RADIO
While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league. Based on current ownership percentages, all of these relief pitchers are probably still available on your league’s waiver wire as of May 13th, 2015.
Roberto Osuna, Toronto Blue Jays
5 holds, 1.04 ERA, 17.1 innings, 17 strikeouts, 0.87 WHIP
Osuna has been brilliant out of the bullpen so far this year, providing some much-needed stability out of the Toronto bullpen. The young right–hander has had a somewhat troubling fly ball to ground ball ratio thus far, with nearly four times as many fly balls as grounders. This may spell trouble in the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre, where he plays his home games, but he strikes out enough batters to still prove effective. Brett Cecil has been throwing better of late, but if he were to falter Osuna could potentially slide into the closer role and pick up saves. For now though, he’s a decent source of holds.
Mike Dunn, Miami Marlins
5 holds, 4.26 ERA, 12.2 innings, 10 strikeouts, 1.18 WHIP
Dunn’s numbers might not look spectacular, but this is due in large part to a shaky mid-April. He has been much better of late, allowing no runs in his last eight outings, and could be primed to be the new setup man. Steve Cishek has been absolutely awful, and he's been officially replaced by A.J. Ramos in the 9th inning, moving Dunn up to the setup role most likely. He doesn’t strike out many batters, but he’s been nigh untouchable lately, so he’s definitely worth an add.
Arquimedes Caminero, Pittsburgh Pirates
5 holds, 4.50 ERA, 14.0 innings, 16 strikeouts, 1.14 WHIP
Caminero has some pretty good stuff, as evidenced by his impressive strikeout rate. He’s a middle reliever, but he does pick up holds occasionally, and you have to love the strikeouts. The Pirates just placed Antonio Bastardo on the DL, which could yield more opportunities in the later innings for Caminero. I expect him to continue to strike out batters at a good clip, as he’s done it consistently throughout his lengthy journey to the majors.
Fernando Salas, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
5 holds, 4.15 ERA, 13.0 innings, 11 strikeouts, 1.08 WHIP
This is another middle reliever who may not be the ideal candidate for holds, but will still pick them up and provide good value. Unlike Caminero, Salas does not strike out many batters, but he does a fantastic job keeping them off the base paths. In his last six appearances, he’s tallied four holds while allowing only two hits and two walks, lowering that WHIP to just a shade above 1.00. I expect these numbers to continue, and I imagine his strikeout rate will begin to show some improvement.
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