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Michael Florio reviews fantasy baseball closers, saves and waiver wire pickups for Week 1 of 2025. He analyzes changing bullpens and RP risers with elite ratios.
Just like that, we are back! Fantasy baseball season is underway, and naturally, managers are wondering about bullpens. We are still figuring out more than a few bullpens. That means saves can still be found on the waiver wire.
This is the time to be aggressive if you need saves. You do not just have to wait for a clear-cut closer to emerge. If a team is spreading around the save chances or letting two pitchers get the chances, you should be interested. I like to throw low bids on players in these situations and hope I find something that sticks.
This is also the time of year when some under-the-radar relievers with elite results pop up. They may not get save chances, but they can help your ratios without hurting your strikeouts. They are useful in daily leagues or instead of a fringe starting pitcher.
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Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball
The Phillies don’t have a save yet on the season, but they still managed to worry fantasy managers. On Opening Day, Jordan Romano pitched the eighth in what at the time was a two-run game. He allowed two runs to score, and Jose Alvarado pitched the ninth.
However, on Monday, Romano pitched the ninth in what was a save opportunity when he started warming up but ultimately was not because the Phillies tacked on more runs. We still need more information, but Romano sits atop the save hierarchy in Philly for now.
Jordan Romano bounces back👀
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, 11 P
3 Whiffs
50.0 Whiff%
45.5 CSW%His strike% was 72.7% — up from 51.7% in his previous outing
His FF velo sat 96.5 MPH (+1.6 MPH from 2024)
I still like Romano for this year#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/xYrIZWVaXw
— Joseph Cammisa (@jcammisabsbl) March 31, 2025
David Bednar has been optioned to Triple-A after entering the season as the Pirates closer. He has picked up one save and two losses so far this season. Colin Holderman appears to be the top closer option in that bullpen, but that is more speculation than anything.
He has struggled early on himself. On Sunday, he pitched the seventh, while the eighth went to Caleb Ferguson. Dennis Santana is also in the mix. This is a situation where I would put a bid on each if I needed saves. I rank them Holderman, Ferguson, and then Santana.
We have selected the contract of RHP Thomas Harrington to the 26-man Major League roster.
C Jason Delay has been designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, and RHP David Bednar has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the 26-man active roster.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 1, 2025
With Liam Hendriks on the IL, Aroldis Chapman appeared in line to be the Red Sox closer. That was not the case on Opening Day, as Chapman pitched the eighth in a tied game. Boston took the lead, giving him the win, but it was Justin Slaten who picked up the save. While I still believe Chapman will get the bulk of chances, Slaten is someone to keep an eye on. He could be worth a stash for save-needy teams in deep leagues.
The Tigers made the surprising move to option Jason Foley to Triple-A before the season, leaving fantasy managers in a scramble to figure this bullpen out. The top candidates for saves now are Beau Brieske, Tommy Kahnle, and Tyler Holton. All three have limited closing experience. With Holton being a lefty, he feels a lot more situations than the other two. I would take a shot on Brieske first out of the group. This is a situation, though, where you can put in minimal bids on all three.
Tuesday Update: Tommy Kahnle picked up his first save of the season for the Tigers. Brieske entered in the sixth and finished the seventh. Kahnle is clearly top of the pecking order and should be the top priority in this bullpen as of now.
When the Reds placed Alexis Diaz on the IL, fantasy managers started speculating over who could be next. There are several options here, such as Graham Ashcraft, the fantasy community favorite, or Taylor Rogers, Scott Barlow, and Emilio Pagan.
So far, Pagan is the only Red with a save. This is another bullpen that could be constantly changing until Diaz returns. I would not spend aggressively on anyone here and would rather throw a cheap bid on whoever is available. If all are, I rank them Pagan, Ashcraft, Rogers, and Barlow.
Emilio Pagan Looks To Be Favorite For Saves In Cincinnati https://t.co/uvJlliRx8f
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 1, 2025
The Rangers have had three save chances already, with two going to Luke Jackson and one to Chris Martin. Jackson also pitched the ninth in a tie game on Opening Day but was shelled.
While Martin boasts the more impressive stats and strikeout ability, the Rangers are giving chances to Jackson. Both should be rostered as long as they are getting chances. I would look to spend up to 10 percent of my total FAAB to add them.
Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball
The Blue Jays turned to Jeff Hoffman for his first save on Sunday. He also pitched on Saturday, which is why we say Yimi Garcia picked up the save on Monday. Garcia, who posts elite ratios and strikeouts, is next in line for save chances when Hoffman is unavailable. He is an injury away from becoming the main option. Plus, he is good enough that he could be more involved than we currently think. He is one of the top non-closer relievers on the roster.
Tuesday Update: Hoffman picked up his second save of the season and is the clear top option in this bullpen moving forward.
The Dodgers have the most talented bullpen in baseball. That is a blessing to the team but likely a curse for fantasy managers. So far, Blake Treinen, Tanner Scott, and Alex Vesia have picked up a save. Add in that Kirby Yates is in this pen and was one of the best closers in baseball last year. Right now, Treinen and Scott look like the top two in the saves pecking order, but they will likely split, making both fantasy-relevant. Vesia and Yates are elite ratio and strikeout relievers who could get the occasional save chance at the time being.
Tuesday Update: Tanner Scott picked up his second save of the season for the Dodgers. He appears to be the top option in this bullpen, but I am not ruling out Treinen remaining involved in the saves picture until we get more clarity.
The Diamondbacks do not have a set closer, and we have yet to get any sort of answers, as they do not have a save this season. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk are the top candidates here. Both should be rostered in fantasy until this plays out. I have a lean to Martinez, who picked up eight saves and posted better ratios for the D-backs last year than Puk has at any point in his career.
Tuesday Update: The DBacks finally got a save and it went to Puk, with Martinez pitching the eighth. One save does not give us all the answers, but right now Puk appears to be higher in the saves hierarchy.
The lone Royals save this season has gone to Carlos Estevez. One save does not mean he is the set closer, but it does currently put him ahead of Lucas Erceg. Estevez, who closed very effectively for the Angels and Phillies last season, was one of the Royals' big gets this offseason. I believe he should see the bulk of save opportunities. Erceg, who at the very least will provide strong ratios, is worth holding onto, though, until we get definitive answers.
Carlos Estevez celebrates his first save with the Royals by firing a Kamehameha. Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler have no idea what that is. pic.twitter.com/wHgflVBi7w
— Michael "Lux" Farina (@TheMFinKC) March 29, 2025
Seth Halvorsen picked up the Rockies' lone save this season. He appears to be the top closer option for now, but this bullpen has changed a lot throughout the season in recent years. Plus, pitching in Coors Field is an added layer of risk, so you better be certain a pitcher is getting save chances before starting them.
Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball
The Mets had not allowed a run entering play Tuesday. Edwin Diaz is the clear closer there, but the Mets have several arms that can provide strong ratios and strikeouts. Jose Butto is the best fantasy option, as he can often go more than an inning. A.J. Minter and Ryne Stanek are other options. Max Kranick is a deep sleeper in this bullpen.
Carlos Mendoza put Max Kranick in for his first outing in three years against Yordan Alvarez with the bases loaded and one out
Here's how it went pic.twitter.com/fp2y1OcXKR
— jack (@Jolly_Olive) March 30, 2025
The Yankees also sport a strong bullpen. Mark Leiter Jr. and Brent Headrick are tied for the third-highest strikeout rate amongst relievers at 67 percent. Neither has allowed a baserunner, let alone a run. We are dealing with small sample sizes, but if you are looking for arms like these already, New York is your spot.
Jason Adam has struck out half the batters he has faced this season and has yet to allow a hit. He has a 0.67 WHIP and a 0.00 ERA. He has long been an arm that can provide strikeouts and ratios. Plus, he is next in line for saves on the Padres if anything were to happen to Robert Suarez.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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