Usually for the Bullpen Report, I break down 8-10 bullpens in the midst of serious closer turmoil.
But this season has been remarkably stable on the closer front. Sure, the Blue Jays and Cubs are having issues right now, but two points of turmoil aren't enough to carry a whole report. So rather than narrowing the focus during this period of relative quiet, I've opted to widen the focus, giving a broad overview of the closer scenario for all 30 teams.
I did something similar at the start of the season, so consider this the midseason update. It's a couple weeks early, perhaps, but again, I can't control when the discord happens.
One additional line item for this midseason edition is "chances of trade shakeup," which refers to the likelihood of a team making a trade that would disrupt the closer role, whether through an acquisition or a departure. The other line items should be self-explanatory.
Note: "Pecking order" refers to rosterability in Fantasy and not necessarily who's first in line for saves (though it's usually one and the same).
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Paul Sewald
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Raisel Iglesias
A.J. Minter (hip inflammation) is currently on the IL but should return soon to reclaim eighth-inning duties.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Craig Kimbrel
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Kenley Jansen
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Hector Neris
Neris' struggles may force manager Craig Counsell to make a change, but the change may be to abandon roles completely and figure it out on the fly since there is no obvious replacement.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Michael Kopech (if anyone)
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Alexis Diaz
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Emmanuel Clase
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Tyler Kinley (if anyone)
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Jason Foley
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Josh Hader
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: high
Who's rosterable? James McArthur
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: high
Who's rosterable? Carlos Estevez
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Evan Phillips
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: high
Who's rosterable? Tanner Scott
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Devin Williams, Trevor Megill, Bryan Hudson
Williams has been out all season with fractures in his back, allowing Trevor Megill to step into the role (and thrive). Williams figures to reclaim the role when he returns, though, which is expected to happen after the All-Star break.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax
Duran has occasionally been used in the eighth inning rather than the ninth and hasn't been quite as overpowering this year, whether in terms of velocity or strikeouts.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Edwin DIaz
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Clay Holmes
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Mason Miller
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Jose Alvarado, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm
Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman function as more of a closing tandem for the Phillies, which is why "confidence in top guy" rates as "low." Both have been excellent when tasked with closing, though.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? David Bednar
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Robert Suarez, Jeremiah Estrada
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Camilo Doval
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: low
Who's rosterable? Andres Munoz, Ryne Stanek
Munoz is clearly the Mariners' top reliever, but manager Scott Servais has always been flighty about bullpen roles and has lately had him working the eighth inning rather than the ninth, allowing Stanek to vulture saves. It's likely a short-term development, though.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Ryan Helsley
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Pete Fairbanks
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Kirby Yates
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: medium
Who's rosterable? Jordan Romano, Chad Green
Green figures to handle the Blue Jays' next save chance now that Yimi Garcia has landed on the IL with elbow ulnar neuritis. But Garcia himself was filling in for Jordan Romano, who's nearing a return from his own IL stint for elbow inflammation.
| Pecking order |
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of trade shakeup: high
Who's rosterable? Kyle Finnegan
