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Relief pitchers to monitor for holds or as closer handcuffs for Week 4. Rick Graham analyzes under-the-radar RP as deep league targets or waiver wire adds.
Today and every Tuesday moving forward throughout the 2018 MLB season, we will take a deep dive into some of the lesser-owned relief pitchers on the market that are worth keeping tabs on.
This can be a good tool for those in deeper holds leagues, although any pitcher in a position to make a move on their respective team's closer job will get priority.
For week four, we will take look at two left-handed setup men in the NL West named Tony with past closing experience and two up and coming relievers with closer potential.
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Under-the-Radar Relievers to Watch in Week 4
Tony Cingrani, Los Angeles Dodgers - 3% owned
This is not to suggest that Cingrani may be the next in line should Kenley Jansen be removed from the closer's role but more about how well Cingrani has been since moving to Los Angeles last summer. Since last August, Cingrani has allowed just eight earned runs (3 coming in his Dodgers debut) over 27.2 innings (2.65 ERA) and a ridiculous 43/6 K/BB ratio. Cingrani has never really been known as a high strikeout guy, but his career high 13.5% SwStr number last year is currently being backed up by this seasons insane 20.3% number. That is the third-highest mark for relievers right now. He's been using his slider more than 30% of the time this year compared to 69.2% with his fastball, which shatters his previous averages as a reliever, in which he was over 80% with his fastball and under 12.1% with the slider every season. He's worked his way into the setup mix now, working the 8th inning twice this weekend, picking up two holds while doing so. At this point, he is definitely someone to be owned in most holds leagues. Going back to Jansen however, if he were to continue to struggle and winds up pulled from the closer's role or on the DL, Cingrani could very well be next in line. Not only is he currently the teams best relief weapon, but he also has closing experience in the not too distant past (2016). So if you are speculating the next in line in LA, I think your best option is to pass on Baez and Fields and go pickup Cingrani.
Tony Watson, San Francisco Giants - 9% owned
After blowing his second save in back to back opportunities, there was plenty of speculation that Hunter Strickland might be replaced for Tony Watson as the team's interim closer. Talked may have cooled after Strickland bounced back in his last appearance and finished the game (despite two hits) but that doesn't mean it's time to forget about Watson just yet. He's off to a nice start with a sub-one WHIP and ERA while also managing 13 strikeouts. Currently working as Strickland's setup man, he has three holds but I expect that number to grow at a higher rate once the teams get healthy. That or we'll see his save numbers start increasing after Strickland's next blown save. Either way, Watson is looking like a valuable reliever in most save plus hold leagues.
Joe Jimenez, Detroit Tigers - 3% owned
Jimenez earned himself plenty of hype heading into last season, not only as one of if not the top-ranked RP prospects but after he showed well as Edwin Diaz's setup man during the World Baseball Classic. To say Jimenez underachieved last year would be an understatement. His 12.32 ERA over 19 innings was good for dead last in the league among those who threw more than 12 innings. Fast forward to April 2018 and Jimenez not only has yet to allow an earned run but has earned himself a high leverage role for the Tigers, pitching in front of closer Shane Greene when a hold/save opportunity arises. As far as his stuff and pitch mix go, there hasn't been much change from last year. However, he is being more aggressive with attacking the zone and isn't afraid to pitch to contact it seems. I think there's still room to grow here for Jimenez, especially in the strikeout category but this is certainly a nice start and the bounce back he needed. With Green a likely trade candidate, Jimenez makes for an interesting deep league stash for now and a player to own in a most hold and/or dynasty leagues.
Victor Arano, Philadelphia Phillies - 2% owned
Arano's reliever perfect game to start the season was broken Sunday afternoon as the first batter he faced reached on an error, but he still was able to get the no-hitter before finally allowing his first hit of the season in his second inning of work. You may also notice two walks to his credit in the box score, however, both happened to be intentional. So what we are really looking at is a reliever with 10.1 innings pitched, one hit allowed and 11 strikeouts. It's a small sample size, but over 21 career innings now, Arano has allowed just 11 baserunners to go with 24 strikeouts, pretty impressive for a 23-year-old who hadn't pitched above AA. The strikeout numbers are no fluke either, as he has a crazy good 19% SwStr rate over 77 batters faced, a number typically only elite closers will get close to. Unlike a lot of elite closers, he utilizes his offspeed more than his fastball, which usually sits around 93. His slider though, is really just absurd, getting swings and misses almost 50% of the time. The Phillies bullpen may be deep, but don't be surprised to see Arano keep working his way up the depth chart and start earning himself some hold opportunities sooner rather than later.
