Archive for Closers

For as great of a season as Fernando Rodney had it doesn’t seem like enough was written about him. Add that to the list of sentences I never thought I’d write. Before the season the Rays signing of Rodney for $2 million seemed strange. His ERA and FIP were above 4.00 the previous four years and he was coming off of a season in which he walked more batters than he struck out. Cash strapped Rays + wildly ineffective reliever = head scratching move.

The Rays have a good track record of turning out quality relievers, resurrecting the careers of Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell. Rodney is now the crowning jewel of that group and the best reliever in the American League in 2012.

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Freedom from shame at least. They were supposed to be bold. So let’s revisit those predictions.

[Sorry no chat today, gotta get my stuff done before heading to the city for the Bay Area meetup. And sorry for abrupt ending last week, got an important call.]

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Depending on how close a race you are in, whether it’s a roto league or head to head, this is your last-ditch effort to finish on top. If you need strikeouts to scratch out a point, then you load up on potential strikeout pitchers. If you need to add a few ticks to your team OBP, then so long as it isn’t a keeper league, ditch everyone that isn’t contributing and get someone else in there who is. This is obviously nothing new and I’m not offering up some secret advice. I’m just trying to encourage you to keep the fight goign for one more day. Do everything you can and walk away from the season with your head held high. Read the rest of this entry »

• Andrew Bailey wasn’t too effective this evening, letting five batters reach base and giving up two runs en route to a blown save against the Yankees. In fact, since returning to the Red Sox from surgery on his thumb Bailey hasn’t really pitched well with a 5.05 xFIP in 15.1 innings pitched thus far. However, with only one game remaining in the season, I don’t think Bailey is in danger of losing his job in 2012 and should receive a save opportunity if one arises tomorrow night. Also, based on the Red Sox roster, it should be Bailey’s job to lose in 2013.

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• Well, it looks like Tyler Clippard’s run as Nationals closer has hit the skids just before the end of the regular season. Yesterday, it was Drew Storen who was called upon in the ninth. Of course, Storen blew the save by serving up a couple hits and a sacrifice fly, but the key fact was that Clippard was deliberately used in his old eighth inning role. I covered Storen’s positive trends last week (velocity up to pre-injury levels, great K/BB ratio) so I won’t rehash here. Clippard has struggled significantly over the last month or so and while his 4.13 xFIP isn’t terrible, it isn’t elite either. Given Washington’s hesitance to move him from setup into the ninth inning earlier this season, it seems more than plausible that the new pecking order has Storen locked into the closer role, especially with the team about to embark on their first playoff run in D.C.

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• After splitting save chances with Jared Burton for a month or so, Glen Perkins has quietly taken over the ninth inning all to himself in the second half of the season. He finished off save number 16 on Friday, throwing a 1-2-3 inning as the Twins upset the Tigers. Perkins has been as steady as relievers come this year, not flashing elite numbers, but putting up monthly xFIPs between 3.02 (April) and 3.67 (July). While his K% has dropped from the high-20% area to the mid-20% realm (possible a result of a slight downtick in fastball velocity), his BB% has plunged from near 10% before the all-star break to a shockingly low 2.5% after. The move the Twins made to buy out a few years of Perkins post-arbitration free agency is looking especially shrewd and he seems to be a near-mortal lock to be the team’s closer come April 2013. He’s only owned in 36% of Yahoo! leagues so run and grab the stat geek if you need saves — keeper league owners would be wise to stash/hold him– a guy with a guaranteed closer job and a plummeting walk rate should sneak into the back end of the top 15 closers on draft boards next year.

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Sorry for the lack of a Bullpen Report last night but I’m here to catch up on the latest and greatest news in bullpens around the league. Also, for those who it applies, wishing you an easy fast.

•  Although there wasn’t a save situation last night, Tyler Clippard pitched in the eighth inning with Drew Storen finishing the game in the ninth and it now looks as if that is the preferred order for Nationals manager Davey Johnson. Tyler Clippard might still see some save opportunities but Storen has been lights out of late, only giving up one earned run in his last 18 appearances, while striking out 15 in 16 innings pitched. Considering Storen’s history (success as closer last year) and Clippard’s recent struggles, I expect this change to continue for the rest of the season provided Storen keeps pitching well.

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• Earlier this weekend, Mike Scioscia announced that he was going back to a closer-by-committee after Ernesto Frieri’s recent rough stretch. Of course, he turned around and rewarded Frieri by — giving him the next save opportunity. Frieri pitched a scoreless ninth on Saturday to preserve a 2-0 lead and emphasize that he’s still probably the favorite even in a committee situation. On Sunday, when faced with a three-run lead, the Angels split up the ninth between Garrett Richards, Scott Downs, and Frieri (nullifying the potential save for anyone). Frieri should be considered at the head of the bullpen, with Downs potentially an option in lefty-heavy innings. Of the other righties, Jordan Walden actually has the best xFIP over the last month (1.93) but doesn’t seem high on the ladder. Other more likely options like Richards (5.03 30-day xFIP), Kevin Jepsen (4.76) and LaTroy Hawkins (4.18) don’t seem like great bets for success. Desperate save chasers can add Downs to squads and hope for a few lefty-righty-lefty ninths, but it seems like a lot of effort with little reward to try and guess which righty might moonlight as the closer one night over the next week and a half.

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• Kenley Jansen may have returned from the disabled list, but it’s clear the Dodgers are easing him back into the closer role rather than just throwing him to the National League. He pitched one-third of an inning Thursday to get his feet wet and, while fans thought Friday might be the day he sees the ninth inning again, he pitched the seventh in a tie game versus the Reds. Manager Don Mattingly saved Brandon League for the save opportunity which eventually cropped up in the tenth inning. Jansen is clearly the superior pitcher (and is one of the best relievers in baseball when healthy) but League has put up a solid 3.04 xFIP over the last month while going four-for-four in the save conversion department. There’s no telling when Jansen might get the ninth inning back but owners should be prepared to wait a bit longer than they first expected — meanwhile, League might be a guy to snag until that time comes (available in 50% of Yahoo! leagues). Maybe savvy owners can squeeze a few more saves out of him before he is moved back to a setup role.

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Apologies for a shorter Bullpen Report tonight, but here’s the latest…

• Out since late August after suffering from an irregular heartbeat, Kenley Jansen is now cleared to play for the Dodgers.  Jansen will need to have offseason surgery but he’s now able to play for the rest of this season and should immediately take over the closer’s role from Brandon League. When healthy, Jansen and his terrific stirkeout ability (13.66 K/9) make him one of the best closers in fantasy baseball – make sure he’s active on your roster and/or pick him up if he’s available in your league.

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