Bullpen Report: Bullpens Keep on Changing

Michael Florio's fantasy baseball closers, saves and bullpen report for Week 8. He looks at all 30 MLB bullpens for under the radar fantasy baseball relievers.

Another week, more bullpens changing around the league. I mean at this point you do not need to be told how important it is to stay up to date on bullpens and how they are shaking out.

Unlike many other positions, the turnover is not due to injury. In many cases, teams are just moving on from pitchers that have been struggling. 

There are a number of teams that have turned to a different option in the ninth in just the past week alone. But, there are also studs who provide great ratios and strikeouts and are just sitting out there on waiver wires. Those pitchers are useful in deeper formats, such as 15-team leagues or AL/NL-only.

Bullpen Updates

Arizona Diamondbacks

Stefan Crichton still appears to be the closer, but he did struggle in his last outing and picked up his second loss of the season. It brought his ERA up to 5.84 on the year, with a 1.86 WHIP and just a 17 percent strikeout rate. Basically, he has not pitched well, but he is rostered for the save opportunities as he has four saves. If he was to lose the ninth inning role, he would not be worth rostering in fantasy.

If the D-backs do make a change, the most likely candidates are Joakim Soria and Kevin Ginkel. Both have an ERA over five and a WHIP over 1.60, so neither is worth starting until we know they will get save chances. J.B. Bukauskas (elbow) is on the IL, but he is a candidate when he returns. For the time being, I would rank them: Crichton, Soria, Ginkel, but only start the one getting the save chances - which for now appears to be Crichton. 

Atlanta Braves 

Will Smith had a bad clunker last week against the Blue Jays, which now has his ERA at 4.50, but that is inflated by the bad outing. He is still the closer here and should be started everywhere. The Braves have recently brought back Chris Martin, who has pitched well in his limited appearances so far and have Shane Greene working his way back as well. Those two appear to be the likely candidates for saves should Smith struggle. Outside of those two, this pen can be left on the waiver wire for fantasy purposes. 

Baltimore Orioles 

Cesar Valdez blew a save last week and has allowed an earned run in half of his last six appearances. He still has the job, meaning he is still worth rostering and starting, but he is definitely on thin ice. Paul Fry has been pitching in a setup role, but he has been great, pitching to a 1.17 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, a 37 percent strikeout rate and a 2.39 SIERA, all of which are better than Valdez. He is a bullpen arm to pick up and stash now, just in case. At the very least, he provides strong ratios and strikeouts, and at the best, you get a closer before he is named, meaning you spend so much less FAAB to acquire him than if you wait. 

Boston Red Sox

Matt Barnes struggled in extra innings in his last outing, but he is still the closer and best pitcher in this pen. Adam Ottavino has been pitching in the setup role and has put his early-season struggles behind him. He pitched the ninth in a tied game over the weekend and now has a 3.86 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP and a 27 percent strikeout rate. He is likely next in line, but Garrett Whitlock is a sleeper as well. He has pitched to a 1.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 27 percent strikeout rate and 2.69 SIERA. Ottavino and Whitlock are solid stashes for save-needy teams. 

Chicago Cubs 

Craig Kimbrel has had some bumps in the road in recent days, but he is still the unquestioned closer here with great ratios. But, he was unavailable in a game this weekend and it was Rex Brothers who they turned to for the save. The thought by many, myself included, was that Andrew Chafin would be next in line, but he pitched in the sixth of that game. Brothers has a 3.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 42 percent strikeout rate and a 2.31 SIERA. He should be added in deeper formats for ratios and strikeouts, but it would take Kimbrel really struggling or getting injured for Brothers to be a regular in the saves picture. 

Chicago White Sox 

The two best arms in this pen are the two most fantasy-relevant ones. Liam Hendriks has all eight saves for the Sox and has been a great source of ratios and strikeouts. He is rostered and started everywhere. The other is Aaron Bummer, who would be next up for saves if Hendriks goes down. Bummer has pitched to a 1.17 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 2.66 SIERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate. He can be a good source of ratios and strikeouts in deeper leagues and may get a save or two if Hendriks is ever unavailable. 

Cincinnati Reds 

This bullpen remains the toughest to figure out in fantasy. Over the weekend we did see Tejay Antone get his second save of the season, which was great, but we also saw Heath Hembree pick one up. That means now five Reds relievers have a save this season - and none have more than two. Antone seems to be the one they are most comfortable turning to in later innings and he has provided strong ratios and strikeouts. He is the one fantasy players should trust the most. 

Behind him, it is very much a guessing game. They have been using Sean Doolittle more in the middle innings and Lucas Sims seems to be their fireman, coming in for high-leverage situations. While they have not turned to Amir Garrett in the ninth recently, he has been pitching better and could quickly return to late-inning work soon. I would rank these relievers for fantasy: Antone, Garrett, Doolittle, Sims, Hembree. 

Cleveland Indians 

This bullpen was once tough to figure out, but that's changed. Now, it's one of the more straightforward ones in the league. Emmanuel Clase is going to get the bulk of the save opportunities, while James Karinchak will get mixed in. Clase should be universally rostered and started, but so should Karinchak, as he has a 0.52 ERA, 0.46 WHIP and a 53 percent strikeout rate. Nick Wittgren is third in the saves pecking order, but he has just one this season and his ratios are not worth starting unless he is used in the ninth more frequently. 

Colorado Rockies 

Daniel Bard has four saves but he has also blown three saves and has a 6.14 ERA with a 2.05 WHIP. Basically, he’s been pretty awful and you get four saves in exchange for awful results. This weekend we did see the Rockies turn to Mychal Givens for a save opportunity, but he blew that one! Givens has pitched better than Bard this season, but he still has a 4.02 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. While the save picture is unclear in Colorado, you should not start either Bard or Givens. Even if one was to pull away, it is risky to trust them pitching half their games in Coors Field. The rest of this bullpen should be ignored. 

Detroit Tigers 

There are two arms to trust now in this bullpen. The first is Gregory Soto, who has been a late-inning fixture all season. He has four saves with a 3.86 ERA, 22 percent strikeout rate and a 4.75 SIERA, yet he has a nasty 1.76 WHIP. Due to the saves and that the Tigers clearly trust him in the late innings, he is worth rostering in fantasy. But, the big threat to Soto is Michael Fulmer, who has thrived in the bullpen. He has picked up three saves, and is now the other arm they trust in high-leverage situations late in games. Fulmer, in 17 innings of relief, has a 2.12 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.62 SIERA and a 30 percent strikeout rate. Oh, and he has three saves. Add him if he is still out there on the waiver wire. 

Houston Astros 

Ryan Pressly is the unquestioned closer here. After him, it appears that Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek or Enoli Paredes could be next up in line for saves. However, none of them provide strong enough ratios to roster outside the deepest of formats, like AL-only. 

Kansas City Royals 

Josh Staumont has pitched well in relief. The issue is that Kansas City hasn’t provided many save chances as of late. Still, he should be rostered in all roto formats. There’s no shortage of options behind him with Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Scott Barlow all vying for opportunities. However, Barlow is the only one to be interested in for fantasy. He has pitched to a 2.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.04 SIERA and a 32 percent strikeout rate. 

Los Angeles Angels 

I have said all year that the saves here belong to Raisel Iglesias and he will have a long leash as the closer. Then, on Sunday, the Angels turned to Iglesias in the eighth to face the heart of the Red Sox order. He got through it with no problems and the save then went to Mike Mayers. On Monday, Mayers pitched in the eighth, and Iglesias picked up his seventh save in the ninth. There is no reason to think they are fully getting away from Iglesias, but we have a clear answer on who is next in line. Mayers has pitched to a 4.50 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 3.11 SIERA with a 33 percent strikeout rate. He also could get an unexpected save opportunity here and there. He should be rostered in deep formats. 

Los Angeles Dodgers 

Kenley Jansen is still the closer for the Dodgers, but he is already universally rostered. There are two other arms to take notice of in this bullpen. The first is Blake Treinen, who has pitched to a 2.16 ERA, 2.48 SIERA, 1.32 WHIP with a 30 percent strikeout rate. He also has a save, has a history as a closer and is likely the next man up for saves should Jansen struggle or miss time. The other arm is Jimmy Nelson, who has a 3.00 ERA, 3.35 SIERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 35 percent strikeout rate. He has been used in the ninth inning at times this season as well. 

Miami Marlins 

Yimi Garcia picked up a save over the weekend and has settled down after a slight bump in the road. He is the clear-cut closer here and should be rostered universally. His backup is Dylan Floro, who has also provided great ratios. He has pitched to a 0.96 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 3.36 SIERA, and a 22 percent strikeout rate. He could be added in deeper formats for the ratios and you may get a handful of saves if Garcia ever misses time. John Curtiss is a ratio option for those in deeper leagues, pitching to a 2.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2.26 SIERA, and a 31 percent strikeout rate. 

Milwaukee Brewers 

Look, this bullpen is as straightforward as it gets. Josh Hader is as elite as they come and has picked up nine of the 11 saves in Milwaukee. They also have Devin Williams, who is over his early-season struggles. He provides strong ratios and strikeouts and is next in line for saves. J.P. Feyereisen is worth mentioning as he has pitched to a 2.45 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 4.13 SIERA, and a 27 percent strikeout rate. He is more so just for NL-only leagues though. 

Minnesota Twins 

This bullpen continues to be a nightmare for fantasy purposes. In recent days, we have seen Hansel Robles pick up his first save of the season and the next day Taylor Rogers blew another. Rogers now has two blown saves, while Alex Colome has three and Robles has one. All three could be in the saves picture both in the immediate future and the rest of the season. This bullpen has not been pretty as a whole, so outside of these three, I would leave it alone. I would rank these arms for the time being as Rogers, Robles then Colome. 

New York Mets 

The save chances are going to go to Edwin Diaz, who has been up and down, but more good than bad. If he was to miss time, Trevor May would be next in line for saves. He has pitched to a 2.40 ERA, with a 1.13 WHIP, 2.42 SIERA, and a 31 percent strikeout rate. Jeurys Familia is a name for NL-only leagues, as he has pitched to a 2.84 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 3.51 SIERA, and a 24 percent strikeout rate. Also, it is worth noting that Seth Lugo (elbow) is working his way back and he will be a late-inning arm once healthy. 

New York Yankees

Aroldis Chapman is both the clear-cut closer and the best reliever in this Yankees bullpen. He is universally rostered though. Behind him is Chad Green and Jonathan Loaisiga. Green has a save and Loaisiga has two saves on the season. Green has pitched to a 2.21 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 2.89 SIERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate. Green has pitched to a 2.49 ERA, 092 WHIP, 2.89 SIERA, and a 29 percent strikeout rate. I think Green would be next in line, but both are worth rostering in AL-only leagues. 

Oakland A’s 

We did see Jake Diekman blow a save over the weekend, while Lou Trivino pitched in a setup role. Those two have gone back and forth switching off who will get the save in a given day. Both have at least five saves, with a mid-three ERA and a WHIP around 1.3. Outside of these two, there is no one that should be on the fantasy radar in this pen. 

Philadelphia Phillies 

Hector Neris has picked up seven of the 11 saves here and while some are waiting for him to lose the job, he has done nothing to deserve that. He has continued to be one of, if not their most effective pitcher in this pen. If he does struggle though, Sam Coonrod is up next, as he has picked up two saves already this season. He has pitched to a 1.00 ERA, 2.72 SIERA, 0.78 WHIP, and a 28 percent strikeout rate. Jose Alvarado presents a strong strikeout rate (32 percent), but he is a poor source of WHIP (1.58) and can always just have one of those wild innings where things get away from him. 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Richard Rodriguez has been one of the best closers in the majors this season. There are two other pitchers to take note of in this bullpen, both for ratios and potential saves down the line. The first is David Bednar, who has pitched to a 3.31 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2.53 SIERA, and a 33 percent strikeout rate. The other is Sam Howard, who has pitched to a 3.38 ERA, 3.32 SIERA, 1,05 WHIP, and a 40 percent strikeout rate. I would rank them Bednar then Howard, but both will be in the saves picture if Rodriguez went down.

San Diego Padres 

This bullpen is a fun one for fantasy purposes. Mark Melancon has picked up 14 saves already this season all with a sub-one ERA. He has already exceeded any price you paid to land him on your team and could be a potential league winner. But, they have a number of pitchers who can give you strong ratios. Here are the relievers they have with a sub 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and over a 25 percent strikeout rate (in the order I would roster them in fantasy): Drew Pomeranz, Emilio Pagan, Craig Stammen, Ryan Weathers, and Tim Hill. 

Seattle Mariners 

This is another bullpen where we know it’ll be one of two options getting the save chances, but we cannot say with any certainty who it will be on a given night. Both Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero have five saves, but they have come in different fashions. Graveman has a 0.00 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 2.66 SIERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate. Montero has a 5.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 19 percent strikeout rate and a 3.60 SIERA. Both should be rostered in roto formats, but Graveman is the preferred option. 

San Francisco Giants 

Tyler Rogers has now picked up five saves, including three in the past week. Jake McGee, who has 10 saves, but has struggled as of late. Rogers has pitched to a 0.73 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 3.63 SIERA, and a 13 percent strikeout rate. McGee this season has a 5.09 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.36 SIERA and a 34 percent strikeout rate. You can make the argument that McGee has been the better pitcher despite the ERA, but while Rogers is getting saves he needs to be rostered in all roto formats. I would not drop McGee just yet, as he could quickly be reinserted into the closer role. Basically, we need more clarity before making the move. 

St. Louis Cardinals 

Alex Reyes just keeps getting the job done picking up 11 saves and has a 0.43 ERA. He is universally rostered though. Outside of Reyes, there is really only one other arm worthy of rostering in fantasy - Giovanny Gallegos. He has pitched to a 2.31 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, with a 2.92 SIERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate. Also, he is likely next in line for saves if Reyes does ever struggle. 

Tampa Bay Rays

Diego Castillo pitched Monday in the sixth inning. He is still the top reliever to roster in this bullpen, but the fear is that the Rays are going back to their old ways of not having a set closer. Others who will be in the saves picture are Jeffrey Springs, Cody Reed and Pete Fairbanks. Springs has two saves with a 3.06 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. I would rank these relievers for fantasy: Castillo, Springs, Fairbanks then Reed. This is a bullpen to watch closely over the next few days. 

Texas Rangers 

Ian Kennedy has 11 saves and is the clear cut closer and should be rostered in all leagues, regardless of format. Behind him, there are two other arms to monitor in this bullpen. The first is Kolby Allard, who has pitched to a 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.84 SIERA, and a 29 percent strikeout rate. Joely Rodriguez has pitched to a 4.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2.55 SIERA, and a 25 percent strikeout rate. 

Toronto Blue Jays

Rafael Dolis was activated from the IL on Tuesday, meaning that this bullpen is once again crowded. Dolis and Jordan Romano figure to be the two candidates for saves in this bullpen, but Tyler Chatwood has been pitching well and is a sleeper candidate. I will give a slight edge to Romano, as they turned to him in the ninth before Dolis early in the season, and have been going to him in recent weeks with Dolis sidelined. However, that is speculation and both should be rostered until this situation plays out. Chatwood is an AL-only arm. 

Washington Nationals 

Brad Hand has struggled as of late, but he did notch his fourth save in his latest opportunity. He has blown two saves, but the Nationals have not gotten away from him yet, meaning that neither should fantasy players. He has pitched to a 2.70 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, with a 24 percent strikeout rate. If he does continue to struggle, Daniel Hudson is next in line and he has been great this season pitching to a 1.46 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and a 33 percent strikeout rate. He is a deep league stash for ratios and potentially some saves down the road. 

All stats current entering Tuesday, May 18th unless otherwise indicated. 

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.

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