Count me among those who think we should put the save out to pasture. If you’re interested in holds, you clearly play in a superior league. There’s such a minimal difference between a save and a hold, that they should be treated equally for fantasy purposes in my book. Pat yourself on the fantasy back for being an elevated fake sports mind. We’re looking for reliable roles in high leverage situations. Plus strikeout rates and friendly ratios help, too. Below is a table that includes those opportunities. A few of the more notable middle relievers below, as well.
- Jace Fry, CWS: There’s a lot to like with Fry, and not just because we get to dust off our favorite Max Fried puns. A 17.74(!) K/9 the last 30 days, for one. Also, a 1.54 ERA in that same span. You want advanced metrics? Does a 30-day FIP of -0.1 move your needle? That dash in front of the number equates a negative value if you were unsure. He might already be gone if your league is paying attention.
- Taylor Rogers, MIN: Rogers, who’s a firsty-firsty, girly-manly plural, is pushing Trevor Hildenberg for late-inning work in Minnesota. It’s unlikely that he steals the job outright since he’s a lefty. It’s an excellent opportunity for your S+H leagues, though.
- Trevor May, MIN: It’s possible all of this Twins bullpen goodness was a product of their two-week hot streak that got upended by Oakland recently. Plenty of those same weak division foes dot their schedule rest of the way, however. May has returned from arm surgery with great velocity, especially on his slider. A healthy 12.46 K/9 the last 30 is evidence of that.
- Jose Alvarado, TAM: One-third of the Rays high leverage trio. He’s the lefty of the group. You’ll get good strikeout totals in the deal, too.
- Jesse Biddle, ATL: Another left-handed reliever for you. Biddle pairs a mid 90’s fastball with a nasty curve. He’s a bit more interesting in a dynasty setting, but a useful arm in deep leagues.
- Tommy Hunter, PHI: In a bullpen that has confounded fantasy owners all season, he’s is the next to enter the, “Is he a Kapler guy?” conversation. Hunter earned a hold and a save on consecutive days this week. His season stats are fairly ordinary, but the last 30 split looks better. Not my preferred target, but you may need to consider him in a deeper league.
| Name | Team | SV | HLD | BS | SO | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Rogers | Twins | 2 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 10.54 |
| Steve Cishek | Cubs | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 11.37 |
| Dakota Hudson | Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 3.55 |
| Brad Brach | Braves | 0 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 10.8 |
| Jose Alvarado | Rays | 2 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 12.15 |
| Alex Colome | Mariners | 0 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 8.74 |
| Jordan Hicks | Cardinals | 3 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 8.74 |
| Justin Miller | Nationals | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 6.75 |
| Adam Ottavino | Rockies | 1 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 12.08 |
| Brad Hand | Indians | 4 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 12.34 |
| Carl Edwards Jr. | Cubs | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5.56 |
| Ryan Pressly | Astros | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 12.19 |
| Yoshihisa Hirano | Diamondbacks | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4.15 |
| Cory Gearrin | Rangers | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 8.74 |
| Jesse Biddle | Braves | 1 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 11.77 |
| Craig Stammen | Padres | 0 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 8.56 |
| Ryan Tepera | Blue Jays | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 5.93 |
| Chaz Roe | Rays | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 12.79 |
| Tony Watson | Giants | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 8.38 |
| Joe Jimenez | Tigers | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 10.13 |
| Edgar Santana | Pirates | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 5.27 |
| Dan Winkler | Braves | 1 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 10.8 |
| Jace Fry | White Sox | 3 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 17.74 |
| Seung Hwan Oh | Rockies | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 9.58 |
| Trevor May | Twins | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 12.46 |
