Author: George Kurtz, Staff Writer
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paying attention to your Fantasy Baseball team to focus on Fantasy Football. One thing I like to do in such leagues is look at the waiver wire and see if I can acquire a top setup man who may close next season for a low price. This assumes you don’t have better keepers. Someone likeArchie Bradley (Diamondbacks) or Keynan Middleton (Angels) can be a cheap pickup that will prove valuable next March. Fantasy just never ends. Bradley, has been lights out this season. He hasn’t allowed a HR since May 29 and his ERA since then is 2.08. He could be the Diamondbacks’ closer in 2018.
Archie Bradley and his epic beard have thrived in the D’Backs’ bullpen. AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Chicago White Sox: Who is left in the White Sox bullpen? David Robertson was traded to the Yankees. Tommy Kahnle was also moved to the Bronx. Anthony Swarzak was sent to Milwaukee and then Monday night, the Sox moved Tyler Clippard (acquired from the Yankees in the Robertson/Kahnle deal) to Houston. So that leaves Chicago with Juan Minaya as their closer. Who, you ask? He’s not a top prospect or someone who is a must-add but since July 1, he does have a 3.14 ERA and is striking out close to 12 batters per nine innings. So, he just may be the best of what Chicago has left. The team may also give Jake Petricka a look.
Houston Astros: Although Clippard was closing for the White Sox, he won’t be doing the same for Houston. Ken Giles is the closer, and he’s safe. Clippard will perform a setup role in either the eighth or ninth inning with Luke Gregerson. Clippard has little to no value now in Fantasy leagues. He has pitched better since the trade to Chicago, but he’s not a strikeout pitcher and is still prone to blowups.
Los Angeles Angels: Cam Bedrosian is closing again for the Angels. Bud Norris just had too many implosions and was removed from the role. He had been a ticking time bomb for a few weeks, especially when it came out at the trade deadline that the team was looking to move him. Bedrosian is the team’s best reliever, but he’s also one that hasn’t proved he can stay healthy for any length of time. The Angels, however, are staying in the wildcard hunt and could produce their fair share of save opportunities. Therefore, he is a pickup if you need saves, or if you want to block your opponent from getting them.
New York Mets: Jeurys Familia (shoulder) is currently on a rehab assignment and could be ready to return to the Mets at the end of August or in early September. Even when he returns, though, he may not automatically return to being a closer and with the Mets out of contention, maybe he doesn’t return to close until next season. Either way, the worst-case scenario for A.J. Ramos owners is that you only have him closing for three more weeks.
San Francisco Giants: Mark Melancon has returned for the Giants, but he will have to prove he is healthy and can be effective in lower-leverage situations before being returned to close out games. He has already had one such outing, and may need two-three more before manager Bruce Bochy inserts him back into save situations and removes Sam Dyson.
As always, feel free to follow me on Twitter and ask any questions you like, @georgekurtz.
Team | Closer | Bullpen | Deep Potential | DL | Top Hold Reliever |
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ARI | Fernando Rodney | Archie Bradley/David Hernandez | Archie Bradley | Randall Delgado | Archie Bradley |
ATL | Arodys Vizcaino | Jose Ramirez/Jim Johnson/Jason Motte | Mauricio Cabrera | | Jim Johnson |
BAL | Zach Britton | Mychal Givens/Brad Brach/Darren O'Day | | | Brad Brach |
BOS | Craig Kimbrel | Matt Barnes/Heath Hembree/Addison Reed/Joe Kelly | | Tyler Thornburg | Addison Reed |
CHC | Wade Davis | Carl Edwards/Pedro Strop/Hector Rondon/Koji Uehara/Justin Wilson | Carl Edwards | | Justin Wilson |
CHW | Juan Minaya | Chris Beck/Jake Petricka/Gregory Infante | | Nate Jones | Jake Petricka |
CIN | Raisel Iglesias | Drew Storen/Michael Lorenzen/Blake Wood/Wandy Peralta | | | Drew Storen |
CLE | Cody Allen | Bryan Shaw/Zach McAllister/Dan Otero/Nick Goody/Joe Smith | | Andrew Miller | Dan Otero |
COL | Greg Holland | Adam Ottavino/Pat Neshek/Jake McGee | | | Pat Neshek |
DET | Shane Green | Alex Wilson/Joe Jimenez/Bruce Rondon | Joe Jimenez | | Alex Wilson |
HOU | Ken Giles | Luke Gregerson/Chris Devenski/Tyler Clippard | | Will Harris | Luke Gregerson |
KC | Kelvin Herrera | Joakim Soria/Brandon Maurer/Mike Minor | Brandon Maurer | | Joakim Soria |
LAA | Cam Bedrosian | Kenyan Middleton/Bud Norris/Blake Parker/Andrew Bailey | Kenyan Middleton | Huston Street | Kenyan Middleton |
LAD | Kenley Jansen | Tony Watson/Pedro Baez/Josh Fields/Tony Cingrani | | Chris Hatcher | Tony Watson |
MIA | Brad Ziegler | Junicha Tazawa | Kyle Barraclough | Kyle Barraclough | Junicha Tazawa |
MIL | Corey Knebel | Jacob Barnes/Jared Hughes/Anthony Swarzak/Jeremy Jeffress | Jacob Barnes | | Anthony Swarzak |
MIN | Matt Belisle | Ryan Pressly/Taylor Rogers/Tyler Duffey | | Glen Perkins | Taylor Rogers |
NYM | A.J. Ramos | Hansel Robles/Erik Goeddel/Fernando Salas/Jerry Blevins | | Jeurys Familia | Fernando Salas |
NYY | Aroldis Chapman | Dellin Betances/Adam Warren/Chad Green/David Robertson/Tommy Kahnle | | | Dellin Betances |
OAK | Blake Treinen | Santiago Casilla/Liam Hendricks/Ryan Dull | | | Santiago Casilla |
PHI | Hector Neris | Luis Garcia | | | Joaquin Benoit |
PIT | Felipe Rivero | Daniel Hudson/Juan Nicasio/Joaquin Benoit | Juan Nicasio | | Juan Nicasio |
STL | Trevor Rosenthal | Kevin Siegrist/Matt Bowman/Brett Cecil/Seung Hwan Oh | Matt Bowman | | Brett Cecil |
SD | Brad Hand | Ryan Buchter/Kirby Yates/Phil Maton/Carter Capps | Carter Capps | | Kirby Yates |
SF | Mark Melancon | Hunter Strickland/George Kontos/Sam Dyson | Derek Law | | Sam Dyson |
SEA | Edwin Diaz | Nick Vincent/Marc Rzepczynski/Tony Zych/David Phelps | Shae Simmons | | Tony Zych |
TB | Alex Colome | Steve Cishek/Ryan Stanek/Brad Boxberger/Tommy Hunter/Dan Jennnigs/Sergio Romo | | Xavier Cedeno | Brad Boxberger |
TEX | Alex Claudio | Matt Bush/Jose Leclerc/Jason Grilli/Keone Kela | | Jake Diekman | Keone Kela |
TOR | Roberto Osuna | Danny Barnes/Ryan Tepera | Joe Biagini | | Danny Barnes |
WSH | Sean Doolittle | Sammy Solis/Enny Romero/Matt Albers/Ryan Madson/Brandon Kintzler | | Koda Glover/Shawn Kelley | Ryan Madson |
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