The trading deadline is days away and the roles they are a changing. In comes one out goes the other. Closers losing value left and right while the waiver wire warriors of the world are circling like buzzards for the SAGNOF scrap heaps. The latest in the foray of closers to go is Joakim Soria, now a Brewer. The White Sox closer role is likely to go to Jace Fry or Juan Minaya. Not an awesome situation or a good predicament to be in, but a closer is a closer. The SAGNOF model should be: “Leave no good save behind”. Similarly, the Orioles traded Zach Britton to the Evil Empire, Brad Brach assumes the role there for the time being or until he gets traded for assets that the Orioles can ruin. The trade winds and finalized deals don’t help the set-up man either, as key components to the back-end game have been replaced by acquired talent. This is life for the ever building bullpen foundation of playoff contending teams. Build from the back, because the girth of talent that exists in the starters just isn’t there. So if you are currently zonked from losing a closer that no longer has a professional job of closing, it is time to speculate where speculating looks speculative. Look at guys on the secondary for teams that are rumored to be wheelin’ and dealin’. The Rangers, Nationals, Twins, Rays, Tigers, and to a lesser degree maybe the Cardinals… Be ahead of the curve instead of being caught looking at Uncle Charlie. Closer news is fluid this time of year, and by the time this gets posted there could be 2-3 more trades that make me look even dumber than I already do. More after the jump, with success stories and diminishing returns. Cheers!
- No Morrow in sight for a fast return for saves in Chicago, and no worries, Pedro Strop has it sorta on lock for the days he gets the call.
- The Mets pen is a disaster, much like the front office decision making ability. Both Swarzak and Gsellmen are ownable and could get the key outs, whether they are in the 7th, 8th or 9th.
- There are no safe Brain Freezes. Everyone looks like a possible trade candidate.
- Before Boxberger blew up against the Cubs yesterday, he had a 20-plus K/9 rate. Barring a trade, he should be the dude to saddle up and ride.
- The entire rockies bullpen is not a place to stream, Wade Davis has a 7-plus ERA since the All Star break and the others are way worse. Davis is still 28-32 in save chances, and that is all that matters.
- Sleepy reliever of the week; A retread in the Twins’ Ryan Pressly. If a trade happens, he may get a look but over last 30 days he has a 1.50 ERA and a K-rate above 12.
$12 Salads
You know that restaurant your girlfriend/wife/what-have-you likes to go to that charges, like, $12 for a salad? Every time you go there, you have a thoroughly solid meal. No complaints, except you just paid $12 for a salad when you could’ve went to McDonald’s and stuffed you and your woman for ten schmools and had $2 in quarters left over to make the hotel bed vibrate. These closers are $12 salads.
1. Craig Kimbrel – (Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes)
2. Aroldis Chapman – (David Robertson, Zach Britton)
3. Kenley Jansen – (Scott Alexander, Erik Goeddel)
4. Edwin Diaz – (Alex Colome, James Pazos)
Donkeycorns
Imagine you’re following a donkey, who’s wearing a wool cap, through a desert for 1700 miles. Why are you following a donkey? Because he promises you something wonderful and you just need to trust him. Does the donkey talk? Yes. Yes, he does talk. So when you and the donkey in the wool cap arrive at his destination, he removes the wool cap to reveal a horn. The donkey is a unicorn and his gift to you for your trust is saves. These closers are Donkeycorns.
5. Corey Knebel – (Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress)
6. Blake Treinen – (Jeurys Familia, Lou Trivino)
7. Raisel Iglesias – (Jared Hughes, Amir Garrett)
8. Cody Allen – (Brad Hand, Neil Ramirez)
9. Felipe Vazquez – (Edgar Santana, Kyle Crick)
10. Wade Davis – (Adam Ottavino, Seung-hwan Oh)
11. Bud Norris – (Jordan Hicks, Sam Tuivailala)
12. Brad Boxberger – (Archie Bradley, Yoshihisa Hirano)
Employed
These guys are the men that make the save market go round. They punch in, punch out. Have the job, no real threat to speak of, and are basically just there to collect great benny’s so they can take care of their crippled brother. Who is only really crippled because he is scared of the sun.
13. Keone Kela – (Jake Diekman, Jose Leclerc)
14. Hector Rondon – (Chris Devenski, Colin McHugh)
15. Shane Greene – (Joe Jimenez, Alex Wilson)
16. Fernando Rodney – (Trevor Hildenberger, Ryan Pressly)
17. Kyle Barraclough – (Drew Steckenrider, Brad Ziegler)
18. Kelvin Herrera – (Ryan Madson, Shawn Kelley)
19. Blake Parker (Justin Anderson, Cam Bedrosian)
20. Sergio Romo – (Diego Casilla, Jose Alvarado)
21. Kirby Yates – (Craig Stammen, Phil Maton)
Brain Freezes
I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples, bananas and Carlos Marmol– Wait, he just gave up 12 earned runs and hit Castro in the head with a pick-off throw. Brain freeze! Make it stop! Use the following closers at your own risk.
22. Seranthony Dominguez / Pat Neshek / Victor Arano
23. Will Smith / Tony Watson / Mark Melancon
24.Brad Brach – (Mychal Givens, Tanner Scott)
25. Dan Winkler / A.J Minter / Shane Carle
26. Ryan Tepera / Tyler Clippard
27. Pedro Strop / Steve Cishek / Carl Edwards Jr.
28. Anthony Swarzak / Robert Gsellman
29. Jace Fry / Juan Minaya / Xavier Cedeno
30. Wily Peralta / Kevin McCarthy / Brandon Maurer
