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Ryan Kirksey's top fantasy baseball closers to stash and waiver wire pickups for Week 14 of 2025. His favorite relief pitchers to add for sneaky waiver wire saves.
We are now one month away from the Major League Baseball trade deadline, which should once again have huge implications for fantasy baseball. The closer and bullpen market is always robust during this month, as contending teams are looking for help with new arms and are willing to trade prospects or other players to get them. It is something to watch very carefully for our fantasy teams.
The problem is, of course, rarely does a closer get traded right into the same job he had before. Perhaps if someone established like Kenley Jansen was traded, he might inherit the ninth inning. But a name like Carlos Estevez is an example of someone who could find themselves in the seventh or eighth inning on a new team.
If you are hunting for saves, then consider stashing some top relievers who currently aren't their team's top option in the ninth inning. In this article, I'll provide some of the top player options to stash, who are widely available in Yahoo leagues. To stay up to date with all the latest developments in the world of relief pitching, be sure to check out our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Handcuffs
In this section, I'll highlight some of the established setup men who are the clear backup to an established, firmly entrenched closer on their team. These teams have absolute clarity for now, but each of these pitchers is just an injury or a sudden cold streak away from being promoted to the closer role. From this group, I believe the one closest to gaining a closer job right now is Jason Adam of the San Diego Padres.
Jason Adam, San Diego Padres (38% rostered)
Robert Suarez was suspended for two games for hitting Shohei Ohtani and then took another loss on Sunday. His ERA is now 3.89 (albeit with 23 saves). Meanwhile, Adam has a shutdown 1.69 ERA with a 28% strikeout rate and 19 holds. He has a win and two holds in the last seven days.
Randy Rodriguez, San Francisco Giants (29% rostered)
Ryan Walker continues to struggle for the Giants (another blown save on Sunday), so he is out of the mix in San Francisco. Camilo Doval is not having any issues as the calendar turns to July, but if he does, Randy Rodriguez is ready to take over. Rodriguez now has an unbelievable 0.75 ERA and a 38% strikeout rate this season.
Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins (21% rostered)
The Minnesota Twins are falling out of the AL Central race, so if they become sellers, someone like Jhoan Duran could demand a lot on the open market. Griffin Jax doesn't have a save this year but does have 17 holds and one of the best strikeout rates in all of baseball (40.0%).
Griffin Jax, K'ing the Side in the 8th. pic.twitter.com/VJVJbq6DKV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2025
Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros (26% rostered)
For the first time in two years, Bryan Abreu pitched two innings on Sunday, striking out four of the six Cubs he faced for his 20th hold. His 1.63 ERA and 36% strikeout rate are an excellent profile for the ninth if something happened to Josh Hader. However, Hader is one of the best closers in baseball this season and will not let go of the ninth without an injury.
Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers (21% rostered)
Abner Uribe pitched four times in the last week, earning three holds. Closer Trevor Megill has been almost as dominant as Uribe this year, which is why Uribe gets the highest-leverage situation in the seventh or eighth inning. Uribe is up to a 32% strikeout rate with 23 holds (the most in all of baseball).
Reed Garrett, New York Mets (11% rostered)
Reed Garrett went through a rough patch about 10 days ago but has pitched twice this week without incident. He still sits on a 2.25 ERA and a 28% strikeout rate, but only has a couple of saves because of extra-inning games and Edwin Diaz not being available. He now has his fastball up over 98 miles per hour this season and looks dominant in most outings.
Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians (31% rostered)
Hunter Gaddis has gone through some rough patches, raising his ERA to 3.94. Cade Smith has become the better option with a 2.36 ERA and almost a 37% strikeout rate. Emmanuel Clase has had his name linked to trade rumors, so Cleveland might turn to one of these guys before the month is out.
Cade Smith, Nasty 90mph Splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/h0E1chRswN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 8, 2025
Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners (5% rostered)
Andres Munoz has back-to-back outings with a loss and a blown save, so his managers should be on high alert right now as the Mariners fight for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Matt Brash still has a 0.00 ERA and a 26% strikeout rate over his 18 appearances this season.
Seranthony Dominguez, Baltimore Orioles (5% rostered)
With Baltimore continuing to be in a freefall, Felix Bautista is going to be on the trade block this month. If he does get moved, it looks like Seranthony Dominguez has emerged as the potential handcuff with a 32% strikeout rate and a 3.31 ERA. Gregory Soto and Bryan Baker are also pitching well out of the bullpen.
Relievers With Closer Potential on Teams With Closer Uncertainty
Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels (12% rostered)
As Los Angeles continues to tread water and not make up ground in the AL West, it looks more and more likely that someone like Kenley Jansen will be traded. Reid Detmers has emerged as a serious threat to take over as closer, with six holds in the last six weeks and a 30% strikeout rate. He still gives up a lot of hard contact but looks to be the best option in the pen.
Chris Martin, Texas Rangers (20% rostered)
Luke Jackson and Robert Garcia are co-closers, but Chris Martin might be the best reliever of all three. He's holding down a 2.42 ERA and a 28% strikeout rate, significantly higher than any of the other late-inning options for Texas.
Caleb Ferguson, Pittsburgh Pirates (0% rostered)
Dennis Santana has recently been suspended, which has pushed Caleb Ferguson into the eighth-inning role. Ferguson has a 2.75 ERA and a decent 20% strikeout rate while accumulating nine saves.
Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia Phillies (23% rostered)
Orion Kerkering is a co-closer with Matt Strahm right now, and Kerkering looks unhittable even though he has only two saves this season. The Phillies have lost a bunch of games lately, but that luck should turn around. Kerkering has a 2.48 ERA to lead all late-inning options.
Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves (16% rostered)
The Atlanta Braves are in a full-blown closer committee now after Raisel Iglesias struggled lately. Dylan Lee has been dominant, with two saves, a 28% strikeout rate, and a 1.67 ERA. If a market emerges, Iglesias could also be a trade candidate.
Idk who needs to hear it, but Dylan Lee deserves to be an All-Star this year. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sNrgLgXTHB
— Ben Weaver (@weaver_cards) June 24, 2025
Ryan Thompson, Arizona Diamondbacks (1% rostered)
Shelby Miller has all the saves for Arizona since Justin Martinez went on the 60-day IL, but Ryan Thompson has also emerged, with two holds and a win over the last week. Shelby Miller is no stranger to injuries and the occasional blow-up, so Thompson is a decent stash right now.
Brad Keller, Chicago Cubs (4% rostered)
Ryan Pressly has not pitched in a game where the Cubs had the lead for more than two weeks now. Behind Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller has emerged as a high-leverage arm. He has a 1.91 ERA, a 24% strikeout rate, and 23 holds.
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