Who Is The White Sox Closer? Fantasy Baseball Saves Outlooks

April 2, 2023

Who is the closer for the White Sox in 2023? Sam looks at potential closing candidates, and who you should target for 2023 fantasy baseball drafts for saves.

With the MLB season now officially underway, the Chicago White Sox are already having questions surrounding their bullpen. In January, their all-star closer, Liam Hendriks, was dealt a brutal blow both personally and professionally. He was diagnosed with cancer and will be out of action indefinitely.

So where does that leave the team and the state of their relief corp? As it currently stands, the leader for the job is Reynaldo Lopez.

Is he officially the team's closer in 2023? Should you pick him up for saves in fantasy baseball? Let's take a look at the data, the reports, and all the speculation.

Is Reynaldo Lopez Going To Be The White Sox Closer?

In the team's first regular season game on Thursday, Lopez got the save in the 3-2 win over Houston. It wasn't the cleanest of innings, as he gave up one run on one hit and walked another with a strikeout.

The 29-year-old got the first crack at finishing a game for the White Sox, and even though it was a bit of a struggle, he was successful, and all signs point towards him continuing to see opportunities.

In 2022, Lopez pitched 65.1 innings winning six games while striking out 63 batters. He finished last year with an impressive 2.76 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Currently only owned in 18% of leagues, the 6' 1'' right-hander becomes a must-add option for those managers in need of strikeouts and saves.

Potential Alternatives

While Hendricks is on the shelf, which could be a majority or all of the 2023 season, Lopez is the guy. But that's only if or until he blows so many games that White Sox manager Pedro Grifol is forced to make a change. If that occurs, there are some safety nets you'll want to keep your eye on.

The most logical choice to replace Lopez should he falter, seemed to be the current setup man, Kendall Graveman. In the team's opener, he allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth inning to earn the win, however, the next day he struggled mightily, giving up three earned runs on two hits and two walks to take the loss. He needs to show more consistency if he wants to be considered a logical option if called upon.

Next in line for the closer job is a veteran flamethrower, Joe Kelly. He will likely work the middle to late innings early in the season but could see an opportunity or two occasionally in the ninth if needed. But buyer beware and break glass only in case of emergency because Kelly posted a frightening 6.08 ERA last season.

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