Bullpen Report: Kirby Your Enthusiasm

You know what is fun this time of year?  The bullpen shuffle.  Whomever is closest to the computer or phone wins the waiver game in most cases.  Well… that’s now the case with the Padres with the trade of Brad Hand to the Indians.  The waiver wire is set ablaze for one Kirby Yates, but is he the guy forever, or the guy for now?  I am leaning that the trade door in San Diego is gonna revolve one more time and see Yates come out the other side a bullpen piece rather than a closing man.  Hand’s still a valuable commodity, granted he won’t be a full-time closer with the Tribe, but his peripherals and Cody Allen‘s shakiness as of late… will lead to a “sometimes” situation.  Hand is a hold in all leagues because he should get a shot for every third save or so with his new club.  Add in the K-rate over 13 and he has intrigue that only a dozen or so non-closers have. Back to Yates though, since this is the afternoon post and Grey has gone over it this morning and most likely will after this in his buy post, but Yates has value for now.  In fact, he’s had value for most of the year in holds leagues, with a 11+ K/9 and a ton of success in the setup game in the reliever farm known as the Whale’s Vagina. So why am I so hesitant to give him the go?  He is a journeyman reliever whose value is never going to be higher than right now, or in eight days with some saves to his name.  So if you swung and missed at the waiver wire add for saves with Yates, grab Craig Stammen for free and just wait.  Waiting is always a good thing, especially with a maybe-closer in the making, albeit one with not much quantity potential.  More bullpen goodies and post all star tidbits after the bump.  Cheers!

• Archie Bradley still leads the holds way with 26 and is on pace for 47.  Which would be the most well-off all time since the stat was incorporated into fake baseball.  The previous high was 41 by Tony Watson and Joel Peralta.  Bradley is also on pace for 80 appearances and over 90 innings, all good things for this year, bad for next.
• Fire Carl Edwards Jr. back up in most leagues.
• As I said of above with the Padres, about being a farm for quality relievers, the Pirates have to be in the top 2-3 teams for sneaky goodies.  Kyle Crick enters the Spanish pirate trio of usefulness.  14 straight scoreless apps, 10+ K rate and 5 holds in the last 17 games.
• Adding on to the lede, Oliver Perez losses value, especially when Andrew Miller eventually makes his way back.  Neil Ramirez not so much and if you need someone to sleep on from that pen it would be him.
• Can Juan Minaya be putting himself into the White sox closer picture for the future with a nice 14 game stretch?  Three holds, 1.50 ERA and doing better with control this time around.
• Is any bullpen more frustrating than the Phillies?  Now add Pat Neshek into the mix of possible… whatever the “all” are.  Collectiveness?
• Sleeper reliever of the Week:  Jesse Biddle, gets caught up with the high quality arms of Wink and Mint.