X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Closers and Saves Waiver Wire Report for Fantasy Baseball - Week 18

Seranthony Dominguez - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Closers, Saves, Draft Sleepers. Waiver Wire

Fantasy baseball closers, saves, and bullpen waiver wire pickups for July 28, 2023. David's relief pitcher and bullpen updates, and potential closers to add.

The trade deadline is just a couple of days away and with a lot of teams in the race (or at least a lot of teams who think they're in the race) we could be looking at one of the more active deadlines in a while. It already got started with some bullpen moves, like the Aroldis Chapman trade a couple of weeks ago and a few more this week.

While bullpens around the league will certainly look different by this time next week, we still had the current bullpens work their way into saves, holds, blown saves, wins, and losses this week. So let's take a look at some bullpen-relevant trades and other reliever news for this final week of July.

Be sure to also keep an eye on our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated daily or sometimes even more often throughout the 2023 baseball season. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Miami Marlins - Bullpen and Closer News

The Marlins have made two notable bullpen trades already, with them and the Twins agreeing on a rare 1-for-1 reliever deal. Miami sent Dylan Floro to Minnesota in exchange for Jorge Lopez. Both pitchers have been solid in the past but have mostly struggled this year. Floro figures to work in middle relief for the Twins while Lopez likely slots into a similar spot in Miami. The Marlins reportedly see something in Lopez that they hope to unlock to get him back to his All-Star form from last season.

The Fish also picked up one of the better relievers available on the trade market, grabbing David Robertson from the Mets late on Thursday night. Robertson was working as the Mets' closer, saving 14 games and posting a 2.05 ERA. With the recent struggles of A.J. Puk, Robertson figures to move right into the Marlins' closer role, with Puk and Tanner Scott working in setup roles. Meanwhile, Adam Ottavino should close for the Mets, but he could be traded before the deadline as well.

Risers: David Robertson, Adam Ottavino
Fallers: A.J. Puk

 

Philadelphia Phillies - Bullpen and Closer News

Since Craig Kimbrel established himself as "so back" this season, the Phillies have been using a mostly traditional bullpen approach, saving their closer for the ninth inning. That changed this week, as Kimbrel was deployed in the eighth inning of a game to face the opponent's 3-4-5 hitters. Gregory Soto then came in for the ninth inning and earned his second save of the year.

This type of "leverage" move was certainly an excellent one in terms of giving the Phillies the best chance to win, but is it a sign of new bullpen usage in Philadelphia or just a one-off situation? We'll have to wait and see since any trade acquisitions could mix in as well, along with Seranthony Dominguez, who was just activated off the IL. Still, Kimbrel has been good enough that he's almost sure to keep his job as closer.

Risers: none (Kimbrel is very good)
Fallers: none (Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto are both good holds options)

 

Arizona Diamondbacks - Bullpen and Closer News

The Diamondbacks are currently in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, despite their team leader in saves (Andrew Chafin) having just eight. It's been a struggle all season for Arizona relievers, and that was very evident this week as well. Chafin, Scott McGough, and Miguel Castro are all still being used for high-leverage innings, but it's Kevin Ginkel who has emerged as the new committee leader in the desert.

Ginkel doesn't have typical "closer stuff" as he doesn't miss a ton of bats (22.5 K%), but he's been good at preventing runs this season, posting a 2.31 ERA in 39 innings. His fantasy value seems temporary, however, as the Diamondbacks are certainly one of the teams most likely to make a trade for a closer before Tuesday's deadline. For now, Ginkel can probably help some teams in save-only formats.

Risers: Kevin Ginkel
Fallers: Andrew Chafin, Scott McGough

 

TRADES - Bullpen and Closer News

The Twins picked up Dylan Floro from the Marlins. He's been struggling lately after a solid start to the season, but he hasn't been able to get lefty batters out in a while. He'll likely pitch in middle relief in the Twins bullpen, severely limiting his already dwindling fantasy value.

The Angels said they weren't trading Shohei Ohtani because they planned on being buyers and they proved it this week by picking up Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox. Lopez has had an up-and-down season but has great swing-and-miss stuff and could end up as one of the primary setup arms in the Angels' bullpen. Meanwhile, the White Sox bullpen is likely to continue to lose relievers, but for now, Gregory Santos and Keynan Middleton see their holds league value rise a bit.

The Braves made two bullpen trades, picking up Pierce Johnson from the Rockies and Taylor Hearn from the Rangers. Both will be middle relievers in Atlanta with little fantasy value, but Johnson moving from Colorado puts Brad Hand back into the holds league conversation (at least until he hs traded).

Risers: Gregory Santos, Keynan Middleton, Brad Hand, Reynaldo Lopez (maybe)
Fallers: Dylan Floro, Pierce Johnson

 

Short Relief - Other Bullpen News

-Clay Holmes seems to have risen to the top of the Yankee committee and is now either the outright closer or at least the head of the committee with a significant lead over his competition.

-Similar trajectory for Adbert Alzolay in the Cubs bullpen. It seems like he's become the closer on most nights at the very least.

-A.J. Puk has been struggling and got a vote of confidence and then struggled some more, so keep an eye on the Marlins bullpen: Tanner Scott would be next in line, but they may go out and get someone before the deadline as well.

-A few setup guys proved themselves to be the "next man up" just in case anything happens to their team's closer. Andres Munoz, Bryan Abreu, and Lucas Sims all picked up saves this week on days that their team's closers (Paul Sewald, Ryan Pressly, and Alexis Diaz) weren't available.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Christian McCaffrey16 mins ago

Is Healthy
Clarke Schmidt25 mins ago

To Return April 15 Or 16
Shane Baz58 mins ago

Strikes Out 10
Mike Tauchman1 hour ago

Begins Rehab Assignment
Wyatt Langford1 hour ago

Launches Another Homer
Nathan Eovaldi2 hours ago

Throws Complete Game Shutout
Michael Petersen2 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Matt Fitzpatrick2 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners2 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay2 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López2 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland3 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia3 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti3 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL3 hours ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette3 hours ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus3 hours ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants3 hours ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears3 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Aaron Civale3 hours ago

Plays Catch On Tuesday
Masataka Yoshida4 hours ago

Resumes Swinging
Sam Ehlinger4 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Liam Hendriks4 hours ago

Resumes Throwing
Guerschon Yabusele4 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Kutter Crawford4 hours ago

Hasn't Faced Hitters
Karl-Anthony Towns4 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals4 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Lucas Giolito4 hours ago

To Make A Rehab Start On Wednesday
Jevon Carter4 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry4 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Brayan Bello4 hours ago

To Make Rehab Start On Tuesday
Julian Phillips4 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Alexis Díaz4 hours ago

Alexis Diaz Throws Live BP On Tuesday
Jalen Smith4 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Max Scherzer4 hours ago

Day-To-Day After Getting Cortisone Shot
Lonzo Ball4 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Freddie Freeman4 hours ago

Likely Out Until Friday
Kevin Huerter4 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Willson Contreras4 hours ago

Taking First Day Off
Josh Giddey4 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton5 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale5 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant5 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal5 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II5 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons5 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young5 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser5 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud5 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Edouard Julien5 hours ago

Making First Start Of The Season
Isaiah Stewart5 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba5 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga5 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry5 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Dylan Crews5 hours ago

Not Starting Against Blue Jays
Jaylen Brown5 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault5 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere6 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn6 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro6 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Detroit Lions8 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans8 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders8 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear9 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins9 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL9 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä9 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway9 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys9 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal9 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy9 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Geno Smith9 hours ago

Raiders Working On Extension With Geno Smith
Chris Godwin9 hours ago

Buccaneers Optimistic Chris Godwin Will Be Ready For Week 1
Josh Norris9 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams10 hours ago

Coleman Shelton Expected To Start Again In 2025
Brady Tkachuk10 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams10 hours ago

Rams Open To Drafting A Quarterback
Kyren Williams10 hours ago

Rams To Discuss Long-Term Deal With Kyren Williams
Aaron Rodgers10 hours ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy10 hours ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Jordan Spieth11 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp11 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim12 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood12 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau12 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole12 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith16 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment16 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka16 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov16 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov16 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes16 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens1 day ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman1 day ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki1 day ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]