I figured we might as well get one of these started and keep it updated throughout the year as we all seem to preach never paying for top closers.

I'm just going to start by listing some of the better options (IMO) to pickup and stash if you have the roster space. This will be mainly based on possible closing opportunity and then skill.

STL - Franklin, Perez
LAA - Shields, Speier
MIL - Torres, Gagne
FLA - J. Miller, Lindstrom
CLE - Betancourt, Kobayashi
ARI - Pena, Qualls
SD - Bell
ATL - Soriano, Acosta, Gonzalez
ChC - Marmol, Dempster
HOU - Brocail
TEX - Guardado, Benoit
OAK - Devine, Casilla, Embree
TOR - Downs, Accardo
TB - Wheeler, Reyes
DET - Zumaya
CIN - Weathers, Burton
SEA - Morrow

Feel free to add and comment as the season progresses. We should really think about pinning this up since it's such an important part of our fantasy baseball theory and should really help us all throughout the season.

EDIT: I will continually update the running list of potential closers in this first post so that it is the first thing seen when clicking the post.

This is a great thread. I agree with pinning it. Whogets the first shot if Gagne fails, Turnbow or Riske?

My guess is Turnbow. He's done it in the past for the BrewCrew and Riske has showed in Cleveland what happens when you hand him the ball in the 9th inning. That being said, I can easily see Yost just playing the hot hand and giving an equal number of opportunities to both until one of them truly collapses.

Don't forget about Mike Gonzo in ATL. Due back in May and has handled the 9th inning duties before.

Great thread idea... I can help with this... as I play in a bunch of holds leagues.


Add Torres to that Milwaukee list... crazier things have happened. I've heard a few rumours saying he's the dark horse candidate. Really after Turnbow he's the only one with experience.

In Cleveland I'm not even sure Betancourt is on the list... add Kobayashi. No sense in denying what the Indians have been doing all along... skipping Betancourt as their closer. But the skills!!

I'd add Dempster to the Cubs list as well.

Batista to the Seattle list.

The crazy thing about saves is they often go to the guys you least expect, but sometimes they can be ridiculous and obvious. Batista/Dempster have done it in the past, my money would be on the possibility that they do it again.

Guardado/Fukomori in Texas

rafael soriano on the DL - is it moylan or acosta?

I would think it would be Moylan for saves and Acosta in the 8th; at least until Mike Gonzalez comes back.

But Acosta as a speculative pick up in deeper leagues wouldn't be a bad move.

The twisted thing with closers is that you end up with guys like Acosta getting saves because either Moylan doesn't get the job done, or he gets hurt, or the 'Borowski/Jones' effect (wherein the Manager just likes a guy better than another for closing out games).

Just a question, but who is behind Rauch in the DC bullpen?

Pinned!

Ayala is behind Rauch. Ayala should provide solid ratios but he doesn't get many K's.

What's up with Borowski?
Buy-low candidate or should we be looking to who is next in line?

As always with Borowski, look at who's next but expect him to be given many more chances to blow games. It happens every year - the guy is the worst reliever on the team and one of the worst "closers" in baseball yet he maintains his role.

EDIT: Joe Blow has been placed on the DL and Betancourt should be slotted into the closers role. If for some reason he's not already owned (I assume someone speculated on this months ago), go get him.

moylan's on the DL - get acosta!

I think we need to update the speculation for Texas. Eddie is on the DL and Fukumori got sent down. Would Benoit be in line for saves if Wilson goes down or is there someone else in that bullpen worthy of speculating on?

As far as I know, Benoit would be next in line.

That would be my guess as well and I have updated the list accordingly.

I can't believe that Houston doesn't have anyone but Doug Brocail. Guess they'll keep running Valverde out there no matter how badly he pitches.

Astros used Brocail to close out the game tonight and he got the job done. Maybe Valverde's leash is tightening? Didn't feel like using him on back-to-back nights?

cooper says valverde is his closer...guess add brocail if you want to speculate later on.

Valverde will get a lot more rope ... I just don't see Brocail picking up any more than an occasional save this season

Looks like Rauch is going to be the closer in DC for a while. Cordero's fastball was topping out at 82 last night...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjo...chief_uhoh.html

Time to pick up Torres yet in Milwaukee?

He's certainly looking like the best option they have right now. What a disaster that bullpen is.

fuentes watch now??

He's blown the lead in his last two appearences, so Corpas' job is looking fairly safe at the moment...

I agree with Nats on that. Corpas hasn't been stellar but Fuentes has looked vulnerable after a hot start.

apparently, fuentes is taking over now.

Yep. Looks that way. Any idea who's next on the depth chart?

well, i'd expect that corpas may get a shot again since they just gave him a new contract ($22mm?) but if fuentes runs with it...

Chad Cordero is done...done...done. Had to be yanked in the 9th again tonight. Ugh!

and betancourt just blowed up real good. killed me in my h2h. time for a curb kicking?

Typical from Betancourt once he's handed the closers job. He just doesn't seem to have the mental makeup for it.

Betancourt did have a couple save last week didn't he? Not sure if I'd drop him just yet...he still has the job, for now.

From Rotoworld: "The Washington Post reports that Chad Cordero will miss 4-to-6 weeks with an acute tear of his latissimus dorsi muscle."

Rauch will continue to close.

Never.Pay.For.Saves.

"Me Likey!"

Damn bookie. Beat me to both of my updates today. First Scherzer and now this - all because of a PC restart.

Nice work.

Shhhhhhh!!!

Don't tell my boss - he thinks I'm actually EARNING my money today!

That four to six weeks is likely to turn into spring training 2009.

Please... mine thinks I'm doing such a great job that I should be promoted. If only they tracked internet history a little closer.

For what it's worth, from Rotoworld...


John Smoltz (shoulder) said Wednesday afternoon that he's definitely coming back as a reliever, at least initially.
"I'm coming back as a reliever first and then we'll see what happens," Smoltz said. "I'm content with this." The Braves commented before Wednesday's game that it'd be a few days before anything is decided, but Smoltz's mind is made up. He plans to take a week off from throwing, make two or three appearances in the minors and then rejoin the Braves as a bullpen guy. He'd probably get a chance to close, at least occasionally. The Braves wouldn't want to use him on back-to-back days, so there could still be some save chances there for Rafael Soriano if he's healthy.

I think it may be time to add Izzy to the watch list. I suppose Franklin is next in line.

Looks like Mota picked up the save for Milwaukee tonight, although I'm not sure that scoring is right. He pitched to one batter in the 9th and they were up by 5 runs...I thought the tying run had to be on base or at-bat in that situation for the pitcher to qualify for a save??

Edit: Never mind. Just went back and looked up the rule, and they got it right. Tying run can also be on deck. So it's a save, for sure.

Kobayashi gets another save today after Betancourt loaded the bases.

A little name game for speculation: Kobayashi or Eddie Guardado?

I like Kobe.

Another one: Isringhausen or suicide?

Kobe for me, too. And Izzy has to be preferable to death...but it's close.

And then again, from Rotoworld:

The Cardinals plan to place the struggling Jason Isringhausen on the disabled list Friday.
They'll use his arthritic left hip as an excuse, but the truth is that they just want him off the roster for a couple of weeks. The alternative would be to designate him for assignment and let him get some work in the minors after he clears waivers. Ryan Franklin has replaced Isringhausen in the closer's role.

chris perez got called up - worth keeping an eye on if izzy is in big trouble?

I think so. I got to see a quite a bit of him at The U. He keeps the ball down and has got overpowering stuff. Does tend to walk a few too many

I could see LaRussa/Duncan sticking with a more veteran presence in the 9th, though they did show their confidence in Wainwright during their WS run.

Either way, Perez should definitely be on your radars.

how about guardado now?

Gagne's complaining of shoulder stiffness again. Guess it's time to go pick up Torres again if he was dropped.

Reports of Smoltz's setback were apparently premature. Was watching the game tonight, and he was throwing a bullpen session, and told the ESPN guys that his comments had been misinterpreted and he has not had a setback.

it's wheeler time....percival is hurt!

I missed him by SECONDS in my money league. Went to pick him up and he was available but in the seconds it took for me to click the buttons to process it, he was gone!

Dan Wheeler for Percival

Looks like the Yankees are interested in Fuentes according to rotoworld. If he's traded, does Buchholz get the gig, or do they dare go back to Corpas, who's more like a Corpse now?

got to be buchholz; corpas is now long relief...morrow is hot and putz is not. who's a better prospect for saves, buchholz or morrow?

buchholz over morrow, but I still think corpas gets a shot over buchholz if fuentes is dealt.

Genius or hasty?

The threat of Fuentes being traded (the rockies have absolutely no reason to keep him since they just gave a truck load of money to corpas this off season) caused me to quickly deal him before the word got out. I got Raul Ibanez and Todd Jones for Fuentes and Mark Ellis.

Did my haste net me a good trade or should I have held out to better asses the situation?

(team in my sig)

i'd rather have ibanez as my DH than ellis and jones/fuentes is a wash to me, so you did fine

Looks like Smoltz's season is over.

I assume they go to Soriano.
Any chance they go to Acosta instead?

Fortunately Soriano was available in my H2H league, and I snatched him up pronto. I had to drop someone, and I hate admitting it, but I finally gave up on Thome. I expect he'll make me regret that drop.

speculation pick - chris perez or brandon morrow? seems like franklin's just fine and maybe izzy comes back...i have perez but thinking of letting him go as putz doesn't look right...

I still like Perez, but it's a gamble either way.

Here's a 2009 closer question ... Does SD bring Hoffman back for another year, turn the closing duties over to Bell, or bring in a FA reliever to close?

joed0:
I'd rather have Morrow than Perez in a single-season league for the reasons you stated.

chlenko:
Looks like they went to Acosta today -- due to Rafy having worked the past two nights -- with bad results. I think he could still get a shot, as Soriano is not the picture of health. And neither is Gonzo for that matter.

Perez is a good pitcher, but I don't know how much he helps this year. Morrow's probably a better speculation pick right now because Putz is suddenly a shadow of his former self.

Daver, if I were going to gamble on next year, I'd gamble on Bell. My guess is this is it for Hoffman.

And, man, am I glad I didn't drop Soriano when Smoltz came back.

any opinions on alex hinshaw?

WOW. Thanks for bringing this kid to my attention. I found this article on him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/mlb/news?s...be-noise_060608

mike gonzalez anyone? guess we need to see what's up with soriano this week!

Who do we think has more speculative save potential going forward - Chris Perez or Dan Wheeler?

Perez doesn't have the job but has future closer written all over him. Wheeler has it in the interim but it's not like Percival is a guarantee to come back healthy and hold it down for the rest of the year.

With Tulo expected to come back relatively soon I need to clear a roster space and it's looking like I'm going to have to ditch one of these guys.

i think perez is more for 2009 so i'd go wheeler for this year.

I'm with joed0. How many "future closers" take a long time to get the job or don't get it at all? I'd rather go with the sure thing for now and if Wheeler loses the job then you play WW roulette for closers.

I agree with Wheeler here. I like Perez, but a bird in hand ...

here's another one. word in oakland is street has a tweaked groin and is trying to pitch through it. who would you speculate on in case he needs a DL stint, foulke or the soon to be returning casilla?

I'd say Foulke until Casilla works and proves his way back. But here's to me hoping that Street doesn't need a DL stint.

Putz left the game and Morrow got the save. Get out to your wire NOW!

Already had Morrow stashed away! Any news if anything is wrong with Putz?

Latest from RW:

Mariners manager John McLaren said it was a sore elbow that caused J.J. Putz to leave Wednesday's game.

McLaren seemed to indicate that it was more of a day-to-day problem than something that will put him on the DL, but we're skeptical. Brandon Morrow is expected to close while Putz is out.

I picked Morrow up for the hell of it when Jerry Hairston got hurt. Looks like I was just in time.

Glad I drafted him in the RR AL only!

(about the only thing going right for my team!)

CJ Wilson appears to be on a short leash after a few blowups. Paging Everyday Eddie!!

izzy vs. franklin... whose job is it?

forget about izzy - looks like he may be going back to DL due to knee.

Capps is out for 8 weeks in Pittsburgh.

Manager says it will be a committee but a favourite usually emerges. Any guesses? Marte seems to be the top candidate but he has the "but he's a lefty" tag.

i would guess marte. he has gotten the loose saves previously.

romulo sanchez got the last save but i think it was just because marte was used in the 8th. plus sanchez doesn't have the dominance (~1 k/in) you'd like to see nor does he have good control. his walk rate is high. i think he gets eaten alive as a closer.

borowski is apparently out now....is kobayashi the best bet and would you rather have him or marte if you had to choose one?