Who Is The Diamondbacks Closer? Fantasy Baseball Saves Outlook

Who is the Arizona Diamondbacks closer this season? Sam takes a deeper look at the roster in an effort to find saves for desperate fantasy managers.

One of the most valued and sometimes hard-to-find things in fantasy baseball is saves. Unless you drafted a few of the top relievers early in your draft, you most likely will be looking for help on the waiver wire during the season.

Multiple teams struggle annually to find the "guy", and often have to go with the hottest hand or the dreaded "closer by committee" approach.

Do the Diamondbacks have a closer in 2023? If so, who is he? Let's dive in and find an answer.

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Do The Arizona Diamondbacks Have A Closer?

The Arizona Diamondbacks are having a surprisingly good season in 2023. Yes, it's only April, but they are in first place in the National League West, two games clear of the Dodgers. More good news to be happy about as a fantasy owner is that they appear to have a closer.

Through 7.1 innings pitched, Andrew Chafin has compiled one win, 10 strikeouts, a 3.38 ERA, and 0.95 WHIP, with most importantly three saves. Having a solid option in the ninth for most of the season has been a huge lift for the team. However, his first crack in the armor came Tuesday night when he was brought in to close out the game in a non-save situation, but instead, allowed three runs on two hits and one walk over only a third of an inning.

The poor outing was his first blemish of the year, so the job is still his to lose. However, if his latest performance was any indication of things to come, it would be wise to monitor the situation and check for possible alternatives in the saves category.

Are There Any Viable Alternatives For Arizona?

Chafin had been excellent for Arizona up until this week. He hadn't needed any support from his friends until now, and that's exactly what he got. After Chafin's first real struggle on Tuesday night, 28-year-old Miguel Castro came in and righted the ship, securing his first save of the season.

After entering the game to protect an 8-7 lead against the Cardinals, Castro only allowed one walk in a scoreless ninth to earn the save. He looked strong, was efficient, and certainly provides insurance if Chafin has more struggles moving forward.

Castro has a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over eight innings in 2023 and is the next man up for the Diamondbacks to finish games. If you are desperate for saves and have an open roster spot, grab Castro as insurance as he certainly will continue to share in high-leverage opportunities late in games.

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