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With the trade deadline in just a few hours, much of this article may be irrelevant by the end of the day. But it seems like several teams are trying to get ahead of the deadline and we've already seen some bullpen movement. A team with a solid closer picked up another solid closer. A team with an excellent closer picked up another team's closer to have him work in middle relief. A team lost their closer because of a trade, and their top setup man to the injured list, creating a mess.
We can take a look at all of the trades that have happened so far as well as other things that went down this week, but keep an eye on Rotoballer throughout the day for up-to-the-minute coverage of trades and closer changes.
Be sure to keep an eye on our RotoBaller Closers and Saves Bullpen Depth Charts. They're updated daily, or sometimes even more often in this wild 2021 baseball season. With that being said, here are the closers, saves, and bullpen waiver wire pickups to consider for Week 18 - July 26 through August 1.
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Bullpen News For The Week
Toronto Blue Jays/Washington Nationals
The Blue Jays bullpen was a mess for parts of this season, but closer Jordan Romano really got it together and has been very good. Enter: Brad Hand. The Jays traded for Nationals closer Brad Hand on Thursday, and he will presumably enter the closer picture right away. Hand and Romano may end up sharing save chances, but Hand is more likely to take over fully and leave Romano as an excellent setup option. For now, Hand's value in standard fantasy leagues looks like it will hold, while Romano's looks like it might see a dip. In holds leagues though, both relievers keep their value, with Hand maybe getting a slight uptick since he'll be on a team that will likely have more leads to hold and save.
When one team gains a closer in a trade, another team loses a closer. That's probably some official baseball law named after an old timey pitcher or something. As the Blue Jays gained Brad Hand, the Nationals lost their closer. They also lost their two main setup guys, Daniel Hudson and Austin Voth, to the injured list at first, and now Hudson is on his way to San Diego in a trade with the Padres. So next man up, right? Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey figure to see some save chances going forward. Rainey feels like the best bet for the rest of the season as long as he can get back to pitching like himself. It's been a rough year for Rainey, but he's been an elite relief pitcher in the past.
Risers: Brad Hand, Kyle Finnegan, Tanner Rainey
Fallers: Jordan Romano
Miami Marlins/Houston Astros/Seattle Mariners/Tampa Bay Rays
Speaking of teams who lost their closers, the Miami Marlins sent Yimi Garcia to the Astros in exchange for a minor league outfielder. Garcia was closing for the Marlins almost all season (Anthony Bass started the year as closer but was quickly replaced by Garcia). Yimi wasn't great, posting seven losses and three blown saves with a 3.47 ERA (4.63 xERA), but the Marlins stubbornly kept sending him out there in close and late situations. He's had issues with the long ball his entire career, and doesn't strike out enough guys to make up for the fact that he's an extreme fly ball pitcher.
With the Crawford Boxes basically right behind third base in Houston, Garcia could struggle even more than he did as a Marlin. That being said, he won't be pitching in anything close to the game situations he got in Miami. With Ryan Pressly, Kendall Graveman, and Ryne Stanek all being significantly better pitchers than Garcia, it looks like the former Marlins closer may be working in middle relief all of a sudden. Any fantasy value that Garcia had has completely evaporated and he can be dropped in almost all formats.
Speaking of Kendall Graveman, he and Rafael Montero were acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a rare AL West trade. Graveman has been excellent this season as Seattle's closer, but he'll settle in as a setup man ahead of Ryan Pressly in Houston. Graveman's value should stay about the same in holds leagues, but with Pressly having full control of that ninth inning, Graveman's standard league value takes a huge hit.
In Seattle, the newly acquired Diego Castillo should see most of the save chances with Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider possibly mixing in. In Miami, Dylan Floro, Anthony Bass, and Anthony Bender seem to be options for saves, although Floro and Bass could end up being traded before the deadline as well. Bender is the safest pick here. In the Tampa Bay bullpen: huge shrug emoji. With Castillo gone, J.P. Feyereisen and Peter Fairbanks on the IL, maybe Jeffrey Spings will close? It's never worth speculating on the Rays bullpen, let's just wait and see.
Risers: Anthony Bender, Dylan Floro, Diego Castillo, Jeffrey Springs
Fallers: Yimi Garcia, Kendall Graveman
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds bullpen has been a constant feature here on Closers and Saves Report. Until they kind of settled on Heath Hembree recently, it was a revolving door of arms being replaced because of injury, because of ineffectiveness, and even because of suspensions. It was, as they say, "a whole thing." So it figured that the Reds would try to revamp their bullpen, and pending more trades, they've already done a lot of that.
In one trade, they acquired Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson from the Yankees, and in another, they picked up Mychal Givens from the Rockies. How the Reds will set their pen remains to be seen, especially if they end up acquiring a bona fide closer before today's deadline. For now, it looks like Hembree is still the guy in Cincinnati, and he'll be helped out by having better relievers to get the game to him as a save situation.
Risers: Heath Hembree (pending further moves)
Short Relief
-the Oakland A's have been one of the favorites to land Craig Kimbrel, but for now they have improved their pen by adding Andrew Chafin in a trade with the Cubs. Chafin should see a little more value in holds leagues with the move, but he doesn't alter the Oakland closer situation.
-Kenley Jansen has been struggling, but for now, the job remains his. The Dodgers are reportedly dipping their toes in the Craig Kimbrel conversation, so this could change quickly.
-The Orioles bullpen will likely see a few changes before the deadline, but for now, it looks like Dillon Tate is the favorite for saves but is only an option in the deepest leagues.
-James Karinchak remains the leader of the Cleveland bullpen, but Emmanuel Clase will still be around.
-Taylor Rogers (finger) landed on the injured list, leaving Hansel Robles as the closer in Minnesota, at least until he's traded.
-The Cubs also traded Ryan Tepera, sending him across town to the White Sox. Tepera should continue to have value in holds leagues. It's unclear who will close for the Cubs once Kimbrel is moved, but it may be Rowan Wick, who has been working in the minors while rehabbing from an oblique strain.
-The Padres bullpen was already good, but they traded for Daniel Hudson and should get even better. Hudson should see seventh and eighth innings ahead of closer Mark Melancon.
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