MLB Closers & Saves: Week 1 Updates

Before the season gets into full swing on Monday, I’d like to briefly examine the updated closer news or perhaps give you a closer recap around the league.  There has been a decent amount of news, injuries and updates that need to be mentioned before the season gets underway.  It’s kind of like of while your at work, daydreaming about beer as a stress relief, but not actually knowing how many beers you have stashed.

The question becomes which pitcher I draft without knowing the full details.  Should I stop for a sixer after work, splurge and buy a case or simply go home in case the wifey is in a bad mood and you have to listen to that, naaaaannnaannnnaannnnnannnnannnannnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bull crap.  One quick hit before I get to it:

I wish I was little bit taller
I wish I was a RotoBaller
I wish I had a girl who looked good
I would call her
I wish I had a Trout in a hat with a bat
And a six four curve balla

Yeoman’s Work

I wish I was a little bit taller but at least I’m already a RotoBaller.  Here is a quick “closing” trip around the league.  My objective is to list the closer, setup guyer and sleeper with possibly some quick notes if warranted.  You can always reference RotoBaller's awesome MLB Closer and Saves Depth Charts for up-to-date closer statuses.

AL East Closers & Saves

Baltimore Orioles:

Closer:  Tommy Hunter.  I am a little worried because he had a terrible spring, and he can't get lefties out, but hopefully he was just working on some pitches.

Setup Guyer:  Darren O’Day

iSleeper:  Evan Meek.  If Hunter cannot get the job done, many will think that O’Day or Ryan Webb gets a shot.  O’Day is not a closer, Webb is a ground ball pitcher, so Meek might be their best option.  He once was dubbed the “future closer” when he was in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Boston Red Sox:

Closer:  Koji Uehara

Setup Guyer:  Edward Mujica

iSleeper:  Junichi Tazawa.  Edward Mujica is owned in roughly 46% of the leagues with Tazawa only owned in 10% of the leagues.  Most people would think that Mujica would be the logical choice to replace Uehara if he were to falter or get injured.  I personally would take a gamble with Tazawa.

New York Yankees:

Closer:  David Robertson

Setup Guyer:  Shawn Kelley

iSleeper:  My first choice here would be Preston Claiborne but since he got sent to the minors, my iSleeper pick is Andrew Bailey.  Bailey is only contracted through this season so I’m sure he will do everything in his power to stay healthy in order to get paid like a baller.

Tampa Bay Rays:

Closer:  Grant Balfour

Setup Guyer:  Heath Bell

iSleeper:  Jake McGee.  McGee has had a great spring with 8 Ks in 7.2 innings.  Yeah I know that we are not supposed to pay attention to player’s spring numbers but I do when it comes to closers because they live in small sample sizes.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Closer:  Sergio Santos. What I had previously written about Casey Jansen: "Really how long can his shoulder hold up, something has to give?  For his sake I hope he stays healthy but I’m not sure how he will with continued shoulder soreness". And BAM! Predicting the future, all day errr day.

Setup Guyer:  Steve Delabar

iSleeper:  Steve Delabar would be the fallback option if Santos also gets injured.

AL Central Closers & Saves

Chicago White Sox:

Closer:  Matt Lindstrom - update as of 3/31

Setup Guyer:  Nate Jones

iSleeper:  Daniel Webb.  As of right now manager Robin Ventura has not named a closer but with my luck Daniel Webb wins this job outright (I dropped him a week ago).

Cleveland Indians:

Closer:  John Axford

Setup Guyer:  Cody Allen

iSleeper:  Cody Allen.  He is not a sleeper anymore but I have to list somebody.  I guess if the aforementioned pitchers do not get the job done then Vinnie Pestano or Bryan Shaw could fill in.

Detroit Tigers:

Closer:  Joe Nathan

Setup Guyer:  Joba Chamberlain

iSleeper:  Al Alburquerque.  Two reasons:  the made-up name and his ability to strike out batters in bunches.

Kansas City Royals:

Closer:  Greg Holland

Setup Guyer:  Aaron Crow

iSleeper:  Kelvin Herrera.  I wish I could throw the ball much harder.  Oh wait he does, yeah okay, so that is why he's the sleeper here, next question.

Minnesota “Basil” Twins:

Closer:  Glen Perkins

Setup Guyer:  Jared Burton, dope Splangeup.  This pitcher is nailz, check it out on fangraphs.com:  http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/jared-burtons-splangeup/

iSleeper:  Casey Fien is probably the obvious choice here but my selection is:  Michael Tonkin, possible future closer.

AL West Closers & Saves

Oakland Athletics:

Closer:  Jim Johnson.  Meh!

Setup Guyer:  Luke Gregerson

iSleeper:  Sean Doolittle, he is far from little and I doubt that he wishes he was a bit taller.

Seattle Mariners:

Closer:  Fernando Rodney, another complete Meh!

Setup Guyer:  Danny Farquhar

iSleeper:  Tom (I use to be a bartender but now I’m a good at baseball) Wilhelmsen.  Danny Farquhar is my choice but Wilhelmsen’s curve ball is still nailz so we shall see.

Texas Rangers:

Closer:  Joakim Soria

Setup Guyer:  Alexi Ogando

iSleeper:  Neftali Feliz.  Soria has not looked sharp at all this spring and he hasn’t even looked close to his former self.  I know that Feliz is in the minors but I really do believe he is the guy to own long term (which means a month in closer-land).

Los Angeles Angels:

Closer:  Ernesto Frieri

Setup Guyer:  Joe Smith

iSleeper:  Fernando Salas

Houston Astros:

Closer:  Whoever it is (Chad Qualls or Josh Fields most likely), wishes he was a baller.

Setup Guyer:  This pitcher wishes he was a bit taller.

iSleeper:  Josh Zeid or Chia-Jen Lo but both are in the minors.  Either way not even close to being a rotoballer.

NL East Closers & Saves

Washington Nationals:

Closer:  Rafael Soriano

Setup Guyer:  Tyler Clippard

iSleeper:  Drew Storen.  Here is another case of the dubbed “future closer” once upon a time.  Clippard will most likely get the first shot at closing out games once Soriano fails but Storen is the guy to watch.

Philadelphia Phillies:

Closer:  Jonathan Papelbon

Setup Guyer:  Antonio Bastardo

iSleeper:  I still believe in and wish that Phillippe Aumont was the top baller, maybe someday but still hoping.  At this point the only reason that Papelbon is closing out games is because of his salary which makes no sense to me because he would get paid regardless.  I wonder where Ugueth Urbina is at these days.

Atlanta Braves:

Closer:  Craig Kimbrel, nuff said, no reason to go any further.

Miami Marlins:

Closer:  Steve Cishek

Setup Guyer:  A.J. Ramos

iSleeper:  Arquimedes Caminero

New York Mets:

Closer:  Jose Valverde, Bobby Parnell (injured) - update as of 4/1

Setup Guyer:  Germen Gonzalez

iSleeper:  Jeurys Familia.  This dude might be the closer by the end of the season.  He is nasty and throws the ball hard and could put up a nice k/9 ratio, which is what we like to see in a closer.  My first choice would have been Vic Black but he is in the minors and was very erratic during the spring.

NL Central Closers & Saves

Chicago Cubs:

Closer:  Jose Veras

Setup Guyer:  Pedro Strop

iSleeper:  Arodys Vizcaino.  Jose Veras probably gets moved to another team by the trade deadline and Pedro Strop has similar stuff with some control issues.  Don’t be surprised if Vizcaino or Kyuji Fujikawa is closing by seasons end.

Cincinnati Reds:

Closer:  Many Fantasy Experts think that J.J. Hoover is the closer, but I disagree.

Setup Guyer:  Sam LeCure/Manny Parra

iSleeper:  Manny Parra.  This situation reminds me of the same situation that the St. Louis Cardinals went through last year.  Edward Mujica came out of nowhere and saved 37 games for the Red Birds.  Now I am not saying that Manny Parra will save that many games, but I think he could be an option before Aroldis Chapman comes back within five weeks.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

Closer:  Jason Grilli

Setup Guyer:  Mark Melancon

iSleeper:  Duke Welker

St. Louis Cardinals:

Closer:  Trevor Rosenthal

Setup Guyer:  Carlos Martinez

iSleeper:  Jason Motte.  I think that Carlos Martinez could join the starting rotation at some point leaving Jason Motte as the main handcuff if healthy.

Milwaukee Brewers:

Closer:  Francisco Rodriguez - update as of 3/31

Setup Guyer:  Jim Henderson

iSleeper:  Most fantasy experts are touting Brandon Kintzler as the sleeper in this pen.  I’m leaning a different direction in either Rob Wooten or Will Smith.

NL West Closers & Saves

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Closer:  Kenley Jansen = Nailz

Setup Guyer:  Brian Wilson = The guy who brought beards back?  Really?  I’m sorry but not a fan at all.  Before he started this was he like, I wish my beard was a bit longer, I wish I was a baller but he is definitely not a rotoballer.

iSleeper:  Jose Dominquez

San Diego Padres:  Ron Burgundy: “It's actually pronounced Sahn Dee-aaahh-go.”

Closer:  Huston Street, uhm!!??

Setup Guyer:  Joaquin Benoit

iSleeper:  Nick Vincent, if the old guys cannot get it done.

San Francisco Giants:

Closer:  Sergio Romo, not a fan this season.

Setup Guyer:  Santiago Casilla

iSleeper:  Heath Hembree or Derek Law.  I would not be surprised if either one of these pitchers were closing for the Giants by the end of the season.

Colorado Rockies:

Closer:  LaTroy Hawkins (Am I reading this correctly?)

Setup Guyer:  Rex Brothers (The real closer but not yet because of money)

iSleeper:  Chad Bettis

Arizona Diamondbacks:

Closer:  Addison Reed

Setup Guyer:  J.J. Putz/Brad Ziegler

iSleeper:  Longshot – Jake Barrett

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