🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Mid-March Bullpen Updates for Closers & Saves

We're almost halfway through March and we have about as much clarity at the back end of some bullpens as we had in December. While many bullpens are set in stone, there are still a few heated competitions happening across Grapefruit and Cactus League play as managers try to decide who to hand the ball to in the ninth inning when their teams have a small lead.

To stay up to date with our MLB closer and saves depth charts, bookmark this page and check back each day for new updates.

Here's a look at where the bullpens stand as of now, all are of course subject to change before Opening Day based on injury or in some cases competition.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

AL East Closers & Saves Options

New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman (solid, top tier option)

Boston Red Sox: Craig Kimbrel (solid, top tier option despite a somewhat down year last season.)

Toronto Blue Jays: Roberto Osuna (solid, excellent option)

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Britton (solid, top tier option, despite being found on a milk carton in last year's Wild Card game.)

Tampa Bay Rays: Alex Colome (solid, very good option, but keep an eye on trade rumors.)

 

AL Central Closers & Saves Options

Detroit Tigers: Francisco Rodriguez (solid, mediocre option)

Kansas City Royals: Kelvin Herrera (solid, very good option)

Cleveland Indians: Cody Allen (solid, excellent option. *Andrew Miller is also a mixed league option)

Chicago White Sox: David Robertson (shaky, excellent option if closing. Robertson's name has come up in trade rumors. He'll likely close wherever he plays, but there's always a chance he ends up setting up an established closer on a new team. If Robertson is traded, Nate Jones becomes a very good fantasy option as Chicago's closer.)

Minnesota Twins: Brandon Kintzler (shaky, and not a good option anyway. Kintzler is in the lead to return as the Twins closer, but he's not a particularly good pitcher and will likely lose his job once Glen Perkins returns.)

 

AL West Closers & Saves Options

Texas Rangers: Sam Dyson (solid in his role, but a middling option at best due to low strikeouts)

Seattle Mariners: Edwin Diaz (solid, excellent option)

Los Angeles Angels: Huston Street (injured- Street might not be ready for Opening Day, and he probably won't be great once healthy anyway. Cam Bedrosian has a chance to run away with the Angels ninth inning job, and he'd be a strong fantasy option if he did.)

Oakland Athletics: Committee (the A's seem not only destined but also resigned to a closer-by-committee for this season. They have Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle, Santiago Casilla, and John Axford in their pen. All would make average to above average fantasy closers, but as members of a committee, none will have mixed league value. Avoid.)

Houston Astros: Ken Giles (somewhat shaky. The Astros gave up a ton to get Giles last year and they really want him to work as their closer. He will get the chance to solidify himself in the role, but Will Harris and Luke Gregerson will be breathing down his neck. Lots of upside, some significant risk.)

 

NL East Closers & Saves Options

Miami Marlins: A.J. Ramos (solid, but a shorter leash than previous years. Still a very good option.)

Washington Nationals: Shawn Kelley (solid unless a trade is made, rumors of the Nationals talking to the White Sox about David Robertson. Kelley can be an above average option if he locks down the role though.)

New York Mets: Addison Reed (most likely. Mets closer Jeurys Familia is likely to begin the season by serving a suspension stemming from a domestic violence incident. Reed is an excellent option as a closer, but not knowing how long he will stay in the role makes him a very risky draft pick at this point.)

Atlanta Braves: Jim Johnson (shaky. Johnson isn't very good, and the Braves are rebuilding and may want to see what their younger arms can do at the end of games. This is a bullpen to avoid outside of deep leagues and NL-only.)

Philadelphia Phillies: Jeanmar Gomez (shaky. The Phillies believe that Gomez "deserves a chance" to close, but the problem is there are several better pitchers who project as excellent closers in the Phillies bullpen. While Gomez keeps the job (maybe until mid-May?) this is a bullpen to avoid in all formats, but if Hector Neris takes over, he could be an above average fantasy option.

 

NL Central Closers & Saves Options

Chicago Cubs: Wade Davis (solid. Davis is an excellent closer when healthy, and he seems to be okay this spring, but he missed a lot of time last season with forearm issues, so he is a risky pick despite significant upside.)

St. Louis Cardinals: Seung-Hwan Oh (solid. Oh is just outside of the top-tier of closers and has no real competition in the Cardinals bullpen. He's a great fantasy choice.)

Pittsburgh Pirates: Tony Watson (shaky/competition. Watson and Daniel Hudson are competing for the closer role in Pittsburgh. Watson will likely get the first chance due to incumbency, but he didn't do great as the Pirates closer last season and he hasn't been having a great spring. This may be a bullpen to avoid until some more clarity is provided.

Milwaukee Brewers: Neftali Feliz (shaky. Feliz was signed to be the Brewers closer, but injuries limited him to one game last September. He is reportedly healthy though, and should be able to fend off any competition from Corey Knebel and Carlos Torres. Still, he's a middling fantasy option at best.)

Cincinnati Reds: Raisel Iglesias (shaky/committee. Iglesias is the favorite to start the season as the Reds closer, and he has been great this spring, helping himself in the process. However, he has been used for multiple innings several times and there has been chatter coming out of Reds camp that the team may go with a matchup-based committee approach. Iglesias can be a solid closer, but he likely doesn't have the upside to be worth the risk of drafting a reliever who ends up as a part of a committee.)

 

NL West Closers & Saves Options

San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon (solid, great option. Melancon is very effective relief pitcher, but he doesn't put up the strikeout numbers to be an excellent fantasy option.)

Los Angeles Dodgers: Kenley Jansen (solid, top tier option. Jansen might end up as the best fantasy closer in 2017.)

San Diego Padres: Brandon Maurer (shaky. Maurer will enter the season as the Padres closer, but his 4.52 ERA/1.26 WHIP in 2016 doesn't inspire much confidence. With Carter Capps back from Tommy John Surgery, Maurer's days as Padres closer in 2017 may be numbered before they even start. Capps has league-winning upside, but the risk of re-injury and rule changes are always there with him, not to mention he is not even the closer yet.)

Arizona Diamondbacks: Fernando Rodney (solid in name only. Rodney is the closer for the Diamondbacks. Rodney was a very bad pitcher in the second half of 2016. Both of these statements are true right now, but the first won't be true anymore if Rodney doesn't go back to his 2016 Padres form quickly. The DBacks don't have much else in their bullpen behind Rodney, so while he may get a long leash in real life, he probably shouldn't be on many fantasy teams.)

Colorado Rockies: Adam Ottavino (solid, but with competition. Ottavino is almost sure to start the season as the Rockies closer, but Colorado signed Greg Holland this offseason and will likely have him work late in games and may want him to close sooner than later. If he solidifies his spot, Ottavino becomes a more attractive fantasy option despite playing his home games in Denver.)

 

More Bullpens & Closers Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Isiah Pacheco

Targeting a Return on Thursday
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Patrick Williams

Available Monday vs. Pelicans
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Cleared to Play Against Denver
Kevin Huerter

Ruled Out With Pelvis Soreness
Nicolas Claxton

Cleared to Face New York
Dean Wade

Sidelined Monday
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Unavailable Against Pelicans
Landry Shamet

Sidelined Against Nets
Tyler Herro

Making 2025 Debut on Monday
Caris LeVert

Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert Available Versus Indiana
Kevin Love

Out Monday Versus Warriors
Grayson Allen

and Ryan Dunn Sidelined vs. Rockets
Lamar Jackson

Now Dealing With a Toe Injury
Anthony Davis

Downgraded on Monday Night
Lonzo Ball

Set to Suit Up Versus Toronto
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Tuesday
Draymond Green

Ruled Out With Foot Sprain
Sam Merrill

and Craig Porter Jr. Out Monday
RJ Barrett

Sidelined Versus Cleveland
Ridly Greig

Still Out Monday
De'Andre Hunter

Out Versus Raptors
Baker Mayfield

Dealing With Low-Grade Shoulder Sprain
Thomas Chabot

Misses Monday's Matchup
Mitchell Robinson

Under the Weather, Out Versus Brooklyn
Kirill Marchenko

Out Monday
Jarrett Allen

Out of Action Again on Monday
J.T. Miller

Unavailable Monday
Andrew Wiggins

Norman Powell Out on Monday Night
Brayden Point

Out Against Flyers
Darius Garland

Sidelined on Monday
Nikita Kucherov

Good to Go Monday
Chris Godwin

Buccaneers Plan to "Ramp Up" Chris Godwin's Usage
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Ankle Injury isn't Severe
Jayden Daniels

to Practice This Week, Considered a Long Shot for Week 13
C.J. Stroud

Remains in Concussion Protocol
Mike Evans

Could Return Before End of Regular Season
J.J. McCarthy

in Concussion Protocol
Tyrod Taylor

to Remain the Jets' Starting QB
Shedeur Sanders

to Make Another Start for Browns in Week 13
Tee Higgins

Won't Play on Thanksgiving
Joe Burrow

Bengals Expect Joe Burrow to Play on Thursday
Baker Mayfield

Not Being Ruled Out for Week 13
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
New York Giants

Giants Fire Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen
Tee Higgins

in the Concussion Protocol
Scott Wedgewood

Gives Avalanche Second Consecutive Shutout
Macklin Celebrini

Makes History During Multi-Point Performance
Joey Daccord

Posts Shutout in Losing Effort
David Rittich

Keeps Kraken Quiet
Jesper Wallstedt

Picks Up Third Shutout of the Season
Rasmus Andersson

Extends Point Streak With Three Assists
Davante Adams

Catches Two Touchdowns in Sunday Night Win
Baker Mayfield

has Sprained Shoulder, Will Undergo MRI Monday
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Quinshon Judkins

Salvages his Day With Two Trips to the End Zone
Alvin Kamara

Dealing With MCL Sprain, Timetable Unclear
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
MON

Alexandre Texier Joins Canadiens
Jason Dickinson

Returns to Action Sunday
Elias Lindholm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Mikko Rantanen

Suspended for One Game
Neal Pionk

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Out Week-to-Week
Alexander Romanov

Out 5-6 Months Due to Shoulder Surgery
Sidney Crosby

Records 500th Multi-Point Game
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP