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Arizona Diamondbacks: Among several, who will emerge as closer?

By Mark Brown |
While Archie Bradley may be established as Diamondbacks set-up reliever, the closer is uncertain. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
While Archie Bradley may be established as Diamondbacks set-up reliever, the closer is uncertain. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Japanese veteran Yoshihisa Hirano could emerge as closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With one month to go until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, the Arizona Diamondbacks do not have a designated closer. As far as general manager Mike Hazen is concerned, that’s fine and not an issue.

As the season progresses, there could be several candidates who emerge, and any of which may, or may not bring the kind of production and constancy needed from a closer in a pennant race.

Coming into the 2018 season, there is no question the Diamondbacks believe there is unfinished business. Plus, the players and the organization hold that too much was left on the table when the club was eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers last fall in the NLDS.

With Fernando Rodney, the 2017 closer, now with the Minnesota Twins, Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo can choose from a plethora of candidates to close games. None has MLB experience as a closer, and that could or could not be detrimental.

In referencing the importance of the closer, Hazen told Call to the Pen during last month’s winter meetings in Orlando that selecting a designated individual does not weigh heavily on his thinking.

“We don’t have to have a closer. per se,” he said. “What we’re looking for is back-end experience. We want to build as many back-end arms as we can.”

It’s likely the Arizona Diamondbacks regarded the 39-save season from the aging Rodney as a stroke of luck. Given the uncertainty and sense of adventure each time he entered during a critical time, the Diamondbacks rationalized they managed to obtain the most value from Rodney as possible. Once the 2017 season needed, Hazen was not particularly aggressive in any attempt to resign Rodney.

Going forward, Hazen and Lovullo may tend to rely heavily on Archie Bradley in the set-up role and then roll the dice whomever Luvullo chooses to enter in the ninth inning.

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One candidate to close could be Yoshihisa Hirano, a 33-year-old reliever, who recently emerged as one of the most effective closers in Japan. Last December, he signed a reported two-year for an estimated $6 million with Arizona.

For the Orix Buffaloes, he picked 30 for more saves from 2012 to 2015, and that included a personal best of 40 in 2014. With an arsenal of a slider, fastball, and forkball, his heater has been clocked as high as 97 mph.

As a traditional closer, there is every indication that Hirano will be given the first shot at closing. To reach the level of 42 to 46 saves per season for a closer in a pennant race, Hirano will likely receive help.

At the winter meetings, Hazen told Call to the Pen the Diamondbacks were likely finished with constructing the back-end of the bullpen. Acquiring Brad Boxberger in a trade with the Rays and selecting Albert Suarez in the Rule 5 draft from the Giants, solidified the core of middle relievers. Add returning candidates Andrew Chafin, Jake Barrett, Silvino Bracho, Jared Miller, T. J. McFarland, and Jimmie Sherfy, the foundation of middle relievers appears set.

Going forward, Bradley retains his role as set-up reliever, and Hirano is the closer. On paper, that’s the way spring training is likely to open. Then again, Hazen told Call to the Pen that’s not how he draws up a training camp for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Next: Who was lost to baseball in 2017?

“Coming into spring training we will not have a true closer,” he said. “By the end of spring training, we will have a closer.”
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