2016 AL East preview

February 29, 2016

Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton and Darren O’Day will be back in the roles they’ve dominated since Tommy Hunter’s demotion last May. The seventh inning should be left in the capable hands of Mychal Givens and Brad Brach.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Givens.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Givens, Brach.

Boston Red Sox — What a difference this offseason made for the dog’s breakfast of a Fenway bullpen. A November trade installed Craig Kimbrel in the closer role; although he led the league in saves each year between 2011 and 2014, he’s still only 27. Setting up Kimbrel will be the ageless Koji Uehara, back from his broken wrist and giving Sox opponents two very different looks in the late innings. The seventh inning should belong to Carson Smith and his crazy release point, with Junichi Tazawa and Robbie Ross, Jr. providing further depth. And don’t look now, but Carlos Marmol got a minor league deal from Boston, and there’s already talk that he might be back to his effective self again.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Kimbrel | Uehara | Smith.
Holds candidates: Uehara, Smith, Tazawa.

New York Yankees — You may have heard a little about these guys — the only three relievers to strike out over 100 batters in 2015, combining to compensate for a Yankee offense so old it got invited to a Democratic debate. The major complicating factor is a possible domestic violence suspension for Aroldis Chapman, which could sideline him as many as 45 days. In that event, New York would turn to last year’s dynamic duo of Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Chapman | Miller | Betances.
Holds candidates: Miller, Betances, Chasen Shreve.

Tampa Bay Rays — Brad Boxberger will hold onto the closer role he inherited last season, but with Jake McGee out of the picture, it’s the newly acquired Danny Farquhar who will be his chief assistant. Behind them are familiar names like Xavier Cedeno, Alex Colome, and Steve Geltz, although Enny Romero is a longshot worth watching.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Boxberger | Farquhar | Cedeno.
Holds candidates: Farquhar, Cedeno, Geltz.

Toronto Blue Jays — It’ll be a spring training battle for the closer role between incumbent Roberto Osuna and newcomer Drew Storen. Storen, who was displaced from the ninth a few times in Washington, is expressing a team-first attitude about his role, and we think he has the edge over Osuna, whose usage will be somewhat limited. Brett Cecil should be in line for the seventh, but if you want a deep sleeper with Storen-edging experience, Rafael Soriano just joined the team as well.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Storen | Osuna | Cecil.
Holds candidates: Osuna, Cecil, Aaron Sanchez.

2016 AL Central preview

February 29, 2016

Chicago White Sox – The back end of the White Sox bullpen settled into a nice groove at the end of last season and the good news is that all of the key members will be returning for 2016.  David Robertson has established himself as a solid closer, with the potential to be elite, after he finished last season with a WHIP under 1.00 and 86 Ks in only 63.1 innings.  Flamethrower Nate Jones pitched well after returning toward the end of last season, and has been impressive so far this spring.  Matt Albers re-signed after a successful first year with the White Sox and should slot into the late innings too.  Zach Duke could see time in the later innings as well, as a situational lefty.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Robertson | Jones | Albers.
Holds candidates: Jones, Albers, Duke.

Cleveland Indians – Cody Allen will close again for the Indians in 2016, and Bryan Shaw should return to the set-up role.  Zach McAllister will get a chance to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, but is more likely to end up at the back end of the bullpen.  Jeff Manship is coming off an incredible year, and we’ll slide him into 2nd in line while McAllister fights for a rotation spot.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Allen | Shaw | Manship.
Holds candidates: Shaw, Manship.

Detroit Tigers — The Detroit Tigers have revamped their bullpen for 2016.  They acquired veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez — who was a little late to spring training due to visa issues — as well as Mark Lowe and Justin Wilson.  Alex Wilson was the team’s best relief pitcher last year and he will return in 2016, though likely in a middle relief role.  Talented Bruce Rondon is also back, after being sent home early last season, and could factor into the late-inning plans if he can get his act together.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Rodriguez | Lowe | J. Wilson.
Holds candidates: Lowe, Justin Wilson, Alex Wilson.

Kansas City Royals – The Royals won the World Series on the strength of their bullpen last year and bring back several key members, including closer Wade Davis, who has been pretty good the past two seasons.  They also added former closer Joakim Soria, who should share set-up duties with Kelvin Herrera.  Veteran Luke Hochevar also returns and should see time in the later innings.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Davis | Soria | Herrera.
Holds candidates: Soria, Herrera, Hochevar.

Minnesota Twins — Glen Perkins had a tough second half of 2015, but he will start 2016 as the closer for the Twins again.  Kevin Jepsen filled in for Perkins at the end of last season and will be right behind him in case anything happens, and Casey Fien will also return.  Trevor May pitched well out of the pen last season, but he could move to the starting rotation this year.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Perkins | Jepsen | Fien.
Holds candidates: Jepsen, Fien, Fernando Abad.

2016 AL West preview

February 29, 2016

Houston Astros — Ken Giles finally became the closer in Philadelphia after the Jonathan Papelbon trade, and he excelled, collecting 15 saves and striking out 87 hitters in 70 innings. Now the 25-year-old should get the chance at his first full season as a closer — although Luke Gregerson isn’t too pleased about losing his job. Gregerson hasn’t thrown off a mound yet this spring due to a sore oblique. Pat Neshek could grab some vulture saves during the season.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Giles | Gregerson | Neshek.
Holds candidates: Gregerson, Neshek, Tony Sipp.

Los Angeles Angels — The consistent Huston Street returns as Angels closer after another 40-save season. The 32-year-old didn’t have his strongest season in 2015, as his ERA, WHIP, and BAA all rose above career averages, while his K/9 number dropped. Behind Street is Joe Smith, who will be entering his third year in LA and the final year of his contract. Also entering his third year with the team is Fernando Salas, who’s coming off an up-and-down campaign.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Street | Smith | Salas.
Holds candidates: Smith, Salas, Mike Morin, Al Alburquerque.

Oakland A’s — Sean Doolittle, who missed the majority of last season with a shoulder injury, will begin 2016 as the A’s closer. He flashed some promising signs at the end of 2015, collecting four saves over his final six appearances. Oakland also signed two veteran relievers to add some depth behind Doolittle — Ryan Madson and John Axford. Watch out for Australian flame-thrower Liam Hendriks, who found success in Toronto as a relief pitcher after years as a mediocre starter.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Doolittle | Madson | Axford.
Holds candidates: Madson, Axford, Marc Rzepczynski.

Seattle Mariners — The Mariners traded away Carson Smith and Tom Wilhelmsen in the offseason, leaving an already fragile bullpen in shambles. Steve Cishek will close for now; he has closing experience, but struggled in Miami last year and lost his job quickly. 38-year-old Joaquin Benoit will back up Cishek; he comes off a strong season setting up Craig Kimbrel in San Diego. Keep an eye on September call-up Tony Zych, whom the Mariners received from the Cubs for only $1 last year. Zych, 25, has a fastball that can touch 99 and a wicked slider. His star will rise if he can calm his control issues.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Cishek | Benoit | Zych.
Holds candidates: Benoit, Charlie Furbush, Evan Scribner.

Texas Rangers — Shawn Tolleson returns to the fold after a very solid 2015 season, which included 35 saves and 3 scoreless innings in the ALDS. Tolleson is followed closely by Keone Kela, who turns 23 in April and will likely close in Texas one day. For now, he’s a filthy setup man in a strong bullpen. In the offseason, the Rangers picked up former closer Tom Wilhelmsen, who has had tremendous success against division rivals, including the Angels (Mike Trout is 1-12, Albert Pujols is 3-16) and Astros (Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Evan Gattis and George Springer are a combined 1-21).

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Tolleson | Kela | Wilhelmsen.
Holds candidates: Kela, Wilhelmsen, Sam Dyson.