We break from the usual 12 dollar salads, donkeys, and hypothermia to breakdown, in basic fashion, the relief rankings for the final 70-plus games. Why is this helpful you may ask? Because for trade target reasons or chasing saves for points, you may want guy A over guy B. With the relief ranks it is as fluid as a clogged sewer drain, because on any given week, the middling type closer can hit bumps in the road and be removed from contention. So if you are using this as a trade commodity in your quest to add saves, my advice is this add the elite only. Nothing lower than the top-12. These guys are all nailed on and in an impressive state, barring an injury obviously. Now with that, we also have to realize that trades will happen… and take one reliever from a good situation to a better one, then on the reflexive of that, it can turn one with a job into a set-up situation. Regardless, here is my stab at the top relief pitchers for the second half of the Fantasy Baseball season. Cheers!
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| Rk | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kenley Jansen |
| 2 | Craig Kimbrel |
| 3 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 4 | Ken Giles |
| 5 | Roberto Osuna |
| 6 | Wade Davis |
| 7 | Alex Colome |
| 8 | Corey Knebel |
| 9 | Zach Britton |
| 10 | Andrew Miller |
| 11 | Greg Holland |
| 12 | David Robertson |
| 13 | Brandon Kintzler |
| 14 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 15 | Seung-Hwan Oh |
| 16 | Edwin Diaz |
| 17 | Cody Allen |
| 18 | Fernando Rodney |
| 19 | Kelvin Herrera |
| 20 | Felipe Rivero |
| 21 | Tommy Kahnle |
| 22 | Bud Norris |
| 23 | Mark Melancon |
| 24 | Jim Johnson |
| 25 | A.J. Ramos |
| 26 | Brandon Maurer |
| 27 | Santiago Casilla |
| 28 | Trevor Rosenthal |
| 29 | Keone Kela |
| 30 | Dellin Betances |
| 31 | Justin Wilson |
| 32 | Addison Reed |
| 33 | Bruce Rondon |
| 34 | Joakim Soria |
| 35 | Kyle Barraclough |
| 36 | Jose Leclerc |
| 37 | Sam Dyson |
| 38 | Matt Albers |
| 39 | Hector Neris |
| 40 | Brad Brach |
| 41 | Jeurys Familia |
| 42 | Arodys Vizcaino |
| 43 | Sean Doolittle |
| 44 | Cam Bedrosian |
| 45 | Matt Bush |
| 46 | Luis Garcia |
| 47 | Phil Maton |
| 48 | Jose Ramirez |
| 49 | Will Harris |
| 50 | Juan Nicasio |
- There aren’t many contending teams looking for an immediate closer, and the only one that comes to jump up the list is David Robertson or Kelvin Herrera. The Nationals seem to be the only team that has an immediate “Okay, you are our closer situation”.
- Which makes Tommy Kahnle the cuff with flair for right now in Chicago.
- Which gives Joakim Soria some intrigue as well.
- Teams that could trade their closer to contenders that could become set-up men are: A.J. Ramos, Jim Johnson, and Justin Wilson. Making all their second fiddles in play, Kyle Barraclough (because I think Phelps gets traded even before Ramos), Arodys Vizcaino, and Bruce Rondon are the buy candidates there.
- You then get to guys that didn’t make my list because they will be late season call-ups for teams that are seeing what they have out of their youth. Guys like Jimmy Herget, Zack Burdi, Ricardo Rodriguez and John Curtiss are ones that jump out.
I just moved David Price and David Peralta for Jansen. I’m chasing saves, and could use a solid reliever to chip away at my whip and era. Peralta was my drop with Trout returning, so I feel pretty good about it.
@Alex:Great move. Jansen is more valuable than Price, and as long as you don’t have a massive gap in the OF, Peralta is expendable.
@Alex: good deal
Will Zach Britton actually be closing this week or should I bench him?? weekly League not daily…
@Adam Bell: he should be back in the saddle but am worried about back to backs. Bench
Is Edwin Diaz going to figure it out over the 2nd half or lose his job? He’s my only closer in my 12 team points league, but has not produced thus far. I feel like i’m getting more production out of my bench guys, at this point.
Thanks Smoke
@My Seven Rizzos: I think he will be slightly better then what we have seen to date. So there’s optimism.
@Smokey: Thanks, Smokey! Decided to keep Diaz and trade Thames for Duvall instead. Hope thats an upgrade!
@My Seven Rizzos: ?
Does Brad Brach need to be held on to until after the trade deadline with the Zach Birtton trade rumors?
@E: yes most def. not even for trade sake back to back save chances Buck will be leery of Britton for a few.
10 team H2H, Who would you drop: Conforto, Thames, Trumbo, Marte?
Thanks Grey!
In a H2H saves/holds league, how valuable are Ramos and Johnson as set up guys if traded? I have both and am trying to figure out what to do with my RP staff currently.
@Ryan: depends on where the land. I would say that they are in the top 20 of holds guys stat wise from when they get traded to end of season
I need to speculate on a closer and was thinking of grabbing Kahnle. I would need to drop J. Montgomery or Wacha.
Which pitcher would you drop and is Kahnel a better grab than say Kela, Neris or Vizcaino?
Thank you
@lwomack58:
Also could pickup Rosenthal as last night might be the final straw for Oh.
@lwomack58: drop those two and add Rosey and tommy the K
@lwomack58: Neris or Viz can go. Both on really bad save garnering teams. Def grab Kahnle but gently he’s a cuddler from what I hear
@Smokey:
Which of the two you be picked up first-Rosey or Tommy K?
@lwomack58: Rosey. Oh is too up and down to trust and will at least give you something immediate. Kahnle needs a trade to be. The dude
@Smokey:
I was holding out for Wacha’s next start-So drop Mont. first? or is Mont a better hold than Wacha?
Thanks for your quick response
@lwomack58: comparable but matchup type guys.
14-team 5×5 roto (ERA, WHIP, K, QS and the last category combines Saves and Holds)
I need Saves or holds.
My two RPs right now are Betances and Devenski.
A guy is shopping these four guys “looking for a front line starter for one or two of them. ” which I don’t think he’s going to get unless his definition of “front line” is different than mine.
Offered:
Zach Britton RP | BAL
Santiago Casilla RP | OAK
Corey Knebel RP | MIL
Roberto Osuna RP | TOR
My rotation is Kershaw, Scherzer, Bauer, Duffy, Maeda, Tanaka, Pivetta/Musgrove and others depending on SoN.
I was thinking offering Duffy for two….good? If so, which two?
@dfrench23: knebel and Osuna would be my targets. Britton may or may not be traded and has injury risks. Casilla is just blah.
@Smokey: Thanks! Got Britton, Knebel and Osuna for Duffy, Betances and Devenski
@dfrench23: nice
Why so low on Rivero? Are you worried he won’t keep the role? Maybe I’m missing something, but if he closes the rest of the way I don’t see how his ratios and K% don’t make him too 10.
*top 10
@BW: trade is possible and he is pitching a ton. So while he has the stellar stuff and numbers just worry it all catching up to him and the Pirates punting sp may hurt also
FYI Burdi is going to have TJ surgery.
Also in DET, why Rondon over A.Wilson?
Thanks!
@The JoGarza: He mentioned in the story (at the end) that he thinks Wilson will be moved and be somebody’s Setup Man. He likes Rondon to close after he’s moved.
@The JoGarza: yea I saw the Burdi news after I wrote this. I think Alex Wilson if Detroit goes full punt could be dealt. Rondon seems like the rebuild closer of the hour.
Was offered Price for Giles… would you take it or hold out for more/offer less?
Their SP is Strasburg, Grienke, Price, Cueto, Berrios, Nova, Leake.
My current SP is Yu, Lester, Duffy, Peacock, Sanchez and J. Montgomery. Current RP is Giles, Rivero, Iglesias, Betances, Bradley.
Also, I have a possible deal with another team to get Osuna for Justin Turner, so I can recoup some loss of RP from this deal
@Hanklongball: I’m not a Price fan and would rather have Giles and Turner as compared to Price and Osuna.
I have a bit of a hard time with the Rivero ranking. He is the 29th ranked player in the entire MLB this season, and the 3rd rank closer. In the land of job insecurity, I would venture he has a pretty firm grip on his. He is throwing the ball nearly as hard as Chapman, and is sporting a sparkling .76era, .72 whip. The underlying metrics are not quite as kind, but a 2.3 fip is respectable and better than nearly everyone ahead of him, having him 6th overall. I think he should be in the top 10.
@Carter: I explained it above in comments. Trade possibility and punting by Pieates may hsppen
Would you drop Dyson for Kahnle before it is too late?
@Greg: id want saves now
WHO Would be better to trade for in an NL ONLY dynasty League ?
Calhoun(LAD) Renfroe and I Happ (chi)
or
Acuna H Greene J Gray
I want to win in ’18 so the first I think would be obvious
HOWEVER
for the year ’19 and beyond would the first choice still be the one to get or the second?
@luvdarooks: 18 a. For longer term b.
Who do you think will have more Saves/Holds in the second half: Neshek or Hand?
@Jump on it!: both should be on contenders I’ll say neshek gets one more then Hand.
Isn’t zack burdi down with Timmy John?
@Apox: yup. Wrote before it was confirmed.
Who takes over in Washington? Doolittle or Madson?
@Braden D Christensen: Madson I think has more experience and that’s what they are looking for. I think this trade takes them out of A big name closer also. And Glover will be back eventually
Rosey or Madson?
Still confident Robertson gets dealt? Looking for saves in a league with category for holds and one for saves. Vizcaino or kahnle
Does Andrew Miller at 10 suggest he gets the bulk of the saves ROS over Allen? He is available because my league is saves driven. He has awesome stats but not many saves
@Matthew Macdonald: he means it that way