Closers and Saves Fantasy Baseball Risers, Fallers - Bullpen Battles for Week 2

April 3, 2025

Ryan's fantasy baseball closers and saves risers, sleepers and emerging RPs for Week 2 of 2025. He looks at bullpen battles for teams with uncertain closers.

The 2025 fantasy baseball season is about one week old, and fantasy managers are already in mid-season form, scrambling for saves from closers. Many of the top players taken in weekend waiver wires were speculative closers and replacements for wrong guesses made during draft season.

Even with several games under each team's respective belt, some of the closer situations around Major League Baseball don't look any clearer than they were during spring training. Others seem to have the matter settled already. This piece will examine some of the ongoing closer battles happening as the 2025 season begins.

Finding saves is a season-long battle in fantasy baseball. It’s important to keep tabs on these situations to stay ahead of the pack when a new closer emerges. After reading this column, bookmark our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts and keep up with Rotoballer's Bullpen Report series to stay on top of any changing roles and under-the-radar relievers.

Pittsburgh Pirates Saves Candidates

In the mix: Dennis Santana, Colin Holderman

When presumptive closer David Bednar was sent down to the minor leagues after two losses and a 27.00 ERA, it opened the door for either Dennis Santana or Colin Holderman to take the job and run with it. On Wednesday afternoon, we got our first glimpse of what is likely to be the new order for saves in Pittsburgh.

Against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pirates had a 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning. They brought in Holderman against Taylor Walls, Ben Rortvedt, and Jonny DeLuca. Not exactly the 1927 Yankees, but Holderman cruised through the first two batters before walking DeLuca.

Have you ever seen this style of baseball pants?? 😭

Dennis Santana’s “pants” had the Rays broadcast in disarray pic.twitter.com/3daKAKlBzI

— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2025

From there, the Pirates brought in lefty Ryan Borucki to face Curtis Mead. That left the ninth inning free for Santana and his fancy pants, and he worked around a walk to lock down an easy save. This appears to be the order moving forward, with Santana the clear target for saves on Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia Phillies Saves Candidates

In the mix: Jose Alvarado, Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering

The Philadelphia Phillies have four legitimate options for saves in their bullpen, but nary a save between them in 2025. The Phillies have played some close games this season (one game in extra innings and two games decided by four runs), so there might be some information we can learn from examining those games.

In the extra-inning game on March 27 against Washington, Orion Kerkering was given the seventh and got a hold, but Jordan Romano gave up two runs in the eighth to let Washington tie the game. Jose Alvarado got the ninth inning and had an easy inning en route to extra innings.

Jose Alvarado, Filth. 👿

I love the insta-K strut on that painted 100. 😀 pic.twitter.com/IEQoczPo33

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 3, 2025

In the 5-1 win over Colorado on Wednesday, Matt Straham got the eighth inning of a two-run game. The Phillies, with Alvarado warming up, scored two in the eighth to take the save chance away from Alvarado, but he pitched the ninth and got two strikeouts anyway. This leads me to believe that Straham and Kerkering will be the setup men, and Alvarado is the trusted man in the ninth right now. Romano might be on the outside looking in.

Cincinnati Reds Saves Candidates

In the mix: Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, Alexis Diaz

The Cincinnati Reds also lost their closer from 2024 (Alexis Diaz) to the injured list at the start of the season due to a strained hamstring. There is no sense of when he will be back or even if he will be handed the ninth-inning job when he does return, considering his 3.99 ERA and 5.0 walks per nine innings in 2024. In his absence, Emilio Pagan and Tony Santillan appear to be the favorites to handle the ninth inning for the Reds.

Pagan and Santillan have a shiny 0.00 ERA over their first three innings this season, but Pagan was the pitcher called on to get the save in the March 29th one-run win over San Francisco. Cincinnati has not had a save chance since then, and both pitched a scoreless inning in the 1-0 loss the Reds suffered to the Rangers on Wednesday. In both the March 29 and April 2 games, Santillan pitched the eighth while Pagan pitched the ninth. For now, it looks like Pagan has the reins on the closer role.

Colorado Rockies Saves Candidates

In the mix: Seth Halvorsen, Victor Vodnik

Like the Cincinnati Reds, the Colorado Rockies only have one save opportunity this season, and it went to Seth Halvorsen. A strikeout machine as a rookie in 2024, Halvorsen does seem to have a lock on the closer role in the Mile High City, based on his stellar track record in a challenging environment last season. In 2024, Halvorsen had a 1.46 ERA, 9.5 strikeouts per nine, and just 1.5 walks per nine.

Halvorsen mowed down the heart of the Tampa Bay Rays' order during his only save on March 29. He needed just 14 pitches to do it, and he looked the part of a dominant closer in the process. Victor Vodnik does not have quite the strikeout numbers that Halvorsen does, but he does have a 98-mile-per-hour fastball at his disposal. If Halvorsen ever needs a day off, Vodnik will be the next man to lock down the ninth inning.

Boston Red Sox Saves Candidates

In the mix: Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten, Liam Hendriks

The Boston Red Sox found out before the start of the season that Liam Hendriks, who signed a two-year deal with Boston, would begin the year on the IL with elbow inflammation. That puts his hold on the closer job in jeopardy and gives opportunity to one seasoned closer, Aroldis Chapman, and one unproven commodity, Justin Slaten.

So far, Slaten and Chapman each have one registered save for the Red Sox, albeit Slaten has an 18.00 ERA over his two innings pitched while Chapman's is 0.00. Chapman had not pitched since Opening Day when he was called on to hold the heart of the Texas Rangers' bats at bay in the eighth inning, but he shut down the Orioles on Wednesday to get his first save.

Aroldis Chapman slider pic.twitter.com/BjdTuwsN0j

— Bobby (@welcomeMLB) April 3, 2025

I don't think we can assume that Slaten or Chapman has the role to themselves, however. Slaten is a righty and will likely be called upon when there are tough righty hitters to get out. The opposite is true for Chapman, who can mow down left-handed batters when needed. I bet Chapman ends up with more saves this year, but both should have more than 12 before the end of the season.

Texas Rangers Saves Candidates

In the mix: Luke Jackson, Chris Martin

After a second straight defeat of the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon, reliever Luke Jackson leads the major leagues with three saves. Despite an 8.10 ERA in 3.1 innings (including four hits and two walks allowed), the Rangers gave the ball to Jackson with the game on the line.

Chris Martin did pick up one save over the weekend, but Jackson has now converted three chances after a blow-up on Opening Day. Martin has a much higher strikeout rate to start the season (46% to Jackson's 17%), but after three successful outings, the job is clearly Jackson's to lose.

Los Angeles Dodgers Saves Candidates

In the mix: Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Alex Vesia

Considering that they are on pace to win well over 100 games, the Los Angeles Dodgers' closer situation might be the most valuable one in baseball, but it is also the most complicated to decipher. This might be one of the very rare times in MLB history where there could be two or three viable closers on one team, all of whom could pick 15 or more saves.

Tanner Scott put up a much needed scoreless 9th and the Dodgers win 3-1 to move to 7-0 on the season.

— Jacob Brownson (@brownsonjacob2) April 2, 2025

Through seven games, Tanner Scott has two saves (including the most recent one against Atlanta on Wednesday, Alex Vesia has one, and Blake Treinen has one. Kirby Yates hasn't yet made it to the save ledger, but he had 33 last season and figures to factor in at some point this season. He did pitch on Wednesday, but it was when the Dodgers were losing 5-3.

The Dodgers have no incentive to throw any one reliever for more than 70 innings. Their goal is to crush in October, and keeping those arms fresh is something they are sure to prioritize. Treinen, Yates, and Vesia have at least 15 strikeouts per nine so far this year, but Scott may lead the team in saves when all is said and done.

If I had to rank them, I would go Scott, Treinen, Vesia, and then Yates.

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