by: Roto-Wan
Spring is here. I hope everyone had a good Easter and Passover. Chasing steals is much like the loved/hated holiday mascot, Peeps. You don’t want to eat them as much as they’re part of the experience. Make the most of it, just don’t go overboard or they expand in your stomach/roster and make you feel bloated…
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: Roto-Wan
Raise your hand if the juiced ball isn’t affecting your high priced pitcher yet. Not so fast Blake Snell owners, he’s on the IL with a broken toe via clumsy furniture moving. You’re going to be in the mean streets of relief appearances with the rest of us now. You can throw on some REM and cry in the shower or work at filling some gaps. A well-aimed non-closer can certainly pay dividends. There’s something below for whatever ails you. I don’t include anyone getting regular saves in the ranks.
Please, blog, may I have some more?How any more FAAB periods do we have to go? Is it the All-Star Break yet? There’s plenty of baseball left, as the Masters just concluded in a Tiger Woods win. Speed is as scarce as ever. There are very few dependable sources for steals. Smart owners are constantly on the lookout for a good opportunity to gamble on a guy in a plus situation to swipe a bag. You need a runner able to pull the trigger when they actually manage to get on just like Tiger in the hunt for a win, or an opp at a Perkins.
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: Roto-Wan
It’s Masters Week! Let’s enjoy some Augusta themed tiers (hold the bigotry). First some (mostly bad) closer news.
Do you own Trea Turner, he of a broken finger? Welcome to the chase for speed with the rest of us schlubs. So much changes in just a week this early on. Keep that in mind as the season unfolds. Too often owners look to trade a strength that can become a deficit with a single poorly gripped bunt attempt. Dig for steals and saves at every turn. It’s SAGNOF time!
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: Roto-Wan
Is your pitching staff a disaster? Don’t worry, they all are. If you need a fill-in while transitioning a role consider some of these folks. Each tier is ranked, roughly speaking. The amount of variance in middle relief is greater than with closers so you can follow these less rigidly. I’ve pulled the names that are getting serious saves consideration, as they’re likely claimed.
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: Roto-Wan
Do you own Trea Turner, he of three steals in one game? No? Then you’re chasing speed with the rest of us. It’s pretty early to go dropping players you drafted for a rabbit with a chance at a steal. However, if you have a free spot put it to use. Like Kanye craving a fair-haired lady lover, we’ll do anything for a save or steal come September. It’s never too early to pad those columns.
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: Roto-Wan
Let’s dust off Grey’s tiers for this first closer report of the season. We’re one day in and the sky is already falling all over the closer landscape.
by: Roto-Wan
NL West | NL Central | NL East | AL West | AL Central | AL East
It’s the AL Central’s turn to be featured in my “reliever names that might make you vomit” series. These are some of the least stable bullpens in baseball. There’s a good chance someone from one of these teams becomes a difference maker in your saves chase, so listen up!
Please, blog, may I have some more?It’s been a messy couple of weeks for relievers. Shoulders, elbows, backs, oh my. We’re getting daily news bombs that feel like a gut punch. Welcome to baseball season! My tiers are aptly themed friends of March Madness this week. A good portion of the third and fourth tier are close to moving up, I just need more concrete confirmation on their roles once the real bullets start flying…
Please, blog, may I have some more?Draft season is suddenly reaching its climax, not unlike the titular Rabbit does in women that aren’t his wife in Rabbit, Run. He’s not the rabbit we’re interested in, however. We’re after some free steals late in drafts because Steals Ain’t Got No Face. Let me type that again in all caps so you’ll know I’m shouting. STEALS AIN’T GOT NO FACE. Don’t overpay for Mallex Smith when you could get Dee Gordon much later. Either could be the leadoff hitter for Seattle. Chasing speed is a dangerous game. I prefer building it into my entire roster little by little but at some point, you need someone to lead the charge in the steals category. Consider these speedsters as speculative plays late in your drafts…
Please, blog, may I have some more?If you happen to play in an enlightened fantasy baseball league you may already be incorporating holds. These relievers all get a big bump if so. If you’re still using saves alone like a neanderthal these guys are still worth having on your radar for their given boosts. The parade of arm soreness has begun in earnest. Consider these names in a pinch if/when you lose a starter.
Please, blog, may I have some more?