MLB Closers and Saves Report - Week 3

April 20, 2018

David A Marcillo looks at Week 3 closer performances around MLB, including bullpen changes. He identifies fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and adds for saves

Week 3 saw some surprising disappointments and some surprising great performances. It's already been a season of rising and falling, and we're still more than a week away from May.

We've already had a manager get fired, closers lose their jobs, and other closers get sometimes-dreaded votes of confidence from their managers. It's been a fun April, and there's so much baseball still to go!

Let's take a look at the news, the best performers, and any suggested moves for your fantasy team in this week's MLB Closers and Saves Report:

Bullpen News for Week 3

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is off to a rough start in 2018. He's blown two saves already after blowing just one in all of 2017. More shockingly, he's allowed six earned runs after allowing just 10 in all of last season. Last season, he walked a total of seven batters, and this year in just 6 2/3 innings, he's almost halfway there with three walks already. So it's just bad luck, right? The advanced metrics show the same Kenley Jansen? Not quite. His FIP is currently 8.21, almost matching his 8.10 ERA. He's only getting 28.6% ground balls after getting 38.4% last season. He's throwing noticeably slower, and his breaking pitches have noticeably less bite. All that being said, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has given Jansen a vote of confidence, saying that he's earned the right to work things out in his usual role. There's not a lot behind Jansen in terms of experience in the Los Angeles bullpen, so Jansen likely will get that chance, but it's not easy as a fantasy owner to keep rolling him out there when his ERA is pushing 10. Hopefully, he'll improve soon, but it's hard not to think he might be dealing with some kind of injury. At this point, only time will tell.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals made a last-minute splash by signing closer Greg Holland to a one-year contract on Opening Day. Before Holland signed, Dominic Leone and Tyler Lyons seemed like the favorites to split closing duties, at least until Luke Gregerson returned from his oblique and hamstring injuries. Leone and Lyons did indeed split time at closer until Holland was "called up" about a week after Opening Day, immediately taking over as closer. It went poorly. Holland's first appearance was an absolute disaster and it hasn't been that much better since. In the meantime, Bud Norris has been killing it in relief and has worked his way into the end of the game for four saves already. With Norris excelling and Holland floundering, even though the Cardinals are calling this Holland's "Spring Training Phase," Norris has become the arm to own in the St. Louis bullpen. He's posted a 1.93 ERA and 16.39 K/9 in 9 1/3 innings of work.

Houston Astros

Ken Giles was drafted in fantasy leagues this season under the assumption that he would be the closer for the defending World Champions, a team certain to win many games and certain to provide many save chances. Meanwhile, three weeks into the season, Giles has pitched five innings and has recorded just one save. Brad Peacock also has one save, and Chris Devenski has two. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a committee on our hands. Devenski is excellent against lefty batters, so he'll likely have the most set role out of the three, but Giles and Peacock look like they'll be splitting ninth inning chances with him. It makes for a messy fantasy situation, because any of the three could have a ton of upside, but none of the three are really worth an RP spot in standard formats if they're not picking up saves. In holds leagues though? All three should be owned. They'll help ratios and should start racking up either saves or holds soon.

Roster Moves of the Week

Adds

Bud Norris, St. Louis Cardinals- Yes, the Cardinals gave Greg Holland $14 million to be their closer, and yes, by the end of the season it's likely that Holland will have more saves than Norris. But for right now? Bud Norris is a high-upside arm at the end of a strong bullpen who looks like he'll be getting at least the next handful of save chances. That's someone who should be added in any format.

Drops

Tommy Kahle, New York Yankees- Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle hasn't been himself this season, and a trip to the disabled list with a shoulder issue might help clear up why. He'll be on a no-throw order for about 10 days, and is expected to miss up to a month total. Kahnle was likely only owned in holds leagues anyway, but there are too many solid relievers who can collect holds likely available on the waiver wire to warrant keeping Kahnle around as dead weight for a month.

Best of the Week

Bud Norris, St. Louis Cardinals- 3 2/3 IP, 8 K, 3 SV, 2.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP

Cardinals closer (for now and likely for a while) Bud Norris had a strong week, recording strikeouts on eight of the 11 outs he got. He saved three games, but did allow a run on four hits and a walk. With Greg Holland struggling to throw strikes, Norris should be in the ninth inning for the near future.

Wade Davis, Colorado Rockies- 3 IP, 3 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP

It was all threes for Rockies closer Wade Davis this week, tossing three scoreless innings while striking out three and collecting three saves. He allowed just one runner to reach base, via a walk, good for a 0.33 WHIP. Davis hasn't seemed to mind pitching in Denver, and should remain one of the top closers in the National League throughout the season.

Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners- 3 IP, 4 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Mariners closer Edwin Diaz continued his excellent start to the season with another impressive week, saving three games while striking out four batters in three innings of work. He allowed two walks and a hit while locking down the three wins for Seattle.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds