Florio's Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report - Closer Changes in Atlanta, Chicago, Philly

Michael Florio reviews fantasy baseball closers, saves, and waiver wire pickups for Week 13 of 2025. He analyzes changing bullpens and RP risers with elite ratios.

I was away last week, scouting bullpens in person. Well, that is not true. I was just on vacation, but I did see a Mariners game!

And while trades have yet to shake up the position, we are getting closer and closer to that point. We are just a couple of weeks from the All-Star break and just over a month from the trade deadline. This is also the time of year when your focus may get pulled in another direction. Whether it be summer BBQs or fantasy football prep, you still need to manage to keep your eye on the prize here.

While we may be heading into the dog days of summer, those who keep a close eye on the reliever trade market will put themselves in a position to get out in front of some moves and find potential new closers on the waiver wire for cheap.

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Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

The Braves used Raisel Iglesias in the eighth inning on Monday night. He failed to get out of the inning. Instead, Atlanta turned to Dylan Lee for the four-out save, his second on the season. Iglesias has struggled mightily this season, as highlighted many times in the article, and could be forcing the Braves' hand to make a move. He has not picked up a save since May 16th.

At this point, Iglesias is more of an anchor on fantasy rosters. It is difficult to drop him as he could still see the bulk of the save chances for the Braves. However, all he has done recently is hurt ratios. We are approaching the point where he is droppable, but we are not quite there yet. Still, Lee should be picked up for those save-needy teams in Roto formats. Pierce Johnson is a deeper name to keep an eye on here.

The Phillies bullpen has just become an all-out mess for fantasy managers. In the last week, each of Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm has picked up a save. They each have two saves apiece in the last two weeks. There is also Jordan Romano, who has been working in the middle innings, but has been better since his atrocious start to the season.

For the time being, this needs to be viewed as a committee between Strahm and Kerkering. Strahm has provided better ratios and misses bats at a higher rate, so I lean toward him of the two. Still, both should be rostered in all Roto formats. The other wrench here is that the Phillies are likely going to be very aggressive in the reliever market. It is possible that the pitcher who leads them in saves in the second half is not even on the roster at the moment. That just means you should not look to blow a bunch of FAAB on either Strahm or Kerkering. If available, put a low bid on each and hope for the best.

The Marlins bullpen loves being a headache to fantasy baseball managers. Just when we thought we had a clear closer in Calvin Faucher, they say not so fast. On Sunday, Faucher pitched the eighth for Miami, while Ronny Henriquez picked up the save, his second on the season.

Faucher still is the top option in this bullpen and the only one I would feel comfortable saying should be started in the majority of fantasy leagues. However, the fact that numerous other Marlins relievers can be called upon on any given night makes this a much more frustrating manner. Unfortunately, no one else has seen enough consistent usage to be fantasy viable themselves; they are more just a thorn in Faucher’s side. This is a bullpen to monitor moving forward.

The Diamondbacks had a surplus of late-inning arms to start the year. Unfortunately, it was announced last week that Justin Martinez will need Tommy John surgery and be out for the season. A.J. Puk, who shared closing duty with Martinez early in the season and was lights out, will also need elbow surgery that will end his season. That leaves Shelby Miller as the last man standing.

Miller provides excellent ratios, evident by his 2.03 ERA, 3.87 xERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 28 percent strikeout rate. He is a must-start option in all fantasy formats moving forward.

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball

Kenley Jansen exited after just four pitches for the Angels on Monday. Luckily for Los Angeles and fantasy managers, it was just cramps. Crisis averted. But it is a reminder that this bullpen is likely going to be shaken up soon. Jansen is a 37-year-old closer on a one-year deal. He is a prime candidate to be traded in what will be a seller’s market.

The question here, in the words of the infamous Goldberg, is who is next? There are several options. Reid Detmers has two saves, the second most on the team behind only Jansen. Both saves occurred in June. The Angels also have former closers in Hunter Strickland and Hector Neris, but both could also be trade candidates themselves. Ryan Zeferjahn is another option, but he has slowed down after a hot start. Detmers would be my lean as of now.

The Rangers have become a tough bullpen to figure out, as six different pitchers have picked up a save for them this season. Luke Jackson still leads them this year. He picked up a save last week, his first since late April. Robert Garcia looked like he had taken over after Jackson, but he has not picked up a save in his last three outings. Chris Martin is the only Rangers pitcher to pick up a save in the last week.

This is a full-out committee for the time being. While all three could be involved, my lean is toward Martin, who I just believe is the best pitcher of the three. Not only does he support the strongest ratios of the bunch, but he has the best swing-and-miss stuff as well. Garcia would be next, followed by Jackson. Due to the committee approach of the Rangers, all are better suited in Roto rather than head-to-head leagues.

The Yankees had Luke Weaver return this week, but their lone save still went to Devin Williams. Williams now has a team-high 10 saves on the season. Weaver had been reliable as the closer, but so has Williams since he took the job back.
Both Weaver and Williams provide strong ratios and strikeouts when on their game. We could be headed toward a committee, or it is possible one runs away with the job. However, I would want to hold onto both until the situation plays out. There is simply too much upside as the lead closer on a team that will win as much as the Yankees.

The White Sox had Grant Taylor pick up his first save of the season this past week. He was the only Sox pitcher to pick up a save last week. They now have seven different pitchers with a save this season, and none have more than two. Yikes!

Typically, I do not advise any arms in this bullpen, but Taylor has enough upside to warrant taking a shot if you are a save-needy team. Taylor has shown in the minors to be an elite ratio and strikeout arm. The White Sox may not provide many save chances, but if he gets the bulk of them, he can be a valuable fantasy asset. Do not overlook him just because of his team.

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

Gregory Soto is fourth amongst qualified relievers with a 47 percent strikeout rate in June. He has pitched to a 1.13 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. Not only has Soto provided elite ratios and strikeouts, but if the Orioles, who clearly will be sellers, really want to shake things up, could Felix Bautista be dealt? If so, that would leave Soto in a position to get save chances in the second half. He is a strong add right now.

Griffin Jax has a 43 percent strikeout rate in June, which ranks sixth among qualified relievers in that span. His ratios are not what they have been in the past, but the indicators show he has been more unlucky than anything. Jax has a history of being a dominant reliever, and if anything were to happen to Jhoan Duran, he would be next in line for saves in Minnesota.

Bennett Sousa has a 0.31 WHIP in June, the third-best among qualified relievers. He has a 0.00 ERA in that span with a 39 percent strikeout rate. While he will not provide saves, he will give awesome ratios and strikeouts. WHIP is often overlooked, but if you need to right your ratios, Sousa is an arm that can help.

Adrian Morejon of the Padres is another pitcher who can help in WHIP. He has a 0.44 WHIP in June, which ranks fifth among all qualified relievers. He has a 0.00 ERA and a 32 percent strikeout rate in that period. He can help normalize your ratios for the time being.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio. 

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