2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Advice & Analysis
Closer Carousel: National League Report 07/20/2010
 John Axford Brewers Raise your hand if you predicted that John Axford would be leading the Brewers in saves this year... That's what I thought... Trevor Hoffman may be the all time leader in saves, but the hot hand is John Axford and he's rewarded anyone that took a shot with him early enough. At 50% owned in Y! leagues, there may be a chance he's available in your league and if so, pick him up. Axford has closed 10 games without a blown save and owns a 5-1 record to go along with a 32 Ks in 26 IP. His ERA and WHIP statistics stand at a very respectable 3.12 and 1.27 respectively, so it doesn't appear that he's going to slow down any time soon. Phillies Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you. Injuries have been the storyline in Philadelphia this year, but they're starting to get healthy. There have been five pitchers to record a save for the Phillies this year. Brad Lidge leading the way with seven and Ryan Madson has four saves to his credit. Combined those two have only seen action in 32 games so far due to injury. Even with the limited action this year, the two closers in Philadelphia have combined for six blown saves. Although they've been ineffective at times, there will be plenty of opportunities for the rest of the season. If you want to take a shot at some saves and can sacrifice ERA, take a look at Lidge and Madson who are 57% owned and 21% owned respectively in Y! Leagues. Nationals With the trading deadline looming, the Nationals find themselves 13 games out and their closer Matt Capps figures to be a target of many teams looking to add bullpen depth. If Capps is traded he will end up being someone's setup man and lose most of his Fantasy relevance. After a trade, expect the Nationals to continue grooming their closer of the future, Drew Storen. Last years #10 pick Storen blew through the minor leagues quicker than his first round counter part Steven Strasburg. Only 5% owned in Y! leagues, Storen could stand to see a fair share of save opportunities before the year is out. Diamondbacks The bullpen in Arizona has been pretty bad this year. Considering that their opening day closer has an ERA north of eight and the only pitcher with a WHIP below 1.29 is a kid they picked up in a trade recently. Chad Qualls (48% owned) was the closer for most of the season, but the new management team in Arizona will probably go in a different direction and today it appears that Juan Gutierrez (2% owned) is the latest to get a chance at the end of games. So far so good, as Gutierrez has earned two saves as of late. But his high ERA, 6.96, and 1.515 WHIP suggest he'll struggle just like those that have come before him. Sam Demel (1% owned) is the one bright spot with the 1.154 WHIP, but it doesn't appear that the Diamondbacks will be offering up enough chances anyway and we should probably stay away from any member of the D’backs bullpen. Trade Bait... the next six guys are known to be good closers and should be your trade targets if you're looking to trade for saves. Rockies Watch out now, but the Rockies have another chance to get hot and roll through the NL West. For the end of their games, they're very committed to Huston Street, as they should. He's already closed out six saves since returning from the disabled list in June. While Street was on the shelf, most saves went to Manny Corpas and a few went to Franklin Morales, but that's all in the past now. With 135 career saves at 26 years of age, Street is a fantastic option in all formats with career stats of 1.023 WHIP, 2.89 ERA, and a strike out per inning. Dodgers Jonathan Broxton may be the best closer in the National League, but strangely, the Dodgers have only presented Broxton with 21 save chances. Broxton has saved 19 of these chances and posted 55 Ks, a 2.11 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP in 39.2 IP. The 26-year old righty got off to a slow start this year, but it was due to a lack of opportunities not a lack of production. The Dodgers are still in the NL West mix and should offer plenty of save chances through the end of the season, making Broxton a must own. If you're looking to trade for saves, consider his lack of chances so far this year as a chip for buying low. Reds Tied for the league lead in saves with 25 is Francisco Cordero, even though he's performing well off of his career statistics. The slightly elevated numbers (4.10 ERA compared to a career 3.24 and 1.549 WHIP compared to 1.368) could just be a bump in the road and an excellent 2nd half would bring him right back to his career line. With the Reds leading the NL Central, they have banked the end of their games with Cordero. Going forward, there are zero signs of a change, the Reds will live and die by Cordero in their tight games. Padres Everyone was very confident that Heath Bell would be one of the league leaders in saves, but most thought that by this time it would be for a contender loading up their bullpen. Instead, he's closing out games for the NL West leading Padres. The 32-year old Bell is having a spectacular year and is owned in every format, but if you're trading for saves, this is the guy to turn to. Marlins When Matt Lindstrom went to the DL in June of the 2009 season, the Marlins turned to 25-year old Leo Nunez who they acquired from the Royals. Nunez has saved 46 games while blowing 12 in just over a year of service. He is showing improved WHIP and ERA statistics this year and is on pace to set a career high in strikeouts. Even if there were someone else performing for the Marlins, there are no reasons to think that they would look anywhere else at the end of games. Under team control through the 2012 season, expect the Marlins to focus on other parts of their team and allow Nunez to continue closing games out. Astros So much for the drama many anticipated taking place in the Astros bullpen this season. This spring it was uncertain if Matt Lindstrom would hold onto the closers role all year, but he has turned it up and closed out 22 of his 26 save chances. For someone that throws in the triple digits, Lindstrom hasn't provided the K rate you might expect with 31 Ks in 36 IP. Plus his WHIP is high at 1.486, however he's getting saves and that's what we're looking for. Looking at next year.... Braves There are some special things going on in Atlanta. The division leaders at the All-Star Break will most likely have to part ways with their closer, manager, and maybe even their captain next year. Currently though, Billy Wagner, is having a career year at the age of 38 with five wins to zero losses, 21 saves, and 59 strikeouts in 39 innings! Setting up Wagner has been a mix of Takashi Saito and the 25-year old Jonny Venters. Venters has some upside and could expect to close games out for the Braves in 2011. Cubs It's amazing to think that Carlos Marmol has not locked down the closer role for the Cubs when you consider that he's averaging a ridiculous 17 K/9. But that is the case, because of outings like this past Saturday, where Marmol walked five, gave up 1 hit, and allowed four runners to score in a one run game. Marmol has only blown four saves this year, but the fact that he has given up more walks (33) than hits (24) shows that there is reason for concern in Chicago. Lying in waiting behind Marmol is the closer of the future in Andrew Cashner, he needs more time in the big leagues and is still a long ways from being ready to close big league games. Consider Marmol to have his job on lockdown for the remainder of the year, but going into next year that may not be the case. Giants The Giants made Brian Wilson their full time closer in 2008 and haven't had to look back since. Wilson is tied for the league lead in saves this year and could approach 50 saves by seasons end. Rumors though, have spread this past off-season about the Giants moving Wilson eventually, because of his contract. It's still not clear who will inherit the job. The younger guys in the bullpen, Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler, have been impressive, but not enough to predict a successor. Pirates The Pirates may only have 30 wins to date, however they have offered up 20 saves. Free agent pick up, Octavio Dotel has been able to lock up 19 of the 20 games. But the most interesting story from the Pirates bullpen this year has been the emergence of 27-year old Evan Meek. The former Rule 5 draftee, Meek, has put up a 1.07 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 48Ks in 50.2 IP, good enough to earn himself a spot in the All-Star game. If the Pirates were to trade Dotel, Meek should be next in line, but he'll need to calm the butterflies down before becoming very relevant in our Fantasy world. Meek has blown 5 saves in 6 chances, however he has still maintained the impressive statistics. It would appear that Meek has had a difficult time getting outs when inheriting runners, luckily the closer role doesn't require him to do that often. But wait, there is more.... Mets The Mets have invested heavily in Francisco Rodriguez and he has returned 21 saves for them this year. At 28, Rodriguez has posted a 2.68 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP through 47 IP this year. This high number has put K-Rod on pace for his most innings since becoming a full time closer. Beyond K-Rod, no one holds a very significant role in the bullpen. Elmer Dessens and Bobby Parnell have been effective as of late and could lock up a bigger role if they continue to get outs. Cardinals Throw out an epic loss at Colorado on July 6th and Ryan Franklin has a 2.11 ERA and a WHIP under one through 34.1 IP. Outside of this one historic appearance, Franklin has been extremely dependable with 16 saves in 17 chances. When Franklin has been unavailable, the Cards have turned to Jason Motte on three occasions of which he's closed out 2 (the blown save came the night after the Rockies 12-9 victory over the Cards). Franklin's age, 37, could be a concern for owners carrying him into next year, but for 2010, he continues to be a spectacular option. Written by James Weston for TheFantasyFix.com. Look for James’ weekly insight covering all aspects of Fantasy Baseball. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRealJamesA Tags: The Fantasy Fix, Fantasy Baseball Blog, Fantasy Sports Advice, Fantasy Baseball Advice, National League, Closer Carousel, Closers, John Axford, Ryan Franklin, Billy Wagner, Francisco Rodriguez, Ryan Franklin, Octavio Dotel, Brian Wilson, Evan Meek, Carlos Marmol, Matt Lindstrom, Leo Nunez, Heath Bell, Francisco Cordero, Chad Qualls, Huston Street, Manuel Corpas, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Capps, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, James, Weston Add Comment MLB Closer Carousel: American League Report 07/03/2010
 Daniel Bard What to watch for... Blue Jays - Either Kevin Gregg beat out Jason Frasor or Frasor lost the job to Gregg... No matter how you slice it, the Blue Jays should have a few save opportunities each week. Gregg has all the experience of a closer that has lost a job before, will they go back to Frasor if Gregg falters? Scott Downs or Shawn Camp could get looks at the end of games, but by the time that happens the Jays would be out of contention this year and could look elsewhere. But I could be getting ahead of myself, there are a lot of reasons to think Gregg is going to continue to get the job done. Gregg is 18 for 21 so far this year, his ERA could be a concern, but if you're looking for saves...he's got them. Mariners - The Mariners last save was earned by Brandon League, who converted his 2nd save of the year. David Aardsma had pitched the previous two days, so there isn't much to read into the save chance for League. But then Aardsma went on to blow the Mariners next save opportunity. Aardsma has now blown more saves than he did all of 2009. At 3% owned in Y! leagues, League will be presented with more chances this summer and now is the time to take a shot. Angels - There is nothing more frustrating than being an Angles fan with the lead in the 9th inning. Brian Fuentes has made for great baseball drama, but he still closes games out and continues to get the chances for the Angles. In waiting is Fernando Rodney(38% owned in Y! leagues), who has done well when given the chance. Rodney recently blew his second save chance on the 25th, but if the Angles look to move past Fuentes, Rodney will be their guy. The move has to be coming soon. Fuentes is so good at blowing saves, he blew a save without even giving up a hit! And to top it all off.... the front office could dictate a move since Fuentes owns a contract clause which forces the Angles to pay him $3.25 million next year if he gets 59 appearances(He's made 25 so far this year). Red Sox - Get to know Daniel Bard (23% owned), who is leading the Red Sox bullpen in Appearances, Innings, ERA, Ks, and WHIP. But the closer is Jonathan Papelbon today and he'll be the closer tomorrow. However if a window of opportunity comes up Bard is next in line. White Sox - The White Sox closer, Bobby Jenks has been on the bereavement list this week and the team just kept rolling on. Jenks has only blown one save this year, so his job isn't in jeopardy. If he is to slip up, the Sox can turn to Matt Thorton(57% owned) or a rejuvenated J.J. Putz(13%). Nothing to see here...... Orioles - There is not much to be said about the situation in Baltimore. The team doesn't win often and unfortunately, your team needs to win the game in order to qualify for a save. Alfredo Simon has saved 10 games so far, but he's only seen 19 innings of action this year. And when he's seen playing time, he hasn't put up the strikeouts and statistics that are important to us. Indians - The Indians sit in the cellar of the AL Central, therefore there just aren't that many save opportunities to go around. Kerry Wood is getting the rare save chances today of which he's converted 8 saves. Chris Perez was doing the closing earlier in the year and he managed to get 7. The Indians could go back to Perez, but the team won't offer up enough save situations to give either pitcher much value. Even though they're riding a hot streak, the team figures to trade veterans this month and make moves with their future in mind. Therefore we shouldn't expect the hot streak to continue. The Closer role is on lock down... Yankees - Death, Taxes, and Mariano Rivera....the three guarantees in life. Rays - Reminds me of taking a kicker from a good team, you know you'll do good enough. Rafael Soranio just has to stay healthy to continue closing. If he did get hurt, someone could be inline for saves and the Rays have a few solid arms. Look for Grant Balfour and Dan Wheeler to back up Soranio if he gets hurt. Twins - The Twins haven't missed a beat since Joe Nathan was put on the shelf this spring. Jon Rauch has settled in nicely to the closer role and it doesn't appear that anyone is threatening his role. Tigers - His antics on the field aren't the classiest, but Jose Valverde's results are top notch. So far this year he's locked up 18 saves and posted a miniscule 0.53 ERA. Valverde is supported by one of the best bullpens in baseball, but they just lost Joel Zumaya to a fractured elbow and this could impact Valverde's opportunities. Still, he's one of the best at what he does and the Tigers win games. Royals - A good really effective closer on a bad team can be a good thing. Joakim Soria has managed to accumulate 108 saves in his 4 years of service with the Royals. There aren't any indicators to think that he won't keep racking up saves for the rest of the year, with 21 so far. Look for Soria to top 40 saves this year and flirt with 50 if the Royals can put together some wins. Rangers - The Rangers close out their games with one of the hardest throwers in baseball, 22 year old Neftali Feliz. Feliz has saved 21 games this year and he didn't even have the job out of Spring Training, Frank Francisco won the job out of camp. But since taking over, Feliz has been dominant striking out 38 in just over 35 innings. Feliz is a must own and if you're looking for saves he should be a buy high target given the Rangers hot streak and weak division. Athletics - The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, Andrew Bailey has saved 16 games so far this year and posted a 1.64 ERA. He's blown three chances, but all things considered, it is safe to say that Bailey has faded the sophomore jinx. Even if he struggles, the Athletics will stand behind Bailey and give him time to work things out. Which of these closers will be the first to lose their job? Leave a comment at the top or reply to us on twitter! Article by James Weston exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Check back weekly for James' excellent fantasy insight and analysis. |
