Closer Monkey

Tag: Brian Wilson

  • Tony Barnette should get the next save chance in Texas

    April 13, 2017 Texas Rangers — Before Texas blew its game open — gifting a save to young Jose Leclerc — the first save chance in the post-Sam Dyson era was slated for Tony Barnette, a 33-year-old with no prior major league saves. In 2015, though, Barnette led the Japan Central League with 41 of them, tied with some guy…

  • Hunter Strickland and Roman Mendez have arrived

    September 23, 2014 San Francisco Giants — Since Bruce Bochy’s late-August announcement that Santiago Casilla would share save opportunities with a committee, Casilla has continued to get every available chance. On Monday, though, Casilla pitched the eleventh and twelfth (in a tie game on the road!!), leaving the save for Hunter Strickland, whom you know all too well…

  • Aaron Sanchez complicating things for Casey Janssen owners

    September 4, 2014 Toronto Blue Jays — Aaron Sanchez’s future is as a front-line starter, but like Adam Wainwright in 2006, he’s building confidence in the bullpen down the stretch. The Jays have made it clear that Casey Janssen is still the team’s official closer, but Janssen, a free agent next season, hasn’t taken kindly to the competition. John Gibbons explained that he went…

  • John Axford claimed by Pirates; Brian Wilson gets knocked around

    August 15, 2014 Cleveland Indians – The Indians placed John Axford on waivers earlier this month, and yesterday, he was claimed by the Pirates, who will pick up the remaining $1.1 million of his salary. We’ll leave him off the Pirates hierarchy until we see how they’re going to use him, but in Cleveland, look for…

  • Kevin Gregg? Kevin Gregg. And Twitter hates Brian Wilson’s beard

    June 26, 2014 Miami Marlins — We can’t hide from this anymore. Kevin Gregg, fresh from coaching Little League, is relevant again in Miami. Wednesday night, he pitched a perfect eighth in a one-run game, an enormous, bespectacled bridge to Steve Cishek. His vast (if checkered) closing experience, combined with Mike Redmond’s obvious willingness to use him in big spots, will…