Anyone can see who has the most saves for the duration of this season, but we are in mid-July -- more than halfway through the season. Recent trends mean more, right? Well, when it comes to closers, do they? I mean, here are the save leaders since June began -- a cool, six-week run that shows that nobody knows a thing when it comes to picking closers for fantasy:
11 saves: Will Smith, San Francisco Giants; Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals
10 saves: Luke Jackson, Atlanta Braves; Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians; Sean Doolittle, Washington Nationals
9 saves: Taylor Rogers, Minnesota Twins; Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees; Alex Colome, Chicago White Sox
Where to begin? Kennedy should be the focus here as he remains available in nearly 80% of ESPN standard leagues. That's a staggering figure considering his achievement. It's not a misprint. Jackson is out there as well in more than half of our leagues, and so is Rogers. It's perplexing, but perhaps fantasy managers either think those first-place teams are flukes or that their saves are being shared. They are not.
Colome remains a free agent in more than one-quarter of leagues, too. There are saves out there, folks. Yes, some of these save situations might change as we approach the MLB trade deadline in two weeks. Still, Kennedy (for example) has saved three games since teams returned from the All-Star break less than one week ago, and I really doubt a contender is trading for a 34-year-old in his first season pitching in relief.
However, to be fair to fantasy managers, it's not as if they are relying on the wrong people. They are simply not relying on available closers for saves. Look, I would have moved on from Texas Rangers disappointment Jose Leclerc months ago, as well as injured Philadelphia Phillies right-hander David Robertson, now-ordinary St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Andrew Miller -- and this fascination with keeping well-traveled Cody Allen really has to end. Even so, these guys are not rostered in 80% of leagues. It's closer to 40. I think most contending fantasy managers simply have the saves they need and do not intend to dabble in other hurlers like Kennedy, who has actually proven himself to be a legitimate closer (albeit for a terrible team). He is the Shane Greene of the past two months.
To be even fairer, I have found in a few leagues that I have all the saves I need and I have been adding pitchers (like Kennedy and Phillies right-hander Hector Neris) nobody seems to want, just to keep them away from others. I have not activated them, but I do not want my top competition to add them either. I look at those teams and, yeah, they have their saves, too. So, why add Kennedy if I do not need him and other contenders do not need him either? Do I need so much save depth? It's a fair question.
It's a bit like adding Twins utility guy Marwin Gonzalez, just in case you need him later. We think there are enough saves for all, but I guess some teams merely don't need or don't want them. So, yes, there are ample saves available and, at some point, we should cease wondering why they are so readily available. Well, we have hit that point.
I can rummage through each team with thoughts on their closers and future viability if you want, but things should change when the Giants move Smith and perhaps the Tigers move Greene in the next fortnight -- or perhaps they stay put. My stance is that you take the saves when you can and do not trade off Smith or Greene for Yadier Molina simply because you think they will get traded to become another team's setup man. Yes, it could happen. Or they could end up on the Braves and get lots of saves.
For easy reading purposes, I think each of the eight closers with nine-plus saves since June are worthy of a spot on your fantasy roster. Kennedy deserves it. Who cares about his numbers as a starter in recent years, or his current age, or even the team for which he pitches? That's all irrelevant today. He is the No. 5 closer on the Player Rater over the past 30 days behind Oakland Athletics surprise Liam Hendriks (a surprising All-Star who might really keep the closer role even when Blake Treinen is healthy), saves leader Kirby Yates, Rogers and Smith. Nobody would have guessed this would be the crew to covet back in March. Heck, nobody would guess this crew today. Stop guessing and add these pitchers while they get saves and if it changes, there are myriad others to do the job.
Monday takeaways
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Travis d'Arnaud slapped a trio of opposite-field home runs at Yankee Stadium -- the final one off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman -- and accounted for all five of his team's runs in a stunning win. Wait, Travis d'Arnaud hit three home runs in a game? To the opposite field? Oh yeah, that's right, baseballs are now like golf balls. I forgot! Look, go ahead and add d'Arnaud if you need a catcher. I can find only four catchers in all of baseball who must be rostered and one of them just hit the injured list. We do see that d'Arnaud has multiple hits in three of four starts and he did reach double digits in three of his final four full seasons with the New York Mets, who oddly released him in May. Is d'Arnaud a top-10 fantasy catcher? I can't find 10 catchers worthy of the distinction, so go right ahead and add him in case he keeps hitting, which he might.
Watching Los Angeles Angels right-hander Griffin Canning issue six walks while retiring four Houston Astros was not much fun. While his WHIP looks good and there is top-50 SP upside in fantasy, it makes sense to move on in case something else is wrong, which there usually is when a pitcher suddenly cannot throw strikes.
If you're rostering any Phillies pitcher other than Aaron Nola and closer Hector Neris, just move on. Sorry, but this is not working out. It might get worse. Monday night was kind of embarrassing, with outfielder Roman Quinn getting four outs.
It was an odd day at Coors Field as the lowly offense of the Giants scored 19 runs in the first game of a doubleheader, with shortstop Brandon Crawford homering twice and knocking in eight. Then, in the nightcap, the home team continued to struggle in a 2-1 Giants win. The Rockies scored three runs in 18 innings with that offense against that pitching? Yikes! Don't make this mean more than it does, as the Rockies could easily score 19 runs of their own in just one game today. But Jeff Samardzija and Dereck Rodriguez? Really? Those guys shut you down in that park? Weird. This is about the only week you really want Giants hitters and, by the way, I never would have activated the Giants hurlers. Don't feel bad that they're on your bench. As for Crawford, Monday's output accounts for a full one-third of his home runs for this season. Leave him be. As for Rockies right-hander German Marquez (who allowed 11 runs), use him only in road games, full emphasis on the word "only." I feel like you should have known that already.
Thank you, Miles Mikolas. I never gave up hope. No, really, I did not. I still have him in myriad leagues. As for Matt Carpenter, well, it's mid-July. I mean, how much longer do we wait?
I neglected to share my thoughts on the weekend trades in which the Athletics picked up right-hander Homer Bailey and the Boston Red Sox added right-hander Andrew Cashner because -- and this sounds bad -- I just don't consider them valuable in fantasy. I'm sorry if that offends. Well, not really. I like Bailey in the spacious Oakland ballpark and he is missing bats, but he remains a risk. Cashner is actually having a nice season, but without any strikeouts. It probably can't continue, even as he gets more run support. Honestly, do you want to have to rely on these pitchers in fantasy?
Health report
It seemed a bit odd that the Chicago Cubs would acquire veteran catcher Martin Maldonado from the Royals on Monday -- and for a useful relief lefty in Mike Montgomery, who registered the final out of their World Series-clinching win. For one, Montgomery asked out. He wants to start games. He will in Kansas City, but you do not want him in fantasy. You do not want Maldonado, either, for he is a defense-first backstop with some pop, but he cannot hit for average. Willson Contreras, the top catcher on the Player Rater, heads to the injured list with a foot strain and, for now, the team says he will not miss considerable time. Well, always believe the team! The team always tells the truth! Look, I don't know. Perhaps Contreras is back before August -- or even sooner. Keep him rostered in all formats as we await further clarity.
The word is that Angels outfielder Mike Trout could play on Tuesday, so we all breathe a sigh of relief and move on.
Closing time
Brandon Workman earned his fourth save for Boston but, honestly, I don't even flinch anymore seeing who Alex Cora entrusts for his ninth-inning work. I think rehabilitated Nathan Eovaldi will go right from inactive to closing, and he should pitch well in the role if healthy. I do not think any other Red Sox reliever (including Matt Barnes) is worth a roster spot in standard leagues. If Eovaldi does not pan out, I still stand by this statement.
W2W4
An exciting battle of youngsters takes place in Miami with San Diego Padres left-hander Logan Allen and Miami Marlins right-hander Jordan Yamamoto facing off. Allen is the upside option, for today and beyond, with potential for great stats -- including strikeouts. Still, after today, I can't tell you if he makes 10 more starts or only two. The Padres will be extra cautious with his innings. The Marlins will let the unheralded Yamamoto pitch every fifth day. His numbers are excellent, though at some point he has to allow a home run (none yet in five starts!) and the walks portend an ERA perhaps triple his current mark. Still, a good argument can be made that Yamamoto is the pitcher you want over the final 10 weeks.
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