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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Week 12

Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Week 12

It’s right about now that fantasy baseball players get the opportunity to separate themselves from the pack. For the last few months, your whole league has been tuned into the happenings around the game. The only real distraction was the NBA playoffs, but considering that we’ve all known who would make the Finals for the last six months, that didn’t factor in very much.

But right about now, there are a lot of things going on. We’ve got the NBA draft, where Phil Jackson and Lavar Ball have turned a four-hour spectacle into one of the most riveting few weeks of all time. In the NFL, we’ve now got reporting dates and locations for rookies and vets.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there’s going to be a lot of turnover in the closer world. That’s why now is the time to pay close attention to what is happening around the league and see if you can sneak in a good closer or two, or upgrade from your current situation. So let’s check in on all the happenings around the relief landscape in this week’s closer report.

Bookmark our Closer Depth Chart for updated coverage throughout the season partner-arrow

Team (Closer) Current Rank Previous Rank
Red Sox (Craig Kimbrel) 1 1
Dodgers (Kenley Jansen) 2 2
Cubs (Wade Davis) 3 3
Blue Jays (Roberto Osuna) 4 6
Rays (Alex Colome) 5 4
Rockies (Greg Holland) 6 5
Yankees (Aroldis Chapman) 7 21
Royals (Kelvin Herrera) 8 8
Brewers (Corey Knebel) 9 12
White Sox (David Robertson) 10 10
Mariners (Edwin Diaz) 11 11
Cardinals (Seung-Hwan Oh) 12 9
Indians (Committee) 13 7
Astros (Ken Giles) 14 14
Mets (Addison Reed) 15 13
Reds (Raisel Iglesias) 16 15
Giants (Mark Melancon) 17 16
Marlins (A.J. Ramos) 18 18
Pirates (Felipe Rivero) 19 19
Rangers (Matt Bush) 20 17
Twins (Brandon Kintzler) 21 22
Diamondbacks (Fernando Rodney) 22 23
Tigers (Justin Wilson) 23 24
Braves (Jim Johnson) 24 25
Orioles (Brad Brach) 25 20
Padres (Brandon Maurer) 26 26
Athletics (Committee) 27 27
Angels (Committee) 28 28
Nationals (Committee) 29 29
Phillies (Committee) 30 30

 
The Big Movers

The Yankees continue to rise with Aroldis Chapman returning from injury and looking just fine – I mean, if you want to call averaging 101 mph with your fastball fine. It is worth noting that although that’s a perfectly normal number for Chapman, it’s higher than he had averaged at any point this season, giving further comfort to his owners that he truly is past the shoulder issues that led to his DL stint. Chapman and the Yankees will continue to rise, but given the incredible seasons of both Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel, I think Chapman may have ceded the top spot for the remainder of the season.

I defy you to find me a stranger situation than what is going on with the Indians right now. Terry Francona does it right, using his best reliever (Andrew Miller) as his setup guy, deploying him in only the highest leverage situation, and using his second best reliever (Cody Allen) as his solid closer. Allen then reportedly takes it upon himself to request that Miller take over as closer for a little while so that Miller can pitch in lower-leverage situations and not put as much stress on his arm. While Allen is away from the team for the birth of his kid, Miller gets brought into Wednesday’s game in the seventh inning to get out of a bases-loaded jam, which he does with ease, and then pitches the eighth inning, too. But on Thursday, he was held back for a potential save situation and pitched the ninth inning (the Indians scored a run in the eighth to make it a non-save situation).

I’ll be honest – I’ve checked the fantasy playbook, and this one ain’t in it. This whole situation sounds like when my kids tell me a story (“And then, a dragon came. But the wizard told the dragon that he doesn’t eat enough broccoli and then he made me king because I could spell the word ‘purple.’ The end.”) – it’s just nonsense that doesn’t make any sense and sounds like the Indians are just making everything up on the fly as it pops into their heads. Well, that doesn’t do us much good for fantasy. Going forward, I’d still expect Allen to continue to get the majority of saves, and for Miller to primarily work his usual role as the set-up man, getting the occasional save. But the end result is that the Indians situation is far more confusing now, and so it drops several spots.

Random Musings

Corey Knebel earned his 12th save on Thursday, striking out a batter. That appearance broke Aroldis Chapman’s‘s record of 37 straight games to begin a season with at least one strikeout.

This is pretty out of line with what Knebel showed us last year and in the minors, but the incredible numbers come from an almost two mile per hour jump in his fastball velocity over the last two seasons, with a corresponding one mile per hour drop in curveball velocity. Knebel is cheap and under contract for four more seasons, so even if the Brewers fall out of the NL Central race, there’s no reason to trade him to a contender. And if they stay in the race, it seems more likely that they’d add depth to the bullpen, rather than a closer. Feel confident, Knebel owners!

Something just isn’t right with Seung-Hwan Oh. He’s just been entirely hittable all season, having given up 36 hits in 33 innings. The underlying metrics make it seem like it’s simply bad luck – his hard-contact rate is way down from last year (26.2% this year versus 34.2% last year) and his soft-contact rate is way up (26.2% up from 15.3% last year). His velocity is pretty much the same, and his line-drive percentage is up just a smidge. Still, watch him pitch, and he just does not look the same as the pitcher who dominated last year. His ranking is still fairly high, but I’d just prefer several guys to him at this point.

Zach Britton’s rehab is going fine, and he’s on track to come off the disabled list in early July, as expected. It’s a forearm strain, which is always scary, and Britton already teased us with the false start before, so you’re obviously holding onto Brad Brach for awhile, even after Britton is activated. But for now, there’s no way you’re feeling good as a Brach owner unless you also own Britton, so the Orioles continue their downward descent. Also, they’re one game away from tying the 1923 Phillies for consecutive games allowing at least five runs. In other words, I’m not sure the Orioles are where you want to be looking for saves in any event.

If I were to place odds on who will lead the Angels in save chances going forward, I’d have Cam Bedrosian at 1-to-1, Bud Norris at 3-1, Huston Street at 7-1, David Hernandez at 9-1, and Blake Parker at 10-1. I’d also have the odds of you being happy on relying on an Angels reliever for saves at eleventy billion-to-one. Not a fun situation right now.

I’d love it if the A’s could get a save chance at some point so we can find out if Sean Doolittle actually kinda sorta stole the closer’s role from Santiago Casilla, or if it was really just the whole Casilla getting hit with the foul ball thing. I can’t wait to find out the answer in like three weeks when the A’s have a lead in the ninth inning. And yes, I’m just mad about them DFA’ing Stephen Vogt. Tons of last name puns there that are now totally wasted.

At some point this season, the Nationals are going to shoot up these rankings. It will probably be when they trade for David Robertson. It could be when Koda Glover returns from the disabled list and does well. It will not be this week. Or probably next week. The Nationals have no reason to hurry to fix that problem.

I’d guess that Hector Neris is still the closer in Philadelphia, but I’m listing them as a committee because Neris cannot convert a save chance, Pete Mackanin changes closers at the drop of a hat, and I’m trying to make sure you do not rely on that team for saves. Ever. It makes the Angels situation look like the Dodgers. Run far away!

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

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