So this year, like so many before, the closer trade market is always an interesting cocktail mixer of events that shake things up. The Padres waited to be first, which makes zero sense… but also makes total sense. A conundrum wrapped in bacon as they traded Fernando Rodney to the ever more deadly bullpen in Miami. He will not be closing there, but will basically make that bullpen just deeper and taking value away from great holds guys on the year in David Phelps and Kyle Barraclough. Rodney brings his glistening 1 earned run on the year, to a situation behind the Marlins closer A.J. Ramos, who hasn’t blown a save to date. So now the ramifications don’t just stay with the Marlins, their bullpen is solid. The Padres, however, are like the movie Thinner, a cursed bunch of unprovens, which is sometimes good and bad. Ryan Buchter is the first guy up, as he has carved out a decent set-up niche there. After that, it is a bunch of Quacks, Villas, and BM’s. Buchter has the K-rate, just not the pedigree… yet, to be a closer. He has the job as they say in fantasy, which is better than being fantasy homeless or unemployed. So Buchter is the add. Maurer and Quackenbush are on ready five. Here what else is happening in the game of final bosses. Have a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend!
- The Rays are on closer number three, as Alex Colome hits the DL. Xavier Cedeno is the best guy there to be thrust into the situation. Sneaky pick for me to get a few saves, if you missed the boat, is Matt Andriese. P.S. I love you, but he has starter eligibility in most leagues.
- Brad Ziegler with two blown saves in the last fortnight makes the Daniel Hudson-watch viable again.
- With Addison Reed’s workload, anyone looking for a nice K-rated reliever, look at Hansel Robles.
- Darren O’Day is not coming back anytime after another set back to his hammy. Brach and Guvens are the goods on the winning team in baseball since 2012.
Closer d’Etat (Top set-up guys next up for saves)
A new feature that I have been looking to add is the top set-up guys who are either pitching well or are right behind the closer. Getting the off day save for a shaky closer or someone who can jump in for a downed king of saves. Never hurts to bag an extra reliever for your bench at best they either don’t play, you bench them or the do well. No one ever does bad for someone we all roster…
$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. Zach Britton – (Mychal Givens, Brad Brach)
2. Kenley Jansen – (Pedro Baez, Joe Blanton)
3. Wade Davis – (Kelvin Herrera, Joakim Soria)
4. Aroldis Chapman – (Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances)
5. Jeurys Familia – (Addison Reed, Hansel Robles)
6. Craig Kimbrel – (Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa)
7. David Robertson – (Nate Jones, Matt Albers)
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. Hector Rondon – (Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm)
9. Mark Melancon – (Tony Watson, Neftali Feliz)
10. A.J. Ramos – (Fernando Rodney, David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough)
11. Cody Allen – (Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister)
12. Francisco Rodriguez – (Justin Wilson, Shane Greene)
13. Ryan Madson – (John Axford, Ryan Dull)
14. Roberto Osuna – (Jason Grilli, Drew Storen)
15. Santiago Casilla – (Cody Gearrin, Hunter Strickland)
16. Will Harris – (Ken Giles, Pat Neshek, Luke Gregerson)
17. Sam Dyson– (Jake Diekman, Matt Bush)
18. Jeremy Jeffress – (Will Smith, Tyler Thornburg)
19. Huston Street – (Mike Morin, Fernando Salas)
20. Jeanmar Gomez – (Hector Neris, David Hernandez)
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.
21. Steve Cishek – (Joaquin Benoit, Joel Peralta, Nick Vincent)
22. Brad Ziegler – (Daniel Hudson, Tyler Clippard)
23. Carlos Estevez – (Boone Logan, Jason Motte)
24. Seung-hwan Oh – (Kevin Siegrist, Jonathan Broxton)
25. Arodys Vizcaino – (Jim Johnson, Hunter Cervenka, Mauricio Cabrera)
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. Ryan Buchter – (Brandon Maurer, Kevin Quackenbush)
27. Xavier Cedeno – (Enny Romero, Matt Andriese)
28. Shawn Kelley – (Felipe Rivero, Yusmeiro Petit)
29. Brandon Kintzler, Fernando Abad, Ryan Pressley
30. Tony Cingrani – (Ross Ohlendorf, Blake Wood)
