2017 AL East Preview

February 27, 2017

Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles once again project to have one of the best bullpens in baseball thanks to dominant closer Zach Britton, who dealt with oblique soreness last week. You may see the O’s practice a little caution with Darren O’Day, who spent time on the DL last season, but he will once again be a top setup guy. Brad Brach, who is already 1-0 against AL East opponents this year, will handle the seventh. Plenty of reliability, at least on paper, for the Baltimore bullpen entering 2017.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.
Holds candidates: O’Day, Brach.

Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox will once again lean on Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, but the bridge to him will look a little different than last year. Power is the name of the game for the Sox with Koji Uehara and Brad Ziegler gone. Boston acquired Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers, and he will be the likely setup man despite an ugly spring debut. Converted starter Joe Kelly enters his first full season as a reliever and also can reach 100 on the radar gun. Robbie Ross, Jr., will be the first lefty out of the pen, and don’t forget about Carson Smith, due back sometime this summer following Tommy John surgery.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Kimbrel | Thornburg | Kelly.
Holds candidates: Thornburg, Kelly, Ross Jr.

New York Yankees — Aroldis Chapman is back with the Yankees after winning a World Series with the Cubs. That means that Dellin Betances will slide back to an eighth-inning role. As for the seventh? Tyler Clippard is the frontrunner to start the season.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Chapman | Betances | Clippard.
Holds candidates: Betances, Clippard.

Tampa Bay Rays — Alex Colome will resume his duties as closer for the Rays, with a crowded group behind him on the depth chart. 2015 closer Brad Boxberger probably has the inside edge for the eighth inning given his experience, but the seventh inning is a different story. Danny Farquhar, lefty Xavier Cedeno and former Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson will all battle for time in the late innings. If everyone remains healthy, Kevin Cash can mix and match in the late innings as he sees fit.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Colome | Boxberger | Cedeno.
Holds candidates: Boxberger, Cedeno, Farquhar, Tolleson, Tommy Hunter.

Toronto Blue Jays — Roberto Osuna is back for another season as the Jays’ closer, and he should be even stronger this season. Behind him on the depth chart will be 40-year-old Jason Grilli, who will likely have his innings monitored even though he’s not really that tired. Toronto also acquired Joe Smith, who closed a bit last year with the Angels, as well as reliable lefty JP Howell. Those two should fight for holds depending on matchups ahead of Grilli and Osuna.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Osuna | Grilli | Smith.
Holds candidates: Grilli, Smith, Howell.

2017 AL Central Preview

February 27, 2017

Chicago White Sox – As of right now, the White Sox still have David Robertson as their closer.  However, with the White Sox in rebuilding mode, Robertson has been the subject of trade rumors.  Nate Jones and Dan Jennings, Chicago’s primary seventh and eighth inning men from last year, will return in 2017.  Jones had stellar numbers last season, as he finished with 80 Ks in 70.2 innings and a WHIP of 0.89, and should take over as closer if Robertson is dealt.  Another name to keep in the back of your mind is Zack Burdi, who is seen as the closer of the future.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Robertson | Jones | Jennings.
Holds candidates: Jones, Jennings.

Cleveland Indians – Indians manager Terry Francona used his bullpen masterfully during the playoffs last year, and it almost ended with a World Series title.  Cody Allen has already been named the closer going into 2017, which leaves Andrew Miller to be used in high-leverage situations prior to the ninth inning.  Bryan Shaw, who was the primary set-up man before Miller was acquired last season, will also see time in the later innings.  Lefty Boone Logan signed this offseason, and he should be a good source of holds considering how much Francona likes to play the match-ups late in the game.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Allen | Miller | Shaw.
Holds candidates: Miller, Shaw, Boone Logan.

Detroit Tigers — The Detroit bullpen is a big question mark heading into this season.  Francisco Rodriguez, the league’s active saves leader, will once again close.   Bruce Rondon ended up leading the team in WHIP after getting called up in June, and he will have the opportunity to prove he can do it for a full season in 2017.  Justin Wilson was up and down in his first year in Detroit, but should see time in the seventh and eighth innings again to start this season.  Keep an eye on Joe Jimenez, who is a young, hard-throwing closer in waiting.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Rodriguez | Rondon | J. Wilson.
Holds candidates: Rondon, Justin Wilson, Alex Wilson.

Kansas City Royals – Wade Davis was traded in December, and all of a sudden the dominant bullpen trio of Greg Holland, Wade Davis, and Kelvin Herrera (HDH) that helped the Royals win a World Series just two years ago, was down to just one H.  Herrera saved 12 games last year, and he should continue the Royals’ recent tradition of stellar closers.  Veteran Joakim Soria will look to bounce back from a down year in 2016, which saw him rack up eight losses and eight blown saves.  Young lefty Matt Strahm is projected as a starter long-term, but after pitching well in relief last season, he will start 2017 in the bullpen.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Herrera | Soria | Strahm.
Holds candidates: Soria, Strahm.

Minnesota Twins — The Twins’ bullpen was bottom five in the league in ERA last year, and they may start 2017 with a similar set of relievers.  All-Star Glen Perkins missed most of last season, and could start this season on the disabled list.  Brandon Kintzler filled in for Perkins last year and will close again until Perkins is ready to reclaim the job.  The Twins could still add a veteran reliever, but for now, they are expected to lean on Ryan Pressly and Taylor Rogers again.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Kintzler | Pressly | Rogers.
Holds candidates: Pressly, Rogers.

2017 AL West Preview

February 27, 2017

Houston Astros – Ken Giles will certainly hope for a better start to 2017 than he had last year. After losing the closer’s job in spring training, Giles yielded 10 earned runs over 10 innings in April. By mid-August, Giles reclaimed the closer job and never looked back, gathering 14 saves over the final two months of the year. The always reliable Luke Gregerson and Will Harris round out the Stros’ late-inning hierarchy.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Giles | Gregerson | Harris.
Holds candidates: Gregerson, Harris.

Los Angeles Angels – It seems like Huston Street has been around forever, but the longtime closer is still only 33. Still, despite his history, Street is not guaranteed the closer’s job out of camp, especially after registering a 6.45 ERA during an injury-plagued 2016. Injuries are still on the table for 2017, as the righty will look to bounce back from a knee injury. Youngster Cam Bedrosian and former A’s closer Andrew Bailey could also get cracks at the full-time gig.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Street | Bedrosian | Bailey.
Holds candidates: Bedrosian, Bailey.

Oakland A’s — Like Street, Ryan Madson is not guaranteed the closer’s job despite 30 saves in 2016. Manager Bob Melvin essentially told reporters he has four or five guys vying for the gig. Madson, to his credit, is impressed with the bullpen depth. The closing candidates include Madson, Sean Doolittle, Santiago Casilla and John Axford, with the former three likely rounding out the back end deep A’s bullpen.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Madson | Doolittle | Casilla.
Holds candidates: Doolittle, Casilla, Axford.

Seattle Mariners – Edwin Diaz, the 22-year-old fireballer, starts the season as the Mariners’ closer. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Diaz was the quickest rookie to 50 strikeouts since 1893 — and now, he will be introducing a new pitch in 2017. Watch out. Last year’s opening day closer, Steve Cishek, should get the bulk of the holds as the team’s setup man. He’s returning from surgery to repair a torn left hip labrum, so if he’s not ready to go at the start of the year, Nick Vincent, among others, will slide up the hierarchy.

Starting 2017 hierarchy: Diaz | Cishek | Vincent.
Holds candidates: Cishek, Vincent.

Texas Rangers — There has been a lot of turnover at the closer position the last few years for the Rangers, but Sam Dyson, who turns 29 in May, figures to be the team’s closer for all of 2017. Dyson picked up 38 saves last year — all after May 10 — and should be in line for even more opportunities this year. Matt Bush and Jeremy Jeffress — who have each had their issues off the field — should be in line for holds, along with Jake Diekman, with Bush likely stepping into the closer’s role should Dyson falter or get injured.

Starting 2016 hierarchy: Dyson | Bush | Jeffress.
Holds candidates: Bush, Jeffress, Diekman.