Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts - MLB Bullpens and Saves

March 25, 2026

Fantasy baseball closers depth charts for MLB bullpens, saves, holds are updated daily. Our 2026 fantasy baseball closer rankings for all AL and NL bullpens.

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies, and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance.

Relief pitchers are becoming increasingly important for fantasy baseball pitching staffs, even beyond closers and saves. Bullpen arms with elite ratios will be relied upon heavily, especially for those in Holds (HLD) leagues or Saves+Holds leagues (SV+HLD) formats. But not to worry, the RotoBaller team is here every day to help you stay on top of all closer depth charts for the AL and NL, and dominate in saves, holds and bullpen arms this year.

We will be updating the MLB Closers & Saves Depth Charts all season and all off-season long. Be sure to also check out these running quick-hit updates from Nick Mariano (@NMariano53), looking at the most recent closers and bullpen news from around MLB.

Closer News and Bullpen Updates

3/24: The Angels placed Kirby Yates on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation, which seemingly paves the way for a clear Jordan Romano/Drew Pomeranz R/L closer duo. Manager Kurt Suzuki said Yates suffered this about a week ago and that they're "playing it cautious."

It sounds like he'll return before April is up, but one can never be sure, especially for an older pitcher. Romano has much to prove, but he did complete six innings of one-run ball with a 6:0 K:BB this spring, so it seems he'll get his chance. Also, Ben Joyce (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day IL, and Robert Stephenson (elbow) went to the 60-day IL.

3/23: Skip Schumaker has said that the closer role will "depend on the situation" each day. Chris Martin and Robert Garcia were named as comfortable options, but also how "there's a chance you see a couple different guys there." That's not what fantasy managers love to hear. Perhaps Cole Winn, Josh Sborz, or even Carter Baumler make a splash down the line!

3/23: Pirates' skipper Don Kelly talked up how Dennis Santana, while still getting plenty of ninth-inning looks, may be used for high leverage earlier than that. He specifically named Gregory Soto as another reliever with closing experience. Isaac Mattson and Justin Lawrence also jump out as pitchers with strong recent form for PIT (Lawrence also briefly closed in Colorado).

Mason Montgomery's high ceiling will entice, but there are seemingly many hurdles, including his own control consistency, to get there. We'll downgrade the group to "volatile" for now and see how Kelly rolls when an actual win is on the line!

3/21: Bryan Abreu is still the clear closing option for Houston without Josh Hader, but this spring has not been encouraging. He only threw 13-of-27 pitches for strikes against the Marlins, walking three to give him a 5:7 K:BB with three runs allowed (all solo home runs) in seven innings.

His game-action fastball velocity also typically hovers around 97 mph, though he's sitting in the 95s this spring, including a dip to nearly 94 mph last night. Make the click with all data available!

Read even more closer updates.

AL EAST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

AL CENTRAL: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

AL WEST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

NL EAST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

NL CENTRAL: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

NL WEST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves

Previous Closers and Saves News Updates

3/21: Hunter Gaddis is expected to open the season on the injured list after he couldn't rebound from a spring forearm issue that cropped up after one game. There is additional weight placed on the shoulders of Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski to step up behind Cade Smith.

3/20: Minnesota has granted Liam Hendriks his release from the club, which tightens up a still-crowded closer committee to Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands as the presumed favorites, with Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk also options.

3/18: The Chronicles of Carlos Estevez continued with more depressed velocity and a severe lack of command. He averaged 89 mph on 15 fastballs, maxing out at 90.7 mph, and only threw 9-of-28 pitches for strikes. Perhaps the control rust can be attributed to this being his first game since March 9 at the World Baseball Classic, but we're rapidly running out of time to round into form. Keep Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm close!

3/18: St. Louis opted to let Matt Svanson pitch both the eighth and ninth innings after JoJo Romero struck out two in the seventh. We'll bump him up alongside Romero as the righty to watch, for now.

3/14: Robert Stephenson has experienced a setback, and they suspect renewed UCL damage in his elbow. It's terrible for a guy who flashed such a promising ceiling before getting hurt, but this does winnow the closer committee candidate pool. Kirby Yates and Jordan Romano get a slight bump.

3/13: Hogan Harris is ripping off 96-97 mph heat after sitting in the 93-94 range last season. This is a rejuvenated southpaw, as evidenced by the 11:3 K:BB over 7 IP this spring. The A's will deploy him wherever a leverage left-hander is needed, and sometimes that'll be the ninth.

3/13: Paul Sewald touched 93.5 mph with the fastball, which brings him back from the 90-mph plateau seen throughout his recent struggles. The Driveline-infused arm could become the preferred closer here until reinforcements arrive, especially given the trust Torey Lovullo had in him before as the closer.

3/10: MLB's Bill Ladson projected the St. Louis roster and said this of the bullpen: "[JoJo] Romero is the likely closer with O’Brien, Stanek, and Svanson in the setup role." It seems improbable that the Cards roll with a set closer, especially if Romero's southpaw advantage is needed earlier, but who am I to override a beat writer? Romero's 1A advantage amongst the bullpen options is solidifying by the day.

3/10: Josh Hader "felt good" after throwing about 15 fastballs off the mound on Tuesday. They won't rush him and will require a few bullpen sessions before going to live batting practice against hitters. Opening Day is still up in the air, but having a week-to-week status at this point is not promising. (Hader will open the year on the injured list, though it sounds like the time will largely be for building up his arm. Bryan Abreu's ADP will hinge on how your league perceives Hader's recovery odds.)

3/9: Josh Hader is slated to throw a bullpen on Tuesday. It still seems likely that even the most encouraging work from here on out will result in an early IL stint, but we shall see. Houston will want Hader for the long haul and shouldn't be too aggressive in March and April. Bryan Abreu's rising draft stock may start to fall if optimism follows Hader's impending sessions.

3/9: Not that most want to dance with Coors, but Colorado has seen Zach Agnos and Jimmy Herget have strong starts to their spring training, while Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen have faltered. Deep-leaguers may want to nudge Agnos up, considering his extremely brief stint as closer for the Rox last year.

3/8: Arizona could see a familiar face in the ninth to kick off 2026, as Paul Sewald has showcased offseason work at Driveline Baseball by touching 92.6 mph instead of the flat 90 he'd been pushing through lately. Having closer experience is a feather in the cap, but having that experience for the team you're on makes it quite a bright feather. He, Kevin Ginkel, and Ryan Thompson are the ones to circle for now.

3/7: Liam Hendriks averaged 93.7 mph on his four-seamer and 84.7 mph on the slider in a World Baseball Classic appearance for Australia, which is down 1-2 ticks from where we want it to be. The encouraging news is that he did max out at 94.8. If he can get into that 95-96 range with the heater, then we've got another rebounding guy with closer experience who could leapfrog a murky committee.

2/17: Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien is nursing a sore calf and is set to undergo further evaluation. O'Brien was expected to represent South Korea in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, but his participation is now in question. During the regular season, O'Brien is projected to compete for saves alongside JoJo Romero in the St. Louis bullpen.

2/15: Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta has been pulled from the World Baseball Classic due to a "cranky shoulder," according to manager Kevin Cash. The Rays appear to be taking extra precautions with Uceta. While he remains on track to be available for Opening Day, managers should continue to monitor his progress during the later stages of spring training. In the event he is delayed to open the season, Griffin Jax would likely earn most of the save opportunities in Tampa Bay.

2/11: Houston Astros closer Josh Hader was shut down from throwing in February but recently resumed a throwing program after beginning with bicep inflammation. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his build-up, as his status for Opening Day remains unclear. If Hader were to miss time, Bryan Abreu would operate as the ninth-inning option and carry high-end RP1 upside.

2/3: Don't cement Seranthony Dominguez as the closer in your head just yet. Manager Will Venable said at SoxFest that they "intend to use [Dominguez] toward the back end of games." Jordan Leasure was reportedly in the talks that sent Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to the White Sox, but Boston wound up receiving pitching prospect Gage Ziehl. Leasure and Grant Taylor remain in the closing conversation behind Dominguez as the "1A" option.

2/3: San Francisco's new manager, Tony Vitello, opened the door to a closing committee based on lefty-righty matchups in a late January media session. He sounded enthusiastic about Ryan Walker, who is hungry to put his foot down as the closer (again), but said he'd be happy with "a lot of options." He went on to say, "Who's throwing that ninth inning on Day One ... I'm sure spring training will have a lot to do with that. For now, I'm all for the open competition." Erik Miller will be the southpaw of note, but he comes with his own issues to be aware of. He posted a 1.50 ERA over 30 innings, yet held a 5.15 xFIP and 5.35 SIERA with a 1.47 WHIP and nearly as many strikeouts (22) as walks (20). More if you include the four intentional walks, as well as the three hit batsmen. Just be careful. We'll see how Jason Foley and Gregory Santos look during spring training, assuming either is healthy enough to go. Walker is still the top fantasy target, as we've seen the elite upside when his mechanics are on, but don't get tunnel vision.

2/2: MLB's Jordan Bastian called Daniel Palencia the early favorite for save opportunities in 2026, but did not apply the closer label to him in the season preview. Cubs skipper Craig Counsell spoke about the lack of clear bullpen roles in mid-January at the Cubs Convention. He went on to say, "It's going to be into the season before we kind of probably establish some things." While that may mean earlier options getting sorted out rather than closer, we have to stay ready.

1/29: It seemed like Kenley Jansen was only going to sign somewhere where he'd get the ninth inning, but A.J. Hinch won't let a future Hall of Famer put his bullpen into a corner. A mid-January report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press noted that all three of Jansen, Will Vest, and Kyle Finnegan could hit double-digit saves. All three getting save looks would be a fantasy nightmare. It seems unlikely that a true committee would be perfectly even anyway, but the ADPs may tighten up as the season approaches. We'll leave it as volatile for now.

12/24: On the heels of news that Ronny Henriquez would miss all of 2026 due to an elbow procedure, Miami has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with Pete Fairbanks. He should stabilize the ninth inning for a team that had a committee last year, with this news burying Calvin Faucher and company in the ranks. Fairbanks had a stout 2.83 ERA/1.04 WHIP last year, though his sabermetrics all sat in the 3.50-3.75 range. However, the control woes that plagued his first half (31:15 K:BB in 36 IP) and inflated those metrics evaporated after the All-Star break (28:3 K:BB in 24 1/3 IP). Staying in warm weather should also help manage his Raynaud's syndrome symptoms.

12/13: Kenley Jansen is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Tigers, which helps further their case as AL Central contenders. The veteran closer had seemingly wanted to avoid a committee situation in the ninth, so joining AJ Hinch's squad with Will Vest and the recently signed Kyle Finnegan may strain that ask. For now, the expectation is that Jansen will receive the bulk of the save opportunities. While his 2.59 ERA/0.95 WHIP from last year remained robust, his 3.98 FIP/4.60 xFIP/3.94 SIERA points to a career-low .195 BABIP and a career-worst 24.4% strikeout rate. His numbers did improve after sporadic usage in April and an ugly May, when his new team tagged him for six runs on May 2. Given how well Vest and Finnegan did for Detroit in '24, this may evolve into a messy spot for us, but perhaps the early blip for Jansen never shows in '26. Let's hope for clarity this offseason.

12/12: Toronto is signing submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year deal to bolster the back-end around Jeff Hoffman. Rogers has 30 or more holds in each of the last three seasons and just posted a dazzling 62% groundball rate. It's most likely that Rogers is the setup man for Hoffman, joining Yimi Garcia as a strong bridge option to the ninth. Garcia has also dealt with injuries over the last two seasons, so Rogers provides insurance there.

12/11: Robert Suarez has signed with the Braves for three years and $45 million. The signing was immediately followed by clarification that Raisel Iglesias will remain the closer while Suarez is the primary setup man. Those who have strong opinions on Suarez being better or Iglesias being washed up should delight in the resulting suppressed offseason price tag. The move takes a massive chess piece off the free-agent board, which helps cement the chances of a ninth-inning role for players like Jeff Hoffman and Devin Williams. Perhaps the next tier of RP, such as Pete Fairbanks and Kenley Jansen, will start moving now.

12/10: The Tigers are reportedly bringing Kyle Finnegan back on a two-year deal worth $19 million. We'd seen Finnegan look iffy in Washington (4.38 ERA/1.28 WHIP) only to find an outstanding form in Detroit following a trade (1.97 ERA/0.72 WHIP, with a K/BB that more than doubled) thanks to more splitters. We'll initially paint Will Vest as the "1A" to Finnegan's "1B" closer role, as we know that AJ Hinch likes to keep things fluid. But perhaps there is going to be offseason value to be had thanks to folks not honing in on just how improved Finnegan was with Detroit's coaching staff.

12/9: Edwin Diaz secured a three-year contract with the Dodgers for $69 million, setting the new record for highest average annual value for a reliever in the process. The reigning champions made their move to address one of the few weaknesses (on paper), which makes him a top fantasy option as an electrifying arm joins one of the winningest teams. This is another win for those who have tenuous holds on closer roles at the moment, outside of Tanner Scott, obviously. The Dodgers are no strangers to using the best arm early and will likely still line Scott (or Alex Vesia) up for saves if a southpaw holds the advantage.

9/18: Kenley Jansen is set to skip the Angels' three-game series at Coors Field due to the altitude and his heart condition. Expect Luis Garcia, Brock Burke, and Robert Stephenson to handle the late frames, with Garcia the slight favorite for save chances, though he gave up three runs on Thursday.

9/7: Cubs closer Daniel Palencia suffered a right shoulder injury amidst Sunday's meltdown (five runs, zero outs), and could miss time moving forward. Brad Keller struck out two in a perfect eighth inning, as he and Andrew Kittredge could split duties, though we give the edge to Kittredge's experience there if you need to choose one.

9/3: Kyle Finnegan suffered an apparent injury while warming up on Wednesday afternoon, stopping his throwing program swiftly as Detroit clung to tight lead over the Mets. Will Vest wound up entering to get the final out of the seventh inning. We'll monitor the situation for further updates, but Vest could wind up being the sole closer down the stretch.

8/27: Trevor Megill suffered a flexor strain and is headed to the 15-day injured list. Uribe had a clean save two days ago and should now become a great closer for us through September. Shelby Miller is the Plan B here, in case the Brewers are determined to keep Uribe in a flexible fireman role or you simply are desperate for a dart and Uribe is already rostered in your league.

8/26: Randy Rodriguez has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain, which elevates Ryan Walker back into the closer's role. Walker has only allowed one earned run with a 12:4 K:BB over his last 12 games (11 2/3 IP), so fantasy managers should aggressively target him for the final month.

8/25: Abner Uribe struck two out while securing his third save of the year, which continues his scoreless August. Pitchers like he and Edwin Uceta are providing us with great ratios and strikeouts, with an outside shot at ancillary saves.

8/25: Kenley Jansen retired Texas' 3-4-5 lineup section on 10 pitches, though his fastball velo is still orbiting 92 mph instead of the 93 that we'd been used to seeing this year.

8/22: The Dodgers are expected to activate Tanner Scott off the injured list before Friday's game, with Kirby Yates making his return on Saturday. Scott should step back into the lion's share of save opportunities here, but sustained health is never a given. Stay ready!

8/22: Kenley Jansen continues to "manage" his rib discomfort after a weight room injury. He said how he "can’t turn because of the tremendous [amount] of pain that I get.” We will continue to keep Reid Detmers close.

8/22: Bennett Sousa joined Josh Hader on the injured list, which has prompted a Craig Kimbrel call-up in Houston. Bryan Abreu remains the man here, with Steven Okert and Bryan King as the lefties who could sneak in a save or two.

8/19: Kenley Jansen took Tuesday's loss thanks to poor command of the strike zone, which was apparently indicative of "something physical," according to Jansen in a post-game presser. There were no specifics given, but he said he will be taking it day by day moving forward. We should add Reid Detmers just to be safe.

8/19: Riley O'Brien had two strikeouts and two walks for Tuesday's save after a perfect eighth from JoJo Romero. The two of them should split the ninth for the rest of the year.

8/19: With a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning, Orion Kerkering lost the zone to surrender the lead. David Robertson would later get the win with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 eighth inning before Jhoan Duran shut it down. Jose Alvarado is also back now, so let's see where they weave him into things.

8/19: With a rested bullpen, the Athletics let Hogan Harris secure his first save after Justin Sterner blanked the Twins in the seventh and eighth innings. It's another curveball with Sean Newcomb as the key lefty and Michael Kelly still in the conversation.

8/19: After the Cubs had Daniel Palencia back in action with a save in Game 1 of their Tuesday doubleheader, it was Andrew Kittredge nabbing his second save in three days to close out Game 2. He looks to have the edge if Palencia is unavailable.

8/19: Anthony Bender will miss the rest of the season due to a stress reaction in his right tibia. This should narrow the closer committee in Miami to Calvin Faucher and Ronny Henriquez, though Lake Bachar could still enter the frame.

8/17: Shawn Armstrong induced a threat-ending pop-up from Alejandro Kirk with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth, which preceded a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save of the year. He's been their best reliever as both Phil Maton and Robert Garcia have struggled.

8/17: Tanner Scott will kick off his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday following a successful simulated inning on Friday. No one has stepped up to stabilize the Dodgers' bullpen, so we'd expect Scott to get a generous share of save opportunities once activated.

8/17: JoJo Romero couldn't dance around poor defense and some spotty control in the ninth inning of a tie game, as the Yankees put up four unearned runs against the southpaw. Riley O'Brien came on in the seventh to defend the 4-3 lead, but allowed his inherited runner to score on a sacrifice fly. Those remain the two arms of interest.

8/17: With Daniel Palencia dealing with an illness, Andrew Kittredge scooped up his first save of the year by retiring the 2-3-4 section of Pittsburgh's order on 10 pitches. Chicago was probably avoiding Brad Keller, who secured Saturday's save but had pitched in two straight and three of the last four days. Kittredge is likely unavailable for Monday's doubleheader after pitching on three consecutive days, but Keller and Drew Pomeranz could be options if Palencia is still off.

8/16: Jhoan Duran said he feels 100% and was moving without any limp, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It seems we've dodged a bullet here, and can largely stop worrying about unpacking a crowded committee if Duran can't go. But he still may not pitch today out of an abundance of caution for a contender protecting its star closer.

8/15: Jhoan Duran was forced from Friday's game early after taking a comebacker off his right ankle. He reportedly wanted to walk off, but was carted away to be safe. Post-game X-rays came back negative, so the star closer is scheduled for further evaluation on Saturday. David Robertson got ready in short order and closed out the 6-2 win. Orion Kerkering worked a perfect seventh inning before Matt Strahm worked around a walk for a scoreless eighth. Kerkering logged Monday's save with Duran unavailable, so he and D-Rob should be the leans. Jose Alvarado will also be eligible to return to the Phillies on August 19, so this could get messy without Duran as an anchor.

8/13: Bryan Abreu needed 22 pitches to log his first save of the year after allowing back-to-back hits to start the ninth, but he got the job done with consecutive strikeouts to end the game. He may not be the "set" closer with Josh Hader out, but he's the fantasy factor we need to target.

8/13: The Dodgers couldn't protect their lead with an injury-riddled bullpen, but we must point out that Alexis Diaz was the one in line to get the save chance, according to Dave Roberts. Justin Wrobleski and Edgardo Henriquez could not set him up, however. Just tuck that away.

8/13: Andrew Saalfrank nailed down his first career save with a 1-2-3 ninth against the top of Texas' order. Kyle Backhus looked strong in the seventh, and John Curtiss handled the eighth, though he gave up a run on two hits and a walk.

8/13: Detroit turned to Kyle Finnegan for the eighth inning with a 1-0 lead against the 5-6-7 section of the White Sox order. He skirted a leadoff walk to handle things before Will Vest shut the door with a perfect ninth (save No. 18). This was a more designed save for Vest, who also snagged Tuesday's save after the Tigers broke a tie late, with Finnegan earning the win.

8/12: Josh Hader was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. We'll see how long it takes him to recover, but August could be Abreu's month to shine. Don't be surprised if it isn't a set role and he occasionally appears earlier than the ninth for fireman duties, but he's the best bet for saves out of Houston.

8/12: Felix Bautista's 2025 season is over due to a "significant" shoulder injury, according to interim manager Tony Mansolino. Keegan Akin should continue to be the 1A closer here, but we shouldn't be shocked at Yennier Cano netting some right-handed looks down the stretch.

8/11: Josh Hader was unavailable on Monday due to shoulder discomfort after tossing a season-high 36 pitches back on Friday. The closer was down on Saturday as a result, but did start warming up on Sunday before Houston extended the lead late.

Bryan Abreu would be the favorite for saves without Hader, though he had thrown in two of their last three going into Monday, which left Bennett Sousa to get the final out for his fourth save. Abreu is the premier add, but Sousa is the fallback.

8/7: Raisel Iglesias struck out a pair during a perfect ninth for his 15th save of the year. Surprisingly, he's still in Atlanta, but the job is his!

8/6: The Yankees had David Bednar throw 42 pitches for his first NYY save, recording all five outs via strikeout. On the other side, Robert Garcia took his seventh loss and looks behind Phil Maton. Danny Coulombe could take over as the top southpaw if Garcia's slide continues.

8/6: Dennis Santana blew his first save opportunity of August with two earned over 1 1/3 IP, but Isaac Mattson also gave up a run on two hits and a walk, so the heat didn't turn up overall. Stay tuned.

8/6: Riley O'Brien threw a four-out save after JoJo Romero had entered earlier in a tie game, with the southpaw earning the win. Romero remains the 1A option, but O'Brien is in the conversation.

8/5: With the heart of Detroit's lineup due up and rocking a 6-1 lead, Minnesota used Cole Sands in the eighth, but he gave up two runs on three hits. This led to Justin Topa securing his first save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Either of those two is a decent dart throw right now.

8/5: Devin Williams' struggles continued in another loss, as he was responsible for the only two runs scored in the entire game. The Yankees are scrambling for answers across the diamond, and Aaron Boone could easily tag Williams out of the ninth for Luke Weaver or David Bednar. Williams was removed from the role for far less back in April. On the other side of Williams' runs, Phil Maton picked up the save for Texas. He and Luis Curvelo look more effective than Robert Garcia at the moment, but Bruce Bochy is a loyal man.

8/4: Just when Kevin Ginkel's path to saves was cleared up via trade and injury, he hits the IL himself with a shoulder strain. Kyle Backhus pitched two strong innings for Monday's save after both Kendall Graveman and Andrew Saalfrank threw on back-to-back days over the weekend. Graveman gets the slight lean here.

8/4: Devin Williams blew Monday's save with a tying homer surrendered to Joc Pederson, which gives him an earned run in three straight games and five of his last seven. David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Luke Weaver all pitched perfect innings before Williams blew it, so we have to be ready for Bednar getting tagged in.

8/3: Seth Halvorsen is going on the IL with an elbow injury, with manager Warren Schaeffer saying yesterday "it don't look good." This is a mess, and while Victor Vodnik should absorb the remaining saves in 2025, the Coors risk is not worth it to many of you.

8/2: Robert Garcia struggled before exiting due to a mid-back spasm, which left Luis Curvelo to get the final four outs in the 11-inning Texas win. He's already proven capable of handling the spotlight, so perhaps Bruce Bochy just sticks with him rather than turning to Phil Maton as the new closer (assuming Garcia's issues and injury oust him for a while).

8/1: With news that Emmanuel Clase's locker was cleared out, Cade Smith stepped up with three strikeouts over two perfect innings for his third win of the season. When he's on, few are more fearsome on the bump. There is still a small chance he's used wherever the highest leverage takes him, but Hunter Gaddis blowing the save in the seventh inning only helps Smith's case.

8/1: The Yankees' beastly trade deadline acquisitions all bombed in their pinstripe debut, with Jake Bird, David Bednar, and Camilo Doval combining to cough up nine runs (seven earned) in a 13-12 loss to Miami. Anyone worried about Devin Williams' job security just got the best runout possible.

8/1: Robert Garcia gave up a walk-off homer to J.P. Crawford, but Bruce Bochy has "pretty flatly said that Robert Garcia is his closer," per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Let's see if good runs out of Phil Maton and/or Danny Coulombe make Bochy reconsider.

8/1: Dennis Santana had a historic implosion at Coors, surrendering five runs on four hits (two homers) and a walk while recording just one out in Colorado's epic 17-16 comeback. His ERA "only" jumped to 2.31 as a result, and most of his save chances won't come at mile-high elevation, but that's not what save speculators who were overjoyed that he stayed in Pittsburgh wanted to see. It's still his gig, but Isaac Mattson would be the one to push him down the stretch if more poor performances follow this.

8/1: Grant Taylor was summoned to clean up Dan Altavilla's mess in the seventh inning, which left Steven Wilson in for the final two frames. The veteran delivered to pick up his second save as the maddening committee continues.

8/1: Indeed, it was Mason Miller working the eighth inning before Robert Suarez logged his 31st save of the season to cap off a Nick Pivetta gem. Suarez remains the alpha in the bullpen.

8/1: The A's used pitching prospect Luis Morales for the sixth and seventh innings (he gave up a run with zero strikeouts) before Sean Newcomb eventually tossed a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation (5-1 lead). Newcomb, Michael Kelly, and Jack Perkins remain the arms of interest.

8/1: San Francisco will indeed be rolling with Randy Rodriguez as its closer. The solidified role makes him a top-10 RP moving forward, thanks to the 62:9 K:BB and 1.20 ERA over 45 innings so far. Ryan Walker will be on standby, but Rodriguez is poised for an elite run. (Update: He worked around a walk to secure Friday's save.)

8/1: It's a loose beat report, but Dennis Lin said last night that team officials are expecting Robert Suarez to remain the closer, with Mason Miller joining the elite setup stable. That post was sent not long after AJ Preller detailed the closer conversation as one to be had with "Shildty and Ruben." (That's manager Mike Shildt and pitching coach Ruben Niebla.) For now, we have to follow the buzz and side with Suarez.