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 19, 2016
Closers are beginning to secure their positions: Strong weeks from Shawn Tolleson and Francisco Rodriguez have gotten them off the “Hot” seat for now, while general ineptitude in the rest of the Houston and Toronto bullpens have elevated Luke Gregerson and Roberto Osuna to “Cool.” Committees remain worth watching, with Oakland’s being the most compelling at this point — Alex Colome and Arodys Vizcaino are pretty secure in their spots as top dogs. J.J. Hoover, meanwhile, continues to struggle, and might have already lost his job if the Reds had had anyone competent to replace him with.
Hottest – In a committee or on the verge of losing their job right now
30. Ryan Madson (Handcuff: Sean Doolittle)
29. Alex Colome (Handcuff: Xavier Cedeno)
28. Arodys Vizcaino (Handcuff: Jason Grilli)
Hot – Guys who could be in danger after their next blown save
27. J.J. Hoover (Handcuffs: Jumbo Diaz, Tony Cingrani)
Warmish – Two blown saves in a row and these players might be in trouble
26. Shawn Tolleson
25. Kevin Jepsen
24. Jeanmar Gomez
23. Fernando Rodney
22. Francisco Rodriguez
21. Santiago Casilla
20. Steve Cishek
19. Hector Rondon
Cool – These players would have to blow 3 consecutive saves for their jobs to be in jeopardy
18. Luke Gregerson
17. Jake McGee
16. Roberto Osuna
15. Jeremy Jeffress
14. Jonathan Papelbon
13. Brad Ziegler
12. AJ Ramos
11. Huston Street
10. Andrew Miller
9. Jeurys Familia
8. Mark Melancon
7. David Robertson
6. Cody Allen
5. Trevor Rosenthal
4. Craig Kimbrel
Sub-zero – These players would have to blow 4+ consecutive saves for their jobs to be in jeopardy
3. Zach Britton
2. Kenley Jansen
1. Wade Davis
