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David's closers and saves fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bullpen report for Week 15 (2025). His relief pitcher updates, and closers to add for saves.
The official first day of summer was in June, but we all know that the real sign that it's summer is the Fourth of July, with the MLB All-Star Game looming shortly after. We are well into the baseball season, and the contenders and pretenders are starting to see a lot of space between each other.
This week, we saw a team maybe finally actually decide on a closer after half a season of mixing and matching. We saw another team continue with their committee the way we expected, and we saw a formerly struggling closer continue to look like he is "so back."
Let's dive into this week's report! As always, stay tapped in with our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated frequently throughout the 2025 baseball season as news breaks.
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Waiver Wire Pickups For Standard Leagues
Ronny Henriquez, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 17% of leagues)
EDIT: Henriquez pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts on Saturday, earning the win and leaving Lake Bachar to earn the first save of his career in the ninth.
The Marlins are good, actually? The Fish Team is 14-5 over their past 19 games and just wrapped up an eight-game winning streak with a loss on Wednesday, but may be starting a new one after a win on Thursday. A common thread throughout a lot of those wins? Ronny Henriquez in the ninth inning.
The 25-year-old earned three saves this week and struck out six in 3 1/3 innings of work. Anthony Bender and Calvin Faucher are seeing leverage work as well, but the ninth innings look like they've been reserved for Henriquez lately. He set a franchise record on Thursday, striking out at least one batter in 27 consecutive appearances. He's widely available and probably shouldn't be at this point. The Marlins may still mix and match now and then, but Henriquez is the guy in Miami right now.
Ronny Henriquez slammed the door on his former team, the one that discarded him for scraps, without breaking a sweat, earning his second save in three days against them.
Ronny’s making it clear: the Twins made a MASSIVE mistake! pic.twitter.com/D2LAJBeiO7
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) July 3, 2025
Luke Jackson, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 17% of leagues)
Robert Garcia, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 18% of leagues)
Chris Martin, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 20% of leagues)
EDIT: Robert Garcia pitched the bottom of the 10th inning on Friday, allowing the placed runner to score. It's not an earned run, but it's still a loss, dropping his record to 1-4.
The Rangers didn't make much noise in the bullpen conversation this week, but they did earn two saves. Those two saves went to Dane Dunning and Jacob Latz, two guys so fantasy-irrelevant that they don't even have a rostered rate stat. Will that skyrocket now that they've earned saves in a very contentious bullpen? No, not at all. Dunning and Latz both earned saves of the three-inning variety, with Latz closing out the last three innings of a 10-2 win and Dunning doing the same in a 6-0 victory.
The actual closer options and likely saves moving forward in Texas are Robert Garcia, Luke Jackson, and Chris Martin. No holds were recorded by a Rangers pitcher this week, but those three continue to see the leverage situations and seem almost equally likely at this point to see a save chance. Martin had three scoreless outings this week and is pitching the best out of the three at the moment, so he may end up with the next save chance, although the game situation will probably help the team make that choice as well. The three Rangers guys will have much more value in saves + holds leagues given their roles, but fantasy managers desperate for saves should keep an eye on this pen.
Jacob Latz, K'ing the Side (on 10 pitches). pic.twitter.com/d0rr4XKszR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 11, 2024
Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves (Rostered in 13% of leagues)
Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves (Rostered in 77% of leagues)
The Braves didn't record a save this week. No holds either. Dylan Lee recorded a loss, but there were no blown saves in an Atlanta uniform this week either. So, in summary: more business as usual for the Braves, who have just 12 saves as an entire roster this season.
Lee pitched three times and Iglesias twice. Iglesias provided two scoreless innings across two outings while Lee started the week with two scoreless outings, but then got just one on Tuesday while coughing up three runs and taking the loss. The Braves' bullpen just isn't giving anything to fantasy managers this season, and there aren't too many signs that that will change soon.
Dylan Lee, Wicked 88mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/CweCUpmY9Y
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 24, 2025
Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs (Rostered in 46% of leagues)
Alright, folks, what does Daniel Palencia need to do to get that rostered rate up? He has clearly cemented his role as the unquestioned closer in the Cubs' bullpen. This week, he earned three saves and struck out five in three innings without allowing an earned run. No Cubs pitcher besides Palencia has earned a save since June 12.
Palencia allowed two earned runs in the whole month of June and has allowed just six this season. His 2.87 xERA and 2.83 FIP indicate that he's legitimate and should be rostered in nearly every league where he's eligible.
Daniel Palencia. Dominance. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Ebees86Hoy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 2, 2025
Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia Phillies (Rostered in 22% of leagues)
Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies (Rostered in 17% of leagues)
The Phillies' bullpen remains a committee, but there may be a slight front seat being taken based on recent usage. There were two saves recorded by Phillies pitchers this week, one was rookie Alan Rangel pitching the last five innings of a 13-0 trouncing of the Braves. The other was a more traditional last three outs by Matt Strahm, also against the division-rival Braves.
Orion Kerkering is still seeing leverage work, but since Kerkering's last save on June 19, he has pitched in the eighth inning in all four of his appearances. In that same time, Strahm has seen the ninth inning four times, along with one of his own appearances in the eighth. The tides can quickly turn back, but at least right now, it looks like the lefty Strahm is the preferred option in the ninth inning for Philadelphia.
Matt Strahm, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/Hg529Riow9
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 12, 2024
Waiver Wire Pickups For Deeper Leagues
Jordan Hicks, Boston Red Sox (Rostered in 4% of leagues)
Greg Weissert, Boston Red Sox (Rostered in 5% of leagues)
Garrett Whitlock, Boston Red Sox (Rostered in 8% of leagues)
EDIT: Hicks earned the save on Sunday, pitching an inning after Chapman.
Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is having an excellent season at 37 years old. He has 15 saves and a 1.29 ERA with excellent strikeout numbers (38.6% K%) and easily the best walk rate of his career (7.6% BB%). All of that leads to him being crowned the most likely reliever to be traded at the deadline. Once that happens, the Red Sox will need someone else to close, and it figures to be one of Hicks, Weissert, or Whitlock. Hicks has previous experience but is having a rough season. Weissert had some buzz but has struggled lately, and Boston seems reluctant to stick Whitlock in the ninth.
It's probably not an immediate move, but fantasy managers getting desperate in the reliever department should keep an eye on how things shape up in Boston. Those with Chapman on their roster can probably feel confident that he'll continue to earn saves regardless of the uniform he wears.
Edwin Uceta, Tampa Bay Rays (Rostered in 3% of leagues)
Another veteran closer whose name has been swirling through trade rumors is Pete Fairbanks. Fairbanks has been great this season, saving 15 games while posting a 2.45 ERA. If he were to be moved, Edwin Uceta would almost certainly be next up, although we all know how prone the Rays can be to a committee approach. Still, Uceta has big strikeout numbers and has maintained the key setup role despite a bloated 5.20 ERA. He's worth keeping an eye on as the winds of trade rumors strengthen throughout the month of July.
Short Relief: More Bullpen Notes
-This week's saves leader is Jeff Hoffman, with four.
-The holds leaders for the week are Brad Keller and Anthony Bender, who earned three each.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tanner Scott earned the only two saves for the Dodgers this week. Since June 5, Scott has pitched 11 times and earned eight saves and two holds. The only appearance out of those where he didn't earn a save or a hold was a 1-2-3 sixth inning in an eventual win. The conversation is over in Los Angeles, Scott is the closer, and fantasy managers who stuck with him through his brief slump are certainly grateful for their patience.
New York Yankees
EDIT: Weaver got one out but allowed two runs on Friday, taking a loss and a blown save.
Before Luke Weaver landed on the injured list, he'd pitched 24 times and allowed just three earned runs. Since coming back, he's pitched five times and already allowed five runs. When he was first activated, the Yankees said he and Devin Williams would share closer duties, but Weaver's ineffectiveness, combined with continued improvement from Williams, means the job likely stays with Williams at least for now.
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