Giants continue to mix and match; Giovanny Gallegos has a rough night

April 26, 2022

San Francisco Giants – The Giants put together an admirable bullpen game against Corbin Burnes on Monday, as six pitchers combined to allow just one unearned run over seven innings. After the Giants took the lead in the top of the 8th, Jake McGee blew the save in the bottom half but ultimately earning the win after Camilo Doval pitched a perfect 9th. Doval remains the leader in what, so far, has been a matchup- and usage-based committee. Should Gabe Kapler continue to employ Doval and McGee in this fashion, look for the righty to continue to get about 2/3rds of the opportunities.

Hierarchy remains: *Doval | McGee | Rogers.
* = closer-by-committee

St. Louis Cardinals – Giovanny Gallegos had a forgettable night on Monday, retiring two of the first three hitters he faced, but then ultimately allowing four earned runs, with the game’s deciding play coming when he was late covering first. He’s been very good so far, and this single outing won’t threaten his spot atop the hierarchy yet, but should he have another bad inning or two, the Cardinals have several options, with Genesis Cabrera and an unhittable-thus-far Ryan Helsley (5.1 IP, 0 ER, 0.19 WHIP, 11 Ks) also performing well.

Hierarchy remains: Gallegos | Cabrera | Helsley.

Texas Rangers – Spencer Patton went on the IL over the weekend; look for Brett Martin to get a few more holds opportunities as a result.

Updated hierarchy: *Barlow | Bush | Martin.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Kendall Graveman – Liam Hendriks threw a combined 46 pitches on Saturday and Sunday (30 on Sunday) and might get an extra day off.

Tomorrow
1. Ryan Tepera/Aaron Loup – If Raisel Iglesias or Ryan Tepera go today, it’ll be two straight; check usage to see who might be available tomorrow.
2. Genesis Cabrera/Ryan Helsley – Likewise for Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera.
3. Jake McGee/Tyler Rogers – Likewise for Camilo Doval and Jake McGee.
4. Trevor May – If Edwin Diaz goes today, it’s two straight. Trevor May likely won’t pitch today after a 28 pitch outing Sunday, but should be available Wednesday.

Lucas Sims picks up his first save; Anthony Bender still hurting

April 25, 2022

Tampa Bay Rays – Ryan Thompson got a save for the Rays on Sunday, and so we’ll kick off yet another edition of “This is the Rays, so should we care?” Well, the righty sidearmer is off to a nice start thus far, with no earned runs allowed through 6.1 innings and a 0.95 WHIP. But he’s clearly a matchup play, and he’s got only 3 Ks so far (and 2 BBs) so his usage will likely be situational. We’ll put him on the hierarchy since he’s the only non-Andrew Kittredge reliever to get a save for the Rays so far (other than Brooks Raley, who got a weird one on opening day), but he’s probably just a speculative add in deeper leagues at this point.

Updated hierarchy: *Kittredge | Feyereisen | Thompson.
* = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins – Had Tanner Scott made his way through the 9th inning unscathed (or even scathed but successful), we likely would’ve been hemming and hawing about whether he was on the verge of taking the top spot of this committee, as the Marlins have continued to keep Anthony Bender out of action while he recovers from a hip injury. But Scott got into trouble, allowing three earned runs and only recording one out before giving way to Louis Head. Head allowed a long double to Marcell Ozuna before striking out the final two hitters to end it. Bender maintains his place at the top of this mess for now.

Updated hierarchy: *Bender | Scott | Bass.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds aren’t likely to win much this year, but that might actually make their reliever usage more streamlined, and it’s possible that Sunday’s usage gave us some insight into how they’d like to do things going forward. Tony Santillan got the 7th inning, Art Warren got the 8th, and the recently-activated Lucas Sims got the 9th; all had scoreless outings. We’ll align the committee to that usage accordingly, with the caveat that there wasn’t much postgame discussion about the bullpen.

Updated hierarchy: *Sims | Warren | Santillan.
* = closer-by-committee

Oakland A’s – Dany Jimenez got his third save of the season on Sunday; all have come since Lou Trivino went on the COVID IL. While Trivino could return any day now, we’re removing the asterisk here, as the A’s have made their backup plans clear. Even when Trivino returns, Jimenez may be worth hanging on to, as Trivino struggled mightily in the second half last season.

Updated hierarchy: Jimenez | Acevedo | Jackson.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Devin Williams/Brad Boxberger – Josh Hader and Devin Williams have gone back to back, albeit with very low pitch counts for both.
2. Alex Colome – Daniel Bard is still dealing with a back issue and may need another day off.

Tomorrow
1. Yimi Garcia – If Jordan Romano goes today, it’s back to back and four of five.
2. Jose Alvarado – If Corey Knebel goes today, it’s back to back and three of four.
3. Daniel Hudson – If Craig Kimbrel goes today, it’s back to back.
4. Kendall Graveman – Liam Hendriks through a lot of pitches Saturday and Sunday and might be given two days off to recover.

Matt Bush and Alex Colome record saves

April 24, 2022

Texas Rangers — Matt Bush closed out a 2-0 victory yesterday, but he only got the call because Joe Barlow was unavailable.  Manager Chris Woodward said that Joe Barlow is his closer, but forgive us for not removing the asterisk yet since we have some trust issues with Woodward after his comments before the season that he wouldn’t use Barlow as his closer.  

Hierarchy remains: *Barlow | Bush | Patton.
* = closer-by-committee

Colorado Rockies – Alex Colome made things interesting in the 9th inning yesterday but ultimately was able to lock down his second save.  Daniel Bard was unavailable yesterday, but it wasn’t due to usage since he hasn’t pitched since Tuesday.  We will keep an eye on this and see if Bard will miss additional time.

Hierarchy remains: Bard | Colome | Estevez.

Baltimore Orioles – Jorge Lopez struck out a pair in a scoreless 9th inning to record his 4th save of the season.  Lopez has solidified himself as the closer for the Orioles and that means one less committee for fantasy owners to worry about.

Hierarchy Remains: Lopez | Tate | Baker

Miami Marlins – Lefty Tanner Scott pitched a perfect 9th inning to pick up his first save of the season.  Anthony Bender last pitched on Wednesday when he took the loss by giving up a homer in the 9th inning of a tie game.  Bender has been unable to assert himself as the closer and it looks like this could be moving back towards a more traditional committee.  Also, Dylan Floro is starting a rehab assignment.  We will see how it all plays out and if Bender can find his form.

Updated hierarchy:  *Bender | Scott | Sulser.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox — Garrett Whitlock was very impressive in his start yesterday as he struck out seven batters and only allowed one hit in four innings.  The game was tied at zero through nine innings, including no hits allowed by the Rays.  When the Red Sox took the lead in the top of the 10th, Hansel Robles came on for the bottom of the inning to try and close it out.  Unfortunately for Red Sox fans and fantasy owners, he gave up a walk-off homer to blow the save.  The Red Sox are in full committee mode and nobody has done anything to stand out so far.  Matt Barnes is the guy to watch since the Red Sox have said they would like him back in the role and he came in after Jake Diekman walked the bases loaded on Friday to get the final out and record his first save of the season.

Updated hierarchy: *Diekman | Barnes | Robles.
* = closer-by-committee

San Diego Padres — With Pierce Johnson on the IL with forearm tendinitis, Steven Wilson pitched a perfect 7th inning to pick up his 4th hold of the season.  The rookie has been pitching well out of the Padres’ bullpen and should see more time in the later innings.  Robert Suarez got the win in extras last night and has now strung together 4 straight scoreless appearances, including 7 strikeouts over 4.2 innings. 

Updated hierarchy: Rogers | Suarez | Wilson.

Arizona Diamondbacks — Mark Melancon got the day off after pitching in two straight and Ian Kennedy got the 8th inning against the 2-3-4 hitters in the lineup.  That meant that Joe Mantiply ended up with the 9th and he responded with a perfect inning for his first career save.  

Updated hierarchy: Melancon | Kennedy | Mantiply.

Toronto Blue Jays – The Vulture Save Watch correctly predicted that Jordan Romano would get yesterday off but unfortunately it couldn’t predict that Yimi Garcia would be needed in the 8th inning to face the 3-4-5 hitters.  Garcia pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts, and that left Adam Cimber for the 9th inning.  Cimber pitched a scoreless inning to pick up his first save of the season.  We still think Garcia is the better handcuff but Cimber will be in the mix for saves when Romano is unavailable.

Hierarchy remains: Romano | Garcia | Cimber

Los Angeles Dodgers — Blake Treinen was placed on the IL retroactive to April 18th.  Brusdar Graterol pitched the 8th inning of a tie game last night and we will slide him onto the hierarchy, but the Dodgers have a very strong bullpen and Phil Bickford and Evan Phillips should also see more time in the later innings while Treinen is out.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Hudson | Graterol.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Dillon Tate (BAL) – Jorge Lopez has pitched in two straight and three of four.

Monday
1. Yimi Garcia (TOR) – If Jordan Romano pitches two, it will be three of four.
2. Trevor Stephan (CLE) – If Emmanuel Clase pitches today, it will be two straight.
3. Ryan Tepera (LAA) – If Raisel Iglesias pitches today, it will be two straight.

Munoz gets first save, Sims Activated

April 23, 2022

Seattle Mariners — With a 3 run lead going into the late innings the Mariners turned to Anthony Misiewicz for the 8th inning and Andres Muñoz for the 9th. Drew Steckenrider had thrown 26 pitches on Thursday, so a rest made sense for him, but Diego Castillo hadn’t pitched since giving up 2 runs on Wednesday. Muñoz joins Steckenrider and Castillo as the only players with saves, and he has the talent to be a closer for a long time in the major leagues. This is still a committee, so don’t be surprised if Castillo is out there today, but Muñoz is the best arm in the bullpen, and could run away with the job soon. 

Updated hierarchy: *Muñoz | Steckenrider | Castillo.
* = closer-by-committee

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds activated Lucas Sims from the IL on Friday after a rehab assignment. Sims was the likely to lead the Cincinnati committee before his IL stint, and will probably jump right back into the late inning mix. Sims was a dependable option in the second half last year, and is worth a speculative add as he could run away with the job. All of this is dependent on the Reds actually having a lead to protect though.

Updated Hierarchy: *Santillan, Warren, Sims
* = closer-by-committee 

Pittsburgh Pirates — The Pirates turned to Chris Stratton again to handle the 9th inning with 1 run lead. He pitched himself into and out of trouble to earn his second save in as many days. David Bednar did pitch in a higher leverage situation, taking on the heart of the order in the 8th. Bednar continues to have better overall numbers, and this is definitely still a timeshare at closer, but if Bednar starts getting put into “relief ace” situations it will mean more save chances for Stratton than usual. 

Hierarchy remains: *Bednar | Stratton | Hembree.
*= closer-by-committee

Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles once again turned to Jorge Lopez to protect a 9th inning lead, and he converted for his 3rd save of the year. After the Sulser trade, the Orioles did not seem to have much direction in their bullpen, but Lopez has taken his chances and run with them. No other Orioles reliever has a save on the season. Lopez looks like the guy to own in Baltimore, you know, provided there actually is a “guy to own” in Baltimore. One more clear save and he’ll kick the asterisk. 

Hierarchy Remains: *Lopez | Tate | Baker
* = closer-by-committee

New York Mets – Edwin Diaz wasn’t able to hold onto a 1 run lead, giving up a solo homer to Daulton Varsho. He limited the damage and picked up the win after the Mets took the lead in the 10th. Seth Lugo was on hand to snag the vulture save, which is an encouraging outing after a couple rough appearances in the early going. Drew Smith and Trevor May both picked up holds earlier in the game. 

Hierarchy remains: Diaz | May | Smith.

Vulture Save Watch:

  1. Jonathan Loaisiga (NYY) — Aroldis Chapman has pitched in 3 of 4.
  2. Ryan Helsley/Genesis Cabrera (STL) — Giovanny Gallegos has pitched in 3 of 4 and and Genesis Cabrera has pitched in 2 of 3.
  3. Trevor May (NYM) — Edwin Diaz has pitched in back to back and 3 of 4.
  4. Jhoan Duran (MIN) — Emilio Pagan has gone back to back and threw 34 pitches yesterday.
  5. Yimi Garcia (TOR) — Jordan Romano has pitched back to back games, while Garcia is well rested.

For Sunday:

  1. Ian Kennedy (ARI) — Today would be 3 in a row for Mark Melancon.
  2. Dillon Tate (BAL) — Today would be back to back and 3 of 4 for Jorge Lopez.
  3. Brad Hand (PHI) — Same for Corey Knebel and Jose Alvarado
  4. Chris Stratton/Heath Hembree (PIT) — Today would be 3 in a row for everyone on the Pirates Hierarchy. Whoever is rested could get the ball on Sunday.

Trevor Stephan impressive for Guardians; Twins finally get a save

April 22, 2022

Cleveland Guardians – Trevor Stephan continues to earn late-inning looks and has been impressive when doing so, gathering two eighth-inning holds in a row this week, including on Thursday. We’ll move Stephan into the hierarchy, replacing Bryan Shaw, who has been inconsistent with his command in the early going (3 walks, 2 strikeouts) and has been used in losses or blowouts in four of his five appearances.

Updated hierarchy: Clase | Stephan | Gose.

Minnesota Twins – For the first time this season, the Twins have a save! Emilio Pagan did the honors and by default has a leg up in this complicated committee. Pagan has been sharp in his four games, allowing just one run to go with a 0.75 WHIP. Keep an eye on veteran Joe Smith in this bullpen, too. He has two holds already and has not allowed a run in six appearances. Jorge Alcala, meanwhile, has been shut down because he “felt something that didn’t feel quite right.”

Hierarchy remains: *Pagan | Duran | Duffey.
* = closer-by-committee

Oakland A’s — As life without Lou Trivino (COVID IL) continues for the upstart A’s (8-6 on the year), Dany Jiminez could possibly be asserting himself as the team’s top late-innings option. Jimenez needed just 11 pitches, 9 of them strikes, to retire the Orioles in the ninth inning Thursday for his second save. He hasn’t allowed an earned run yet this year.

Hierarchy remains: *Jimenez | Acevedo | Jackson.
* = closer-by-committee.

Pittsburgh Pirates — It was Chris Stratton’s turn in the ninth on Thursday in this Pittsburgh committee, which seems to be a 50/50 split between Stratton and David Bednar at this point. Stratton converted for his first save. Bednar (0.00 ERA) got the last out of the seventh and pitched a clean eighth ahead of him. Look for Bednar to get a shot if the Pirates have a chance Friday. Stratton has pitched in two straight.

Hierarchy remains: *Bednar | Stratton | Hembree.
*= closer-by-committee

Texas Rangers — With just two wins for Texas coming into Thursday and facing a 5-0 deficit after the first inning, it did not seem like we’d get clarity with the Rangers bullpen. But, to their credit, the bats battled back and handed a ninth-inning lead to Joe Barlow. Barlow came into a tie game in the eighth after Matt Bush allowed an RBI single. Barlow got out of the jam and retired the side in the ninth to earn the win. If the Rangers start winning more consistently, we’ll get a better idea of what’s going on here, but it’s safe to say that at this point, Barlow is their best option in the late innings.

Hierarchy remains: *Barlow | Bush | Patton.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Friday:
1. Anthony Gose (CLE) – Emmanuel Clase and Trevor Stephan have pitched in two straight days.

Saturday:
1. Trevor May (NYM) – If he goes Friday, that would be two in a row and four of six for Edwin Diaz.
2. Jonathan Loaisiga (NYY) – If Aroldis Chapman goes Friday, that would be three of four for him.
3. Genesis Cabrera (STL) – Same as above for Geovanny Gallegos.
4. Amir Garrett (KC) – If Josh Staumont or Scott Barlow pitch Friday, that would be three of four for them.