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Elvis Alvarado Still Worth Monitoring as a Source of Saves?
The Athletics have been going with a closer-by-committee approach late in games, with right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado in the mix alongside lefty Hogan Harris and right-hander Mason Barnett. However, only fantasy managers desperate for saves in deeper leagues should even consider snagging Alvarado off the waiver wire right now. The 27-year-old Dominican is currently 3-3 on the year with a 5.64 ERA (4.53 FIP), 1.12 WHIP, his first two career saves, 27 strikeouts, and seven walks in his 22 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He has tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks in his last two appearances against the last-place Los Angeles Angels, but before that, Alvarado had a stretch of allowing five runs (four earned) for an 8.44 ERA with no walks, five strikeouts, three losses, and a blown save in 5 1/3 innings pitched. After blowing his latest save chance against the San Francisco Giants on June 24, Barnett was entrusted by manager Mark Kotsay to close out the game the following day. Alvarado just hasn't been consistent enough in high-leverage situations in his second year in the big leagues, and if he continues to struggle, he could fall out of the closer committee in Sacramento entirely.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
