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David's closers and saves fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bullpen report for Week 17 (2025). His relief pitcher updates, and closers to add for saves.
With a very polarizing All-Star Game and a predictable but still kind of strange Home Run Derby behind us, the next official baseball holiday will be the trade deadline on July 31. As always, the deadline is sure to turn some bullpens on their heads, but at least for now, we can pretend we have an idea of what most teams are doing.
Not a lot of baseball this week, so not a ton of news to report; however, we can still take a look through the waiver wires and see where some saves might be picked up and added to your squads in hopeful advance of a strong second half.
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 new information becomes available.
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Waiver Wire Pickups For Standard Leagues
Kevin Ginkel, Arizona Diamondbacks (Rostered in 13% of leagues)
Kyle Backhus, Arizona Diamondbacks (Rostered in 1% of leagues)
The Diamondbacks will enter the second half without a true closer in their bullpen, but with three guys who would be true closers on their injured list. Justin Martinez (elbow), A.J. Puk (elbow), and Shelby Miller (forearm) are all on the Arizona IL, with Martinez and Puk not expected to pitch again this year, and a lot of question marks around Miller although he did begin a throwing program on Thursday, so we'll see.
But still, someone needs to close in the desert, right?
Ginkel seems like the logical choice, but rookie lefty Kyle Backhus could mix in as well if there are lefty bats due up for the save situation. Ginkel has an atrocious 8.18 ERA, but has allowed just two earned runs in his past 10 outings.
There's no one in this bullpen who is an absolute must add right now, but Ginkel could hang onto the job if he keeps pitching well. Kendall Graveman was recently activated from the IL and could mix in as well, but Ginkel and Backhus seem to have the leverage roles at this point.
We've wrapped up our road trip, so now we bring you Kyle Backhus striking out Elly De La Cruz for his first Major League Strikeout!!! pic.twitter.com/tJwDHcNHuP
— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 8, 2025
Ronny Henriquez, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 40% of leagues)
Trying to guess what the Marlins roster will look like after the trade deadline is pretty much impossible, but at least for now, it seems like Ronny Henriquez is locked into the highest leverage moments in any given game. Many times, that will mean he is on the mound in the ninth inning for a save situation. Henriquez has been incredible all season, posting a 2.60 ERA and a 33.5% K%.
He hasn't allowed an earned run in July and has given up only two since June 13.
Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender are the other guys who might see save chances in the Miami bullpen in games where Henriquez is needed in an earlier inning, but it's Henriquez who should be rostered in most formats right now.
This location by Ronny Henriquez is absolutely perfect. 💯 #Marlins pic.twitter.com/bPSCNk0x16
— Fish on the Farm (@marlinsminors) April 2, 2025
Luke Jackson, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 13% of leagues)
Robert Garcia, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 16% of leagues)
Chris Martin, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 19% of leagues)
Shawn Armstrong, Texas Rangers (Rostered in 2% of leagues)
The more the Rangers' bullpen gets mentioned in these reports, the more it seems like maybe the best Rangers bullpen advice is: "don't." Given that the Rangers start the second half under .500 but still somewhat in the Wild Card race, they may add to their bullpen (and probably should) at the deadline. For now, they're stuck with these guys, and it hasn't gone great.
Jackson has allowed at least one run in three of his past five outings, Garcia took his fifth loss this past weekend, and Martin has allowed at least one base runner in nine of his 10 last appearances. These seem to be the leverage guys in Texas, although Armstrong and Jacob Webb have been pitching well in earlier innings and lower leverage situations.
Let's go back to that previous advice, maybe, and just keep the Texas bullpen away from your fantasy team.
Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs (Rostered in 49% of leagues)
Well, half the season is done (more than that, really, the "first half" is always more games than the second), and Daniel Palencia is still rostered in under half of fantasy leagues. All he did in the first half was save 12 games and post a 1.57 ERA with a 39:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's allowed half as many earned runs (six) as games he's saved.
He should be rostered in pretty much every league that isn't AL-only.
Daniel Palencia fired 152 pitches over 100 mph in the first half — the 3rd-most in MLB.
— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) July 17, 2025
Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies (Rostered in 20% of leagues)
Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia Phillies (Rostered in 17% of leagues)
If any team is going to add bullpen arms at the deadline, it's going to be the Phillies. They will likely add an outright closer, but at the very least, we can expect them to add more leverage arms to the mix. For now, though, they'll likely continue with a committee headed by Strahm and Kerkering, with a slight nod to Strahm. Kerkering has been pitching ahead of Strahm lately and leaving ninth innings for the lefty.
There are two routes of advice here: if you are desperate for a save or two before the deadline, look into adding Strahm. If you already roster either guy and want to try to get any trade value for them, your window could close quickly, so try to make a move now.
Nasty work from Matt Strahm. pic.twitter.com/U9kRyLHxCl
— Strahm Crave (@StrahmCrave) June 14, 2025
Waiver Wire Pickups For Deeper Leagues
Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians (Rostered in 27% of leagues)
Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins (Rostered in 21% of leagues)
If you believe the trade rumors, the Phillies are fully in on acquiring one of the top closers in the league before the deadline and are reportedly willing to part with the prospects and pieces it will take. The top two names on their wish list are Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians and Jhoan Duran of the Twins.
It's far from a sure thing that either guy will be traded or that their current teams would even listen, but it would certainly be a huge pickup for the Phillies, who are currently in first place in the NL East despite all the bullpen issues they've experienced this season.
If Clase is moved, Smith figures to take over the closer's role in Cleveland, with maybe Hunter Gaddis mixing in as well. Over in Minnesota, if Duran goes, Jax likely takes the role, perhaps with some help from Louis Varland. Again, these are fully speculative adds, but either guy could be a high-tier closer if given the job to close out the season.
Short Relief: More Bullpen Notes
-This week's saves leaders were five different closers with two saves each.
-The holds leaders for the week also had two each, and it was eight different guys.
-The saves leader for the whole first half was Robert Suarez with 28.
-The holds leader for the whole first half was Abner Uribe with 26.
-Just for fun: eight different pitchers earned a hold (and there was also a blown save, but no win and no loss!) in the All-Star Game.
Atlanta Braves
It looks like the Braves are back to using Raisel Iglesias as their closer. There's a strong chance that's just a way to boost his trade value, but at least for now, Dylan Lee's saves-only league value looks to have cratered.
Chicago White Sox
It still feels like a bad idea to roster a White Sox reliever and expect much, but Grant Taylor is definitely the most exciting and highest upside guy coming out of that bullpen in a while.
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