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Michael Florio reviews fantasy baseball closers, saves, and waiver wire pickups for Week 9 of 2025. He analyzes changing bullpens and RP risers with elite ratios.
Bullpens. Take your eye off them for a couple of days, and everything changes.
I am sure many of you traveled, or hung with friends and family, or partied and barbequed this weekend. However you opt to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend, I highly doubt you were watching every bullpen. Don’t worry, I got you covered!
Memorial Day is also a big date in the fantasy baseball calendar. It is time to take stock of your team. By this point, you are either a team that is strong in saves or finding yourself more and more in need. The best time to find saves is quickly approaching, which I will look ahead to in this article in the coming weeks. Still, if you need saves right away, there are moves to be made!
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Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball
The Rangers' bullpen is officially a fantasy mess! On Sunday, we saw Luke Jackson, the presumed closer, enter the game in the sixth. He allowed hard contact and a runner to score. The save eventually went to Robert Garcia. After the game, it was revealed that Jackson would be used in different areas, which could include save chances.
Still, that has platoon written all over it. Jackson, who pitched well at times but was inconsistent, is now more of a fringe reliever to roster. He can be held in Roto formats, but it is tough to trust a platoon in head-to-head leagues where you generally start fewer relievers. Garcia appears like the top option, but I would not spend more than 10 percent of your budget, as the Rangers have other options. In fact, outside of Garcia and Jackson, Shawn Armstrong, Chris Martin, and Jacob Webb each have at least one save for the Rangers. Martin is on the IL, but the others are cheap speculative adds as we figure out this bullpen in flux.
Tuesday Update: Garcia picked up the save with a clean ninth inning. Jackson pitched a clean eighth inning in a setup role. These are the clear top two options for the Rangers, but things are starting to swing in Garcia’s favor.
Robert Garcia Earns Third Save Of Season Tuesday https://t.co/PkP6BdrtSP
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) May 28, 2025
Justin Martinez pitched two shutout innings for the Diamondbacks last week. He was still working off a little rust, but it is encouraging to have him back. He is a must-roster reliever in all formats. However, we have not yet seen a save in Arizona. He and Shelby Miller could factor into the late-inning usage, so I would still hold Miller until we see clarification. At the very least, both pitchers provide elite ratios and strikeouts. That makes it easier to hold on as we see how the DBacks use these two. A.J. Puk, who was splitting save chances with Martinez earlier in the season, is getting closer to returning as well.
The Cubs have been featured in this article a lot in recent weeks. That is because they keep changing their late-inning usage, but they may have found something that stuck, at least for the time being. In the last week, Danny Palencia has picked up all three saves for Chicago. We have seen Drew Pomeranz pitch in the set-up role, while Ryan Pressly clearly remains in the doghouse. So far this year, no Cubs pitcher has more than four saves.
This has been a frustrating situation for fantasy, but Palencia is clearly the arm to add. If you need saves, I would spend up to 10 percent of my FAAB on him. The reason I would not go higher is because the Cubs seem like a prime candidate to trade for a late-inning arm, if not multiple. Pomeranz is a good ratios pitcher who is currently next in line for saves. Pressly can hit the waiver wire outside of deep Roto leagues.
Daniel Palencia's 2Ks in the 9th. ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/Q2Ew1T1Jyk
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 26, 2025
The Pirates have a platoon at closer, at least for the time being. In the last week, David Bednar has two saves to Dennis Santana’s one. Since Bednar's return to the bigs on April 19th, he has four saves, while Santana has three. While I prefer Bednar, as he gets more strikeouts and seems like the more dominant pitcher to me, both are worth rostering in Roto formats as long as they get save chances.
However, both could also be heavily mentioned in trade talks. Another reason I prefer Bednar is that he has a better chance of closing on a new team if he is dealt. Santana seems more like an arm that would settle in as a bridge to a closer on a contending team. Still, for the time being, he is a way to get some saves, which is enough to roster in fantasy baseball.
Tuesday Update: Santana pitched the eighth in a setup role and Bednar picked up the save, his sixth of the season. Both pitched a clean inning and struck out two batters. Both continue to be fantasy-relevant until this works itself out.
Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball
The Nationals have a clear closer in Kyle Finnegan. He has picked up 15 of their 16 saves this season and is a must-start fantasy option. It is why the Nationals' bullpen has not received much attention in this article. It is a set-it-and-forget-it situation. However, a trade could shake that up. The Nationals are a young team building towards the future, but not contending in 2025. Finnegan, who has been in trade talks in the past, is a 33-year-old closer on an expiring contract. That makes him a prime trade candidate this deadline.
If he were to be dealt, Jorge Lopez seems like the most logical choice for the next man up. He is the only other Nationals reliever to pick up a save this season. However, it is also possible the veteran reliever could be traded himself. If that were to occur, Lucas Sims, Jackson Rutledge, and Cole Henry seem like possible options here.
After a bit of a bumpy stretch, Ryan Walker responded nicely this past week for the Giants. He picked up both of their saves in the last week and now has 10 of San Francisco’s 15 saves this season. The other five, of course, went to Camilo Doval. Doval has been the much more effective pitcher this season, with an ERA of 1.16 and xERA of 2.17, compared to Walker’s 5.21 ERA and 3.28 xERA. Still, as long as Walker is getting consistent save chances, and he is, he is a must-start in fantasy leagues.
I would still be rostering Doval, as not only does he provide strong ratios and a handful of save chances, he is clearly next in line should Walker struggle again.
This season, Raisel Iglesias has not been his usual dominant self for the Braves. He does have eight of their 10 saves. However, he also has a 5.75 ERA, 5.37 xERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 24 percent strikeout rate. That would be the highest ERA, xERA, and WHIP of his career, along with the lowest strikeout rate. It is the exact opposite of what you want out of your closer. Still, as long as he gets save chances, you have no choice but to roster him in fantasy baseball.
If a change were to occur, Pierce Johnson, who last week picked up a save, would be next in line. You could try to get out in front and handcuff Iglesias if you have him. Also, the Braves, who have played their way back into contention, could be in the market to trade for relievers. That would add a bit of a wrench here, which is why I would only look to add Johnson for a couple of bucks.
With Jose Alvarado suspended, the Phillies had three different pitchers pick up a save in the last week. Jordan Romano, Tanner Banks and Max Lazar each picked up a save. Romano remains the top option here and the only arm in this bullpen that is a must start. However, we have already seen Romano struggle badly this season. He has worked through that, but it adds a little concern.
The fantasy community continues to speculate that Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering would be next up, but the others being involved last week means that there is no clear-cut next in line. That makes it difficult to try and get out in front of and roster another arm. If you wanted to go that route, Strahm, Kerkering, then Banks and Lazar are how I rank those arms. The Phillies are also likely to be in the arms market by the deadline. That makes speculating on this situation even more challenging.
Tuesday Update: Romano pitched a clean ninth for his seventh save of the season. He is a must-start fantasy option right now. Strahm pitched the eighth, while Kerkering got the seventh. That could be a peek into the saves pecking order here.
Jordan Romano, White Castle Special. 🤮🍔🍔🍔 pic.twitter.com/zqCdRnYVIK
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2025
Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball
Here is my first spicy take of the trade season. Orioles stud closer, Felix Bautista, could be dealt. That is pure speculation on my part, and it is worth mentioning that he has two more years of team control (arbitration). However, he is a 33-year-old closer, coming off a serious arm injury, on a team that has been extremely disappointing and is not competing this season. Not only that, but with Baltimore being as frugal as they are, they could look to deal their closer now for more young talent with more team control.
If a trade were to occur, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Dominguez would be next in line. Dominguez is the only other reliever this season to pick up a save, and I would have a slight lean towards him. However, Cano already has more experience in Baltimore. This is certainly something to keep an eye on.
Oh, baby this splitter was gorgeous from Felix Bautista pic.twitter.com/zsIm1pHjnY
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) May 3, 2025
Since trades are starting to be a theme in this article, make sure to pay close attention to the Angels' late-inning usage. The Angels are currently under .500 and do not seem like contenders this season. That would make Kenley Jansen, a near-40-year-old closer on a one-year deal, who still has effective stuff and plenty of big game experience, a heavily sought-after commodity on the market. The Angels also have Robert Stephenson nearing a return. He could operate as the lead setup man. How the Angels use him and Ryan Zeferjahn, could give us a better idea of who would be next up if and when a trade occurs.
Devin Williams has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances. In that span dating back to May 7th, he has pitched to a 0.00 ERA, 0.68 WHIP with a .120 batting average against and a whopping 46 percent strikeout rate. The airbender is back to his dominant self. Even if he is not getting save chances, his elite strikeouts and ratios make him worth rostering in fantasy leagues. Plus, I still believe he eventually returns as the Yankees' closer at some point. He is a fantastic non-closer to roster right now.
Tuesday Update: Williams got the save! His line was not pretty as he allowed three hits and two runs. It snapped his scoreless streak, but fantasy managers will trade that for the save.
Griffin Jax has struck out 38 percent of the batters he has faced this season, that is the fifth-highest among qualified relievers. His ratios are not what they have been in past years, but we know he is a reliable reliever. Plus, he has closer experience for the Twins. If anything was to happen to Jhoan Duran, Jax would see save chances. That makes him a good strikeout arm to roster.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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