Ned Yost Not Defining Closer Role
6 years agoKansas City Royals manager Ned Yost may not name a specific closer heading into the regular season. "The roles will define themselves over time," Yost said. "My mindset has been [to go with a] closer in the past. Now, I think more in terms of high-leverage situation. When do you use that guy in high leverage? You need guys comfortable in high-leverage situations, whether it is the seventh or the eighth inning. I'm looking more in terms of that than just have [an anointed] closer." Wily Peralta was perfect in his 14 save chances last year, but the Royals also signed Brad Boxberger in the offseason. Yost also trusts Tim Hill late in games. Boxberger had 32 saves for the Diamondbacks in 2018 but also struggled late in the year and lost the job. Based on experience alone, he's your best target, but the best strategy might be to avoid the back end of KC's bullpen altogether.
Source: MLB.com - Jeffrey Flanagan
Source: MLB.com - Jeffrey Flanagan