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We previously looked at the closer and bullpen situations in the AL East, AL Central, AL West, and NL East. Today we chck out the NL Central. Make sure to also bookmark our MLB Closer Depth Charts, which are updated every day for your viewing pleasure.
Chicago Cubs
Head Honcho – Hector Rondon; Next in line – Pedro Strop, Jason Motte
Breaking alert – the Cubs closer situation wasn’t a disaster in 2014. Rondon stepped in with zero closer experience and delivered terrific numbers, converted 29 of 33 Saves along with a 2.42 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Check out his peripherals below, most notably the improved walk rate and HR rate.
If Rondon can maintain a fastball above 95 mph and limit the freebies he should see success in 2015 for Chicago. He’s currently the 21th closer according to Yahoo! and I think he has good value there. The Cubs should be competitive enough to reach 35 save opportunities and earned himself a decent leash going into 2015 should he start poorly. Pedro Strop and Jason Motte are likely next in line should Rondon fail to produce. The Cubs would be wise to leave Strop in the setup role considering Motte’s previous experience with St. Louis, which makes Strop a good play in Holds leagues.
Cincinnati Reds
Head Honcho – Aroldis Chapman; Next in line – Jumbo Diaz
The Cuban Missile is the top closer off most boards and for good reason. He was utterly dominant after returning from that traumatic headshot in Spring Training, saving 36 of 38 opportunities with a 2.00 ERA and 106 Ks in 54 IP. For those counting at home, that’s a 17.67 K/9! Absolutely filthy and he is worth the heavy price tag considering his K potential. Nothing further needed to report here – if you want to pay for closers, Chapman is my recommendation. Not so Jumbo Diaz stands as the likely candidate should Chapman suffer an injury, but he is not worth drafting in mixed leagues.
Milwaukee Brewers
Head Honcho – Francisco Rodriguez; Next in line – Jonathan Broxton
K-Rod is back for another campaign after signing a 2-year extension this offseason. He was virtually undrafted in 2014 and delivered top tier closer numbers, racking up 44 saves and a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 73 Ks along the way. He relied more heavily on his changeup in 2014 and it served him well, limiting hitters to a .167 AVG. His .216 BABIP was the lowest since 2002 and he had a career high 93.0% LOB rate, which are signs for pessimism, but he’s only the 21st overall RP in Yahoo! leagues. He’s definitely worth that price sticker as a late round closer for fantasy owners.
Broxton was brought over from Cincinnati this offseason to fill the set-up role and as a backup plan if K-Rod left town. Aside from no longer being a heavy K producer, “The Ox” put up respectable numbers in Holds leagues, recording 23 Holds with a 2.30 ERA and 7 Saves. He’s a worthy flier in NL-Only leagues in case K-Rod goes down considering his previous experience, but mixed leagues can let him hit the waiver wire.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Head Honcho – Mark Melancon; Next in line – Tony Watson
Melancon was a beast after taking over the closer role from Jason Grilli, converting 33 of 37 Saves with a 1.90 ERA, 71 Ks, and a 0.87 WHIP. Those numbers were strong enough to finish 6th among RP in Yahoo leagues and with Grilli in Atlanta there’s no question the job is his to lose. He showed no signs of wearing down in the 2nd half and he has the arsenal to maintain his impressive numbers into 2015. He’s currently the 9th overall closer in preseason rankings. That’s a fair spot based on his 2014 numbers and his advanced numbers don’t show any signs of concern. Draft Melancon with confidence.
Tony Watson was an excellent set-up man for Pittsburgh, posting a 1.63 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 81 Ks, and 34 Holds. Those are great numbers for fantasy owners in Hold leagues and although Watson has no closer experience, he would make a strong pickup should Melancon go down.
St. Louis Cardinals
Head Honcho – Trevor Rosenthal; Next in line – Jordan Walden
A quick glance at Trevor Rosenthal 45 Saves and his 87 Ks may lead one to say he had a strong year in 2014. But a deeper look shows that Rosenthal was a roller coaster ride for owners, as poor command led to a 5.37 BB/9 and a 1.41 WHIP. Aside from June and September (0.85 ERA), Rosenthal recorded a 4.23 ERA. For owners in H2H leagues that’s quite frustrating to deal with, but you aren’t going to find a player with a higher ceiling in the saves department. He’s currently our 11th overall closer for 2015 and drafting him depends on the emphasis you place on saves. Personally, I value a pitcher’s ability to help in multiple cats hence why I will not be paying face value for Rosenthal in any leagues.
Jordan Walden will fill the set-up role and is a solid addition to the bullpen. He had a 2.88 ERA with 62 Ks and 20 Holds in 2014 and still has the closer repertoire (11.16 K/9 and 0.36 HR/9) in case Rosenthal goes down. He’s a good grab in deeper leagues and NL-only for fantasy owners looking for a solid handcuff.
