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

Florio's Bullpens and Saves Report for Fantasy Baseball - Post All-Star Break Changes

Scott McGough - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

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 17.

At this point, I sound like the analyst that cried wolf, but I promise that the relief pitcher trades are coming. With so much of the league bunched together, many teams are waiting until the last possible minute to see if they can go on a run before selling. 

But the trades are going to come and they are going to shake up bullpens around the league, which will cause quite a stir in fantasy baseball leagues. We have already seen one with Aroldis Chapman heading from the Royals to the Rangers (more on that below). But it will be far from the only one. 

It could be hard to get out in front of trades since we have no idea who will actually be dealt. We could see current closers dealt with and could see some lose their gig as their team upgrades. But as always, we will do our best to prepare for them. 

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

 

Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

When the Rangers first acquired Chapman it appeared that he would set up for closer Will Smith. However, that idea did not last long. On Sunday, Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two in the process, for his first save with Texas. After the game, manager Bruce Bochy said that Smith and Chapman would share the ninth. We then saw Smith get the next save. This appears to be a clear committee approach moving forward and both can be started in fantasy baseball. 

The Nationals had to place Hunter Harvey on the IL with a right elbow strain. With him sidelined, we saw the return of Kyle Finnegan as the Nationals' closer. He has picked up one save since the all-star break. We all know who Finnegan is at this point. In 40 2/3 innings this season he has picked up 12 saves, with a 3.32 ERA, 4.67 xERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 24 percent strikeout rate. He can be relied upon, but just expect the occasional blowup. He is also a trade candidate, and if he is dealt, then Mason Thompson could be next in line. 

The Rays continue to have a committee approach - but Pete Fairbanks appears to be on the heavy side of that. He has picked up the Rays' lone save since the all-star break. He also pitched the ninth inning of a 2-2 game,  albeit taking the loss. But he seems to be the option the Rays trust the most in the ninth and should be started in all formats. Jason Adam is also worth rostering but he is not a must-start option. 

The Diamondbacks continue to be a frustrating bullpen. The lone save since the break has gone to Kevin Ginkel. In that span Andrew Chafin has gone on the paternity list, Miguel Castro picked up a win, and expected closer Scott McGough has an ERA over 40. This bullpen appears headed towards a full-out committee. While I would still hold onto McGough for the time being, it is not a bad idea to put in a claim for Ginkel, Chafin, and Castro - in that order. Also, this bullpen could be in the market for a proven closer as the deadline nears. 

 

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball 

The Dodgers have been a committee all season long and while Evan Phillips has been the top source of saves with 12, eight different pitchers have picked up a save and four have multiple. Since the break, their lone save has gone to Ryan Brasier, his first of the season. As of now, Phillips remains the lone option to roster but you always have to keep an eye on this bullpen. Also, they remain a huge candidate to trade for a closer. 

The Cardinals have a clear closer in Jordan Hicks. They also have a clear fallback option in Giovanny Gallegos. The issue is they also have one of the worst records in baseball and have already said that players will be traded. That could include one or both of their late-inning arms. If so, it means a new closer would emerge and that new closer just might be Chris Stratton. A lot obviously has to happen for him to end up closing out games for the red birds, but it is certainly possible. He is a stash candidate in deeper leagues. 

The Yankees have been a tough bullpen to figure out this season. The lone save has gone to Clay Holmes, who has been the top candidate for saves all year. The issue has been what he does to your ratios. In the last week, he has a 6.75 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP. The Yankees are in last place but they also are just a couple of games out of the wild card and clearly could be in the market to upgrade their bullpen. In the meantime, Wandy Peralta and Tommy Kahnle are worthy fliers for saves-needy managers in 12-team leagues or deeper. 

The A’s have turned to Trevor May as their closer. He has picked up their lone save since the break and is worth starting in fantasy baseball as long as he remains with the team. However, as their highest-paid player, he seems like a likely trade candidate. If they do trade May, Sam Moll is next in line. He is worth adding now if you have the spot, as he already gets the occasional save opportunity. 

 

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

Jason Foley is worth an add if you have the spot just in case the Tigers decide to shop Alex Lange. While Foley and Lange are the same age and both have years of team control remaining, Lange has proven he can be a reliable closer. That could be a hot commodity on the market and if so, the Tigers could fetch a large return. If a Lange trade were to happen then Foley, who has three saves with a 2.23 ERA, 2.91 xERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 24 percent strikeout rate would be next in line. It is a dice roll worth taking.

The Mets appear very likely to be sellers and if so, David Robertson seems like a lock to be traded. Adam Ottavino, who is on a one-year deal, would be next in line for the Mets if and when they trade Robertson. Ottavino himself could be traded, but he also has an option for next season. If he is also dealt expect Drew Smith to close out games for the Mets in the second half. Ottavino would be the preferred option to stash but Smith is worth it in deeper leagues. 

Daniel Bard still only has one save on the season. The closer in Colorado continues to be Justin Lawrence, but teams are always looking for pitchers who have ninth-inning experience. If the Rockies decide to sell while his value is high, it could open the path for Bard to return to the ninth inning in Colorado. It is no guarantee, but if you are looking to stash a reliever before the deadline, he is not a bad candidate. 

Colin Holderman is worthy of a stash just in case the Pirates decide to shop elite closer David Bednar. While Pittsburgh was a fun story early on, they have faded and will clearly be sellers at the deadline. Holderman has struggled this season but someone has to close out games for them if they were to sell. Yerry De Los Santos is another option but he has less swing-and-miss stuff than Hodlerman.

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 Player Profiles




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

Eugenio Suárez4 hours ago

Eugenio Suarez Hits Go-Ahead Grand Slam Tuesday
A.J. Puk4 hours ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Michael King5 hours ago

Fans 11 In Five Shutout Innings Tuesday
Christian Yelich5 hours ago

Hits First Homer Of Season, Steals Base Tuesday
Evan Engram5 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Anthony Bender5 hours ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Robert Hassell III5 hours ago

Has Three-Hit Day At Triple-A
Thomas Harrington5 hours ago

Hit Hard In MLB Debut Tuesday
Gunnar Henderson5 hours ago

Hits Solo Homer In Triple-A Rehab Game Tuesday
Marcelo Mayer5 hours ago

Hits First Home Run At Triple-A
Caleb Williams5 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge6 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Zebby Matthews6 hours ago

Twirls Five Shutout Innings At Triple-A
Daniel Jones6 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin6 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice6 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Hurston Waldrep6 hours ago

Fans Seven In Win At Triple-A
Garrett Wilson6 hours ago

Jets Plan To Get Garrett Wilson The Ball "As Much As Possible"
Keaton Mitchell6 hours ago

Ravens Have High Hopes For Keaton Mitchell
Angel Genao6 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Injury
Derrick Henry6 hours ago

John Harbaugh Wants Ravens To Extend Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey7 hours ago

Is Healthy
Clarke Schmidt7 hours ago

To Return April 15 Or 16
Shane Baz7 hours ago

Strikes Out 10
Mike Tauchman7 hours ago

Begins Rehab Assignment
Wyatt Langford8 hours ago

Launches Another Homer
Nathan Eovaldi8 hours ago

Throws Complete Game Shutout
Michael Petersen8 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Matt Fitzpatrick8 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners8 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay9 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López9 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland9 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia9 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti9 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL9 hours ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette9 hours ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus9 hours ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants9 hours ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears10 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Sam Ehlinger10 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Guerschon Yabusele10 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns10 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals10 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Jevon Carter10 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry10 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips10 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith10 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball11 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter11 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton11 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant11 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal11 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II11 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons11 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young11 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser11 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud11 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Isaiah Stewart11 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba11 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga12 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry12 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jaylen Brown12 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault12 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere12 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn12 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro12 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Detroit Lions14 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans15 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders15 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear15 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins15 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL15 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä15 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway15 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys15 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal15 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy16 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris16 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk16 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth17 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp18 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim18 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood18 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau18 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole18 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith22 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment22 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka22 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov22 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov23 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes23 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
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days 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 Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 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 […]