Bullpen Report: June 24, 2015

• In “as the closer turns” in Toronto, it was righty Steve Delabar, not Roberto Osuna, notching the save in this afternoon’s matinee versus the Rays. Of course, the game wasn’t your run-of-the-mill affair, as it garnered most attention due to Marco Estrada’s bid for a perfect game that was foiled by a chopper up the middle. When the righty starter gave up hit number two in the ninth inning, Osuna was called on to try to preserve the 0-0 tie, which he did by retiring the only batter he faced. When the Jays finally did go ahead and take the lead a few innings later, it was Delabar who jogged in and set Tampa down 1-2-3, fanning a pair in the process. What does it all mean? Well, it probably means Osuna is not quite 100% “the guy,” although it’s worth noting that he is still only a full rest day removed from a 6-out save, so it’s possible the team didn’t want to push him for more than a batter or two. To Delabar’s credit, he’s posted a 1.42 ERA on the season, although his .128 BABIP will surely go up just as his 100% LOB% will trend down. For now, I’ll go ahead and bump Delabar ahead of Cecil (who picked up the win today, although he allowed three baserunners scattered around a pair of punchouts) on the grid, but will leave him behind Osuna for now. However, those desperate should go ahead and scoop him up for the time being — at least until this pen shakes out with a bit more certainty.

• With Aroldis Chapman still away on paternity leave, it was J.J. Hoover who was tabbed to try and polish off a 5-2 Reds win. He did so successfully, fanning a couple guys in the process. Chapman is still “the guy” in Cincy, but Hoover’s 1.39 ERA (to date) has been quite impressive. It isn’t all humming under the hood, however, as the righty setup man has seen a big dip in K% this year (27% to 18%). It’s tough to pinpoint exactly why that is — his SwStr% is down a bit, but remains above average, and his velocity is right where it was last year. His F-Strike% down 10% and his Contact% is up, so it could just be a matter of falling behind in counts and becoming predictable in pitch selection. Either way, it all adds up to a 4.14 SIERA which makes you figure regression is coming at some point. With the possibility that Chapman could be a trade chip come next month, I’d own Hoover in deep leagues where saves are at a premium, but I’d rather be gambling on a guy like Ken Giles or Jeremy Jeffress instead.

• Drew Storen took blown save number two today, pushing a game against the Braves into extras. No harm, no foul for Nats fans, however, as Washington snuck by Dana Eveland in the 11th. The righty closer is putting up career peripherals this year, buoyed by a ridiculous 15% SwStr% and the fact that he has arrested a velocity decline that had been happening for a few years. While it seems unlikely he can continue his 34% punchout rate, he’s solidified himself among the top 10 closers for the rest of the season. Enjoy the ride if you own him and assume today’s speed bump won’t be repeated with any great frequency.

• Quick hits: Francisco Rodriguez picked up another save today. The Bullpen Report’s version of the Energizer Bunny keeps going and going. Of course, he might be going to another team before long, but that will probably become a bit clearer in a few weeks. Guess which reliever has the second best xFIP in baseball over the last month? That would be one Cody Allen with a 1.50 mark. Hope you didn’t sell low in April, as the Cleveland stopper appears to have righted the ship. With Dale Thayer hitting the disabled list, Kevin Quackenbush is back. Those in very deep holds leagues might want to make a play — his rates aren’t quite as good as last year, but he’s a better option than most other 6th-7th inning guys teams are trotting out, so if that’s the drek left on your wire, a roll of the dice might be reasonable.

Closer Grid:

[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]