Taylor Rogers confirmed as closer for Padres

April 8, 2022

San Diego Padres — Before Opening Day, the Padres swung a deal for lefty Taylor Rogers and manager Bob Melvin confirmed Rogers would be his closer. Unfortunately, Rogers was unavailable and that proved costly for San Diego. Robert Suarez, the favorite for saves before the Rogers trade, had a disastrous debut. He faced three batters, walking the first two and hitting the third. He also mixed in a wild pitch before he was pulled in favor of Craig Stammen, who threw a wild pitch of his own before allowing a game-ending home run. Yikes! Rogers arrives at the right time and we’ll get rid of that committee label.

Updated hierarchy: Rogers | Suarez | Lamet.

Chicago Cubs –  It’s early in the season so you don’t want to read too much into a situation, but it really looks like David Robertson is the man to own in the Cubs bullpen. Rowan Wick ran into trouble pitching with a lead in the eighth, allowing two hits and a sacrifice fly before he was pulled. Mychal Givens got the last out of the inning but did not stay on for the ninth. Robertson allowed a hit but was able to pitch a clean inning for his first save. We have a new committee leader. 

Updated hierarchy: *Robertson | Wick | Givens.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds – With the Reds, we have another situation that’s hard not to overreact to one game into the season. With the injury to Lucas Sims it was hard to forecast who would be in line for saves. Enter Tony Santillan, who impressed as a reliever late last year (just 2 ER in 19 innings across August and September with 24 Ks) and was overlooked by most prognosticators this spring. On Opening Day, Santillan struck out two in a clean ninth inning to earn his first save. Hunter Strickland and Art Warren did not appear in this game. Santillan has a chance to steal this role before Sims has a chance to claim it back when healthy.

Updated hierarchy: *Santillan | Strickland | Warren.
* = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins – Manager Don Mattingly cleared up what appeared to be a muddy bullpen situation in Miami, tapping Anthony Bender as his first choice for saves with Dylan Floro injured, even after the acquisition of Cole Sulser. We’ll adjust accordingly.

Updated Hierarchy:  *Bender | Sulser | Bass.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox — Manager Alex Cora said he will not have a set closer to begin 2022, but he hopes Matt Barnes can pitch himself back into the role. Barnes dealt with decreased velocity this spring. Garrett Whitlock might be the most talented arm in the bullpen, but he’s currently stretched out and is expected to piggyback Rich Hill starts, at least at the beginning of the year. We’ll put Hansel Robles into the hierarchy, but this situation is still fluid. 

Updated hierarchy: *Barnes | Diekman | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

Minnesota Twins — Until we see the Twins take the field, it’s hard to know what they’ll do with their save chances now that Taylor Rogers has been dealt. It should be some combination of Tyler Duffey, Jorge Alcala and Emilio Pagan to start. Also, keep an eye on 24-year-old Jhoan Duran.

Updated hierarchy: *Duffey | Alcala | Pagan.
* = closer-by-committee

Kendall Graveman returns to form

June 23, 2021

Seattle Mariners – Kendall Graveman looked like his old self on Tuesday, needing just nine pitches to complete a 1-2-3 ninth and earn his sixth save of the season. 

Hierarchy remains: *Graveman | Montero | Steckenrider.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds – Activated prior to Tuesday’s game, Tejay Antone immediately got called upon to protect a two-run lead in the eighth after Lucas Sims allowed a homer, single and double. Antone’s second pitch after coming off the IL resulted in a game-tying double, but he recovered to retire the next two hitters and get out of the frame. When the Reds took the lead in the top of the ninth, Amir Garrett came to face the lefty-heavy top of the Twins order and earn the save.

Hierarchy remains: *Sims | Antone | Hembree.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals — Greg Holland picked up his fifth save of the season on Tuesday, with Scott Barlow securing the final two outs of the eighth inning. Josh Staumont hasn’t pitched since June 16, which is a little concerning given his previous IL stint.

Updated hierarchy: *Holland | Barlow | Staumont.
* = closer-by-committee

Atlanta Braves — Chris Martin hasn’t pitched since he allowed three earned runs on June 15. Meanwhile, A.J. Minter pitched the eighth last night and got the sixth in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday, earning a hold both times.

Updated hierarchy: Smith | Minter | Jackson. 

San Diego Padres — With guys like Emilio Pagan and Craig Stammen unavailable on Tuesday, the Padres had to turn to Nabil Crismatt and rookie Mason Thompson to get the ball to Mark Melancon. Thompson, in his MLB debut, came into the eighth inning with two outs and a two-run lead.. He threw a wild pitch during a leadoff walk, but bounced back to induce an inning-ending groundout. It remains to be seen if Thompson gets any more high-leverage work this year, but he could be a candidate to close next season.

Hierarchy remains: Melancon | Pagan | Stammen.

Arizona Diamondbacks – Stefan Crichton pitched the sixth last night with his team trailing, 1-0, and promptly turned that into a 4-0 deficit. Joakim Soria is the most likely guy to get the next save chance, whenever that actually happens. Meanwhile, Kevin Ginkel recently got demoted to Triple-A Reno, where the organization’s pitchers actually have a chance to earn a save every now and then. In fact, Ginkel earned the save for the Aces last night, and hopefully he remembered how to do postgame handshakes with his team on the field since the Diamondbacks have won just twice in June.

Updated hierarchy: *Soria | Crichton | Ramirez.
* = closer-by-committee

Oakland A’s – In case you missed our alert last night, Sergio Romo is the new stripper in Oakland.

Updated hierarchy: *Romo | Scherzer | Miller.
* = stripper-by-committee     

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Luke Jackson (ATL) – Will Smith has pitched in three straight while A.J. Minter has thrown on back-to-back days.
2. Emilio Pagan (SD) – Mark Melancon has pitched in three of four.
3. Kyle Finnegan (WAS) – Brad Hand has also gone in three of four, including a 34-pitch outing last night.

Tomorrow
1. Adam Ottavino (BOS) – If Matt Barnes pitches today, that’s two in a row.
2. Ryne Stanek (HOU) – Same goes for Ryan Pressly…
3. Scott Barlow (KC) – …and Greg Holland.
4. Dylan Floro (MIA) – A Wednesday appearance for Yimi Garcia will be two straight and three of four.

Everyone seems to be getting a save in Seattle and Kansas City

April 16, 2021

Seattle Mariners – It sure looks like a committee is taking shape in Seattle. Kendall Graveman and Keynan Middleton each earned their second save of the year in both ends of a doubleheader on Thursday. Rafael Montero, who also has two saves this season, pitched the sixth inning to set up Graveman in game one. Manager Scott Servais said he used the pitchers in that order because of the pockets of hitters due up in each inning. Both pitchers did not pitch in the nightcap. So who is the closer? It’s complicated, but it seems Montero leads the group, for now. 

Updated hierarchy: *Montero | Graveman | Middleton.
* = closer-by-committee

Toronto Blue Jays – Jordan Romano has joined Julian Merryweather on the injured list. Look for Rafael Dolis to lead a beleaguered bullpen in the meantime. 

Updated hierarchy: *Dolis | Mayza | Thornton.
* = closer-by-committee

Cleveland Indians – Manager Terry Francona had a slim lead Thursday, so he turned to his three best late-inning arms to close things out. Nick Wittgren pitched a scoreless seventh inning, James Karinchak nailed down a scoreless eighth and Emannuel Clase tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. Clase has looked terrific (0.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 7 Ks in 5.1 IP) and it appears he’s the guy, at least for now. 

Hierarchy remains: *Clase | Karinchak | Wittgren.
* = closer-by-committee

Kansas City Royals — One of the cloudier bullpen situations in baseball got even murkier Thursday when Scott Barlow pitched the final two innings to earn his first save. He is now the fifth Royal to have a save over the first 11 games. There was little reporting after the game about the team’s closer situation, so a lot of uncertainty remains. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What else do we say? 

Hierarchy remains: *Holland | Staumont | Zimmer.
* = closer-by-committee

Los Angeles Dodgers — It was a special night in Los Angeles on Thursday as David Price pitched a clean ninth to earn his first save since the 2008 ALCS. Manager Dave Roberts said he told Price before the game he’d get the opportunity to close if the situation presented itself. When Price converted to close Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball, Roberts said, “I think (it) capped a really good night off.” Price could be looking at some high-leverage bullpen work moving forward, so we’ll track his upcoming usage. 

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Knebel | Treinen.

San Diego Padres — Craig Stammen pitched the final three innings of the team’s 8-3 victory Thursday to earn his first save of the season in unconventional style. He shouldn’t factor into the team’s late-inning plans very often. 

Hierarchy remains: *Melancon | Pagan | Pomeranz.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Kendall Graveman (SEA) — Rafael Montero has pitched in four of six.
2. Sean Newcomb (ATL) — Even with an off day Thursday, Will Smith has gone in four of six.

Saturday:
1. Trevor May (NYM) — If he goes Friday, that would be three of four for Edwin Diaz.
2. Adam Ottavino (BOS) — Same as above for Matt Barnes.
3. Gregory Soto (DET) — Ditto for Bryan Garcia.
4. Sean Newcomb (ATL) — A Friday appearance would be five of seven for Will Smith.
5. Dylan Floro (MIA) — A Friday outing would be three of five for Yimi Garcia.

Kirby Yates exits after 6 pitches, heads for MRI

August 15, 2020

San Diego Padres – Kirby Yates exited after just six pitches earlier in the evening and will have an MRI on his elbow. Something has been off with Yates all season long, and whether this injury was a symptom or a cause remains to be seen, but look for Drew Pomeranz to close in his absence.

Updated hierarchy: Pomeranz | Pagan | Stammen.

2020 NL West Preview

February 26, 2020

Arizona Diamondbacks – Any conversation about the Arizona bullpen has to start with Mason Saunders. Although he projects as more of a starter, Saunders brings more experience on bulls than any other MLB team has on their entire roster. If Saunders does crack the rotation, the Diamondbacks will enter the season with Archie Bradley as the presumptive closer. The 27-year-old turned his 2019 season around and earned the closer’s role in late July, going 18-for-19 in save opportunities over the last months of the season. The Diamondbacks lost Yoshihisa Hirano, but added free agents Hector Rondon and Junior Guerra to bolster a bullpen that was inconsistent at times in 2019. They also return Kevin Ginkel, who was excellent as a rookie (1.48 ERA, 0.99 WHIP over 25 appearances), and Yoan Lopez, who was a mainstay at the back end of an injury-riddled bullpen at the end of the season. Andrew Chafin sets in as the top left-handed option for the Diamondbacks. We like Bradley to see the bulk of save chances, with Ginkel and Rondon splitting the setup role. An in interesting note is that the Diamondbacks have been an excellent source of holds over the past few seasons, with three relievers posting 20 or more holds last year, and a few more in double digits.

Starting 2020 hierarchy: Bradley | Ginkel | Rondon.
Holds candidates: Ginkel, Rondon, Lopez, Chafin.

Colorado Rockies – Going into spring training, Bud Black would like to see Wade Davis in the closer’s role, but he is certain to be on a short leash given his woeful 2019 campaign. While some of that could be chalked up to Davis pitching through injuries, it’s hard to ignore a final ERA over 8. Scott Oberg was quite effective for most of the year, but ended the season with surgery to fix a blood clot in his arm. Oberg is healthy for spring training and looks to be a top setup option for the Rockies. Jairo Diaz finished the season in the closers role, and will likely be a late-inning arm for Colorado this season as well. Veterans Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw, both of whom have closing experience, will also be in the mix. A dark horse for saves later in the year is Carlos Estevez. Estevez has a triple-digit fastball and is a low-cost reliever with team control through 2022; if the Rockies sell at some point he could ascend to the closer’s role. For now we trust Black when he says he wants Davis as the closer, but expect some volatility from the Rockies as they compete in a tough division.

Starting 2020 hierarchy: Davis | Oberg | Diaz.
Holds candidates: Oberg, Diaz, McGee, Estevez, Shaw. 

Los Angeles Dodgers — Kenley Jansen will once again be the Dodgers’ closer, although he is coming off a second straight season with inflated numbers. Jansen’s K/9 was well off his career average and his velocity took a small, but noticeable, dip. Setting up Jansen is free agent addition Blake Treinen, who followed an exceptional 2018 with a lukewarm 2019 which saw him relinquish the closer’s role in Oakland to Liam Hendriks. Pedro Baez, Joe Kelly and Scott Alexander all return to their familiar roles in the Dodgers bullpen and will look to get the ball through the middle innings to Jansen. Of these three, Alexander’s value may take a hit as he was primarily a LOOGY and under the new three batter rules he may not see as many cheap holds as before. Jansen is still an excellent source of saves, as the Dodgers will likely challenge for the best record in the league, but he has fallen from his position as the best closer in the game.

Starting 2020 hierarchy: Jansen | Treinen | Baez.
Holds candidates: Treinen, Baez, Kelly.

San Diego Padres — Kirby Yates had an exceptional 2019 and will look to continue that success in 2020. Leading the majors with 41 saves, Yates was a dominant force whenever the Padres could get him the ball. Behind Yates, the Padres had a lot of trouble finding any consistency and looked to address that in the offseason with the additions of Drew Pomeranz and Emilio Pagan. Pagan was a solid reliever, and even spent time closing, for Tampa, while Pomeranz made up for a rough tenure as a starter in San Francisco with a strong second half of the season as a reliever in Milwaukee. Both will look to be bridge options for the Padres in 2020. Waiting in the wings is fireballer Andres Munoz. Munoz exploded onto the scene with eight scoreless appearances before struggling a bit down the stretch, but with a 100 MPH fastball and a plus slider, he projects as a top reliever going forward. Yates is certainly the closer, but with no contract extension, he could find himself traded before the deadline if San Diego is out of contention.

Starting 2020 hierarchy: Yates | Pagan | Munoz.
Holds candidates: Pagan, Munoz, Pomeranz, Craig Stammen.

San Francisco Giants — The Giants go into 2020 without a clear-cut option at closer, which is probably the way new manager Gabe Kapler likes it. Will Smith has departed for the Atlanta Braves, and the Giants are already talking about a committee to start. The top option will probably be Tony Watson, who has some closing experience and has been a late-innings pitcher for the Giants for the past couple years. Behind him will be former top prospect Shaun Anderson, who started last season in the rotation, but made a move to the bullpen in August with mixed results. Tyler Rogers doesn’t have traditional closer stuff, but as a heavy ground ball pitcher he could find his way into the late innings as well. Jandel Gustave was an option for holds down the stretch for the Giants last year, but his numbers aren’t great for a closer. More than most teams, San Francisco’s spring training could determine the bullpen roles to start the year, so this is a situation to watch and see if anybody emerges as the frontrunner, but this is probably a team best left alone in your drafts.

Starting 2020 hierarchy: *Watson | Anderson | Rogers.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Anderson, Rogers, Gustave, Sam Coonrod, Trevor Gott.