2023 AL East Preview

March 13, 2023

Baltimore Orioles — There’s a lot of optimism in Baltimore after a surprising 83-win season in 2022 – an astonishing 31-win improvement from 2021. Part of the resurgence can be attributed to a strong back half of the bullpen, led by 6-foot-8 Felix Bautista, who had 15 saves, a 2.19 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 12.1 K/9 last season. Bautista is a little slow to start things this spring but should be ready for Opening Day. Dillon Tate, meanwhile, will start the season on the IL as he works his way back from a flexor/forearm strain. Look for Cionel Perez and a returning Mychal Givens to fill out the back end of a strong unit.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Bautista | Perez | Givens.
Holds candidates: Perez, Givens, Bryan Baker, DL Hall, Keegan Akin, and (eventually) Tate.

Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox have been piecemealing their bullpen ever since they let Craig Kimbrel go in free agency after the 2018 season, but they enter 2023 with an unusual setup: some stability. Free agent signees Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin immediately fill out an improved back end of the bullpen, while lefties Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez — and holdover John Schreiber — add some depth for the middle innings.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Jansen | Martin | Schreiber.
Holds candidates: Martin, Schreiber, Bleier, Rodriguez, Ryan Brasier.

New York Yankees — Once an unquestioned strength for the Bronx Bombers, the bullpen situation is a little more murky to start in 2023. Aroldis Chapman is gone, leaving Clay Holmes as the likely candidate to man the ninth inning. He’ll be set up by holdovers Jonathan Loaisiga and Michael King to start off, while Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle nurse injuries to start the campaign.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Holmes | Loaisiga | King.
Holds candidates: Loaisiga, King, Wandy Peralta, Ron Marinaccio, and (eventually) Trivino and Kahnle.

Tampa Bay Rays — Rays gonna Rays, right? Maybe, but that’s not to say the back end of the bullpen isn’t talented. Pete Fairbanks likely gets the first crack at things, as he looked dynamite after returning from injury last season (1.13 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 8 saves). Jason Adam and Colin Poche should be in the mix for saves again, but Fairbanks has a shot to “run away with the job” as much as any Rays reliever could do something like that.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: *Fairbanks | Adam | Poche.
*=closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Adam, Poche, Jalen Beeks, Ryan Thompson, Garret Cleavinger.

Toronto Blue Jays — In a division full of bullpen changes, Toronto is a model of consistency, with Jordan Romano likely to hold the closer’s job again after leading the Jays in saves in 2021 and 2022. But the Blue Jays didn’t just stand pat in the ‘pen, dealing slugger Teoscar Hernandez to land reliever Erik Swanson, who had a 1.68 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP with Seattle in 2022. Swanson should be the primary setup man in a bullpen full of late-inning options.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Romano | Swanson | Garcia.
Holds candidates: Swanson, Yimi Garcia, Adam Cimber, Tim Mayza, Anthony Bass.

2023 AL Central Preview

March 13, 2023

Chicago White Sox — All-Star closer Liam Hendriks is expected to begin the season on the IL after announcing in January that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  The White Sox have a number of options to close games while Hendriks is out, but it looks like they will not have a set closer in his absence.  Kendall Graveman was the primary set-up man for Hendriks last year and should start the year at the head of the committee.  Righties Joe Kelly and Reynaldo Lopez, as well as lefties Aaron Bummer and Jake Diekman, could also be in the mix.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: *Graveman | Kelly | Bummer.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Kelly, Bummer, Lopez, Diekman, Garrett Crochet.

Cleveland Guardians – The back-end of the Guardians’ bullpen was very strong last year and they bring back all the key members.  Closer Emmanuel Clase led the league with 42 saves last season and also had the best WHIP among qualified relievers at 0.73.  James Karinchak missed the first part of the season but pitched well after returning and had a 23-game scoreless streak at one point.  Trevor Stephan emerged as another dominant late-inning reliever last season and led the Guardians with 20 holds.  

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Clase | Karinchak | Stephan.
Holds candidates: Karinchak, Stephan, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan, Nick Sandlin.

Detroit Tigers – The Tigers traded closer Gregory Soto in January, and two other key members of their bullpen last year, Andrew Chafin and Joe Jimenez, are not on the roster.  That leaves a pretty open bullpen and the Tigers will probably add another piece before the season starts.  Alex Lange seems like the most logical candidate to close out games as he posted some elite numbers last year, including a whiff rate of 44.1 percent and an exit velocity that ranked in the top ten percent of the league.  However, he also led the league in wild pitches, so control is definitely an issue.  Veteran Jose Cisnero could be in the mix if Lange struggles with walks, and Jason Foley is another candidate to round out the back end of the Tigers’ bullpen. Another guy to watch is Trevor Rosenthal; the Tigers signed him to a minor league deal, and there is certainly an opportunity here if he can regain his past form.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Lange | Cisnero | Foley.
Holds candidates: Cisnero, Foley, Will Vest, Tyler Alexander.

Kansas City Royals – Scott Barlow had a strong 2022 season as he led the Royals with 24 saves and had a solid ERA of 2.18 and a WHIP of 1.00.  Barlow should start the season as the closer, but there are question marks behind him.  Josh Staumont has looked dominant at times, but he battled injuries and serious control issues last season.  Speaking of control issues, the Royals went out and signed veteran flamethrower Aroldis Chapman.  Chapman walked 28 batters in just over 36 innings last year, but the Royals will hope he can regain the form that saw him strike out 97 batters just a couple seasons ago.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Barlow | Staumont | Chapman.
Holds candidates: Staumont, Chapman, Amir Garrett, Taylor Clarke.

Minnesota Twins – Jhoan Duran was electric out of the Twins’ bullpen last year as he recorded 89 strikeouts in just 67.2 innings.  However, he was often needed before the 9th inning, limiting him to just eight saves.  Duran has all the makings of a dominant closer, but with Jorge Lopez returning, the Twins could prefer to use Duran in a more flexible role instead of as a traditional closer.  We still think Duran is the best option, but we think he will share save chances with Lopez, especially at the beginning of the season.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: *Duran | Lopez | Thielbar.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Lopez, Caleb Thielbar, Griffin Jax.

2023 AL West Preview

March 13, 2023

Houston Astros — Houston returns all their top arms from a phenomenal 2022 bullpen, including top closer Ryan Pressly, last seen shutting the door on the Phillies to seal the World Series. Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu, and Hector Neris are ready to set the table for Pressly in the late innings.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Pressly | Montero | Abreu.
Holds candidates: Montero, Abreu, Neris, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek.

Los Angeles Angels — Former Rockie Carlos Estevez is the favorite to close for LA, with the Angels confident that his slider will play much better away from the thin Coors Field air. If Phil Nevin isn’t ready to fully commit to Estevez, look for Jimmy Herget and Ryan Tepera to resume their committee roles from last year, along with free agent acquisition Matt Moore.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Estevez | Herget | Tepera.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Herget, Tepera, Moore, Aaron Loup, Jose Quijada.

Oakland A’s — The A’s signed Trevor May to a one-year deal this spring, so we expect him to win the job outright, earn 15 saves with decent stats on an awful team, and get traded at the deadline. Taking over for him at that point will probably be a combination of Zach Jackson, Dany Jimenez, and Domingo Acevedo. Now, if all goes well, we won’t have to update Oakland’s page again until July. 

Starting 2023 hierarchy:  May | Jackson | Jimenez.
Holds candidates: Jackson, Jimenez, Acevedo.

Seattle Mariners — Paul Sewald and Andres Muñoz were excellent last season and should continue as options 1 and 1-A in the Seattle bullpen. Erik Swanson’s departure leaves the door open for Diego Castillo in the seventh.

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Sewald | Muñoz | Castillo.
Holds candidates: Munoz, Castillo, Matt Brash.

Texas Rangers — Jose Leclerc has the edge of incumbency in the Texas bullpen, but an early battle with neck tightness could provide an opportunity for Jonathan Hernandez, Brock Burke, Joe Barlow, or even the recently signed Will Smith. 

Starting 2023 hierarchy: Leclerc | Hernandez | Burke.
Holds candidates: Hernandez, Burke, Barlow, Smith.