Hunter Strickland Picks Up First Save

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland picked up his first save of the year Thursday evening. Manager Bruce Bochy said pregame that Strickland would start the season as the closer. He should be owned in all leagues.

Hector Neris Earns Loss To Begin Season

On the day where Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler shook up the fantasy world when he implied the club wouldn’t go with a fixed closer, Hector Neris was tagged with a loss. The club suffered a disappointing, 8-5 defeat in walk-off fashion after taking a five-run lead. Neris, who was widely expected to be the […]

Dellin Betances The One Negative For New York Thursday

The New York Yankees enjoyed their first Opening Day victory in seven years with an all-around great team performance at the Rogers Centre on Thursday. With starting pitcher Luis Severino and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton leading the way, the only weak point for the club was reliever Dellin Betances and his continued struggles. The 30-year-old allowed a home run […]

Corey Knebel Blows First Save Of The Season Against Padres

Milwaukee Brewers closer Corey Knebel did not get his 2018 off to a good start as he gave up two hits, one run and had a strikeout against the Padres during a blown save. Knebel came into this game with a 1-0 lead and eventually gave up a single to Carlos Asuaje, who was then […]

Josh Hader Strikes Out The Side In Relief

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Josh Hader went one inning on Thursday, giving up one hit, one walk and striking out three against the San Diego Padres for a hold. Hader made his rookie appearance last season and pitched for a solid 2.08 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings pitched, so this is no […]

Jordan Hicks Impresses in His Major League Debut

St. Louis Cardinals rookie relief pitcher Jordan Hicks made his major league debut on Opening Day and was impressive, pitching a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and striking out one. Hicks reached 102 mph with his fastball and showed a good slider as well. With Greg Holland signed, the small chance Hicks had of […]

Dan Jennings Signs With Brewers

Free-agent left-handed relief pitcher Dan Jennings has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and is pending a physical after being released by the Rays. Jennings is most likely being brought in as a result of lefty Boone Logan being placed on the disabled list and will serve as a middle reliever for the Brewers for the time […]

Hunter Strickland Named Giants Closer

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports that San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland will be the team’s closer. Mark Melancon (elbow) was placed on the 10-day disabled list earlier in the day with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Strickland allowed zero runs this spring and should be added in all leagues. He'll have […]

Sam Dyson And Hunter Strickland Could Get Save Opportunities

With San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) placed on the 10-day disabled list, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that relief pitchers Sam Dyson and Hunter Strickland are most likely to replace Melancon. Dyson filled in for Melancon last year, while Strickland excelled this spring and gave up zero runs. Free-agent signee […]

Danny Salazar Officially Heads to the Disabled List

Cleveland Indians right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar (shoulder) was officially placed on the disabled list with a rotator cuff injury. Salazar missed spring training and just started throwing off a mound a few days ago. He'll probably miss at least April, but could be back in May if things go well. His role once he returns is […]

Ken Giles Ready To Bounce Back From Poor Postseason

Houston Astros closer Ken Giles has enjoyed a strong spring training and hopes his poor postseason will be a thing of the past heading into the season. Giles had a fantastic regular season, posting a 2.30 ERA with 34 saves, and 83 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings. Giles was as locked down as it gets […]

Huston Street Retiring

Former Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street, after not finding a job this offseason, appears to have called it a career. Street was hampered by injuries the last two seasons, only throwing 26 1/3 innings combined. The 2005 American League Rookie of the Year finishes his career with 324 saves and a 2.95 ERA. He […]

Phillies Won’t Name Closer

When asked about the Philadelphia Phillies options in the ninth inning when the team is in the lead, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said, “We’re going to go with our dudes.” It doesn’t sound like the Phillies will announce a closer, but relievers Hector Neris, Pat Neshek and Luis Garcia would appear to be the likely candidates […]

Cardinals Finally Sign Greg Holland

The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent relief pitcher Greg Holland to a one-year, $14 million contract on Thursday. Holland waited until Opening Day to sign, so it should take him a bit to be ready to appear in a game. Once he's ready, he'll be the unquestioned closer in the St. Louis bullpen, ending the […]

Raisel Iglesias Placed On Paternity List

The Cincinnati Reds have placed closer Raisel Iglesias on the paternity list. This will put him out of action for three days as the Reds gear up to start the season against the Washington Nationals on Friday. With Iglesias out of action for the weekend, look for either Wandy Peralta or Kevin Quackenbush to close […]

Keone Kela To Begin Season As Rangers Closer

Texas Rangers manager Jeff Bannister has announced that relief pitcher Keone Kela will open the season as the Rangers closer. Bannister also mentioned that he won’t use any relievers in three straight games and that Kevin Jepsen could also be in the mix for saves. The biggest loser for fantasy purposes is reliever Alex Claudio, […]

Mark Melancon Placed On 10-Day Disabled List

San Francisco Giants closer Mark Melancon (elbow) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Melancon said earlier this spring he is not 100 percent. The closer has been a bust thus far for the Giants with both on-the-field struggles and injuries. Relievers Tony Watson and Sam Dyson […]

Alex Claudio Still Listed Atop Bullpen Depth Chart

With no official announcement and plenty of scuttlebutt to sort through, it's worth noting that the official Texas Rangers MLB.com website currently lists reliever Alex Claudio on top of the bullpen depth chart. Every outlet has their own opinion, and it's not surprising that the 26-year-old isn't atop the wish list. Claudio brings a boring, […]

Bill Dubiel's 10 Bold Predictions for 2018

These bold predictions usually go one of two ways--I'm either spot on or I look like a clown. Still rubbing off the white makeup from my face after last year. It's funny, because I'm pretty good when it comes to rankings, but these shots in the dark, not so much. But this year will be […]

Week 1 Waiver Wire: 25-50% Owned Pickups

First, winter was here and the night was truly dark and full of terrors. But now, now it's Opening Day and the ills of the world are all invited to screw off. I love you all, what a great day! In light of this, let's give that free agent pool one last look over before […]

Nathan Eovaldi Out For The Rays, Austin Pruitt Called Up

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will require surgery to repair "loose bodies" in his elbow. This was terrible news to come down right before the season starts. There is some speculation that he could get away with as little as six to eight weeks before he gets back to pitching. This presents a […]

Dellin Betances Feeling Confidence As Season Begins

Following a 2017 season that saw his quality suffer a steep decline, New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances didn’t do himself any favors with his spring training. The All-Star reliever pitched to an ugly 6.75 ERA, but he still feels good about his ability to perform this season. The 30-year-old isn’t specifically looking at the […]

Tim Lincecum Looks to May 1 for Return

Texas Rangers reliever Tim Lincecum will play catch Thursday to test out the blister he has been suffering from for the past few days. The former Cy Young winner is targeting May 1 to return to action. Lincecum missed the entire spring after signing with the Rangers and will likely need a week or two […]

Hector Neris Primed For Leap In 2018

One poor outing from Philadelphia Phillies closer Hector Neris caused his numbers to balloon, failing to tell the story of his Spring Training. Outside of one bad performance against the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this month, Neris tossed 7 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on nine hits while striking out six. Neris is coming […]

Hector Santiago Breaks Camp With White Sox

Pitcher Hector Santiago will be on the Opening Day roster for the Chicago White Sox. Santiago has been a starting pitcher throughout his career but will operate out of the bullpen to start 2018. Santiago can be avoided in all formats as long as he's coming out of the bullpen.

Luke Gregerson Officially Placed on the Disabled List

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Luke Gregerson was officially placed on the disabled list with a hamstring strain on Wednesday. The team made the move retroactive to March 26, but Gregerson isn't expected to be ready until the middle of April. Gregerson had a rough spring, first dealing with an oblique strain and then suffering […]

Alex Reyes Placed on the Disabled List to Start the Season

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Alex Reyes (elbow) was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday. Reyes is almost fully recovered from Tommy John Surgery but just needs a little more time before heading back to a big league mound. He's expected to be ready to return around May 1 but may come back […]

Felipe Rivero Finishes Shaky Spring on High Note

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero had a breakout 2017 and emerged as the team's closer, but his momentum didn't carry over into spring training. The left-hander allowed a 5.14 ERA (plus seven unearned runs) and struggled primarily with his command, walking five and allowing two home runs in only seven innings. Fortunately, Grapefruit League play […]

Aroldis Chapman's Spring Training A Positive

In his Spring Training debut this year, New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman hit a batter, gave up a hit and also a run. It was his only run surrendered, as he made five additional appearances and was superb. He allowed just three more hits, tallying four in 4 1/3 innings, striking out 10 along […]

Cody Allen Pitches Well in Spring Training

Cleveland Indians closer Cody Allen pitched well in Cactus League play, posting a 1.13 ERA and 12 strikeouts in eight innings of work. He allowed just two hits all spring. Allen will resume his role as closer for a team sure to win plenty of games. He has nice strikeout upside, too, and belongs a […]