10 months agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay emerged as the team's closer last year and will enter 2024 as the top option for saves in Wrigleyville. On the season, he converted 22 saves on 25 chances, but that only tells part of the story as Alzolay was part of a closer committee for the first half of the season. Down the stretch, Alzolay emerged as the best reliever in the Chicago bullpen and 18 of his saves came after July 1. Beyond his impressive work in the saves department, Alzolay contributed an impressive 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and racked up 67 strikeouts across 64 innings. Relief pitchers can be difficult to predict as the sample sizes are typically small, but the 29-year-old Alzolay was excellent in his first full season as a reliever, and he certainly wouldn't be the first nor the last converted starter to thrive as a closer. Underlying metrics such as his 13.4% swinging-strike rate and miniscule 5.1% walk-rate imply Alzolay has the tools to hang onto the closer job all season; if that happens, he has legitimate top-10 RP upside in fantasy. The primary risk is limited track record and the fact Chicago signed former Phillies closer Hector Neris, meaning new Cubs manager Craig Counsell has plenty of options to handle the ninth inning. Still, with an average draft position outside the top-150 overall picks and as the 22nd reliever off draft boards, Alzolay offers intriguing potential for fantasy.--Mike Schwarzenbach - RotoBaller