With the regular season behind them, beat writers are focusing on how teams will handle the offseason. This gets more difficult with the looming lockout. Still, today’s post covers the key bullpen notes.
American League
Baltimore Orioles: From Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat for MLB.com, will Félix Bautista close in 2027?
These two may share saves with closely managed workloads. Craig Albernaz didn’t use traditional bullpen roles in 2026, making this a murky situation for fantasy managers.
Detroit Tigers: Being the first team in history to have three relievers record at least 20 saves the previous season on the Opening Day roster didn’t guarantee success for the Tigers’ bullpen. Kenley Jansen surpassed 20 saves for the 14th time in the last 14 full seasons, but he still hasn’t reached 500 career saves. With two more saves, he will become the third reliever to reach this mark. Will it be with Detroit? Here are Jason Beck’s thoughts from his Tigers Beat for MLB.com:
His option for Detroit feels steep for a reliever on the precipice of his age-39 season.
New York Yankees: With the Yankees, David Bednar logged 86 appearances, recording 11 wins and converting 45 of 52 save chances, with a 1.011 WHIP over 94 innings. As a pending free agent, Joel Sherman feels the team should extend him a qualifying offer or re-sign him:
Paul Blackburn will also be a free agent. If both relievers leave, the bullpen’s back end will be in disarray.
The Athletics: In his A’s Beat for MLB.com, Martín Gallegos shared his thoughts about the bullpen:
Since August 1, 2025, 12 relievers have recorded a save for the A’s with Hogan Harris leading the team with 21 and Elvis Alvarado second with six. However, seven of the 12 relievers have recorded two or fewer saves. A year away from moving to Las Vegas, will the team view the closer position as a priority this offseason? Time will tell.
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