Who Is The Tigers' Closer? Fantasy Baseball Saves Outlooks

February 18, 2023

Who will be the closer for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 now that Gregory Soto is gone? Read the fantasy baseball outlook here.

With the departure of Gregory Soto, who did most of the heavy lifting as the Detroit Tigers closer, the organization will have a few internal options to look towards. Soto reached a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, who were targeting a high-leverage arm to capitalize on their bullpen depth.

Soto's departure changes many factors, and while the closing role is severely volatile, the Tigers have a couple of in-house alternatives. Right-hander Alex Lange is listed as Detroit's closer, according to Fangraphs. Jason Foley and Jose Cisnero are listed as setup men but they may pick up some save opportunities if Lange doesn't go as planned.

Now comes the big question. If you're considering any of the aforementioned three, who will make the biggest impact in re-draft leagues?

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Lack of Closing Experience

One drawback to the current closing situation in Detroit is the lack of closing experience. Soto converted 30 of his 33 chances in 2022, while Lange came down hard after blowing four save opportunities. Soto was clearly the anchor in high-leverage situations, but the Tigers seem to be satisfied with their current options.

Lange may not be a Gregory Soto-esque talent, but we may as well get to know him considering that he's the presumptive closer. The 27-year-old spends most of his time as a late-inning reliever, with a load of upside. He twirled a 3.41 ERA with a 3.25 FIP across 63.1 frames. Lange offers a three pitch-mix, which has improved tremendously since going pro two seasons ago.

His usage rates are primarily consumed by a steep curveball, but he also incorporates a four-seam and an occasional changeup. The California native has impressive metrics which is already an indicator he'll flourish in the closing role. He ranked in the 100th percentile for the whiff rate, which can be attributed to his twin pair of offspeed pitches. Lange was also in the 97th percentile for strikeout rate.

Bottom line, Lange is far more sophisticated in his pre-emptive role as closer. He is receiving immense traction in re-draft leagues, as per NFBC, despite an underwhelming 428.20 ADP.

Viable Alternatives

We mentioned two potential candidates in Foley and Cisnero, and they may as well stay warmed if an inevitable injury derails Lange. We won't know how Lange will respond to his closing role until we see some action, but the Tigers are assured at least three candidates.

It's likely that Cisnero would be the next best option in Detroit, but that is assuming he can stay healthy. The 33-year-old is paramount to Foley as a high-strikeout reliever, which sort of puts him ahead. Despite an injury-plagued season, Cisnero finished with a 21.9% strikeout rate and outmatched Foley's 16.8% mark. Overall, both relievers are possible options, but it wouldn't be surprising if Cisnero lands a job as the backup closer.

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