Few bullpens will look the same after July 31’s non-waiver trade deadline.
There’s no better time for fantasy baseball managers to snag a new closer off the waiver wire. Middle relievers also benefit from summer transactions, but some overlooked studs remain up for grabs anyway.
Two players previously emphasized have only improved. Now they top the list of bullpen stars to own regardless of role. A completed trade may boost a veteran’s holds potential. An anticipated deal has a post-hype flamethrower back in the limelight, and a return brings a 2016 breakout arm back to prominence.
Let’s take a look at some players to watch in holds leagues as the deadline approaches.
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Highlighted in June as a deep-league add, Kirby Yates now demands attention in all formats.
Rather than fading, the 30-year-old has shined brighter. He snapped a streak of 15 scoreless outings when yielding a run on Thursday night, upping his ERA to 2.36. During that time, he hurled 6.2 hitless frames from June 29 to July 22.
As of Thursday night, his 38.0 strikeout percentage ties Andrew Miller for the sixth-best mark among qualified relievers. His 18.3 swinging-strike rate is exceeded only by Craig Kimbrel, Roberto Osuna, and Jose Leclerc.
After shipping Brandon Maurer and Ryan Buchter to the Kansas City Royals, the San Diego Padres must offer Yates more opportunities in hold scenarios. He’ll likely handle setup duties alongside rookie Phil Maton while Brad Hand—who could play elsewhere next week—ascends to the closer’s chair. There’s an outside chance Yates earns save chances this year, but he doesn’t need them to provide value.
Continued dominance makes him a must-own in all holds leagues. He’s also worth adding in deeper leagues as a stellar source of strikeouts.
In a group featuring Adam Warren, Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, and Dellin Betances, Chad Green may be the New York Yankees’ best middle reliever.
Since occupying this space a month ago, the converted starter has registered 26 strikeouts in 16.1 innings while ceding six hits and two runs. He scattered a no-hitter through six outings spanning 9.1 frames before his streak ended on Thursday night.
Betances, meanwhile, has issued one fewer walk (29) than Green has hits and walks combined. The bullpen’s unheralded star could be the setup man had the Bronx Bombers not recently acquired Robertson and Kanhle from the Chicago White Sox.
That’s better for the Yankees, and perhaps fantasy owners. Green is still free to work two innings at a time when the need arises. He picked up a win on Tuesday after relieving spot-starter Caleb Smith in the fourth, but he has also recently appeared in the seventh and eighth.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has plenty of options, so Green won’t flood the holds column. He will, however, offer loads of strikeouts and elite ratios with more innings than most relievers. Much like Chris Devenski early in the season, he deserves a universal spotlight.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me four times, maybe it’s time to move on from Bruce Rondon.
A popular pick-up amid Justin Wilson trade rumors, the Detroit Tigers’ Closer of the Future since 2013 has relinquished eight walks and 14 runs in 12 innings. For all the hype, the 26-year-old sports a career 4.75 ERA and 4.17 BB/9.
But some folks can’t quit the hard-throwing righty, whose average fastball velocity has dipped all the way to 96.6. He has racked up 18 strikeouts during his 2017 struggles, including swings on 32.1 percent of pitches outside the strike zone.
If the Tigers trade Wilson before the deadline, there’d be no better time to let Rodon sink or swim in the ninth. At 45-55, they have fallen out of the playoff hunt. While Shane Greene should be considered the favorite, Brad Ausmus might prefer to keep utilizing his workhorse in other high-leverage capacities.
Rondon’s upside keeps him relevant as an AL-only flier, but he eventually must prove he belongs before the Tigers and fantasy owners can trust him in an important role.
The Tampa Bay Rays continued to boost their bullpen by acquiring Dan Jennings from the White Sox on Thursday. While the move squashes any chance of the southpaw snagging save opportunities, it should lead to more holds.
Although the 30-year-old owns a career-worst 4.56 FIP, he has maintained a solid 3.65 ERA with help from a 58.4 ground-ball percentage. It’s a familiar pattern for the veteran, who sports a career 2.89 ERA and 54.7 ground-ball rate. Yet a 24.0 HR/FB percentage is way out of whack from his 8.2 norm.
A light strikeout tally prevented him from receiving recognition in light of the Robertson and Kahnle trade. He has made progress by accruing nine punchouts in 7.1 innings. Plus, he’s now the left-handed specialist on a contender, who surely noted his .237 wOBA against same-handed hitters before shelling out Casey Gillaspie.
Jennings could compile a bunch of one- or two-out holds on a competitive club, making him a possible deep-league weapon during the closing months. As for the White Sox, the door is wide open for a hungry rookie to earn a prominent role with Anthony Swarzak also leaving the Windy City.
Gone for over two months with a knee injury, Ryan Dull returned to an Oakland Athletics bullpen missing Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle.
He came back on Thursday, the day after Santiago Casilla dished up two home runs to the Toronto Blue Jays without recording an out. On the hook for a .342/.375/.632 opposing slash line this month, the closer’s ninth-inning grip is loosening.
Blake Treinen, retrieved from the Washington Nationals for Madson and Doolittle, is still the best Oakland reliever to add for holds and/or speculative saves. But if Dull looks more like the guy who notched a 2.88 ERA and 4.87 K/BB ratio last year, he’ll quickly regain a setup role.
Prospective buyers, of course, can’t ignore the 17 runs and nine walks served up in 15.2 innings before getting hurt. Tossed into the eighth inning with a 4-3 lead on Thursday, he recorded his 10th hold before Treinen blew the lead and Liam Hendricks lost the game. The opportunity is there for Dull to quickly re-emerge as an exciting middle-relief option.
Note: All stats are courtesy of FanGraphs.
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Andrew Gould is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @andrewgould4.