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Week 16 MLB Closers and Saves Report

David A Marcillo looks at Week 16 closer performances around MLB for 2018, including bullpen changes. He identifies fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and adds for saves.

Another mostly quiet week in bullpens around baseball, leading up to what is sure to be a wild trade deadline in a couple of weeks. A big name closer said a big word and got himself sent to the minors. A guy who was a closer very recently is a closer again due to an injury. A couple of committees seem to be working themselves out.

Guys like Zach Britton, Shane Greene, Brad Brach, Joe Jimenez, and Kyle Barraclough (among many others) are looking at potential new roles once the calendar turns to August. Things have stayed more or less the same for the last few weeks, but it's just the calm before the storm. Rumors have been flying already, and we're still more than two weeks away from the trade deadline. The early Herrera-to-the-Nationals trade didn't spark any more early trades, as some expected.

All that and more in this week's Closers and Saves Report, so let's dive into the news, the best performers, and any suggested moves for your fantasy team this week:

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Bullpen News for Week 16

Houston Astros

One of the most frustrating bullpens in fantasy baseball mostly worked itself out with Hector Rondon taking the ninth inning and running away with it. Ken Giles was still somewhat hanging around and making Rondon's fantasy owners nervous, but he got himself sent all the way to Fresno, as he was optioned to Triple-A this week. Giles' performance likely merited a demotion, but his reaction to his manager on the mound definitely did. He greeted manager A.J. Hinch with some less than friendly words as he was being removed from a game. It'll be Giles' first time in the minors since 2014, his rookie year. He can be safely dropped in all fantasy formats, with Rondon getting a nice little bump here.

Washington Nationals

The Nationals picked up Kelvin Herrera from the Royals to deepen their bullpen, and now he'll serve as closer once again. All-Star closer Sean Doolittle landed on the disabled list this week with a toe injury so Herrera will scoot up to the ninth inning while Doolittle is out. There's no closer controversy here at all, as Doolittle will get his inning back once he's ready to return, but Herrera could be a useful temporary pick up.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have been going with a committee for their ninth inning lately, but it seems to be working itself out, with Will Smith rising to the top. Manager Bruce Bochy has lately preferred the late-inning combination of Tony Watson, Mark Melancon, and Will Smith. While no announcement has been made officially, another save or two from Smith should be enough to call him the full-time closer in San Francisco.

Detroit Tigers

Tigers closer Shane Greene should be back from the disabled list soon, and he'll immediately resume his ninth inning role. For now. Greene is a likely trade candidate and probably won't stay in the ninth inning with his new team, but he should have some temporary value in standard leagues and will retain some value in holds leagues as he's almost certain to remain in the late innings. Joe Jimenez has been filling in while Greene has been out, and will regain the ninth inning if Greene gets traded.

 

Roster Moves of the Week

Adds

Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers- Some owners may have dropped Greene when he landed on the disabled list, but he'll resume his role in the ninth inning and should put up some fantasy value between now and the trade deadline. He'll lose most if not all of his value if he's traded, so this may be more of a temporary add in standard leagues.

Joe Jimenez, Detroit Tigers- Related to Greene above, Joe Jimenez has been filling in as closer but will move back into a setup role. That may lead a lot of owners to drop Jimenez in fantasy leagues. Greene is a very likely trade candidate, and Jimenez is sure to step back into the ninth inning if Greene leaves. He may not have much fantasy value for a week or two, but owners who jump on Jimenez now could get him for very little and see some nice returns in August and September.

Will Smith, San Francisco Giants- Will Smith seems to be the reliever who has risen to the top of the San Francisco committee. He has the upside and the experience to be a very strong fantasy closer, and he seems to be maybe a save or two away from officially taking the ninth inning to himself.

Kelvin Herrera, Washington Nationals- The Nationals will turn to the newly-acquired Kelvin Herrera for a bit as closer Sean Doolittle heads to the disabled list. This is certainly a temporary add, as Doolittle will keep his closer role once he's healthy, but Herrera could have some nice temporary value in the meantime.

Drops

Ken Giles, Houston Astros- The Astros bullpen has finally figured itself out, and this week that included Ken Giles heading down to Triple-A Fresno. He's been struggling, and he cursed out his manager on the mound. That's as good a recipe for a demotion as any.

 

Best of the Week

Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners- 3 IP, 7 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP

A perfect week from Mariners closer Edwin Diaz, who is certainly making a bid for best closer in baseball honors this season. Diaz faced nine batters, retired all nine (seven via strikeout) and saved three games in the process.

Felipe Vázquez, Pittsburgh Pirates- 4 IP, 9 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez has had a bit of an up-and-down season, but this week was definitely an up. He struck out nine batters in four innings, saving three games while allowing no runs despite three hits and two walks.

Sergio Romo, Tampa Bay Rays- 3 2/3 IP, 5 K, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.55 WHIP

Rays closer/opener Sergio Romo had a strong week, striking out five batters in 3 2/3 innings. He saved three games, allowing no runs and just two hits across his four games. He's currently owned in fewer than 40% of fantasy leagues. While the Rays bullpen can certainly be called "quirky and unpredictable," Romo seems like a safe bet to provide solid fantasy value going forward.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NBA

Wizards Add Skal Labissiere for Training Camp
Francisco Alvarez

Needs Thumb Surgery, May Play Through Injury
Willy Adames

Out With Side Soreness on Tuesday
A.J. Brown

on Track to Play in Week 1
Jacob deGrom

Being Skipped in Rotation Due to Shoulder Fatigue
Adley Rutschman

Scratched on Tuesday With Abdominal Discomfort
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Austin Riley

Doesn't Appear Ready to Return Any Time Soon
Aaron Judge

Unikely to Throw Normally Again This Year
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Marcelo Mayer

to Have Season-Ending Wrist Surgery
Samuel Basallo

Called Up From Triple-A Norfolk
J.K. Dobbins

Expected to Win Starting RB Job?
Quentin Johnston

Suffers Concussion in Preseason Loss
Jaxson Dart

Plays Well on Saturday Night
Marcus Semien

Avoids Serious Injury
Kyle Stowers

Heads to Injured List With Left-Side Strain
Zack Wheeler

Placed on Injured List With Blood Clot in Shoulder
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Optimistic Terry McLaurin Deal Can Get Done Soon
De'Von Achane

De’Von Achane Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin From PUP List
Rashee Rice

NFL Could Reach Settlement Before Hearing
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
NHL

Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team

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