It’s the last post before the all-star break and nothing seems more fitting than a Neal Diamond reference. If you don’t like or appreciate Neal, then we have problems and I challenge you to a duel or whatever the young kids are doing now a days to show dominance. (Because I know it’s not anything like what transpired in West Side Story.) Moving on swiftly to the pressing closer news as I get lost in my ole timey spirit… So the Cardinals have moved away from the Oh and more to the Rosenthal. Trevor Rosenthal has sorta looked like he did three years ago, which seems like forever ago but really isn’t. The bad thing is that he and the rest of the save chasers that are in the Cardinals bullpen are pitching blah-squared. The best pitcher over the last 20 games is Matt Bowman… again. I said that same statement about a month into the season when Oh originally looked about as shaky as an 11-year-old with his first attempt at using a blow torch. Over the past 30 games the saves have gone Oh for 3, Rosenthal 1, Bowman 1 and Tyler Lyons with 1 (was a multiple innings save). Over the past 30 games for a usual dominant bullpen fixture, in terms of fantasy, to post 5 saves (I am not counting Lyons effort) is more condemning than the way they are pitching. If you are a Seung-Hwan Oh owner, you kinda have to hold the ship until it becomes more of an official thing. If Rosey is on your wire (55% owned in ESPN leagues) then nab him up. If you want to roster a RP with appeal, then Bowman is your guy (1.8% owned). As I can see it, Oh is still the guy but with some daylight for others. Just be leery that the past 30 days of track record for savedom have not been all that rosey for the Cards. Don’t frown, we got more goodies and sunshine after the bump. Cheers!
- The Rangers pen is i the toilet right now. Leclerc is the Le-pickup. Alex Claudio is in the co-pilot’s seat and Matt Bush is asking Clarence for clearance. Committee’s are never fun unless you add an Airplane, Keone Kela may be fresh in the Abdul-Jabbar role when he proves that he is healthy after the break.
- Hey Bud, you’re getting saves again. Screw Street and Cam. Norris could finish in the top 12 in saves if/when he finished the year in the role.
- I have moved Maurer and Knebel up a few ticks…..as well as quiver….Fernando Rodney. Second most saves in NL and although his ERA is an inflated 4.45, he has only allowed runs once in his last 21 appearances.
- Sam Dyson went from a DFA’d disaster in Texas, which seems to be a thing right now, to the closer with intrigue with Melancon on the mend. They aren’t going to rush Melancon back one bit so as long as success is going on ride the Chicken man.
- Just what the Indians needed another power reliever with a abnormal K/9 rate. Nick Goody has the second best rate of relievers in the last 15 days. Over that time 12 K’s in 5 innings. Yummy.
- I was going to demote Kenley Jansen from the top spot after walking 2 batters this week. His first two of the year. The downfall is coming.
- Zach Britton is back, got cozy with a warm up job the other day and should coast back into the role. Brach is not a drop. i repeat do not drop Brach. Britton is supposedly on a no back to back thing for a few appearances, even then Brach isn’t the worst ownable RP out there.
$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. Kenley Jansen – (Pedro Baez, Brendan Morrow)
2. Craig Kimbrel – (Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly)
3. Aroldis Chapman– (Dellin Betances, Tyler Clippard)
4. Wade Davis – (Koji Uehara, Carl Edwards Jr.)
5. Greg Holland – (Jake McGee, Adam Ottavino)
6. Andrew Miller – (Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw)
7. Roberto Osuna – (Ryan Tepera, Danny Barnes)
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.
8. Ken Giles – (Will Harris, Chris Devenski)
9. Alex Colome – (Brad Boxberger, Tommy Hunter)
10. Corey Knebel – (Jacob Barnes, Carlos Torres)
11. Kelvin Herrera – (Joakim Soria, Mike Minor)
12. Raisel Iglesias – (Tony Cingrani, Michael Lorenzen)
13. David Robertson – (Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Swarzak)
14. A.J. Ramos– (David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough)
15. Brandon Kintzler – (Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey)
16. Jim Johnson – (Arodys Vizcaino, Jose Ramirez)
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. Zach Britton – (Brad Brach, Mychal Givens)
18. Fernando Rodney – (Archie Bradley, Jorge de la Rosa)
19. Seung-Hwan Oh – (Trevor Rosenthal, Matthew Bowman
20. Addison Reed – (Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas)
21. Brandon Maurer – (Phil Maton, Brad Hand, Ryan Buchter)
22. Felipe Rivero – (Juan Nicasio, Tony Watson)
23. Edwin Diaz – (Nick Vincent, Steve Cishek)
24. Bud Norris – (David Hernandez, Cam Bedrosian)
25. Justin Wilson – (Bruce Rondon, Alex Wilson)
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.
26. Sam Dyson – (Hunter Strickland, George Kontos)
27. Matt Albers – (Enny Romero, Jacob Turner)
28. Santiago Casilla – (Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson)
29. Jose Leclerc / Alex Claudio / Matt Bush
30. Hector Neris / Pat Neshek / Luis Garcia
