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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Bullpen Report: Figuring Things Out After Wild Trade Deadline

jordan romano fantasy baseball rankings closers saves draft sleepers MLB injury news

For weeks leading up to the trade deadline, I wrote about how greatly it would impact bullpens around the league. I tried to project closers that would be traded and setup men that would take over the closer gigs. Well, even I was wrong with how much the trade deadline would impact the reliever position! 

In what could go down as the greatest trade deadline ever, there were so many relievers dealt. The closer position was turned on its head and it will have great impacts on the final two months of the fantasy baseball season. 

This week I will focus solely on bullpens that were shaken up during the trade deadline! 

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

 

New Look Bullpens 

Arizona Diamondbacks 

The DBacks traded closer Joakim Soria at the deadline, leaving the spot vacant. While we have not seen a save for them since the trade, we did see Tyler Clippard pick up a save just last week. He has to be viewed as the closer here and should be added off waivers if he has not been already. The D-Backs will not win a bunch of games, but Clippard can still provide more than a handful of saves these final two months. If he struggles, Noe Ramirez and JB Bukauskas are backup options in this pen. 

Boston Red Sox

Matt Barnes will still be picking up the saves and it appears Adam Ottavino is still the set up man, but the Sox bullpen still added another former closer at the deadline. Trading for Hansel Robles, who made his debut in the sixth inning over the weekend, gives them another option if anything happens to Barnes. Robles is now a fringy player to roster in fantasy, and he can be dropped in 12-team leagues or shallower. 

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs traded basically anyone they could. Not only did they trade all the faces of their franchise, but they traded Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera to the White Sox (in separate trades) and sent Andrew Chafin to the A’s. That is the closer and the two setup men that we thought could take over for him. The first non-Kimbrel save went to Kyle Ryan, who has to be viewed at the least in a committee here. He could also share the job with Codi Heuer, Manuel Rodriguez and Rowan Wick. I would rank them in that order for fantasy purposes. 

Chicago White Sox 

The White Sox added Kimbrel and Tepera to a bullpen that already had Liam Hendriks and Aaron Bummer. They have said that Hendriks and Kimbrel will share save chances, but in a tie game this week we saw Kimbrel pitch the eighth and Hendriks pitch the ninth. I anticipate we see this order more often than not. While this dings the value of both, I think it hurts Kimbrel more than Hendriks. Still, both put up elite numbers and are worthy of rostering. This makes Bummer and Tepera purely ratio/strikeout arms, as they would now need something to happen to both closer options before even entering the saves picture. 

Houston Astros

The Astros traded for Kendall Graveman from their division rival Mariners. While we have not seen an official save from the Astros yet, we did see Graveman pitch the eighth and Pressly the ninth in a game this week. That seems to be the pecking order for now, but Pressly did allow a run that game. He now has a big threat breathing down his neck after really having no competition the first half. Graveman gives such elite ratios that he is worth holding onto for now. The Astros also added Yimi Garcia, but he is now third in the saves pecking order. 

Miami Marlins 

With Yimi Garcia being traded to the Astros, the Marlins are now in need of a new closer. We have seen the first save chance in the post-Garcia era, and there was no surprise with it going to Dylan Floro. It was his third save of the season. Anthony Bender, another candidate, pitched the seventh inning while the eighth went to former closer Anthony Bass. Bass loaded the bases and had to exit early, while Floro cleaned up his mess and got the four-out save. This is Floro’s bullpen and he should be added anywhere he has not been already. Bender would be second in the pecking order as it is too tough to trust Bass. 

Minnesota Twins

Hansel Robles was shipped up to Boston, while Taylor Rogers is on the IL with a finger sprain. He will take over the closer gig when he returns, but until then this bullpen will be fluid. We still have to figure this out, but it appears that Tyler Duffey will be the top option for the time being. Alex Colome is still here and could take back over his role as the closer purely on experience alone. Caleb Thielbar is another option to roster here. I rank them in that order for fantasy purposes. 

Philadelphia Phillies 

The Phillies made a splash adding Ian Kennedy at the deadline. He will now take over the closer job for the Phils. He came in this week in a four-out game in the ninth and allowed a two-run homer, but still closed it out. In that game, Archie Bradley pitched the eighth and Jose Alvarado manned the seventh. That appears to be the pecking order here. Former closer Ranger Suarez has moved to the starting rotation and went three innings in his first start. 

Pittsburgh Pirates 

Richard Rodriguez was dealt to the Braves, leaving the Pirates without a closer. While we have not seen a save since the trade, we did see Chris Stratton pitch the ninth of a tie game and picked up a win this week. He appears to be in the lead role in this bullpen, but a committee approach is definitely possible. Behind Stratton is David Bednar, Chasen Shreve and Duane Underwood Jr. I would rank them in that order. 

Seattle Mariners 

The Mariners had a weird deadline, trading away Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero, but picking up Diego Castillo from the Rays. We have not yet seen a save, but we have seen Castillo pitch twice for the Mariners. The first was in the ninth with a four-run lead. Paul Sewald pitched in the eighth that game. Then we saw Castillo give up a game-ending HR in the 10th inning of a game where Sewald pitched the ninth. That seems to be the pecking order here, but if Castillo struggles we could see Sewald regain that closer role here. Both are worth rostering for the time being. 

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are going full Rays. In recent days we have seen Jeffery Springs pitch the ninth of a four-run game, Chris Mazza pitch the ninth in a four-run game where J.T. Chargois was warming up until the Rays extended the lead and Matt Wisler pick up a save. Then there is also Andrew Kittredge who could get save opportunities. This is going to be a maddening situation that could see any of these four options pick up a save chance. There may even be more than four options that they trust for saves. I rank them Wisler, Kittredge, Chargois, Springs, Mazza for fantasy purposes, but this is easily the toughest bullpen to trust right now. 

Texas Rangers 

With Ian Kennedy gone, the Rangers will need someone to step up for saves moving forward. The first save chance went to Spencer Patton, who appears to be the new closer for the Rangers. Joe Barlow pitched the eighth and he is looking like second in the pecking order. Patton should be added off the waiver wire if he has not been already. 

Toronto Blue Jays 

The Blue Jays added Brad Hand and Joakim Soria to the bullpen at the deadline. In the first game we saw them all used, Soria pitched the eighth, Romano pitched the ninth in a tie game and then Hand suffered the loss in the 10th. Romano pitching the ninth is telling and it appears he is still the favorite for saves here, with Hand next in line. We could see a mix and match scenario from this bullpen. We will also see Tyler Chatwood and Julian Merryweather return at some point and add even more firepower to this bullpen. 

Washington Nationals 

Kyle Finnegan has stepped up and maintained the ninth-inning role for the Nats. He has picked up two saves and a win in the last week alone. It has been Wander Suero pitching in the setup role for the Nats, indicating that he is next in line here. However, Finnegan is the big prize here and managers should be aggressive trying to add him off the waiver wire. 

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio



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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Grayson Allen4 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Kings
D'Angelo Russell5 hours ago

Suiting Up On Wednesday
Bradley Beal5 hours ago

Unavailable Wednesday
DK Metcalf7 hours ago

Puts In Full Practice On Wednesday
Henrik Norlander7 hours ago

Needs Strong Showing At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Michael Kim7 hours ago

Playing Well Down The Stretch
Nick Taylor7 hours ago

Returns To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Jhonattan Vegas7 hours ago

Playing Well Heading To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Matthias Schmid7 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Patrick Rodgers7 hours ago

Heads To Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Mackenzie Hughes7 hours ago

Debuts At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Maverick McNealy7 hours ago

Seeking Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes In Bermuda
Lucas Glover7 hours ago

In A Groove Ahead Of Bermuda Championship
Andrew Putnam7 hours ago

A Player To Watch In Bermuda
PGA7 hours ago

Nico Echavarria In Top Form Heading To Bermuda
Jusuf Nurkic7 hours ago

Back On Wednesday Night
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Won't Suit Up Against The Timberwolves
Robert Williams III8 hours ago

Resting In Rematch With Minnesota
Deandre Ayton8 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Andre Drummond8 hours ago

Out Sick On Wednesday
Paul George8 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Cleveland
Joel Embiid8 hours ago

Sitting On Wednesday
Tage Thompson8 hours ago

Labeled As Day-To-Day
Mattias Samuelsson8 hours ago

Out Indefinitely
Gabriel Landeskog8 hours ago

Remains Without A Timeline
Jonas Brodin9 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Thursday
Tank Bigsby9 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Wednesday
Andre Drummond9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Tyreek Hill9 hours ago

Misses Wednesday's Practice
Hampus Lindholm9 hours ago

Expected To Miss "Weeks"
Jani Hakanpaa9 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Officially Limited On Wednesday
Marcus Smart9 hours ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis9 hours ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.9 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.9 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs9 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley9 hours ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins9 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris10 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey10 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle10 hours ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.10 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf10 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta11 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy12 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II12 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins13 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco13 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo13 hours ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Dalton Kincaid14 hours ago

No Practice For Dalton Kincaid On Wednesday
Amari Cooper14 hours ago

To Be Limited On Wednesday
Nick Hardy16 hours ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young17 hours ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Brandon Clarke17 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu17 hours ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart17 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Fred VanVleet17 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Steven Adams18 hours ago

Questionable For Meeting With Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith18 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Obi Toppin18 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Anthony Davis18 hours ago

Expected To Play Wednesday
Connor McDavid18 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk18 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark18 hours ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm18 hours ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett19 hours ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller19 hours ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge1 day ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Jose Alvarado1 day ago

Out Against OKC
Dante Fabbro1 day ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco1 day ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Spencer Knight1 day ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
Travis d'Arnaud1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley1 day ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer1 day ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto1 day ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Robby Fabbri1 day ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd1 day ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg1 day ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
1 day ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Jasson Domínguez2 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa2 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates3 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños3 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano3 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers3 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic3 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco3 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins3 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
4 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano4 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie4 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones4 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron4 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
5 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB5 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto5 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025
Mason Miller6 days ago

To Stay In The Bullpen
Shohei Ohtani6 days ago

Shoulder Surgery Could Delay His Pitching
New York Yankees6 days ago

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Option
Carlos Prates6 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA6 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios6 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Giants will all be on a bye during Week 11. There are still some great matchups on the board, including when the Steelers host the Ravens. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 11

Week 10 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

High-Value Touches and Opportunities - Fantasy Football Underperformers, Overperformers (Week 11)

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my weekly series, "High-Value Touches and Opportunities" for Week 11 of the 2024 fantasy football season. We're nearly a month before the fantasy football playoffs begin, depending on if leagues go through Week 17 or 18. It's crunch time, and we'll want to pay attention to the news, noise, and trends, […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

Week 11 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 11 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. There are four more teams on bye this week (Cardinals, Panthers, Giants, and Buccaneers), so I'll be ranking defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  There's […]


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

2024 Fantasy Football Rankings (Weekly Rankings)

Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Drake London, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, Chase Brown

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Mike Williams - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Rankings, Sleepers

Week 11 Waiver Wire Rankings (2024) - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Audric Estime, Quentin Johnston, Ricky Pearsall, Taysom Hill, Mike Williams

The fantasy football playoffs are rapidly approaching, as most leagues have four weeks left in the regular season. At RotoBaller HQ, we have more waiver wire advice with our Week 11 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024 to help add those players for that playoff push. There were more crucial injuries in last week, […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 11 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

It's the thick of November with four games left before the playoffs for many of you, which means it's time for an updated rest-of-season rankings chart! We keep sifting through evolving developments, such as key players returning from injuries or dealing with fragile quarterback situations. Let's see who is rising and falling with our Week […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 11 Including Najee Harris, Christian McCaffrey, Calvin Ridley, Brian Thomas Jr.

I'm not sure how we are at this point in the season already, but the end of Week 11 marks the trade deadline in most fantasy football leagues. The past 10 weeks have flown by, despite the countless ups and downs that have brought us immeasurable joy and pain. Fortunately, I avoided pain with my […]


Nick Chubb - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 11) - Offensive Line Champs and Chumps

Week 10 featured an excellent Thursday night game but plenty of struggles on Sunday and Monday. Some rough offensive performances from historically reliable players this season made fantasy scoring hard to come by for many. The injuries kept racking up along offensive lines across the league. In Week 10, 18 teams were missing at least […]


Jake Bates - Fantasy Football Rankings, Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups, Streamers

Week 11 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

As we head into Week 11, some essential kickers, including Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are on bye. McLaughlin currently sits fifth among fantasy kickers. If McLaughlin has been a staple in your lineup, you need a replacement this week. Eddy Pineiro (Carolina Panthers), Chad Ryland (Arizona Cardinals), and Graham Gano (New York […]


Derek Carr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Derek Carr, Austin Ekeler, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tylan Wallace, Tanner Hudson

Week 10 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 10th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players? Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous […]