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A busy week in the MLB with a ton of trades has shaken up rosters for the playoff push. At the time I'm writing this, there are about 16 hours left until the trade deadline so there could still be more moves that are made.
We'll take a look at what has gone down over the past week and what could still come. For fully updated information on the current closers, setup men and longshots, check out our MLB Closer and Saves Depth Charts.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for closers and relief pitchers, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Jonathan Papelbon (RP, WAS)
I mentioned in the last article that the Blue Jays and Nationals were the frontrunners to land Papelbon, and it was Washington who was able to make the deal. There was a report that Papelbon only accepted the trade after his demand to be the team's closer was met. This is bad news for Drew Storen owners for the remainder of the season. Storen was having an elite season by all measures with 29 saves and a 1.64 ERA. He'll still be the set up man and get a lot of strikeouts but the save opportunities won't be there.
While Storen's value takes a bit of a dip, Papelbon's definitely rises now that he is playing for a contender. He's sure to see more save chances then he was getting in Philly and will be one of the best closing options for the rest of the season. In his first save chance with Washington, Papelbon got the job done, mowing down the Marlins batters in succession.
Craig Kimbrel (RP, SD)
I wrote a lengthy amount on Kimbrel in the last article, but just to update he is still with the Padres. It appears that if he is to be traded that the Yankees would be the frontrunners to acquire him. There is also still a chance that he stays with the Padres so we'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming hours. Once again, if he is traded, Joaquin Benoit becomes a great waiver wire pickup for the Padres.
Joakim Soria (RP, PIT)
Former Tigers closer Soria was traded to the Pirates in a somewhat surprising deal. The Pirates already have one of the top closers in baseball, in All-Star Mark Melancon, so this wasn't expected. This is bad news for Soria owners since he surely won't be the closer in Pittsburgh. I wouldn't drop him just yet since he'll still rack up the relief innings and get you strikeouts. Soria and Storen have been the big losers so far this trade deadline, in terms of fantasy production.
The Tigers have three potential closer options in Al Alburquerque, Bruce Rondon, and Neftali Feliz. Surprisingly in the first game without Soria, it was Alex Wilson who recorded his first career save. If the Tigers take a flyer on one of these being able to close for the rest of the season, they'll be a nice waiver wire pickup. I would expect a bullpen by committee type situation which would leave little value in any of these four players.
Latroy Hawkins (RP, TOR)
Hawkins was moved to the Blue Jays who have an awful bullpen that I've been pretty vocal about. The problem is that Hawkins isn't good either. It's possible that the Jays give him a couple shots in late inning situations but all in all I don't think this move does anything for Hawkins' fantasy value.
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