March 23, 2022
Chicago White Sox — Chicago currently boasts its most formidable bullpen to open a season in recent memory. They could still look to trade Craig Kimbrel, who has tended to fare better as a closer than in a setup role, but for now consider him first in line behind one of the game’s best, Liam Hendriks. Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly joined Chicago in the offseason to give the bullpen some significant depth.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: Hendriks | Kimbrel | Graveman.
Holds candidates: Kimbrel, Graveman, Joe Kelly, Garrett Crochet, Aaron Bummer.
Cleveland Guardians — The Guardians begin the season with a lot of clarity at the back end of their relief corps. Emmanuel Clase will lead the group for save chances to begin the year, and if he pitches like he did down the stretch in 2021 (0.82 ERA, .373 OPS against in 33 second-half games), he’ll hold onto the job for a long time. Backing him up will be James Karinchak, who needs to work on his control after an up-and-down 2021 (32 walks in 55.1 IP; 4.07 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), and outfielder-turned-reliever Anthony Gose. Gose features a high-90s fastball and impressed in AAA last year with 13.4 K/9.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: Clase | Karinchak | Gose.
Holds candidates: Karinchak, Gose, Sam Hentges, Trevor Stephan, Nick Sandlin.
Detroit Tigers — Given the signings of Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez, and the likely debuts of top prospects of Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, Detroit intends to compete in 2022. This should mean more save chances for… who exactly? In October, manager AJ Hinch said Gregory Soto was his closer, and we have to take him at his word even if he was being a bit coy. Michael Fulmer and Jose Cisnero round out the hierarchy to start 2022.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: Soto | Fulmer | Cisnero.
Holds candidates: Fulmer, Cisnero, Andrew Chafin, Kyle Funkhouser, Joe Jimenez.
Kansas City Royals — Manager Mike Matheny doesn’t always settle on “the guy” in the ninth inning, but Scott Barlow might force his hand to begin 2022. Barlow was strong in last season’s second half, netting 12 saves with a 1.71 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The waters got muddied a bit, though, when longtime Reds reliever Amir Garrett, who fell out of favor last year when he got his chance to close for Cincinnati, was traded to KC. Josh Staumount, meanwhile, could be the team’s best relief pitcher, but Matheny could also choose to deploy him in the tightest spots in games. Consider this situation a committee to start.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: *Barlow | Staumont | Garrett.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Staumont, Garrett, Jake Brentz, Dylan Coleman, Taylor Clarke.
Minnesota Twins — The Twins shocked some people when they traded away catcher Mitch Garver for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, shocked more people when they spun Kiner-Falefa in a trade to land Gary Sanchez, and then stunned the baseball world when they landed the year’s top free agent, Carlos Correa. So the Twins appear serious about competing in 2022. But will their bullpen rise to the challenge? Taylor Rogers likely sits in the driver’s seat in the bullpen hierarchy, but Rocco Baldelli has been hesitant to fully stick with Rogers in the past, instead deploying him at times in the highest-leverage situations. Tyler Duffey will set up and Jorge Alcala should get some late-inning looks, too.
Starting 2022 hierarchy: Rogers | Duffey | Alcala.
Holds candidates: Duffey, Alcala, Joe Smith, Caleb Thielbar, Juan Minaya.