Fantasy Baseball: Five Relievers to Watch
Closers are a volatile commodity, especially in fantasy baseball. Here are a few potential options for saves later in the season that could help your roster now.
Unless one has a dominant closer on their fantasy baseball team, the relief pitcher slot can be in a state of flux all season. While pitchers like Wade Davis, Trevor Rosenthal and Craig Kimbrel are among the stars at their positions, those middle to lower tier closers can be rather volatile, and can actually hurt a fantasy team in other categories.
Likewise, over the course of the year, either due to ineffectiveness or injury, we can see setup men step into that closer role and perform quite admirably. This is, after all, how Davis took on the role last year for the Royals, stepping in when Greg Holland was lost for the year after needing Tommy John surgery.
So, let us take a look at some of these setup men that could be in line to take over the closer role on their squads. Even if they do not, should you be in a league that rewards holds, or are looking for a possible sleeper option to take over at closer later in the year, these pitchers may be worth a second look.
All pitchers included on this list are owned in under 40% of ESPN leagues as of May 6th.
Next: A force in Philadelphia
Hector Neris – 11.7% ownership
Jeanmar Gomez has been solid in his first year as the Phillies closer thus far, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.260 WHiP, saving nine out of ten chances. However, his low strikeout rates, with twelve strikeouts in 16.2 innings, are not what one expects from a closer. He has been good, but through no fault of his own, could lose his job due to the dominance of Hector Neris.
Neris, the current setup man for the Phillies, has been one of the more dominant relievers in baseball thus far. In his 17.1 innings, he has a 1.04 ERA and a 0.635 WHiP, striking out 27 batters against four walks. For those leagues that count hold, Neris has also chipped in seven, making him one of the more dominant setup men.
Armed primarily with a heavy splitter and a fourseam fastball that sits in the mid 90’s, Neris has done a tremendous job in generating swings and misses. Even when opponents put the ball in play against him, it has tended to result in weak popups, as 21% of any fly balls he has allowed have not left the infield.
Hector Neris has the tools to be the closer of the future for the Phillies. If Gomez slips, even slightly, it may open the door for Neris to take the role and not look back.
Next: He's done well when given a chance
Joe Smith – 25.0%
Let’s face it, Huston Street has the same fragility as a pane of glass. While he has been a solid closer when healthy, that health is always questionable, as he has spent time on the disabled list seven times during his career.
With Street once again on the disabled list, Angels setup man Joe Smith is once again getting a chance to close. He had performed well in that role previously in 2014 when he notched 15 saves in 19 chances. This season, with Smith on the disabled list once again, Smith has saved two of the three chances he has had.
Even when Street returns, Smith is worth a roster spot, especially in a holds league. On the year, he has posted a relatively high 3.60 ERA, but has a 1.067 WHiP and has only walked one batter, intentionally, in fifteen innings. He may not be a high strikeout pitcher, with only eight strikeouts thus far, but his upper 80’s fastball and sinker generate a good deal of ground balls, helping him to minimize any potential damage.
The man with a generic name, Joe Smith may toil in relative anonymity, but he can help a fantasy baseball team in need of an upgrade with their relief pitching.
Next: The presumptive closer
Brad Boxberger – 34.7%
Last year, Brad Boxberger led the American League with 41 saves and was an All-Star. However, as he started the season on the disabled list, he is available in almost two thirds of ESPN leagues. If you happen to be looking for saves, Boxberger could be a major help in a couple of weeks.
Currently on the disabled list as he recovers from abdominal surgery, Boxberger could be back by the middle of May. He is expected to begin his rehab assignment next Thursday, and according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, will make six appearances before being activated.
Armed with a mid 90’s fastball and changeup that averages 80 MPH, Boxberger has struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings in his career. While Boxberger can have his adventures as a closer, having blown six saves last year, he is also expected to get his job back the moment he is activated from the disabled list. With the Royals offense struggling thus far, any victories could well be close, giving Boxberger quite a few opportunities.
Unike the other pitchers on this list, Brad Boxberger is going to step into a closer job. If one needs the guarantee of saves, he is the best option.
Next: His time may be coming soon
Sam Dyson – 4.6%
Last year, Shawn Tolleson would have appeared on this type of an article, as Neftali Feliz struggled out of the gate. Tolleson performed well in a setup role, and took over the Rangers closer role last May. He performed well in that spot, and was the Rangers closer to start this season.
However, like last year, the Rangers closer is struggling. Tolleson leads the American League with nine saves, but he also has a 5.73 ERA and a 1.545 WHiP. These numbers do not exactly inspire confidence. With that in mind, setup man Sam Dyson may be about to usurp the role, just as Tolleson took the role on last year.
Dyson is not without his issues, having walked six batters in 13 innings of work. However, he has struck out eleven while allowing ten hits. Those control issues have been mitigated by an amazing 1.67 ground ball to fly ball rate, as his mid 90’s sinker has been devastating. With his ability to generate swings and misses, and his ability to get ground balls, Dyson could well find himself in that role sooner rather than later.
Sam Dyson would be a speculative pickup, but given the struggles that Shawn Tolleson has had thus far, he could end up as the Rangers closer in the near future.
Next: Someone has to close
Tony Cingrani – 1.3%
The Cincinnati Reds have recorded all of one save this season, and that was by J.J. Hoover, who has a 13.97 ERA and a 2.379 WHiP. Understandably, he was removed from the closer role.
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However, as it happens, the Reds have not had another save this year. Eventually, that will change, leading to someone in Cincinnati getting a save. Right now, that job may default to Tony Cingrani, who has been the best reliever on the Reds this year.
Thus far in 2016, Cingrani has posted a 3.55 ERA and a 1.421 WHiP, striking out 13 batters in 12.2 innings of work. There are also drawbacks, as he has walked nine while hitting another batter. However, in a bullpen almost entirely devoid of talent and upside, Cingrani may well emerge as the closer should the Reds ever find themselves in another save situation.
Next: The all 30 and over team
The Cincinnati Reds are a bad baseball team, and have not had many opportunities for saves this year. However, that can be a boost for the smart fantasy owner, as players like Tony Cingrani could have a good deal of value going forward.