X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Closers and Saves Report - Week 16

The trade deadline is still over 10 days away. And yet, we've already seen a few big trades, two of which impact a few bullpens around the league.

There are certainly more changes coming, and it seems teams might not wait until July 31st for the usual "oh-my-goodness-let's-refresh-Twitter-every-few-seconds-throughout-the-day" madness.

Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle, Tommy Kahnle, Tyler Clippard, and David Robertson all have new bullpens to call home since the last Closer and Saves Report. Make sure to bookmark RotoBaller's MLB CLoser Depth Charts, updated every day for your viewing pleasure. Now, let's see how these trades will impact things going forward:

Be sure to check all of our preseason fantasy baseball rankings for Roto, Points, H2H, dynasty, best ball, prospects and more:

 

Bullpen News for Week 16

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox gutted their bullpen, sending their two best relievers, closer David Robertson and setup man Tommy Kahnle, to the New York Yankees. Robertson was fully expected to be traded by the deadline, but most people figured he would end up closing wherever he went. That won't be the case in the Bronx, as he'll slide in as a setup man there. As Robertson was always expected to be traded, Kahnle was expected to take over in the ninth inning for Chicago. With elite numbers this year, many fantasy players were excited to see Kahnle start getting saves once Robertson was out of the way. Instead, Kahnle will become one of the best 6th/7th inning guys in baseball. It kills his value in saves leagues, and even dings him a bit in holds leagues as well.

So who closes for the White Sox now? Tyler Clippard, who came from the Yankees in the deal, hasn't had his strongest year, but he has closing experience and will likely take the ninth inning for now. Rumors are already swirling that Chicago will try to move Clippard before July 31st, so they'll probably let him get as many save chances as possible until then to build up his value. Once he's traded, it seems Anthony Swarzak will have the ninth inning, unless he of course gets traded as well. The White Sox are in full sell mode, so who knows what their team will look like in August and September?

 

New York Yankees

The other half of the deal mentioned above is the Yankees bullpen. While their closer will stay the same (Aroldis Chapman isn't going anywhere) they'll have a brand new setup man in David Robertson. They'll also have Dellin Betances and Tommy Kahnle setting them up. That's a lot of strikeouts and a very short game for the opposing offense. Robertson loses a ton of fantasy value in standard leagues since he won't be picking up saves anymore. In save+hold leagues, he may actually gain some value, as he'll be pitching for a better team and likely get more chances to record holds. Tommy Kahnle goes from being the primary setup man on a bad team to being one of a few capable setup men on a better team. His fantasy value doesn't change much compared to where it was before the trade, but it takes a huge hit compared to where it was expected to be, as he won't be taking over for Robertson in the White Sox ninth inning.

 

Washington Nationals

The Nationals bullpen has been simply awful this season, with a carousel of closers going through the ninth inning. Just when it seemed like they had things figured out, Koda Glover landed on the disabled list. He was recently moved to the 60-day DL, so the Nationals had to get something done. They traded with the Oakland Athletics, acquiring two relievers with closing experience: righty Ryan Madson and lefty Sean Doolittle. Even after these moves, they are rumored to still be looking for more relief help. Still, their bullpen certainly got better with these two in it. Doolittle and Madson will likely split ninth inning duties for now, with everything subject to change if and when the Nats acquire a more bona fide closer. Right now, Doolittle and Madson both need to be owned in holds leagues. In standard leagues, however, managers can hold off on adding them, but if one should be added over the other it might be Madson if simply because the righty will end up winning the splits battle.

 

St. Louis Cardinals

Not due to a trade, but the Cardinals saw some bullpen shuffling this week as well. Seung Hwan Oh was officially pulled from the closer's role, with manager Mike Matheny implying that Trevor Rosenthal was the next guy up. What he said and what he did didn't match however, as Matheny went with lefty Brett Cecil for the first save attempt after stating Rosenthal was the next guy up. Cecil blew the save, so what did Matheny do the next time there was a save opportunity? He went with Cecil again. For now, it seems like it might be a closer-by-committee, but if Cecil can get some separation from the other guys, he may end up with the job outright. Rosenthal seems ahead of Oh in the hierarchy now as well.

 

Roster Moves of the Week

Adds

Brett Cecil, St. Louis Cardinals- Managers desperate for saves may want to take a stab at Cecil here. As mentioned above, he doesn't have the job in St. Louis right now, but he may end up with it as long as he pitches well. Trevor Rosenthal is a decent speculative add as well, since his ratios will help even if he's not collecting saves. Cecil and Rosenthal aren't must-adds in any format, but they're decent roster fillers on teams with an empty spot willing to take a stab in the dark.

Tyler Clippard, Chicago White Sox- Owners looking for a quick but almost certainly temporary source of saves can look at Clippard. He should close for the White Sox for the next ten days or so, before he moves to another team to work earlier innings. He could be a decent grab for next week though, just don't expect much value from him after that.

Drops

David Robertson, New York Yankees- Robertson has been one of the better closers in baseball for a few years now, but he'll slide into a setup role behind Aroldis Chapman now that he's rejoined the Yankees. He'll still have plenty of value in leagues that count holds or in deep leagues where his ratios play, but in standard leagues his value just took a huge hit.

Tommy Kahnle, New York Yankees- Many fantasy owners (including me!) were hanging onto Kahnle and enjoying his strong ratios just waiting for Robertson to open the door for Kahnle to take over the ninth. Robertson did indeed leave, but he took Kahnle with him. The sure-to-be White Sox closer is now basically an elite middle reliever for the Yankees. That won't play into much fantasy value at all unless you're in a deep league in which case Kahnle is a fine guy to hold for ratios and Ks.

 

Best of the Week

Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners- 5 IP, 5 SV, 10 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP

Mariners closer Edwin Diaz seemingly never got a break this week, as he racked up five saves in five innings, striking out ten. It was an incredible week for a guy who not too long ago was ousted from the closer role. Possibly due to that, he is only owned in 85% of fantasy leagues. That needs to be a full 100%.

Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers- 3 1/3 IP, 3 SV, 5 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 WHIP

Another week, another excellent performance by Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who is trying to leave no doubt in anyone's mind who the best closer in baseball is. For the season, he has 62 strikeouts and TWO walks. He's on pace for one of the best seasons in baseball history by a relief pitcher.

Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh Pirates- 4 2/3 IP, 3 SV, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.64 WHIP

Pirates closer Felipe Rivero was great this week also, collecting three saves and a win. He struck out six and allowed just two hits and a walk. He's only owned in 70% of leagues, probably since he didn't start the season as a closer. He needs to be owned everywhere, as he has the upside to be one of the top closers in fantasy baseball.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds

 

Premium Tools & DFS Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Sign Up Now!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tarik Skubal22 mins ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes43 mins ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis1 hour ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Taijuan Walker2 hours ago

Opening On Injured List
Max Scherzer2 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Blake Treinen3 hours ago

Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen "A Ways Away" From Returning
Clayton Kershaw3 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler3 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager3 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Nick Senzel3 hours ago

Scratched On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz3 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso3 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland3 hours ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell3 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Victor Scott II4 hours ago

Batting Eighth In Opening Day Lineup
Alex Bregman4 hours ago

Batting Cleanup Against The New York Yankees
Maikel Garcia4 hours ago

Leading Off For Kansas City
Mike Ford5 hours ago

Signs Deal With Reds
Edouard Julien5 hours ago

Riding Pine On Opening Day
Duncan Robinson5 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds5 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Connor Joe5 hours ago

Leading Off For The Pirates
Jimmy Butler5 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu6 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray6 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Kyle Farmer6 hours ago

Starting At Second On Opening Day
Jordan Romano6 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole7 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Aaron Ekblad8 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov8 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto8 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin8 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard8 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins8 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist8 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear8 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop9 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels9 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado9 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer9 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman9 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent9 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford20 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White20 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Aaron Gordon22 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter22 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic22 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jrue Holiday22 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton22 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More