May 22, 2019 Update: We received news earlier today that Wade Davis has been put on the IL with an oblique strain. Check out the new hierarchy for Colorado, as well as all of our other news, notes, and updates, right here!
As witnessed year-in and year-out, Relief Pitcher exemplifies the term “volatility” more than any other position in baseball. Injuries, repeated blown saves/ineffective outings, and deadline trades are just a few reasons for player movement at the position.
The Closer role is an even more-fluid position due to the influx of “Closer Committees” present throughout the league. Numerous MLB teams have adopted this philosophy, allowing for more flexibility in deploying their best pitchers during the later innings.
This season, we here at Fantasy Six Pack decided to have a little more fun with the Closer Chart. And, in an effort to stay true to our site’s namesake, we have altered the Job Security legend from previous seasons. Here is the breakdown of the new-and-improved levels of confidence from High to Low:
- Sober: Who got the keys to the Jeep? This guy does, and he is the clear Designated Driver of his team’s ninth-inning duties.
- Buzzed: This player has clearly had a few drinks, but is still standing strong at Last-Call.
- Drunk: This guy is blatantly sloppy and stumbling, and his Uber driver is en route to take him home from the party early.
- Hammered Wingmen: Two (or more) drinking buddies who simply cannot seal the deal on their own.
Pick-up a Sixer, and come drink-in all the frothy goodness of our 2019 Closer Chart. Stay tuned weekly for any, and all, relief pitching changes throughout the fantasy season.
Be sure to check out the rest of our Fantasy Baseball content for the latest news and notes to help you win your league. Stay frosty!
Fantasy Baseball Closer Chart
| Team | BAC Level | Current Closer(s) | Next Man Up | Looming Handcuff(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Sober | Greg Holland | Archie Bradley | - Yoan Lopez - Yoshihisa Hirano | Hirano has been struggling, so Bradley gets the bump back to Next Man Up. |
| Atlanta Braves | Buzzed | Luke Jackson | - Sean Newcomb - Anthony Swarzak | - Dan Winkler - Josh Tomlin | Newcomb notched his first Save on 5/20, and has been fantastic in relief. Meanwhile, Atlanta traded Arodys Vizcaino and Jesse Biddle to Seattle for Anthony Swarzak, who we are slotting in with Newcomb with Next Man Up potential. |
| Baltimore Orioles | Drunk | Mychal Givens | Paul Fry | Shawn Armstrong | We are anointing Givens as the Closer, and shedding the committee tag. This situation still needs monitoring, though. |
| Boston Red Sox | Hammered Wingmen | - Matt Barnes - Brandon Workman | Ryan Brasier | Heath Hembree | Braiser's struggles have continued, leading to Brandon Workman getting looks at the end of games. |
| Chicago Cubs | Hammered Wingmen | - Steve Chisek - Brandon Kintzler | Brad Brach | - Pedro Strop (IL) - Brandon Morrow (IL) | Pedro Strop has been put on the IL, leaving this full-on committee in even murkier waters. |
| Chicago White Sox | Sober | Alex Colome | Kelvin Herrera | - Evan Marshall - Jace Fry | Herrera reprises his role at Next Man Up, while Evan Marshall makes an appearance as a Looming Handcuff. |
| Cincinnati Reds | Sober | Raisel Iglesias | Jared Hughes | - Michael Lorenzen - Amir Garrett | Iglesias has been declared the team's unquestioned Closer, but could still see looks in higher-leverage situations. |
| Cleveland Indians | Sober | Brad Hand | Nick Wittgren | Tyler Clippard | The Indians bullpen remains status quo. |
| Colorado Rockies | Buzzed | Scott Oberg | Brian Shaw | - Carlos Estevez - Wade Davis (IL) | Scott Oberg now takes over at Closer, with Wade Davis landing on the IL with an oblique strain. |
| Detroit Tigers | Sober | Shane Greene | Joe Jimenez | - Victor Alcantara - Buck Farmer | Jimenez has pitched better over the past two weeks, so we're spotting him back in as the Next Man Up for Detroit. |
| Houston Astros | Sober | Roberto Osuna | Ryan Pressly | Hector Rondon | Pressly continues to excel in the Next Man Up role for Houston. |
| Kansas City Royals | Hammered Wingmen | - Wily Peralta - Ian Kennedy | Jake Diekman | Scott Barlow | Round and round and round we go! This drunken carousel ride is still in full committee mode. |
| Los Angeles Angels | Hammered Wingmen | - Hansel Robles - Ty Buttrey | Justin Anderson | Cody Allen | Luis Garcia hit the IL with back spasms, so Justin Anderson gets a look for some additional Holds opportunities. |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Sober | Kenley Jansen | - Pedro Baez - Joe Kelly | - Dylan Floro - Scott Alexander | Julio Urias will be reinstated by the Dodgers after MLB failed to obtain video evidence related to his recent arrest. His position in the bullpen/rotation remains to be seen, though. |
| Miami Marlins | Buzzed | Sergio Romo | Adam Conley | - Tayron Guerrero - D. Steckenrider (IL) | Drew Steckenrider was placed on the IL with some elbow inflammation. Look for Conley to take on Next Man Up duties for Miami. |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Sober | Josh Hader | Junior Guerra | Jeremy Jeffress | Guerra continues to see more high-leverage work than Jeffress. |
| Minnesota Twins | Hammered Wingmen | - Taylor Rogers - Blake Parker | Trevor May | Mike Morin | Hildenberger has been optioned to Triple-A, so Trevor May moves up to the Next Man Up role. |
| New York Mets | Sober | Edwin Diaz | Jeurys Familia | Robert Gsellman | Jeurys Familia steps back into his role as the lead Next Man Up with the news that the Mets have placed Seth Lugo on the IL. |
| New York Yankees | Sober | Aroldis Chapman | Zack Britton | - Adam Ottavino - Dellin Betances (IL) | Betances has been throwing from 90-100 feet without issue, but he still has no timetable for a return to the Yankees bullpen. |
| Oakland Athletics | Sober | Blake Treinen | Lou Trivino | - Joakim Soria - Yusmeiro Petit | Oakland's bullpen situation remains status quo. |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Hammered Wingmen | - Hector Neris - Pat Neshek | Seranthony Dominguez | - Adam Morgan - David Robertson (IL) | Neris is still holding down the lead in this committee, with two Saves and a Win in his last three appearances. |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Sober | Felipe Vazquez | Kyle Crick | - Francisco Liriano - Keone Kela (IL) | Keone Kela was placed on the IL on 5/8 with a shoulder injury, so Franciso Liriano should see some high-leverage opportunities. |
| San Diego Padres | Sober | Kirby Yates | Craig Stammen | - Adam Warren - Trey Wingenter (IL) | Trey Wingenter hit the IL with a right shoulder strain, so Adam Warren will fill-in for Wingenter while he's out. |
| San Francisco Giants | Buzzed | Will Smith | Reyes Moronta | - Tony Watson - Mark Melancon | Bruce Bochy's drunken crush on Tony Watson has bumped him back into the mix for Holds, but we're not giving up on Melancon yet. |
| Seattle Mariners | Hammered Wingmen | - Roenis Elias - Brandon Brennan | Connor Sadzeck | Hunter Strickland (IL) | Zac Rosscup has been designated for assignment, giving Connor Sadzeck an opportunity for Holds. |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Buzzed | Jordan Hicks | Andrew Miller | John Gant | Things remain status quo in St. Louis. |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Hammered Wingmen | - Jose Alvarado - Diego Castillo | Emilio Pagan | Adam Kolarek | The trio of Alvarado, Castillo, and Pagan are all being used for Saves, as this bullpen is a full-on committee, with no clear leader right now. |
| Texas Rangers | Drunk | Chris Martin | Jose Leclerc | - Jesse Chavez - Shawn Kelley (IL) | Ariel Jurado is slated to start for Texas on 5/18, following Leclerc’s “Opener” appearance on 5/17. Chavez enters the Holds game for Texas. |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Buzzed | Ken Giles | Joe Biagini | - Tim Mayza - Ryan Tepera | This hierarchy remains Giles, Biagini, Mayza for now, but Tepera is back, and is firing on all cylinders so far. |
| Washington Nationals | Sober | Sean Doolittle | Kyle Barraclough | Wander Suero | Justin Miller appears to be headed for the IL again, giving Wander Suero a chance at some more Holds (has two Holds in the past seven days). |
