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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Florio's Bullpens and Saves Report - Yankees, Cardinals Among Many Changing Pens

Jose Alvarado - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

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 12.

These next six weeks are going to be vital both for MLB teams in contention and also for the fantasy stock of many relief pitchers. Entering Tuesday, there were only six teams that were double-digit games out of first place. There are only two that are double-digit games out of a final Wild Card spot. 

That means most teams are a hot streak away from being in contention. It also means that many teams are a cold streak away from potentially blowing things up. There are a number of teams that we thought would be sellers but have performed well enough that they could be buyers instead. And vice versa. 

It makes figuring out which relievers could be traded a little tough at this point. But these next few weeks will be vital to monitor and keep a close eye on. One thing is certain though, trades are going to shake up the relief pitcher market in a big way.

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

 

Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

The Cardinals bullpen has been featured in this column often as of late. Even before he was picking up saves, I was advocating to roster Giovanny Gallegos. He now leads the team with eight saves on the season. He should be the primary closer now as Ryan Helsley landed on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain this week. Gallegos goes from a committee to being a must-start reliever. Jordan Hicks is next up in the bullpen. 

The Yankees' bullpen has been frustrating as of late. After starting the year as the closer, Clay Holmes hit a rocky patch and we saw four different pitchers pick up saves with others in the picture. In the last two weeks though, Holmes has taken back over as the primary closer, picking up three of their four saves. In that span, Holmes has pitched to a 0.00 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with a 30 percent strikeout rate. The other save went to Wandy Peralta, who remains the top fallback option in this bullpen. 

The White Sox saw Liam Hendriks return after beating cancer, pitch well, and even pick up a save. He was all set to overtake the closer role, but then he landed on the IL with right elbow inflammation. That pushes Kendall Graveman back into the closer role for the Sox and he has shown he can handle the job. The White Sox have no shortage of fallback options with Reynaldo Lopez, Joe Kelly, and Keynan Middleton. If you are looking for a flier, I like them in that order.

The Marlins saw A.J. Puk come back from the IL and he immediately returned to closing games for them. He has Miami’s lone save since and should once again be universally started in fantasy leagues. Dylan Floro held the job down adequately in his absence and is clearly the next man up. He can be rostered either as a handcuff to Puk or for ratios and strikeouts with the chance of a save here and there. 

 

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball 

The Phillies were able to activate Jose Alvarado off the IL. Since he returned, he has thrown two innings with a 4.50 ERA and 2.50 WHIP. It is a small sample and could just be him ramping back into form after a short absence. Craig Kimbrel has the Phillies' lone save in the last week and will remain in the closer picture all year for Philly. I am expecting a committee between Alvarado and Kimbrel. While Alvarado is my preferred option, Philly has clearly shown that they will use both -- making the two pitchers worthy of rostering in fantasy baseball. 

I keep saying to stay away from the A’s bullpen, but I keep writing about them for those desperate enough to chase saves here. After having just four saves for the vast majority of the season, the A’s actually picked up five saves in the last week. Two of them went to Trevor May, two to Sam Long, and one to Ken Waldichuk.

The money and strikeouts point to May getting the chances. But May has struggled, allowing a lot of baserunners this season. Long may not get the strikeouts like May, but he has been the better source of ratios. I rank them May, Long, and then if you for some reason want to take a deep flier here, that would be Waldichuk.

The Nationals have been using Kyle Finnegan more in the middle innings as a bridge to the ninth inning as of late. In fact, over the last two weeks, he does not have a save, while the team's lone one went to Hunter Harvey. I still think Finnegan has the highest odds of picking up the saves for the Nationals, but he is certainly losing his grip on the job.

While he can still be started in fantasy, Harvey should also be picked up. Not only could a trade clear the path for him to overtake the closer gig but there is also a chance that happens even without a trade. He should be picked up in fantasy this week. It may cost a lot more to add him a couple of weeks from now. 

The Rockies' bullpen is becoming tougher and tougher to trust. After Pierce Johnson lost the closer role, we have seen Justin Lawrence pick up two saves and Matt Carasiti picked up one in the last two weeks. Lawrence has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with a 21 percent strikeout rate. He is the top option to roster here, followed by Carasiti. There is also Daniel Bard looming, but until we see him used in a save situation, we have to let that dream go. This is a volatile bullpen right now. 

 

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

I have spent a lot of time advocating to stash Aroldis Chapman and that is not changing with us getting closer to the deadline. In the last month, Chapman has just one save, but he has pitched to a 1.04 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 50 percent strikeout rate. That’s right, he has struck out half the batters he has faced. He is a lock to be traded as the Royals have quickly approached Oakland A’s territory. He could end up closing out games in the second half of the season. If not, he can still provide ratios and strikeouts. 

And if Chapman is traded, we could also see the Royals shop Scott Barlow. That would leave Carlos Hernandez as the favorite to pick up saves in Kansas City. He has an inflated ERA in the last month, but he has pitched to a 0.82 WHIP and a 35 percent strikeout rate. He provides ratios and strikeouts and just might have a path to closing out games in the second half of the season. 

Taylor Rogers has been lights out in the last month. In that span, he has pitched to a 0.84 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with a 53 percent strikeout rate. The only reliever with a higher strikeout rate in that span is Felix Bautista (62 percent). Rogers may not get you any saves, but if you are in need of fixing your ratios or finding strikeouts, he is an option for you. 

Steven Okert is a similar option to Rogers. In the last month, he has pitched to a 1.69 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with a 46 percent strikeout rate. He will not provide any saves in Miami, but he can certainly provide valuable ratios. He is an option for those in deeper leagues, especially NL-only ones. 

Scott McGough pitched to a 0.00 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with a 39 percent strikeout rate in the last month. In that span, he has thrown 14.2 innings, which is toward the league lead among relievers. He also picked up a save over the weekend, coming in to relieve a struggling Andrew Chafin. It was his second save of the season, showing that he will get the occasional opportunity. 

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Merrill Kelly

To Make His Next Start On Saturday
Jeffrey Springs

Cleared To Start On Saturday Against White Sox
Ryan Jeffers

To See More Work Behind The Plate
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Friday
Taijuan Walker

Starting On Friday Against Cubs
Javier Assad

Dealing With Grade 2 Oblique Strain
Ryan Pressly

Status TBD For Friday's Game
Seiya Suzuki

Returns For Series Opener Against Phillies
Willy Adames

Knocks In Go-Ahead Run In Win
Wilyer Abreu

Cools After Hot Start
Vinnie Pasquantino

Continues Dismal Start
Will Levis

Could Be Traded Soon
Josh Naylor

Drives In Run In Loss
Bryce Young

Wanted Panthers To Take Tetairoa McMillan
Travis Hunter

Jaguars Plan To Start Travis Hunter In The Receiver Room
Garrett Crochet

Dealt Second Loss
Detroit Lions

Lions Pick Up Aidan Hutchinson's Fifth-Year Option
Jameson Williams

Lions Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Rhett Lowder

To Throw A Bullpen Session On Saturday
Aidan Miller

Showing Well At Double-A Of Late
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
J.J. Wetherholt

Absent From Lineup All Week
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Jac Caglianone

Roams Right Field At Double-A On Thursday
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
Sebastian Walcott

Smacks Second Home Run Of 2025
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Kenley Jansen

Records His Sixth Save Of The Season
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Miguel Vargas

Homers Against The Twins On Thursday
Hunter Goodman

Delivers In Game 1 On Thursday With Two Hits
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jameson Williams

Lions Didn't Entertain Trade Offers For Jameson Williams
Qadir Ismail

Raiders Sign Qadir Ismail
New York Giants

Giants Plan To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux's Fifth-Year Option
Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders
Jaxson Dart

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall
Matthew Golden

Selected No. 23 Overall By Green Bay
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF