RADIO
We previously looked at the closer and bullpen situations in the AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East, and NL Central. Today we chck out the NL West. Make sure to also bookmark our MLB Closer Depth Charts, which are updated every day for your viewing pleasure.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Head Honcho – Addison Reed ; Next in line – Brad Ziegler, Evan Marshall
Reed is a great example of blindly going for saves. Yes, he had 32 Saves in 2014, but that came with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.67 HR/9. His best performance includes a 3.68 ERA, and he has a career 1.12 HR/9. Further, his shoulder problems prevented him from reclaiming the 95 MPH heat he brought for the Sox. Not positive signs for a 26-year-old reliever. He’s our 26th overall RP, and I recommend passing on Reed unless you’re desperate for saves. He may miss a couple weeks as he works his way back from injury.
Arizona could go multiple routes for a replacement. David Hernandez would be the preferred candidate, but he’s still recovering from his Tommy John surgery. Ziegler has the veteran experience but considering his arsenal lacking closer material, his historical struggles versus righties, and the fact he’s still recovering from microfracture knee surgery makes Ziegler a poor recommendation on draft day.
If you want to handcuff Reed or speculate saves, Marshall is a strong play. Only 24 years old, he carries closer experience in Arizona’s farm system and doesn’t give up gopher balls as frequently as Reed. I’d only recommend snagging Marshall in NL-only leagues, but he’s worth putting on the watch list.
Colorado Rockies
Head Honcho – LaTroy Hawkins ; Next in line – Adam Ottavino
The ageless wonder Hawkins was able to overcome Coors Field in 2014 and produced solid numbers, recording 23 Saves with a 3.31 ERA. The 42-year old still struggled at home and his 32 Ks aren’t helping your team a ton, but that’s why he’s our 28th ranked closer.
If you want to gamble on a Rockies pitcher in general, be my guest, but his inability to contribute in the K department mixed with Coors has me looking elsewhere. Hawkins has already stated this is his final season, so Colorado is likely interested in seeing what they have internally. Ottavino and Rex Brothers are the favorites to step into the closer role, but each has an ERA above 4.00 at Coors and aren’t strong candidates for all-around contributions unless you’re chasing for saves.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Top Gun – Kenley Jansen (DL) ; Next in line – Joel Peralta, Brandon League (DL)
Jansen is recovering from offseason foot surgery and is likely to miss the first month of the season. All signs have been positive regarding his rehab. This represents an excellent opportunity to snag a top tier closer at a deflated price for fantasy owners. Although his ERA rose almost a full point to 2.76 and he had a career high .350 BABIP, none of his batted ball metrics showed signs of regression. This leads me to believe he was just a victim of bad luck in 2014 and should rebound nicely this season. He’s Rotoballer’s 4th overall closer, and although I’m not a fan of paying for saves, he’s a good value if he slips past the top 8 closers.
I see the Dodgers using a committee approach for the first month which makes drafting either Peralta or League a crapshoot. League has the closer experience, but he’s already dealing with shoulder soreness. I’d recommend passing and searching for saves elsewhere.
San Diego Padres
Head Honcho – Joaquin Benoit ; Next in line – Kevin Quackenbush
Benoit finished strong for San Diego in 2014, racking up ten saves with a 0.57 ERA in second half. He limited his use of the fastball and emphasized his slider and changeup which were extremely effective; he recorded a 6.5 wSL and 9.0 wCH. His .203 BABIP makes me think his 1.49 ERA is unsustainable, but I think Benoit is in line for a great season. The Padres bullpen has always been strong and combined with the revamped offense should result in a greater chance for save ops. Benoit is tied with Huston Street for 14th overall in our rankings, and I think he’s a great purchase after the bigger names are off the board.
Quackenbush represents the contingency plan in San Diego. He has experience closing in their farm system and his ability to limit walks (2.98 BB/9) and HR (0.33 HR/9) makes him a strong candidate for success in the ninth inning. Quackenbush is worth keeping an eye on and I highly recommend adding him to your roster should Benoit suffer an injury.
San Francisco Giants
Head Honcho – Santiago Casilla ; Next in line – Sergio Romo
Casilla produced solid numbers after taking over for Romo, recording 19 Saves with a 1.70 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. His two seam fastball was particularly effective, resulting in a 10.2 wFT (Two Seam Fastball runs above average). His 2.31 BB/9 was well over his average in San Fran (3.99 BB/9) so it’ll be interesting to see if he can sustain his improved control. He’s struggled so far this spring. If that continues into April, don’t be shocked to hear Romo grumblings. Look no further than the fact we have Romo (25) ranked higher than Casilla (32) that the job is far from safe.
Romo was two different pitchers in 2014. His first half 4.74 ERA and 7 HR allowed were atrocious and worthy of a demotion, but his second half was a different story (1.80 ERA, 2 HR allowed). He seems to be recovering nicely from shoulder soreness and should be a key component of the Giants bullpen this year. Don’t be shocked when he takes the job or at the minimum steals some saves from Casilla.
