this season. Ryan Johnson is the other, but his ratios are higher than Zeferjahn's.

K/9 leaders for RP thus far...
1. Mason Miller - 17.61
2. Kirby Yates - 15.22
3. Ryan Zeferjahn - 14.44
4. Jeff Hoffman - 14.43
5. Griffin Jax - 13.94
6. Alex Vesia - 13.73
7. Brendon Little - 13.72
8. Fernando Cruz - 13.70

— Duck Snort Roto (@DuckSnortRoto) May 18, 2025

Alex Vesia provides ratios and strikeouts on a team whose late-inning options are suddenly thin. He has a 3.48 ERA, 3.77 xERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 37 percent strikeout rate. He is also next in line for saves on the Dodgers. Plus, they do not like to use Tanner Scott on back-to-back days, so Vesia could walk into some opportunities if Scott is unavailable. He is a sneaky add in Roto formats.

There are only three qualified relievers with a WHIP of 0.60 or lower and a strikeout rate of 30 percent or higher. One is Luke Weaver, who is rostered in most leagues. The others are Steven Okert and Danny Coulombe. Okert sports a 1.23 ERA, while Coulombe has yet to allow a run. Both are sneaky options off the waiver wire.

Brendon Little has been putting up pretty elite numbers so far this season. He has pitched to a 1.69 ERA and 2.25 xERA, with a 1.08 WHIP and a 37 percent strikeout rate. He could also enter the saves mix if anything were to happen to Jeff Hoffman.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio. 

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