Dennis Santana is a perfect example of how volatile fantasy baseball’s closer position can be. He started the season as the presumptive closer for the Pirates but tumbled down the MLB closers rankings as he struggled. Santana eventually lost his job, and he was DFA’ed by the Pirates this week. With many teams desperately needing bullpen depth, we probably haven’t seen the last of him.

One reliever that we are likely to see on a big-league mound soon is Edwin Diaz. There’s a chance he could return to action this weekend, but it’s more likely that the Dodgers will reinstate him ahead of their next homestand on Tuesday. Diaz has had multiple seasons in which he’s been one of MLB’s best closers, and whenever he is taken off the IL, he will catapult up the MLB closers rankings. Tanner Scott, whose 15 saves were all converted while Diaz was on the IL, will become Diaz’s setup man upon his return. 

We’ll update our fantasy baseball closer grid once the move has been made official, and we expect that there will be additional updates needed as the MLB August 3rd 6 p.m ET trade deadline approaches. 

The grid is just one of the great resources that can help you win your fantasy baseball leagues. Check out James Grande’s weekly Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column with new articles dropping every Sunday. For the latest in our video content, which is also updated daily, visit the Fantasy Alarm YouTube Channel.

In the meantime, we still have lots of closer and late-inning high-leverage reliever-related news to cover in this week’s bullpen report, so please enjoy!

Saves Leaders Over The Past Week

Aroldis Chapman, not surprisingly with the way the Red Sox have been playing lately, led all fantasy baseball closers with four saves last week. Chapman has been near the top of the MLB closers rankings all season and a big part of the Boston Red Sox’s recent hot streak. He has a 1.64 ERA and nine saves in his last 11 IP but has given up seven walks and struck out 11 batters during that time span. The walks are concerning, but he’s blown just two saves all season and keeps on getting the job done.

Six other relievers recorded two saves last week, including Reds closer Emilio Pagan, who, in his six appearances since being taken off the IL on June 30th, has eight strikeouts and just two walks in 5.1 IP. He has a 3.38 ERA and has converted three saves during that time frame. 

Guardians closer Cade Smith leads the major leagues with 29 saves. Rays closer Bryan Baker and Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien each have 26 saves. Padres closer Mason Miller, who is rumored to be available on the trade market, has the third most saves in baseball with 25. 

 

 

Holds Leaders Over The Past Week

Red Sox set-up man Garrett Whitlock and Cardinals set-up man George Soriano both had three holds last week. Should Chapman get traded, which seems unlikely now that the Red Sox are in the hunt for a playoff spot, or become unavailable, Whitlock would be the next man up for save opportunities. Soriano also has a clear path to save opportunities should Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien be unavailable.

Nineteen other relievers recorded two holds last week. Yankees reliever Brent Headrick was among them and continues to mow batters down. He pitched five scoreless innings last week and struck out nine batters and did not issue a walk. Blue Jays reliever Tyler Rogers also recorded two holds last week and is now tied for the league lead with Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero with 21 holds. Romero is currently on the IL due to appendicitis and likely to remain sidelined for at least another week.

Relievers To Take Note Of

Pete Fairbanks has fallen in the MLB closers rankings over the past few weeks and could be on the verge of losing his job as the Marlins’ closer. He’s given up eight home runs in 30.1 IP this season, and from a fantasy baseball standpoint, his 7.42 ERA and 1.516 WHIP makes a pitcher who should be on your bench right now. The Marlins are just two games out from clinching a playoff spot heading into Friday’s action and will likely seek to bolster their bullpen before the MLB trade deadline, but in the meantime, they may opt to give Michael Petersen a shot at closing out games for them for the short term. Petersen has 19 career minor league saves and one big league save (which he converted this season) to go along with a 2.91 ERA and 0.992 WHIP this season. 

The White Sox’s bullpen continues to be fluid, but left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson has been making his presence felt lately. He has a 2.08 ERA and 1.200 WHIP this season and a 42:16 K:BB ratio across 44 IP. Hudson has four saves (he converted his most recent one on Wednesday) and six holds this season. He may not be the White Sox’s long-term answer at the closer position, but he’s someone who should be on your watch list. 

Braves reliever Dylan Dodd is another left-hander you should be aware of. He has a sparkling 2.08 ERA and 0.791 WHIP this season, and the Braves have been using him in the sixth and seventh innings of games lately. Dodd has six holds this season, but five have come in the month of July. The Braves already have one of MLB’s best closers in Raisel Iglesias, but Robert Suarez, his original setup man, is on the IL after experiencing forearm tightness, and there’s no firm date on his return. Dylan Lee is Iglesias’ setup man while Suarez is sidelined, and Didier Fuentes has been used in late-inning high-leverage situations as well. However, with the way Dodd has been pitching, he will likely be a good resource for holds for the rest of the season.