Jeanmar Gomez looking like a closer; Glen Perkins blows a save

April 11, 2016

Philadelphia Phillies – Jeanmar Gomez solidified his position at the top of the Phillies committee on Sunday, posting another easy save against the Mets. Though Pete Mackanin hasn’t officially named him the closer yet, Gomez is now in a position where he can expect to be used as the closer until he blows a save, and even then, he might get another shot after the two successful outings this weekend.

Hierarchy remains: *Gomez | Hernandez | Hinojosa.
* = closer-by-committee

Washington Nationals – Blake Treinen got the 8th inning ahead of Jonathan Papelbon on Sunday, and has now started his year with a win and a hold in two scoreless outings. His newfound spot on the hierarchy is nothing against Felipe Rivero, who has a live arm and could be a closer down the line; rather, it’s a showcase of what a deep bullpen the Nationals have assembled. Between Treinen, Rivero, and Shawn Kelley, the Nationals have a number of strong relievers who could nab holds ahead of Papelbon.

Updated hierarchy: Papelbon | Kelley | Treinen.

Minnesota Twins – Glen Perkins had a rough outing on Sunday, blowing the save and then watching as Trevor May took the loss in the 10th inning to drop the Twins to 0-6. Combined with a shaky, injury-ridden 2015, Perkins isn’t looking like the sure thing he once was. Fortunately, his main competitor for the job, Kevin Jepsen, is also off to a bad start, but Perkins’s blown save does make him the 8th most likely closer to lose his job this week: check out our weekly Hot Seat column here.

Hierarchy remains: Perkins | Jepsen | May. 

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Kevin Jepsen, Minnesota Twins – Glen Perkins has pitched in back to back games — including the aforementioned blown save — throwing 48 pitches.
2. Kevin Siegrist/Jonathan Broxton, St. Louis Cardinals – Trevor Rosenthal threw 30 pitches in a 1.1-inning outing on Sunday.
3. David Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies – Jeanmar Gomez has pitched in back to back games.

Closer Hot Seat update: April 11, 2016

Welcome to our weekly Hot Seat column! Each week — usually on Mondays — we’ll update this space to give you an easy-to-reference guide on who might be closest to losing their jobs. Note that this isn’t necessarily a ranking of the best closers; rather, it’s a guide to job security.

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Latest update: April 11, 2016

Currently, there aren’t really any closers who are on the brink of losing their job. The three guys in the top category are there by virtue of being in a committee, but they’re all pretty secure in their positions as top options in their respective bullpens. People who are speculating this week might want to look at the handcuffs for K-Rod, Shawn Tolleson, and J.J. Hoover, all of whom have struggled out of the gate.

Hottest – In a committee or on the verge of losing their job right now
30. Jeanmar Gomez (Handcuff: David Hernandez)
29. Alex Colome (Handcuffs: Xavier Cedeno, Danny Farquhar)
28. Arodys Vizcaino (Handcuff: Jason Grilli)

Hot – Guys who could be in danger after their next blown save
27. Francisco Rodriguez (Handcuffs: Mark Lowe, Justin Wilson)
26. Shawn Tolleson (Handcuff: Sam Dyson)
25. J.J. Hoover (Handcuffs: Jumbo Diaz, Tony Cingrani)

Warmish – Two blown saves in a row and these players might be in trouble
24. Fernando Rodney
23. Glen Perkins
22. Sean Doolittle
21. Steve Cishek
20. Hector Rondon
19. Santiago Casilla
18. Luke Gregerson
17. Roberto Osuna

Cool – These players would have to blow 3 consecutive saves for their jobs to be in jeopardy
16. Jake McGee
15. Jeremy Jeffress
14. Brad Ziegler
13. AJ Ramos
12. Jonathan Papelbon
11. Huston Street
10. Andrew Miller
9. Mark Melancon
8. David Robertson
7. Cody Allen
6. Jeurys Familia
5. Trevor Rosenthal

Sub-zero – These players would have to blow 4+ consecutive saves for their jobs to be in jeopardy
4. Zach Britton
3. Kenley Jansen
2. Craig Kimbrel
1. Wade Davis