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ANALYSIS: At this juncture of the season, saves can be tough to come by on the waiver wire. That being said, Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is still available for free in about 80 percent of Yahoo leagues currently. Even though the closer for the Twins is not the best of positions, he is still there to assist with a vital category.
True, the ratios (4.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) are middling, and relievers who do not strike out a batter per inning (8.51 strikeouts per nine) seem to be a minority in this day and age. However, Hildenberger has received (and converted) four of the Twins' five save opportunities since they traded Fernando Rodney to Oakland.
While this season has not gone great for Hildenberger (or the Twins), the 27-year-old did have a 3.21 ERA in 42 MLB innings last season after posting a 2.05 ERA in 30 2/3 Triple-A innings. He also had a 25.9% strikeout rate in 2017, showing that there are more whiffs in his profile. Even if the whiffs do not come, and if he struggles with control (walk rate has gone from 3.5% to 7.6%), Hildenberger seems to be the only option for saves for the Twinkies.
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