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To help you dominate all of your 2018 fantasy baseball leagues, below are some 2018 fantasy baseball closer/saves (RP) sleepers & waiver wire pickups to consider adding to your fantasy baseball teams. Be sure to also use our other lineup resources and tools shown in the icons below.
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2018 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire by MLB Position
ALL - C - 1B - 2B - SS - 3B - OF - SP - RP
Yoshihisa Hirano (RP, ARI) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: After having spent eleven seasons as an elite pitcher in Japan, Yoshihisa Hirano is about to finish his first campaign in the MLB at the age of 34 with sensational results. In 64.2 IP this year Hirano boasts a 2.09 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, but he has been especially deadly over the last two months, holding a 1.47 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 18.1 innings. It is easy to see what have been some key catalysts of Hirano's...continue reading
Ty Buttrey (RP, LAA) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 37% of leagues ANALYSIS: It's rare, but there are still times when a player emerges on the fantasy landscape and my response is, "Who?" Such is the case with Ty Buttrey. Originally a fourth-round pick of the Red Sox back in 2012, he washed out as a starter and transitioned to relief last season before being dealt to the Angels at this year's trade deadline for Ian Kinsler. He's been impressive in a limited sample so far, with 19...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is the closer for the Twins and, that alone, makes him a fantasy asset. There are a lot of things not to like about Hildy, the 4.55 FIP and 8.37 strikeouts per nine are a good start, but a closer is a closer. Since the All-Star Break, Hildenberger has an ugly 7.56 ERA and has allowed at least one run in each of the last three appearances. While he earned a save...continue reading
Mychal Givens (RP, BAL) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Mychal Givens has been getting the saves in Baltimore of late, making him a vital piece of a fantasy roster. Since the dealing of Zach Britton and Darren O'Day, Givens has a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings and has saved seven games. He has allowed two home runs in September, though, and has gone without a strikeout in four of his last five outings. While there are some issues...continue reading
Joe Ross (SP/RP, WAS) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 3% of leagues ANALYSIS: Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross is getting a late start to the 2018 season, but may be able to make an impact. Ross’ first major league start of 2018 was extremely mundane, as he didn’t strike a single batter out over five innings of two-run ball. He threw 47-of-74 pitches for strikes and it’s worth noting that he struck out 19 hitters across 26 ⅓ rehab innings, so the whiffs are modest but not gone. He draws...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: You know the wide range of outcomes you’re getting with Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow, yes? Everyone was quick to point out his horrible outing against Toronto, so I know you know the floor. People aren’t as vocal when someone is just steadily showing improvements, though. The 25-year-old righty’s latest start saw him blank Texas over six frames, yielding two hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Now with a 49/14 K/BB ratio across 44 ⅓...continue reading
Matt Boyd (SP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: I’m willing to bet that Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matt Boyd will see his ownership mark ebb above 30% due to the streamer tide, especially since he’s set to face the Royals next on the 20th. He only went 5 ⅓ innings in his last start against the Indians, which snapped a streak of six straight starts of at least six innings. Try saying that six times fast! Since the All-Star break, Boyd has posted a 3.09 ERA with...continue reading
Jose Alvarado (RP, TB) - Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jose Alvarado should be owned in more leagues based on his 2.14 ERA alone, but, here we are, with him free in more than 70% of leagues. Yes, he has walked 4.12 batters per nine on the season, but that ratio is down to just 3.48 per nine in the second half. Oh yeah, he is also the primary closer for the surging Rays. While his 11.32 strikeouts per nine are enticing and...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN): Week 25 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is the closer for the Twins and, that alone, makes him a fantasy asset. There are a lot of things not to like about Hildy, the 4.45 FIP and 8.26 strikeouts per nine are a good start, but a closer is a closer. Since the All-Star Break, Hildenberger has an ugly 5.56 ERA, but also has not allowed a run since August 23 and has six saves. While his strikeout issues are...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow has seen his fantasy stock drop a bit. It’s like a guy can’t implode every once in a while without everyone freaking out. The entire fantasy community became a Glasnow expert after Toronto lit him up for seven runs in the first inning, but what about his second stellar effort against the Indians in the last two weeks? After holding Cleveland to just one run over seven innings on Aug. 31,...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 24% of leagues ANALYSIS: Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger has not had a great season, there's really no other way of spinning it. He's sitting at a 4.31 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 59/22 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has allowed an eye-popping 11 homers on the year. His 1.5 HR/9 allowed is almost double his 2017 HR/9 rate of 0.86. However, fantasy baseball is about opportunity a lot of the time, and Trevor Hildenberger is getting his. He's currently entrenched as...continue reading
Ryan Yarbrough (SP/RP, TB) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of Yahoo leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Yarbrough has allowed just 15 batters to reach base and two to score in his last five appearances, spanning 21 innings. Only one of those was an official start, as he is most often been used this season after a short stint by an "opener." All in all, this has helped him rack up 13 victories - more than Chris Sale, Trevor Bauer, Patrick Corbin,...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 30% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow has continues to make the most of his move to Tampa. Glasnow’s ownership has crept up from roughly 26% to 30% over the last couple days and, even though it is just people looking for streamers, there is good reason to hold Glasnow. Maybe, when streaming Glasnow, you can see why his ownership levels continue to rise. In his last start, Glasnow yielded just one run on two hits and a...continue reading
Josh James (SP/RP, HOU) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: Houston Astros pitcher Josh James is a player so new to fantasy owners that ESPN only JUST got him in their player pool. His MLB debut saw him fan nine Angels over five innings, with the only damage coming on a Kole Calhoun three-run homer. The three walks point to the 3.9 BB/9 from the minors this season, but the nine punchouts are tethered to an absurd 171 Ks in just 114 ⅓ IP on the...continue reading
Mychal Givens (RP, BAL) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Since the dealing of Zach Britton and Darren O'Day, Mychal Givens has seemingly been the high-leverage man for the Baltimore Orioles, and racked up and impressive 2.89 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 9.1 IP. During August, Givens was also able to accumulate four saves for the last-place Orioles after totaling just one all year up to that point. With the exception of his successful run in May (2.57 ERA and 1.21 WHIP...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow has been a solid fantasy option since coming over from Pittsburgh, but is coming off of a poor start. Maybe Glasnow had a bit of birthday hangover for his start against the Royals, because who walks three Royals? The good news is that he struck out eight and yielded just three runs over five frames, making for a 32/9 K/BB ratio over his 23 ⅓ innings as a Ray. The...continue reading
Wily Peralta (RP, KC) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Wily Peralta didn't take too long to completely reinvent himself for the Kansas City Royals this year as a closer at age 29. Over his last 8.1 IP Peralta has been on point with a 3.24 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, a time period in which he has accrued three saves. Peralta has settled into a new groove as Kansas City's high leverage reliever, and he has done so with a variety of improved peripherals. First, though he is...continue reading
Pat Neshek (RP, PHI) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Pat Neshek missed most of the season's first half thanks to a forearm strain, but he's been quite effective since returning to the active roster. The submariner has allowed just two runs in 19 appearances covering 17 innings, good for a 1.06 ERA, though he's only struck out 12 batters. What makes him appealing from a fantasy perspective is that he's recorded three saves this month, two coming in the past week. Seranthony Dominguez is clearly...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN) - Week 22 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 21% of leagues ANALYSIS: At this juncture of the season, saves can be tough to come by on the waiver wire. That being said, Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is still available for free in about 80 percent of Yahoo leagues currently. Even though the closer for the Twins is not the best of positions, he is still there to assist with a vital category. True, the ratios (4.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) are middling, and relievers who do not strike out a batter per...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 26% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow squared off with the Red Sox and impressed more than the box score shows. Though he allowed five runs (four earned) over 6 ⅔ innings, he fought through poor control with three straight walks in the first inning. He did not walk another hitter across the next 5 ⅔ IP, which is very encouraging. The youngster showed poise and one bad inning against the Sox still leaves him with a 24-to-6...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 19% of leagues ANALYSIS: At this juncture of the season, saves can be tough to come by on the waiver wire. That's why it comes as a surprise to see Trevor Hildenberger still available for free in over 80 percent of Yahoo leagues currently. True, the ratios (4.58 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) are middling, and relievers who don't strike out a batter per inning seem to be a minority in this day and age. But Hildenberger has received (and converted) three of the...continue reading
Blake Parker (RP, LAA) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 46% of leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Blake Parker appears to be the man to own for saves in Los Angels for the remainder of the season. He has held off Cam Bedrosian, Kenyan Middleton, and Jim Johnson for saves throughout the season and the 32-year-old has fared well. Through 55 innings, Parker is 2-1 with 12 saves and a 3.27 ERA. Since the beginning of July, Parker only has three saves, but...continue reading
Trevor Cahill (RP/SP, OAK) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Trevor Cahill is having a very solid year in 2018, bouncing back from a rough 2017 season in which he finished with a 4.93 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and an eye-popping 1.71 HR/9. The 30-year-old had a rough close to 2017, 21 earned runs in 23 innings with the Royals, but he has rebounded in 2018. Overall, he has posted a 4-2 record, 3.39 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 78/24 K/BB over 79 2/3 innings. On...continue reading
Jose Leclerc (RP, TEX) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 29% of leagues ANALYSIS: Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc appears to be making the most of a change to the closer's role. With both Keone Kela and Jake Diekman shipped off to contenders at the non-waiver trade deadline, Leclerc has seen his fantasy value sky rocket. The 24-year-old has always missed bats at an impressive clip (12.9 strikeouts/nine this season), but this year he has improved his control substantially. While he had nowhere to go but...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 27% of leagues ANALYSIS: The Tampa Bay Rays clearly had a plan for Tyler Glasnow and boy, has he executed it. Big G’s first appearance was a typical three-inning open, but the last effort saw him toss 79 pitches over five innings. Okay, now we have got more than just strikeouts and ratios here, but we are still waiting for Glasnow to pitch long enough to earn a win Of course, combining for 12 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 20 K...continue reading
Trevor Hildenberger (RP, MIN) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: After the dealing of Fernando Rodney to the Oakland Athletics, a the Minnesota Twins are going to have to find a replacement for high-leverage situations among their bullpen that holds the sixth-worst ERA in baseball at 4.67. Of those candidates, Trevor Hildenberger stands out as a strong contender for several reasons. For one, despite a recent stretch of particularly ugly outings to kick off August, he had been producing a solid amount of encouraging peripherals....continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 16% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow looked liked the guy that the Rays traded for on Tuesday night. Glasnow’s second start for Tampa Bay yielded nine strikeouts over four innings of one-run ball, allowing just two baserunners before being lifted. His two “openings” for Tampa combine for a line of 7 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 14 K. Sure, facing the Orioles is as easy as the AL East is going to get for a...continue reading
Wily Peralta (RP, KCR) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Generally, we here at RotoBaller are not in the habit of recommending pitchers who have BB/9 rates in excess of 5.00 in both the majors and Triple-A. But saves are saves, and they're tough to come by in the dog days of August. Of course, Wily Peralta can tell you that from experience, as he hasn't actually recorded one since July 31. These facts probably have not endeared you to the idea of rostering him! But another fact is...continue reading
Trevor Cahill (SP/RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 20% of leagues ANALYSIS: Embattled starting pitcher Trevor Cahill is having a very solid year in 2018, bouncing back from a rough 2017 season in which he finished with a 4.93 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and an eye-popping 1.71 HR/9. The 30-year-old is now playing in his 10th season and in his second stint with the Oakland Athletics, where he played his first three years at the MLB level. Most of Cahill's statistics this year are great, and it is now officially...continue reading
Jose Leclerc (RP, TEX) - Week 20 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 25% of leagues ANALYSIS: Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc appears to be making the most of a change to the closer's role. With both Keone Kela and Jake Diekman shipped off to contenders at the non-waiver trade deadline. Leclerc has seen his fantasy value sky rocket. The 24-year-old has always missed bats at an impressive clip (12.53 strikeouts/nine this season), but this year he has improved his control substantially. While he had nowhere to...continue reading
Jose Leclerc (RP, TEX) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: With both Keone Kela and Jake Diekman shipped off to contenders at the non-waiver trade deadline earlier this week, Jose Leclerc appears to the be the man to own in the Rangers' bullpen. The 24-year-old has always missed bats at an impressive clip (career 15.1% swinging strike rate), but this year he's improved his control substantially. While he had nowhere to go but down from last year's horrific 7.88 BB/9 and 20.0...continue reading
Jace Fry (RP, CWS) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 11% of leagues ANALYSIS: After the Chicago White Sox shipped closer Joakim Soria to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 26th, a big window of high-leverage opportunity opened up in the South Side's bullpen. This has created a volatile closer situation between pitchers like Juan Minaya, Luis Avilan, and despite his recent struggles, Jace Fry. How severely has Fry struggled? After a sterling start to the season with a 1.82 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in...continue reading
A.J. Minter (RP, ATL) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Leagues OWNED IN: 45% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Atlanta Braves closer A.J. Minter looks to have grabbed the job in Atlanta with both hands and it is unlikely that Aroldys Vizcaino will get it back. Vizcaino has been dealing with a bad shoulder, and Minter was thought to be splitting save opportunities with Dan Winkler, but it looks like Minter is the man to own in the ATL. Winker had the first shot at saves, but Minter appears to have the job for...continue reading
Tyler Glasnow (SP/RP, TB) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 4% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow was acquired in the Chris Archer blockbuster from the Pirates. We do not know how long the Rays plan on letting Glasnow go in his first start for Tampa Bay on Wednesday against the Angels. What we do know is that Glasnow has not shown any real signs of being over his control issues -- he posted a 16-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in July for Pittsburgh. While reliever...continue reading
Will Smith (RP, SF) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 38% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Hunter Strickland sidelined by a broken finger sustained while punching a door in anger after a blown save, the San Francisco Giants have tried a number of different relievers in the ninth inning. Most recently, they have been turning to Will Smith to shut the door and he has taken over the role quite successfully. The veteran left-hander has successfully converted the team's last three save opportunities and has allowed just three runs since May 25,...continue reading
Pedro Strop (RP, CHC) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Pedro Strop has taken the opportunity to grab the closer's role in Chicago with Brandon Morrow going on the disabled list with a biceps injury. Those that were hoping that Morrow would be off of the disabled list on Saturday were disappointed to hear that he needs more time to get healthy. With that being the case, there needs to be another man to close out games for the Cubbies and that...continue reading
Jordan Hicks (SP/RP, STL) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 22% of leagues ANALYSIS: Jordan Hicks doesn't have a ton of value right now for saves, but he has great value in leagues that count holds. Hicks has 12 thus far. He has been the setup man as Bud Norris usually gets the save opportunities for the St. Louis Cardinals. Bud Norris is only on a one year deal, and Hicks is a great position to be the closer next year. There have been talks of a...continue reading
Kirby Yates (RP, SDP) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 38% of leagues ANALYSIS: With Brad Hand shipped off to Cleveland, Kirby Yates figures to be first in line for saves in San Diego. The 31-year-old has been exceptional this year, with sparkling ratios (1.43 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) and 48 strikeouts in 38 innings. Yates had previously shown an ability to miss bats, but his vulnerability to the long ball kept him from breaking into the ranks of the elite. That problem appears to be resolved. The fix was the...continue reading
Sergio Romo (RP, TB) - Week 16 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 48% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Sergio Romo has been a man of many talents this season, pitching as a starter, middle reliever, and closer for Tampa Bay. Since moving into the closer's role, after the trade of Alex Colome, Romo has turned into a lock down closer. Romo is 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA with 11 saves this season, but 10 of those saves have come since June 1 and he has a 1.37 ERA...continue reading
Joe Jimenez (RP, DET) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues OWNED IN: 23% of leagues ANALYSIS: Detroit Tigers 23-year-old relief pitcher Joe Jimenez is going to be getting his shot as the team's primary closer, as regular closer Shane Greene was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. The severity of the injury is not yet known, but Jimenez has been tabbed as the "closer of the future" for the Tigers and will have a chance to showcase his skills in the coming weeks....continue reading
Mike Minor (SP/RP, TEX) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 15% of leagues ANALYSIS: Texas Rangers pitcher Mike Minor has thrown four consecutive quality starts, putting him squarely on the lower end of the fantasy radar. Minor has has a 4.63 ERA in 91 1/3 innings with the Rangers this season, posting a 6-4 record and striking out 74 batters. Minor is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA since the beginning of June, seeing his strand rate rise from 69.3% for the season to 77.5% in this 32 inning sample. He still...continue reading
Tyler Clippard (RP, TOR) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 34% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Tyler Clippard is the current beneficiary of Roberto Osuna's suspension and Ryan Tepera's injury, as he is now the closer for the Blue Jays. While his role with Toronto is tenuous to say the least, Clippard has a track record as a closer (even with the Blue Jays this season) and will continue to get opportunities north of the border. For the season, Clippard is 4-2 with...continue reading
Sergio Romo (RP, TB) - Week 15 Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 36% of leagues ANALYSIS: Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Sergio Romo has been a man of many talents this season, pitching as a starter, middle reliever, and closer for Tampa Bay. In fact, Romo was the first 'opener' that the Rays employed this season, opening the game against the Angels in May. These days, though, Romo is back to his traditional role as a reliever and is now closing game for the Rays. Romo is 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA this...continue reading
Brad Keller (SP/RP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: Over the last six weeks, Kansas City Royals pitcher Brad Keller appears on the xwOBA leaderboard at No. 16 with a .329 mark, good for a tie with Luis Severino and right ahead of Miles Mikolas and Blake Snell. Sufficing to say, this fact alone makes Keller a decent add in deeper fantasy leagues Most of Keller's strong xwOBA comes from limiting big hits with a ridiculous 59.4% groundball rate over 56...continue reading
Will Smith (RP, SF) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Will Smith got his second save tonight, and the second save in a row for the Giants, spanning the last three days. Mark Melancon actually started the ninth inning tonight in a non-save situation (the Giants were leading 9-5 at the time), but he gave up three hits and one earned run before getting yanked. That's when Smith was called in for the one out save. It should be noted that...continue reading
Wily Peralta (RP, KC) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 14% of leagues ANALYSIS: Everyone knew the Royals were going to trade their closer, Kelvin Herrera. We just didn't know it would happen so early. While looking at the Kansas City bullpen and thinking about who could replace Herrera in the ninth inning, the internet seemingly had a collective. Kevin McCarthy has been decent this season, but doesn't have much closing experience. Brandon Maurer has the experience of closing games in the past, but his 11.05 ERA...continue reading
Tyler Clippard (RP, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 28% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Tyler Clippard earned his fifth save of the season Friday night against the Detroit Tigers, and could be in line for more saves chances. Ryan Tepera had been serving as the team's closer but has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. Clippard has a 4-2 record, 3.12 ERA and is 5-for-9 in save opportunities in 2018. Even if Tepera's injury turns out...continue reading
Seung Hwan Oh (RP, TOR) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Saves Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh got the call in the ninth inning of Saturdays 4-3 win over the Tigers. Oh entered the game tied and allowed no runs on a hit and a walk with a strikeout. The Blue Jays walked off with a win in the bottom of the ninth, so Oh got the win rather than a save, but it is noteworthy that he was used in the ninth, rather than...continue reading
Mike Minor (SP/RP, TEX) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 8% of leagues ANALYSIS: Minor had some preseason buzz going if he could keep his bullpen gains from 2017 going in Texas’ rotation. It hasn’t been that simple, but the 2009 seventh-overall pick has built up momentum with quality starts against Houston, Colorado and Minnesota in his last three starts for a 2.84 ERA in June. He’s kept the ball in the park his last two starts after giving up at least one in seven straight (10 total), though I hesitate to call...continue reading
Dereck Rodriguez (SF, SP/RP) - Waiver Wire Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues OWNED IN: 7% of leagues ANALYSIS: Rodriguez’s first appearance in the bigs was an iffy relief spot at Coors Field, but since then he’s posted three quality starts in five outings with a solid 24-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. I’d be remiss not to say how he’s faced San Diego and Miami twice over his last three trips to the hill, but we’ve often seen favorable matchups go awry. I see the age-26 arm as capable of staying below a 4.00 ERA for you with an assist...continue reading
