For some strange reason, I have the great Willie Nelson song in my head… On The Road again. Why, you ask? Because I am out perusing the great country of ours and doing fantasy football’s 32x32x32 with Nick. I may be thinking football, but my heart is in San Francisco… rather bullpens. So it was all quiet on the savedom front til recently, when some usual save stalwarts stubbed some toes. While some repeat offenders… yeah you Joe Nathan just continue to lull us into a state of perpetual eye-rolling… all of these issues are no bueno for the push to make playoffs in some formats, or those pining for the stat push in point leagues. I am personally not too worried about the married guys, they are there for good reasons; they do it all year and you have them for saves or to save not. I am more throwing my ire towards those middle guys, the Steve Cishek‘s and Rafael Soriano types who have given us decency all year and then have recently given us both ERA’s over 7 a piece the last 2 weeks. So buyer beware at this point for stat purposes with these guys they aren’t going to be replaced but the production is on the level of a doozer on light duty. Stick around for some tid-bits of knowledge or stay to just say high. [Jay’s Note: Oh… I get it.]
- The top guy who also said he is a little tired (which is scary…but not really) is Greg Holland. Garnering 8 saves in 14 days and looks every bit the part of his top-2 status… K’s are there, team is winning, and he has just and awesome follow through to the plate that makes people born on a hill take notice.
- Hector Rondon is getting some nice burn recently, 4 saves in the last 6 games played, as the Cubs are showing signs of a pulse recently. Not just on Jake Arrieta day surprisingly, which in my head is everyday, as I sit in the tree outside his house stealing his wi-fi as I type this post. Shhhh, I’m in camouflage.
Marry
What’s better than having the comfort of having a great stand-by at home? Nothing. It helps you, it lives for you and gosh darn’it, you can do with it as you please, under the jurisdictions of the law. It’s got a nice pre-kids body and a penchant for baking. So we have the roster stalwarts that you want to have and hold for this season forward.
1. Craig Kimbrel – (Jordan Walden, David Carpenter, James Russell)
2. Greg Holland – (Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Aaron Crow)
3. Kenley Jansen – (Brian Wilson, J.P. Howell)
4. Aroldis Chapman – (Jonathan Broxton, J.J. Hoover)
5. David Robertson – (Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley)
6. Huston Street – (Joe Smith, Kevin Jepsen)
7. Sean Doolittle – (Luke Gregerson, Danny Otero, Ryan Cook)
8. Glen Perkins – (Casey Fien, Jared Burton)
9. Koji Uehara – (Junichi Tazawa, Edward Mujica)
10. Trevor Rosenthal – (Pat Neshek, Carlos Martinez)
F#ck
These guys are fun, and maybe some day you’ll want to marry them, but right now they have their flaws and you’re not sure if you wanna take them home to mom. So you give them the special booty-call ring designation on your phone, and you get everything that marriage can’t give you. Stats are the important thing here, and lots of them, no obligations. No alimony attached, just straight unadulterated stats.
11. Francisco Rodriguez – (Will Smith, Brandon Kintzler)
12. Fernando Rodney – (Yoervis Medina, Danny Farquhar, Charlie Furbush)
13. Steve Cishek – (Mike Dunn, A.J. Ramos, Bryan Morris)
14. Rafael Soriano – (Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen)
15. Cody Allen – (Bryan Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski)
16. Mark Melancon – (Tony Watson, Justin Wilson, John Axford)
17. Zach Britton – (Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Andrew Miller)
18. Casey Janssen – (Aaron Loup, Dustin McGowan, Brett Cecil)
19. Jonathan Papelbon – (Ken Giles, Antonio Bastardo, Justin De Fratus)
20. Jake McGee – (Brad Boxberger, Joel Peralta)
21. Santiago Casilla – (Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, Jean Machi)
22. Addison Reed – (Brad Ziegler, Matt Stites)
23. Joaquin Benoit – (Kevin Quackenbush, Dale Thayer, Nick Vincent )
24. Chad Qualls – (Josh Fields, Jose Veras, Tony Sipp)
25. Joe Nathan – (Joba Chamberlain, Al Alburquerque, Jim Johnson)
26. Hector Rondon – (Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm)
Kill
Should be self-explanatory. There is no comfort in this grouping, along with the fear of looking suspicious when buying a new shovel and some lyme when all that you wanna do is plant a new butterfly bush. The jib? The newly injured replacements are here or just they’re just the unproven. All should be laid to rest, unless desperation or injury becomes you. Don’t get comfy, death or stat-suicide may be closer than it appears.
27. LaTroy Hawkins – (Rex Brothers, Adam Ottavino)
28. Jenrry Mejia – (Jeurys Familia, Carlos Torres, Vic Black)
29. Neftali Feliz – (Neal Cotts, Steve Tolleson)
30. Jake Petricka – (Ronald Belisario, Javy Guerra, Daniel Webb)