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Toronto Blue Jays Fantasy Baseball Closer Information and Depth Chart

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Previous updates:

June 3, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Aaron Loup picked up an 11th-inning save on Sunday night after the Jays had used most of the other relievers in their bullpen.  Brett Cecil pitched the 8th and 9th for Toronto and extended his scoreless innings streak to 11.  Though Neil Wagner had a strong debut earlier this week, he hasn’t pitched in a game in which the Blue Jays were winning or tied since.  Hierarchy change: Brett Cecil to 2nd in line, replacing Neil Wagner.

May 30, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – With many of their top relievers injured, the Blue Jays on Wednesday called up their AAA closer, Neil Wagner, and immediately thrust him in to a big spot.  Wagner, 29, a hard-throwing righty, pitched the 7th and 8th innings in a 3-run game, before giving way to Casey Janssen.  He allowed only one hit and struck out two.  Wagner’s stats in AAA are very impressive (20.1 IP, 0.89 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 13 saves, and 32 Ks/8 BBs), and the lack of (healthy) closing experience puts him immediately in the conversation if Janssen’s recent shoulder complaints turn into something real.  Hierarchy change: Neil Wagner to 2nd in line, replacing Brett Cecil.

May 29, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays - With Darren Oliver on the disabled list with a strained shoulder, Steve Delabar has ascended to the setup role in the threadbare Jays bullpen. Right behind him is an equally overworked Brett Cecil, who has struck out eight of the last fourteen batters he’s faced. As Casey Janssen was held out of Tuesday’s game with a “tender” shoulder, Delabar may see ninth-inning action very soon. Hierarchy change: Steve Delabar to Set-up, Brett Cecil to 2nd in line, Darren Oliver to DL.

May 15, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Adding to the Blue Jays’ injury woes, Sergio Santos will need surgery to clean out bone spurs from his elbow. Expect him back in early July. No hierarchy change.

May 8, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Steve Delabar has been pitching more effectively than Aaron Loup lately, and in more important spots. Sergio Santos, meanwhile, expects to be out for about two more weeks. Hierarchy change: Steve Delabar to 2nd in line, replacing Aaron Loup.

May 4, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays - Aaron Loup pitched the 5th and 6th inning last night while Darren Oliver pitched the 8th.  Although the Blue Jays were losing, it was a close game and they used Janssen for the 9th.  Oliver also pitched the 8th ahead of Janssen a few days ago.   Hierarchy change:  Darren Oliver to Set-up, Aaron Loup to 2nd in line.

April 16, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Sergio Santos was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained triceps, and young Aaron Loup was summoned today in a high-leverage eighth.  Hierarchy change: Aaron Loup to Set-up, Sergio Santos to DL.

April 13, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Aaron Loup picked up a three-inning save on Friday.  Loup has pitched well to start the season, but doesn’t factor in to the Blue Jays late inning hierarchy just yet.  No hierarchy change.

March 25, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Blue Jays manager John Gibbons seems to think that Casey Janssen will be ready to open the season come April 2.  Janssen himself is far less certain.  Either way, though, Gibbons told the Toronto Sun that Janssen was definitely his closer, even if he wasn’t ready for the season.  So if Sergio Santos gets a few save opportunities, they won’t last long, as Janssen will inherit the job whenever he does return.  Hierarchy change: Casey Janssen to Closer, Sergio Santos to Set-up.

March 20, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – With Casey Janssen’s rehab going slower than expected, Sergio Santos will most likely start the season as the closer in Toronto.  Santos was signed before last season with the expectation that he would close for the Blue Jays, so if he pitches well in the early going, he could hold on to the job for good.  Hierarchy change: Sergio Santos to Closer, Casey Janssen to Set-up. 

February 24, 2013
Toronto Blue Jays – Casey Janssen enters camp as favorite to hold the Toronto closer job, but Sergio Santos was brought in last season to finish games, and could easily seize the job if Janssen falters.  Starting 2013 hierarchy: Closer- Casey Janssen, Set-up- Sergio Santos, 2nd in line- Darren Oliver.

August 5, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Darren Oliver picked up an 11th inning save on Saturday. Casey Janssen had already pitched earlier in the night. No hierarchy change.

July 21, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – The Blue Jays picked up three pitchers from the Houston Astros in a 10-player trade on Thursday including Brandon Lyon, who will likely serve as a 7th inning guy ahead of Darren Oliver and Casey Janssen. Hierarchy change: Brandon Lyon to 2nd in line, replacing Jason Frasor.

July 16, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Darren Oliver pitched the last two innings in a three-run game for the Jays last night, earning his first save of the season. Casey Janssen remains the team’s regular closer, and will maintain that role for the foreseeable future, as the Jays also announced Sunday that Sergio Santos would undergo season-ending surgery. No hierarchy change.

July 13, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Whether the Blue Jays are buyers or sellers has been a topic of debate, with GM Alex Anthopolous saying earlier this month that they were buyers, while Buster Olney reported a few days later that other executives were expecting the Jays to sell. But even if they do sell, Casey Janssen has a 2-year deal and would likely be sticking around. And if they buy, they’ll probably look somewhere other than the bullpen, as they’ve got Sergio Santos returning soon. TRADE DEADLINE BUY/SELL: None.

July 5, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Jason Frasor pitched the 7th inning of a close game for the second night in a row. He now has 11 holds on the season and seems to have established himself as the guy that the Blue Jays will use ahead of Oliver and Janssen. Hierarchy change: Jason Frasor to 2nd in line replacing Francisco Cordero.

June 30, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Darren Oliver pitched the 8th inning ahead of Casey Janssen on Friday, his fourth consecutive 8th inning hold. The ageless lefty is having the best season of his career, sporting a 1.59 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Hierarchy change: Darren Oliver to Set-up, Francisco Cordero to 2nd in line.

June 20, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Jason Frasor gave up 2 runs on Tuesday, pushing his ERA to 4.26. Meanwhile, veteran lefty Darren Oliver pitched yet another scoreless inning, eventually earning the win after John Axford blew the save. He’s been used against both righties and lefties this season, and now has a sparkling 1.48 ERA. Hierarchy change: Darren Oliver to 2nd in line, replacing Jason Frasor.

June 12, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Sergio Santos suffered another setback in his rehab this weekend and could be out until after the All Star break, or longer. Casey Janssen has performed well in his stead and with this news, his value continues to rise. No hierarchy change.

May 31, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – His ERA is still ugly due to some awful outings earlier in the year, but Francisco Cordero has been solid since being demoted from the closer role, holding the opposition scoreless in 10 out of 11 outings. He pitched the 8th inning last night- setting up for Casey Janssen- his second such appearance in a row. Hierarchy change: Francisco Cordero to Set-up, Jason Frasor to 2nd in line.

May 18, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Jason Frasor picked up his second hold of the week on Thursday, and has been used regularly in high leverage spots. Francisco Cordero has been held out of close games as the Jays aim to rebuild his confidence. Hierarchy change: Jason Frasor to Set-up, Francisco Cordero to 2nd in line.

May 10, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – The Blue Jays just announced that they have demoted Francisco Cordero, and that Casey Janssen would be the team’s closer until Sergio Santos returns, according to the Toronto Star. Janssen pitched a clean 9th in his first opportunity on Wednesday; Santos will likely be out at least another two weeks. Hierarchy change: Casey Janssen to Closer, Francisco Cordero to Set-up.

May 9, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Francisco Cordero blew a save in ugly fashion last night, allowing 5 earned runs including a walk-off grand slam. Injured closer Sergio Santos has begun a rehab program, but is likely still two weeks away from returning. Another bad outing or two by Cordero, and he may not hold the job until Santos’s return. Francisco Cordero to Hot Seat.

April 30, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays – Before Sunday’s game, manager John Farrell explicitly identified Casey Janssen as the team’s set-up man, and proved it by using him in a high-leverage eighth. Luis Perez didn’t make the choice difficult, with a four-run tenth on Friday. Hierarchy change: Casey Janssen to Set-Up, Luis Perez to 2nd in Line.

April 24, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays — Casey Janssen hasn’t pitched since he blew a save on April 14, and Jason Frasor has been idle since a 3-run outing on April 19. In the meantime, Luis Perez and Darren Oliver have been getting more work, including high-leverage outings by Perez on April 20 and last night. With Sergio Santos out, the bullpen situation in Toronto remains quite fluid. Hierarchy change: Luis Perez to Set-up, Jason Frasor to 2nd in Line.

April 23, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays- With Sergio Santos on the DL, new closer Francisco Cordero picked up a somewhat rocky save in his first day on the job. No hierarchy change.

April 22, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays- Sergio Santos was placedon the disabled list on Saturday with right shoulder inflammation; insurance policy Francisco Cordero will step into the role of closer until Santos can return. Hierarchy change: Santos to DL, Cordero to Closer, Casey Janssen to Set-up, Jason Frasor to 2nd in Line.

April 10, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays- Sergio Santos blew his second consecutive save on Sunday and looked ugly doing it, walking three hitters and only recording two outs. Experienced set-up man Francisco Cordero could see some opportunities if Santos continues to falter. Sergio Santos to Hot Seat.

March 20, 2012
Toronto Blue Jays- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos continued to make positive moves for the team’s bullpen, trading for White Sox closer Sergio Santos, who will take over as closer in Toronto. The team also signed former Reds closer Francisco Cordero, who will serve as the primary setup man. Starting 2012 hierarchy: Closer- Sergio Santos, Set-up- Francisco Cordero, 2nd in line- Casey Janssen.

Dec. 15, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- The Blue Jays have traded for Sergio Santos, who will assume the closer’s role from the departing Frank Francisco. Hierarchy change: Sergio Santos to Closer, replacing Frank Francisco.

Sept. 12, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- Jon Rauch has barely pitched since his return from the DL. Casey Janssen has been used in most of the high-leverage non-save situations as of late. Hierarchy change: Janssen to Set-up, Rauch to 2nd in line.

Sept. 2, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- Jon Rauch, fresh off the DL, pitched the 8th inning last night. He won’t reclaim his old closer job, but he’ll likely be the guy the Jays call upon if Francisco gets hurt. Casey Janssen, who will be sidelined for a few days with a stiff back, will assume the 2nd in line role as soon as he’s healthy. Hierarchy change: Rauch to Set-up, replacing Janssen.

Aug. 25, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- Pitching in relief, Jesse Litsch earned the win last night. Litsch has been impressive since being recalled from Triple-A, and he came in the 7th in a tie game. Hierarchy change: Litsch to 2nd in line, replacing Camp.

Aug. 22, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- Casey Janssen picked up a 3-inning save in the Blue Jays’ 1-0 victory last night. Frank Francisco warmed up for the 9th, but felt stiffness in his shoulder, so Janssen stayed in. At the moment, Francisco’s injury doesn’t appear serious. No hierarchy change.

Aug. 16, 2011
Toronto Blue Jays- Jon Rauch has been placed on the DL after undergoing an emergency appendectomy this morning. Frank Francisco will assume the closer role indefinitely. Hierarchy change: Rauch to DL. Francisco to Closer, Janssen to Set-Up, Camp to 2nd in line.