2017 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: Revolving Door

This week has seen a few big shakeups in MLB bullpens, which has caused quite a stir in the fantasy world. Brad Brach has returned to the closer role with Zach Britton landing back on the DL. This time, it sounds like Britton will be out for a while (an estimated 45-60 days). Justin Wilson has taken over the closer role for the Tigers following two blown saves this week by Francisco Rodriguez. Lastly, Derek Law has been named interim closer for the Giants with Mark Melancon landing on the DL. Wilson and Brach are must owns. Law is worth a pick-up in deep leagues, but Melancon’s injury does not appear to be serious so Law will likely have a very short run as the closer.

Closers in flux

The Nationals. This Bullpen is a mess. Injuries have piled up, and save chances have varied based on matchup. Matt Albers and Enny Romero have both blown save chances this week. They both converted one save in two tries. Koda Glover and/or Shawn Kelley will likely return to the role once they return from the DL, which could be as soon as tomorrow. The Nationals are also on the market for a closer and there have been reports linking them to both Kelvin Herrera and David Robertson.

Blown Saves

*Top 10

*Note: I track blown saves that happened by guys who were brought into finish the game. Such as guys in the closer role, or other pitchers who were brought in late in the game. A guy who picks up a “blown save,” for example, in the 6^th inning is very irrelevant in my opinion, when tracking fantasy assets.

Who’s Hot?

Greg Holland (93% owned) continues to produce at an exceptional rate. He picked up three saves, and continues to lead the league in that category. He also had six strikeouts in three shutout innings, and allowed just one runner to reach base against him. Holland was a very low ranking closer in drafts this season, but the returns have been magnificent. The Rockies are playing well and Holland should continue to be a top-tier closer. He is now a perfect 14-14 in save chances. YTD stats: 15 innings, 14 saves, 19 K, 1.20 ERA.

Roberto Osuna (93% owned) is someone I advocated to buy-low for after this cold start. He seems to have returned to his former self finally. He pitched four times this week, converting both of his save chances, while striking-out five across four shutout innings.  He also picked up a win. He has now made seven straight appearances without giving up a run. The buy-low window has closed and he will be an upper-tier closer going forward. YTD stats: 13 innings, 5 saves, 16 K, 3.46 ERA.

Edwin Diaz (95% owned) pitched three times this week, converting both of his save opportunities, and he struck-out four hitters across three shutout innings. Diaz has had a rough start to the season and entered this week with a 4.76 ERA. Diaz owners will be hopeful this marks the beginning of a strong remaining season. He is still pitching to a very nice K/9 of 12.56 and his ratios should continue to improve. He also has great job security which is always a nice thing in the fantasy world. YTD stats: 14.1 innings, 7 saves, 20 K, 3.77 ERA.

Who’s Cold?

Brandon Kintzler (74% owned) pitched just one time this week and the result was a blown save. He gave up two runs, and also did not strikeout anyone. Kintzler has done a fine job as the Twins closer, but a high WHIP (1.35) and a terrible K/9 (4.05) will keep him as a bottom-tier fantasy closer. He is walking batters at a much higher rate this year, and I would not be surprised to see more bad outings in his future. Kintzler is someone I would try to sell-high on or flip for a closer in his tier. YTD stats: 13.1 innings, 7 saves, 6 K, 2.70 ERA.

A.J. Ramos (84% owned) is the first pitcher to land on this section of the article despite not giving up an earned run on the week. Ramos pitched just two times and did not have a save chance. Ramos was brought into the game on May 9^th to hold a 5-5 tie and failed to do so. He committed an error which led to the game-winning run scoring. He struck-out just one batter and is almost up to three weeks since his last save.  Ramos owners have only received three saves from him so far this season and he has been a huge disappointment after picking up 40 saves in 2016. His job security is fine and he is still a good own. YTD stats: 12 innings, 3 saves, 14 K, 3.00 ERA.

Francisco Rodriguez (67% owned). Yes, he lost his job as closer, but a week as bad as he had cannot avoid this section. He failed to convert either save chance he was given and allowed five earned runs in just one total inning pitched. He also picked up two losses giving him four on the season already. He now carries an 8.49 ERA and 2.06 WHIP. Justin Wilson is now the Tigers closer, a move that was overdue in my opinion. Rodriguez owners can cut bait. YTD stats: 11.2 innings, 7 saves, 13 K, 8.49 ERA.

Who’s hot, Who’s Cold season Leader board

This table shows who has made the most appearances in these sections.

Middle Relievers of note

Tommy Kahnle (5% owned) has pitched very well for the White Sox to this point in the year. He has now moved into the set-up role with Nate Jones currently on the DL dealing with an injury. His holds count is a little low (2) but that should start to see an uptick. He won’t be getting save chances with current closer David Robertson still on the team, but his ratios could benefit anyone. His K/9 is currently sitting at 17.18 with both his ERA and WHIP under 0.85. YTD stats: 11 innings, 2 holds, 21 K, 0.82 ERA.

Tyler Clippard (8% owned), the veteran reliever for the Yankees, continues to be a strong arm out of the ‘pen, as he has been his whole career. Being behind both Dellin Betances and closer Aroldis Chapman hurts his counting stats, but his ratios are looking good. Right now he is just someone to keep an eye on, more so than someone worth owning. If an injury occurred, he could make for a solid fantasy asset. YTD stats: 14.1 innings, 3 holds, 18 K, 1.26 ERA.

Two Orioles: Mychal Givens (8% owned) and Donnie Hart (1% owned) are both pitching well for a talented Orioles bullpen. They will both see more late inning opportunities with Zach Britton landing on the DL. Brad Brach is the one that slides into the closer role with Britton out, but Givens and Hart will find increased holds and win opportunities. Givens is the more trusted reliever by Manager Buck Showalter and the better own of the two. He makes for a solid own in holds leagues. YTD stats for Givens: 18 innings, 7 holds, 18 K, 2.00 ERA. YTD stats for Hart: 11 innings, 5 holds, 13 K, 2.45 ERA.

The full 2016 breakdown for these 4 guys can be found in the chart below.

Holds

*Top 10

*Ownership percentages are based off Yahoo