Tis that season! Whether you are a football fan or not, and not that football fan… Though the crew over on that football site do an amazing fantasy job. So for the few of you that aren’t totally dizzy by my words of soccer, then let’s roll baseball into soccer and let the fantasy good times roll. So for the next month the world, not ‘Mericas, will be casting its gaze on the beautiful game. So while half the population is watching futbol, you can expand your bullpen horizons and deepen your reliever core. The trade winds for relievers are already blowing and with just over a month to go before the trade deadline, grabbing the relievers that are secondary or even tertiary now (ones that won’t kill your rates) are all the rage with millennials AND baby boomers. Situations to monitor and use to your advantage? The Padres, Royals, and Tigers. We all own the closer likes of Brad Hand, Kelvin Herrera, and Shane Greene. But what are the ownership rights to Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates, Kevin McCarthy, and Joe Jimenez? Way slimmer. And combined like Voltron, their ownership for all four of those secondary relievers is less than one closer. So basically free. The key to mid-season closer acquisitions is being first. Save that beloved FAAB kitty and be early rather than later. So if you are looking at your roster, it was rhetorical… I know you are, get rid of that sixth SP or that bench bat that does nothing and play the reliever wait game. Save now to help later. Cheers!
- Zach Britton returns to just the employed section. I wanna see how much he does in his limited time in Baltimore. He can be added to the lede topic if you want, but Brach is owned a ton so it swayed from the topic.
- Not only do the Yankees have studs in bullpen, but Dellin Betances has been great. Last 11 innings, 18 K’s, and 2 hits allowed with only 5 walks, which for him was a major reason for people abandoning ship.
- Much like Betances, the unsung or 3rd/4th guy in the Cubs bullpen has been just as great. Justin Wilson in his last 12 innings has 22 K’s. He gets overlooked because of Cishek and Strop ahead of him and the absence of Carl’s Jr. helps too.
- It is now Soria’s show with Jones hitting the DL, until he gets traded or falls in a Bruce Rondon-induced coma.
- Yes, Kirby Yates should be owned. Because Hand is used all over the place. Pun intended.
- I am not ready to give Blake Parker the reigns yet, with 4 saves and 2 blown saves in his last 8 appearances, Parker doesn’t exude confidence. Plus, they still are managed by that nut job.
- You should not be holding onto Addison Reed anymore, sorry but it’s true. Unless it’s a holds league.
- Sleeper reliever of the Week: John Brebbia, 7 innings pitched, 10K’s and no shine on him with Jordan Hicks hogging it all.
$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, Dellin Betances)
3. Kenley Jansen – (Josh Fields, Erik Goeddel)
4. Wade Davis – (Adam Ottavino, Jake McGee)
5. Edwin Diaz – (Alex Colome, James Pazos)
6. Sean Doolittle – (Ryan Madson, Justin Miller)
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.
7. Brandon Morrow – (Pedro Strop, Steve Cishek)
8. Corey Knebel – (Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress)
9. Brad Hand – (Craig Stammen, Tyler Yates)
10. Blake Treinen – (Yusmeiro Petit, Lou Trivino)
11. Kelvin Herrera – (Kevin McCarthy, Burch Smith)
12. Cody Allen – (Dan Otero, Neil Ramirez)
13. Brad Boxberger – (Archie Bradley, Yoshihisa Hirano)
14. Raisel Iglesias – (Jared Hughes, Amir Garrett)
15. Felipe Vazquez – (Edgar Santana, Kyle Crick)
16. Bud Norris – (Jordan Hicks, Brett Cecil)
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.
17. Hunter Strickland – (Tony Watson, Mark Melancon)
18. Keone Kela – (Jake Diekman, Cody Martin)
19. Shane Greene – (Joe Jimenez, Alex Wilson)
20. Arodys Vizcaino – (A.J. Minter, Dan Winkler)
21. Fernando Rodney – (Addison Reed, Zach Duke)
22. Zach Britton – (Brad Brach, Darren O’Day)
23. Kyle Barraclough – (Drew Steckenrider, Brad Ziegler)
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.
24. Ken Giles / Hector Rondon / Chris Devenski
25. Joakim Soria – (Jace Fry, Bruce Rondon)
26. Seranthony Dominguez /Luis Garcia / Tommy Hunter
27. Blake Parker / Jim Johnson / Justin Anderson
28. Ryan Tepera / Seung-hwan Oh / Tyler Clippard
29. Anthony Swarzak / Robert Gsellman / Paul Sewald
30. Sergio Romo / Jose Alvarado / Chaz Roe
