Here’s the deal guys – I love to write long-winded openings before most of my articles because, well, unlike my wife, you guys pretty much have to listen to me drone on and on. But there’s a ton to discuss this week and my editors have put me on a word count because they think I “use all the words too much” (or something to that effect). So, in an effort to make sure we get the full analysis, let’s jump right in.

Here is your closer report for Week 10.

Bookmark our Closer Depth Chart for updated coverage throughout the season

 
The Big Movers

Although their rankings haven’t changed very much, we need to discuss both the Phillies’ and the Pirates’ situations. Pete Mackanin is now on his FOURTH closer of the young season. He removed Hector Neris from the ninth-inning role and replaced him with Pat Neshek. Pete Mackanin, it’s time we had a talk. I know Neris gave up a couple of hits last time out. I know batters are hitting .233 this season against his splitter instead of the .152 they hit last year. But give me a break. Neris is the closer of the future and your team is going nowhere. And sure, Neshek has been great this season. But you already had a late-30’s closer and you yanked him after one bad outing in favor of Neris. Stop managing like you have a playoff team, and let Neris endure what seemed to be pretty minimal growing pains.

Ok, rant over. Pick up Neshek if you’re absolutely desperate for saves. Assume Neris will get the role back at some point soon until Mackanin asks the front office to trade for Bartolo Colon and make him the new closer. It’s not a very appealing situation, no matter who is closing there.

As for the Pirates, I don’t know what kind of dirt Tony Watson has on Clint Hurdle, but it must be goooooooood. I can’t imagine that Watson will get the next save chance after blowing back-to-back opportunities in horrific fashion and just generally not being very good. But at the time of this writing, Hurdle has not announced a closer change, and he’s already stuck with Watson 8,000 times longer than Pete Mackanin would’ve. Felipe Rivero has video game numbers this year: a sub-1.00 ERA and WHIP, great strikeouts, and almost no walks. He’s probably the top waiver wire pickup this week, and could easily get the job and run with it.

As for the actual big movers, both the Brewers (Corey Knebel) and the Reds (Raisel Iglesias) take big leaps this week. Frankly, the closing landscape is so murky and uncertain, that I think these two guys – who have been fantastic and are in solid situations – need to be higher. As I’ve mentioned before, Knebel’s strikeout rate is elite (45.4%, fifth in the league), and he has just a 1.20 ERA this season. And Iglesias hasn’t given up a run since April 23, and has successfully converted nine save opportunities since (not to mention his sub-1.00 ERA and WHIP on the season). There’s an easy case to be made to move these guys even higher, and if they stay on their current trajectories, I will.

Random Musings

I couldn’t resist any longer. Craig Kimbrel is now your No. 1 closer. He struck out five batters in 1 1/3 innings and his strikeout rate actually went down! Fine, that second part isn’t true, but the first part is, and it left him with a 55.4% strikeout percentage. Just to put that into perspective, Aroldis Chapman’s career strikeout percentage is 42.4%. This is a truly historic season from Kimbrel, and even if you aren’t impressed by his numbers, to which I would say “have you no decency, sir,” then feel confident in the fact that he’s second in the league in saves.

Seung-Hwan Oh looks to have righted the ship a bit, upping his strikeout rate and cutting his walk rate significantly over his last several outings. Given the leash that Mike Matheny gave him early in the season while he was struggling, I’d feel pretty confident that he’s in no danger of losing his job with a bad outing or two. Same deal with Edwin Diaz who, despite allowing a solo home run in a mop-up situation the other day, has been pretty lights out since returning to the closer’s role. The Mariners want him on that wall, they need him on that wall. He’s about as safe as anyone after the top seven at this point!

A couple of notable names take a little tumble here, with Ken Giles, Mark Melancon, and Matt Bush moving down the rankings a bit. I have never had less of a handle on a pitcher than I do Ken Giles. When I’m concerned about him because A.J. Hinch won’t name him the full-time closer and he’s struggling, he runs off several dominant outings in a row. When I finally decide he’s trustworthy and move him up the rankings, he gives up earned runs in three consecutive outings and suddenly looks eminently hittable. So, 14th, around where he’s been most of the season, seems about right.

And Mark Melancon is fine, certainly. But he’s far from the dominant reliever he’s been over the previous three seasons (1.93 ERA, sub-1.00 WHIP), he doesn’t have an elite strikeout rate, and he plays for a team that struggles to win games. He’ll have the job all season and beyond because of his contract, but he’s no longer in a top-flight situation.

And Matt Bush is in a little bit of a funk right now. His ERA has risen from 0.96 to 2.49 over his last three outings (one of which actually lowered his ERA, as he gave up only an unearned run). And let’s remember, he’s not exactly an established closer at this point. He has just six saves this year, and while he has the stuff, the Rangers have no reason to stick with him if his struggles continue.

It’s a little tough to know how to handle Dellin Betances and Brad Brach. This is the best version of Betances that we may have ever seen, but it won’t be enough to wrestle the job away from a healthy Aroldis Chapman, no matter what. Reports are that Chapman should be back next week, but obviously, we’ll need to see it before knowing what to do with the Yankees situation. For now, if you own only one of Betances or Chapman, you’re not exactly sure what the future holds, so that leaves them at 21. And Brach has rediscovered himself, but Zach Britton is making progress. Unlike Chapman, Britton is still several weeks away, but unless he has a setback, I’d be hard-pressed to choose Brach over someone who appears to have the job for the full season.

Finally, I feel like Bud Norris is the kid who wins the Hunger Games by hiding the whole time, you know? It’s not like he’s doing anything particularly special, but all his competitors are dropping like flies while he sits back and just survives. Huston Street is almost certainly never closing for the Angels again, and Cam Bedrosian had a setback with his groin injury. Norris may hold the job even when Bedrosian comes back, but the situation is uncertain at best. Still, anyone who owns Norris has made a huge profit, and it looks like there’s more to come.

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Dan Harris is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Dan, check out his archive or follow him on Twitter at @danharris80.