Closers in flux

Matt Bush took over the Rangers closer role from Sam Dyson earlier this week. Bush has good stuff and could prove to be a solid fantasy asset, with eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The issue is that he will have a short leash as the closer and any early struggles could get him bumped from the role. Also given his recent shoulder issues he is unlikely to be overly used which could open the door for Jeremy Jeffress to steal some save opportunities from Bush. The young Keone Kela could also work his way into the mix.

Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover will form a closer-by-committee after manager Dusty Baker decided Blake Treinen was not getting the job done. Closer-by-committee is the opposite of what any fantasy owner wants to hear. Neither Kelley nor Glover is off to great starts this season, but Kelley would likely be the safer bet for more saves. It is not the ideal situation for fantasy owners, but with Kelly’s strikeout upside if he can nail down a few saves and grab a firm grip on the role, he could be a decent own. That being said; a few bad outings for either of these guys, and the closing carousel could get even crazier in Washington.

Brandon Maurer pitched just two times this week and only one went well. He was brought into the game with the score tied at 4-4 against the Braves; he gave up a walk and three hits, with one being the walk-off variety to Dansby Swanson. His ERA now sits at 4.76 and he has just two saves on the season. Maurer is losing the grip on the title of closer and will need to turn it around quickly to not be bumped from the role. Ryan Buchter is next in line for save opportunities. Carter Capps (elbow) is also someone to keep an eye on as he is nearing his return to the Padres.

Blown Saves

*Top 10

PlayerBS YTD PlayerBS last 7 days
Sam Dyson3 Roberto Osuna1
Francisco Rodriguez2 Neftali Feliz1
Roberto Osuna1 Joaquin Benoit1
Neftali Feliz1 Sean Doolittle1
Joaquin Benoit1 Sam Dyson1
Jim Johnson1 Francisco Rodriguez1
Mark Melancon1   
Kelvin Herrera1   
Seung-Hwan Oh1   
5 more tied with1   

Who’s Hot?

Craig Kimbrel (97% owned) had a stellar week in Beantown, arguably the strongest we have seen this year so far from a closer. He converted all four of his save opportunities and had seven strikeouts in 4 innings.  He only allowed one runner to reach base against him (Adam Frazier single) and gave up zero runs. Kimbrel appears to have returned to his former superior self after a disappointing 2016 season (at least for his standards) He is a top-three closer. YTD Stats: 7 innings, 6 saves, 12 Ks, 1.29 ERA.

Aroldis Chapman (99% owned) helped out his fantasy owners this week converting all three of his save chances. Chapman is the best in baseball at finishing out games, and will likely have a lot of strong weeks this season. He picked up three strikeouts and did not allow a run over 2.2 innings. Both the Yankees and fantasy owners will always be confident when Chapman enters the game. YTD stats: 5.1 innings, 4 saves, 8 Ks, 0.00 ERA.

David Robertson (92% owned) also converted all three of his save opportunities this week. He continued to strikeout batters at an elite rate, punching out five in his 2.2 innings. He gave no runs and only let two runners reach base against him. Robertson has been the subject of trade rumors and will likely be traded at some point this season, making him a good candidate to sell high on. While it is not guaranteed that a trade would hurt his value, there is a chance that it could. YTD stats: 5.2 innings, 4 saves, 11 Ks, 0.00 ERA.

Who’s Cold?

Roberto Osuna (95% owned) pitched just two times this week, converting just one of two save opportunities, getting his first blown save of 2017. He only gave up one run this week, but making just two appearances makes it worse. He did very little for his fantasy owners, and overall is off to a slow start this season. The Blue Jays have been terrible to this point in the season. They will improve as a team as the season goes, which will also help Osuna get going. He has great job security after a strong 2016 campaign. He is a solid buy-low candidate. YTD stats: 3 innings, 1 save, 3 Ks, 3.00 ERA.

Joaquin Benoit (47% owned) was not the Phillies closer to start the season and it will be interesting what kind of leash he has if he struggles. Benoit had a rough week converting just one of his two save opportunities and striking out zero in his 2.2 innings of work. On Sunday the Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the ninth and handed the ball over to Benoit to lockdown the win. The game ended when Bryce Harper tagged Benoit for a three-run walk-off homer. Benoit is a bottom-tier closer, and has set-up man Hector Neris ready to take over the role. YTD stats: 6.2 innings, 1 save, 6 Ks, 4.05 ERA.

Middle Relievers of note

Trevor Rosenthal (27% owned) is being grabbed in many leagues after picking up the save yesterday in a 2-1 victory over the Pirates. Seung-Hwan Oh was given the day off after pitching back-to-back games and is still the teams closer. That being said, Rosenthal has looked great so far this year, hitting 101 mph on the gun yesterday. Rosenthal was an elite closer from 2014-2015 and is worth a stash given the struggles of Oh to start the season. YTD stats: 3.1 innings, 2 holds, 7 Ks, 2.70 ERA.

Felipe Rivero (10% owned) is off to a strong start this season. His save upside is very little, barring injury to Tony Watson, but he has shown to be worth an own in holds leagues. Rivero has an explosive fastball usually sitting around 96 which he pairs with a diving changeup allowing him to be very effective against right-handed hitters. This allows him to pitch in all situations unlike a lot of lefties out of the bullpen who are just specialists. YTD stats: 9 innings, 5 holds, 9 Ks, 1.00 ERA.

C.J. Edwards (7% owned) is part of a set-up by committee Cubs bullpen making him hard to count on for consistent holds. He made himself known to many when he came in to pitch the 10th inning in game 7 of the World Series last year. Edwards is a good young pitcher and over time will likely become a strong closer. He is more of someone to just keep an eye on, but he does offer a high strikeout rate. YTD stats: 5.2 innings, 2 holds, 4 Ks, 0.00 ERA.

Corey Knebel (6% owned) wasn’t good in 2016, but is off to a hot start this year. He would be next in line to get saves if Neftali Feliz struggles. Feliz was off to a great start prior to a blowup yesterday when he gave up four runs, blew the save, and took the loss. Knebel has a solid strikeout rate and could eventually become the Brewers closer, making him worth a stash. He is a must-own in holds leagues. YTD stats: 8.1 innings, 5 holds, 12 Ks, 1.08 ERA.

The full 2016 breakdown for these 4 guys can be found in the chart below.

 TEAMGWSVHOLDSIPHERHRBBSOERAWHIPBAAK/9
Trevor RosenthalSTL45214040.14820329564.461.910.29312.50
Felipe RiveroPIT28101027.12310318393.291.500.22110.75
C.J. EdwardsCHC36026361515414523.750.810.12313.00
Corey KnebelMIL35121332.23217316384.681.470.25210.47

Holds

*Top 10

PlayerHLD YTD PlayerHLD last 7 days
Adam Ottavino7 Adam Ottavino3
Corey Knebel5 Corey Knebel3
Felipe Rivero5 Felipe Rivero3
Mike Dunn5 Mike Dunn3
Heath Hembree5 Jacob Barnes3
Brad Brach5 Dellin Betances3
Pedro Strop4 Jose Ramirez3
Justin Wilson4 Danny Farquhar3
Jacob Barnes4 14 tied with2
5 more tied with 4   

*Ownership percentages are based off Yahoo