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Michael F. Florio reviews bullpens that have changed, closers to add off the waiver wire, and relief pitchers who are useful for fantasy baseball heading into Week 14.
You go on vacation for one week and bullpens around the league lose their mind! In just a week, we have seen numerous teams make changes to the backend of their bullpens.
That is not even factoring in that we have yet to see trades happening, but we are just days away from July. Then, it’ll be the All-Star Break. Before you know it, teams will be shipping off relievers and changing the closer landscape around the MLB and fantasy baseball leagues.
Not only will we focus on those teams that have already made changes with their late-inning usage this week, but I will try to look ahead at potential relievers who could be impacted by trades. Some may not pan out, but they will be much cheaper now than if you wait until after a potential trade.
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Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball
The Diamondbacks have had a committee approach all season long. Early on, it looked like Andrew Chafin was the top option, but then Miguel Castro was heavily involved. As of late, Scott McGough has been the guy. In the last month, he has five saves to Castro’s three and Chafin’s one.
In the last two weeks, McGough has all four of the Diamondbacks' saves. In that span, he has pitched to a 0.00 ERA, 2.68 xFIP, 0.91 WHIP, and a 33 percent strikeout rate. McGough is the top reliever to pick up if he is still out there. I would spend upwards of 15 percent of my FAAB if I needed saves. However, I am still holding onto Castro and Chafin if I have them rostered.
The Cardinals have been heavily featured in this article this season. Ryan Helsley is sidelined with a forearm injury and according to reports, he is not close to returning. That leaves the Cardinals with Jordan Hicks and Giovanny Gallegos to close out games. But there hasn’t been much competition there as Hicks has converted four consecutive save opportunities for the red birds.
He is a top-two reliever to pick up if he is still out there in your league and you can spend between 10 and 15 percent of your FAAB to secure him. The one thing to be wary about here is that they could sell bullpen pieces. Genesis Cabrera is a sleeper in this bullpen.
The Cubs are no strangers to this article. Adbert Alzolay has taken over as the lead closer candidate in this bullpen, converting their only save in the last two weeks and three of the Cubs' four saves this month. The other went to Mark Lieter Jr., who continues to pitch very well.
Alzolay should be added but I would look to spend between five and eight percent of my FAAB, given the fact that the Cubs just haven’t had many save chances this season and still could be sellers at the deadline. Lieter Jr. is a sleeper option for those in need of saves in deeper formats.
The Yankees bullpen has been extremely frustrating this season. While Clay Holmes is the top option to roster here, he has just one save in the last two weeks. Michael King has two, Tommy Kahnle has one, and Ron Marinaccio has another. Holmes does lead the way with four over the last month. He is the top option and the only one that should be started weekly, but King and Kahnle are options for those in deeper leagues. The Yankees very much so seem like a team that could add bullpen arms before the deadline.
Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball
The Nationals entered the season with Kyle Finnegan as the closer but he has lost the gig. Maybe he is still sitting atop depth charts on some sites, but he does not have a save in the last month. Meanwhile, Hunter Harvey has three and Carl Edwards Jr. has one.
Finnegan continues to be used more in a setup role. Harvey needs to be rostered right now as he is pitching very well. Of the three, I would guess he is the least likely to be traded -- although all three are on the block. He is also the only one of the three I could see being dealt and still close games on a new team.
The A’s bullpen is one I have advocated to avoid, but over the last few weeks, there has been more clarity than there was early on in the season. Trevor May has picked up four saves in the last month and he could be started as long as he has the gig. Of course, there is a high likelihood that the A’s trade him before the deadline.
That is why I would not spend more than five percent of my FAAB to get him. Sammy Long has two saves in that stretch and Ken Waldichuk has one. Both would be candidates to replace May if he was dealt, with Long being the top option. However, he is purely a stash in AL-only formats for now.
The Rockies are also a team that has been heavily featured in this article this season as they have undergone several bullpen changes. In the last month, we have seen Justin Lawrence overtake the job, picking up four saves in that span. Pierce Johnson and Matt Carasiti have one apiece. Then there is Brad Hand, who continues to pitch in middle relief but looms as a potential closer in waiting.
The Rockies are out of the race as well, meaning they could be sellers and any of those four names could be dealt. For now, I would roster Lawrence as he is giving you saves, and leave the rest on the wire.
The Dodgers have utilized a committee all year but Evan Phillips is the arm you want to roster. In the last month, he picked up three of the Dodgers' five saves, with Andre Jackson and Brusdar Graterol each picking up one. While Phillips is the arm to roster except for those in NL-only leagues, the Dodgers are a prime candidate to add relievers before the deadline. This is a situation to monitor closely as whoever ends up their closer in the second half has league-altering potential.
Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball
Aroldis Chapman is a pitcher I have written frequently about. Not only does he have a ton of closer experience, but he has returned to form this season, pitching to a 2.63 ERA, 2.46 xERA, and 1.32 WHIP with a 43 percent strikeout rate. Over the last month, he has a 2.08 ERA with a 50 percent strikeout rate.
The Royals are one of the few clear-cut sellers and will surely look to deal with Chapman before the deadline. Get out in front now and stash him while you can. At the very least, he will continue to provide ratios and elite strikeouts. The chance for him to become a closer remains.
We have heard chatter that the Pirates could sell off pieces and perhaps that includes their star closer, David Bednar. If he was to be dealt, he’d very likely just become a closer wherever he was sent, but it would leave Pittsburgh with an opening. If so, Dauri Moreta is a top option to fill that hole.
He has pitched to a 3.82 ERA, 3.26 xERA, and 1.21 WHIP with a 32 percent strikeout rate. Colin Holderman is another option to fill that void if a trade was to occur. He has pitched to a 4.01 ERA and 4.07 xERA with a 1.50 WHIP and 26 percent strikeout rate.
The Mets' bullpen has been an absolute mess this season. David Robertson has been the lead closer and has pitched very well, but Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley, and Drew Smith have all faltered. The Mets are in a weird position where they want to be buyers, but their record and performance on the field may force them to be sellers. That could mean Robertson and other relievers are dealt in trades. This is a situation to monitor closely over the next month.
Jason Foley is a trade candidate solely because he plays on one of the few teams that confidently will be a seller. However, Foley and closer Alex Lange are both the same age and with the same amount of team control left. So Detroit may just opt to keep riding with this backend of the bullpen. But the option of them shopping either remains.
Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.
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