Aroldis Chapman to Cubs deal appears imminent

July 25, 2016

Chicago Cubs – It’s been widely reported that Aroldis Chapman is likely on his way to the Cubs in exchange for megaprospect Gleyber Torres, though the two clubs are still working out details and the deal hasn’t been finalized yet. Chapman is one of only a handful of relievers in the league that would displace Hector Rondon, who is having a great year, but if you read the NL Buy/Sell post, then hopefully you saw this coming and dealt him before the news broke yesterday. We’ll send an alert if and when the deal is finalized. In other Cubs news, Joe Nathan recently joined the big league club and picked up a win in his first outing, striking out three.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Strop | Wood.

New York Yankees – The Yankees are likely to hold on to Andrew Miller unless they’re absolutely blown away by a deal. The lefty remains under team control until 2018 and will likely close for the Yankees for the duration of his contract. If he’s somehow available in your league, grab him immediately. Dellin Betances also appears unlikely to be moved.

Hierarchy remains: Chapman | Miller | Betances.

Baltimore Orioles – Set-up man Darren O’Day returned from the disabled list yesterday and was immediately thrust into a high-leverage situation, as he was summoned in the 9th inning of a tie game. O’Day struck out all three hitters he faced and earned the win when the Orioles walked off. Initially, we thought he might be eased back into his role, but after a performance like that — and with Brad Brach allowing runs in back to back games this weekend — we’re going to slot O’Day right back into his old position behind Zach Britton.

Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Brach.

Chicago White Sox – It was an eventful day for the White Sox bullpen, especially for closer David Robertson, who managed to pick up wins in both Saturday’s suspended game and Sunday. In the first game — in which the White Sox started Matt Albers in place of the suspended Chris Sale and followed him with five other relievers — Robertson did his job, keeping the game tied in the 9th inning and earning the victory when the White Sox walked off. In the second game, he did the opposite of his job, allowing three home runs and blowing the game, only to pick up the win when the White Sox rallied — a first in the modern era. Baseball is strange.

Hierarchy remains: Robertson | Jones | Duke.

Toronto Blue Jays — Drew Storen was designated for assignment by Toronto on Sunday; it seems he will be relevant at this year’s trade deadline only as a cautionary tale. Brett Cecil continues to struggle, so we’ll give the nod to Joe Biagini for now.

Updated hierarchy: Osuna | Grilli | Biagini. 

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Zach Duke, Chicago White Sox – Sunday’s doubleheader chewed through the White Sox bullpen, and Duke is better rested than David Robertson and Nate Jones.

Jesse Chavez and Cory Gearrin are moving up

May 7, 2016

Toronto Blue Jays — After the Jays called on a shaky Drew Storen to finish off a 5-2 win over the Dodgers, John Gibbons explained that Roberto Osuna was unavailable with a mild groin strain. Osuna, speaking through a translator (to the bafflement of Blue Jay Twitter), said he’d be fine for Saturday, but Gibbons wasn’t ready to commit. Meanwhile, Brett Cecil continues to be used primarily as a lefty specialist, while Jesse Chavez has impressed (16 K in 10.2 IP). As long as Chavez stays in the bullpen, he has a chance at high-leverage work.

Updated hierarchy: Osuna | Storen | Chavez.

San Francisco Giants — Cory Gearrin isn’t striking guys out, but he’s retiring them nonetheless, and Bruce Bochy appreciates his calm demeanor in the late innings. He finished the eighth last night in a tight win over the Rockies. Gearrin, whose last save came three years ago (but was still predicted by the Vulture Save Watch), is definitely in the mix to pick up another if Santiago Casilla needs a rest.

Updated hierarchy: Casilla | Osich | Gearrin.

Cincinnati Reds — The Reds finally grabbed their second save of the year, after only 30 games. Tony Cingrani earned it by escaping an eighth-inning jam, then finishing things up in the ninth while Ross Ohlendorf warmed. With four scoreless innings, the bullpen’s record streak of consecutive games allowing a run ended at 23. After the game, Bryan Price praised Cingrani, but confirmed that he is not the team’s sole closer.

Hierarchy remains: *Ohlendorf | Cingrani | Cotham.
* = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins — As we predicted, A.J. Ramos got a break on Friday, and David Phelps nailed down his second vulture save for the red-hot Fish.

Hierarchy remains: Ramos | Phelps | Barraclough.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Drew Storen, Toronto Blue Jays — If Osuna’s groin stays balky, Storen could get another save chance.
2. Brandon Maurer, San Diego Padres — Fernando Rodney has fired arrows in four of five (and five of seven) and might get Saturday off to replenish his quiver.
3. Dellin Betances/Chasen Shreve, New York Yankees — Andrew Miller needed 36 pitches and a Big Papi hissyfit to escape the ninth on Friday (by the way, that ugly 3-1 pitch was somehow a strike). The Yankees haven’t needed a closer too often lately, but Betances or Shreve could get the call Saturday. Remember: on Monday, Aroldis Chapman comes back.
4. Pedro Strop, Chicago Cubs — Hector Rondon hasn’t thrown many pitches, but he’s been used on three straight days.

Britton day to day with ankle injury, David Phelps records save

May 1, 2016

Baltimore Orioles — Zach Britton left yesterday’s game with an ankle injury, and is considered day to day.  Darren O’Day should close if Britton misses any games.

Hierarchy remains: Britton | O’Day | Brach.

Miami Marlins — As expected, A.J. Ramos got the night off on Saturday, and David Phelps recorded his first save of the season. Kyle Barraclough pitched a scoreless 8th inning ahead of Phelps, and those two, along with closer Ramos, are forming a very solid back end of the bullpen for the Marlins.

Hierarchy remains: Ramos | Phelps | Barraclough.

Toronto Blue Jays – Brett Cecil started the 9th inning last night in a tie game and gave up 3 hits and a run without recording any outs.  Cecil finished April with an 0-5 record,  Jesse Chavez pitched 1.1 scoreless innings yesterday to lower his ERA under 2.00 and could see some time in the later innings if Cecil continues to struggle.

Hierarchy remains: Osuna | Storen | Cecil.

Oakland A’s — Ryan Madson made it interesting yesterday, as he loaded the bases with one out in the 9th, but got a game ending double play to earn the save.  Madson is now 8 for 8 in save opportunities and we don’t see this as a committee anymore.  John Axford pitched 1.1 scoreless innings ahead of Madson yesterday and lowered his ERA under 1.00 on the season.  Axford could challenge Doolittle for saves when Madson is unavailable.

Hierarchy remains: Madson | Doolittle | Axford.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Darren O’Day/Brad Brach, Baltimore Orioles – Zach Britton could be unavailable on Sunday due to his ankle injury.  Darren O’Day would normally get the save opportunities when Britton is out but he has pitched in two straight and three of four so Brach might get the call instead.
2. Sean Doolittle/John Axford, Oakland A’s – Ryan Madson has pitched in three straight.  Sean Doolittle’s usage has been all over the place so it’s possible he is used before the 9th, and then Axford would likely get a shot.
3. Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox – Closer David Robertson could return to the team Sunday but if he doesn’t, Nate Jones should continue to fill in.

David Phelps moving up in Marlins ‘pen; Roberto Osuna day-to-day

April 19, 2016

Toronto Blue Jays – While a broken nail may not seem like a devastating injury, it was severe enough to keep Roberto Osuna on the bench in yesterday’s Patriot’s Day game at Fenway. Information is scarce on Osuna’s timetable to return — he’s day-to-day at the moment — but in the meantime, Drew Storen is likely to be tapped in save situations, as he was yesterday.

Hierarchy remains: Osuna | Storen | Cecil.

Miami Marlins – Don Mattingly recently told the media that he is looking to use David Phelps later in games. We will take Donny Baseball at his word for now and slip Phelps into the hierarchy, and we also wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually takes over the set-up man role.

Updated hierarchy: Ramos | Morris | Phelps.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays – Roberto Osuna might need another day off, while Drew Storen has pitched in back-to-back games, including a shaky 26-pitch outing yesterday afternoon.

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.