SAGNOF: Final Spring Notes, 2026

What’s poppin’, Razzpimples?

Real-life baseball is almost here! Games will finally matter, and we’ll all have to start remembering to set lineups and fine tune our FAAB bids. May your trail ride true and smooth, pard.

All I’ve got for you chuckleheads this week are some notes as Spring Training rides itself into the sunset. Velocity concerns, health updates, role battles, etc. Next time I see y’all, I’ll be in weekly recap mode, where I show you the updated Player Raters and league leaders and what not, along with notes on things to pay attention to. If you’re new around here, this is about what you can expect. It’ll be a long and winding road as we meander through murky bullpen waters together. Hope you’ll stick around!

Don’t forget to keep that there Razzball Bullpen Chart bookmarked. It’s been updated with the latest, and I’m usually quick to get it touched up once any type of news drops. And if you’re not a subscriber, I do highly, highly, highly recommend it. If’n you’re of the mind to consider it, you can find all the info here. I’m partial to the Relievonator Game Log Tool. It shows the last two weeks of relief appearance game logs. Every single one. And the inning they were called in. It’s gold.

Welp. That’s enough of that. Let’s do it to it, pardner.

Carlos Estevez has everyone in a tizzy. Averaging something like 6 MPH below his normal. Doesn’t have a single strikeout in spring while walking 3 and also giving up 3 taters. I know how all that sounds, and I know you can’t help but raise both your eyebrows sky high. But let’s not forget two things: 1). this is pretty normal for him in spring, and 2). spring stuff just really doesn’t matter. Really, for a guy like Estevez, who has 99 SV over the last three seasons, his job is as safe as anyone’s. He basically said himself the other day that he just can’t pitch like himself when the games don’t matter. Chalked it up to adrenaline. He’ll ramp up and he’ll close out games for KC. Don’t worry about him until there’s a real reason to.

Josh Hader will start the year on the IL. Likely to miss a few weeks. Definitely still worth stashing if you have the IL space. In the interim, you want all the Bryan Abreu you can get. If you’re after SVHD, get you some Bryan King. Those two should lead the charge, and they’ll be good assets even after Hader’s return. Y’all know I love Abreu. Ride or die!

A.J. Puk is another closer worth stashing if’n you can afford it. Might be back by June, which leaves you with almost four months of potentially elite RP returns. Assuming, of course, he can pick up where he left off. For the time being, I guess you want Paul Sewald. Went to Driveline this offseason and has looked like his peak Mariners self so far in ST. And yeah, I always scream from the rooftops that ST doesn’t matter one way or the other, but you still gotta like to see a guy find his groove again. Sporting a 5:0 K:BB with 2 ER in 7 IP. Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson have combined for just 1 BB (Ginkel’s), but they’ve been getting smacked around otherwise.

The Cardinals situation isn’t much clearer, so navigate at your own risk. The easy answer is you want Matt Svanson in SVHD. For SV-only, he’s reportedly in the mix to see the ninth along with JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien. For ST so far, O’Brien has walked 5 and K’d 5, and Romero has K’d 7 and walked just two. Svanson has been real good and he’s just the way sexier option of the three anyway. We’ll just have to see what Oli Marmol decides to do. Do we get a rotating committee, or do we get someone who rises to the top and claims the role? I’d say grab Svanson now if you’re hurting for SV and hope for the best, or at least be ready to pounce the moment he looks settled in. I’ll also say I don’t expect Romero to be wearing a Cardinals hat all season long.

If you’re brave and want to try to peg an Athletics RP worth rostering, I’d reckon it boils down to either Hogan Harris or Justin Sterner. Harris has 11 punchouts in ST and his holding hitters to batting .172. Sterner has 9 K and is limiting batters to .182. If I were a bettin’ man, I’d go with Sterner as the A’s saves leader in 2026. Started 2025 strong, then started to struggle in late May and early June, earning a demotion. Missed almost all of June but came back in a big way starting July 1: posted a 2.39 ERA and 40:7 K:BB over his last 37.2 IP. I just don’t think Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow have a lot to offer at this point. They could feasibly see some save chances, I just don’t know that the rest of the quality is worth the hassle.

I’m still highest on Taylor Rogers if you’re after a Twins reliever. He’s got the most experience and he’s had success as a closer before. Liam Hendriks was released, so he’s no threat anymore. Not that he ever really was. Really do love that dude, but there’s absolutely no world in which he becomes fantasy relevant again. As long as Rogers is healthy, I think he easily leads this team in SV in 2026. Think Cole Sands can still do a little work in deep SVHD formats.

This only matters in SVHD formats, but since Joel Peguero is sidelined with a pretty bad hammy tear, you’ll want to be looking at Jose Butto and Erik Miller for holds in San Francisco. In his rookie year in 2024, Miller punched out 87 fools in just 67.1 IP. Injuries limited him to 30 IP last year, and the K stuff dipped heavily (22 K). Should he bounce back to that 2024 form, he might just be one of the bigger bargains among RP. Hasn’t pitched much this spring because of some back tightness, but that sounds like nothing at all. He’ll be ready to go for Opening Day. I realize I’ve ignored Butto so far in this blurb. I like him well enough, I just don’t think he has nearly the same upside. But the counting stats should be there as along as Peguero is out of the way.

It’s sounding like Trevor Megill is your primary closer in Milwaukee, which is frankly how it should be. Abner Uribe might see some chances if the leverage is right, and in SVHD leagues he’s of course a stud. Last year, Jared Koenig provided some really nice holds value; however, they’ve added Angel Zerpa, and he might factor into some high-leverage duties. Sure looked real good in the WBC (5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K). Flashed some brilliance when in KC, but also eventually got smacked around a good deal. If the Brewers do one thing right, it’s get the most out of bullpen arms.

Tyler Wells is a name to watch. Once upon a time, I was watching him as a potential SP stud. Didn’t quite pan out. Guy has combined for just 37 IP in 2024 and 2025. Now he’s in the Orioles bullpen, and in 7.2 spring innings he racked up 12 K to just one walk. I’ve tucked him into the back portion of setup duties on the bullpen chart (linked in intro paragraph) for now. Could see him outperforming Akin and Cano in a hurry. Don’t feel super confident in those other two guys at all. That strikeout uptick for Wells, along with his career 2.2 BB/9, does indeed intrigue me.

Last scenario I wanna touch on is Washington. I’ve been tootin’ the Clayton Beeter horn all preseason, and I reckon he ain’t given me any reason to stop. In fact, it’s the opposite. I’m gonna toot louder! And longer! In 6.1 spring innings, Beeter struck out 12 and walked three. Only allowed 3 H, too. No earned runs. It’s spring, so again, it doesn’t really matter that much. For a guy who walked over 17% of batters last year, though, I like that K:BB. Cole Henry has been much less impressive. This is gonna be Beeter’s job sooner rather than later methinks. If Kyle Finnegan can mean something in fantasy baseball while closing for the Nationals, sky’s the limit for a guy with Beeter’s stuff.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment below so I feel all warm and fuzzy.