A few quick notes from Memorial Day:

• It wouldn’t be an authentic Bullpen Report without bad news out of Cincinnati’s bullpen as Tony Cingrani blew his fourth save last night. Cingrani entered the ninth like a regular old closer but was unable to finish the inning after allowing four baseruners and three earned runs. Ross Ohlendorf threw a perfect eighth and JC Ramirez was able to get the final out for his first big league save. As usual this situation is ridiculously fluid with Ohlendorf and Cingrani likely still in some sort of job-share for the moment.

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• Trevor May was called on to finish out the third inning last night and although May recorded the final out his troubles continued as he allowed two hits and an earned run in the fourth. May still recorded two strikeouts and has a decent 3.51 xFIP with a fantastic strikeout rate (30%) but his recent outings have been downright terrible. Over his last five appearances spanning 3.1 innings pitched, May has allowed 15 baserunners and 10 earned runs. When you combine that performance along with entering the game in the third inning, it’s safe to say you have lost your role. I’ve moved Fernando Abad as the next-in-line and put Michael Tonkin on the grid with May exiting. Kevin Jepsen threw in a non-save situation last night allowing two earned and now supports a 5.89/5.30/4.86 ERA/FIP/xFIP pitching line. Gross. If May was cruising he’d be getting save opportunities by now as the back end of the Twins bullpen has collapsed. Jepsen is on red alert and I would snag Abad and Tonkin in that order for speculative saves. To add more to the confusion Tonkin pitched in the fourth and fifth inning tonight with Abad getting the last two outs in the ninth down three runs. Who really knows what’s going on in Minnesota.

For now Jepsen remains the closer and we’ll hopefully be able to glean more information on the Twins order of operations the next time they have a lead.

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• Injury update for the Angels as Huston Street is heading to Arizona Friday for extended Spring Training. He also threw 20 pitches today and “could be back before the end of May.” All promising signs for Street as he comes back from a strained oblique and provided there aren’t any setbacks he should be replacing Joe Smith and return to his familiar role in the ninth very soon. Until then, Smith will close as he did tonight getting his sixth save.

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The Strikeout Era has created a burgeoning market for middle relievers over the last few years. There have always been middle relievers with great ratios and vulture win potential, but with strikeouts continually on the rise, a good handful of them have become even mixed league viable with their ability to fan 30%+ of the batters they face. It took some time for fantasy players to adjust, though.

I remember Dellin Betances was out on the wire in many mixed leagues for a large part of his breakout 2014 season even as he logged 135 strikeouts in just 90 innings, more than Rick Porcello (132) and Alfredo Simon (127) logged in 204.7 and 196.3 innings, respectively. Heck, even someone with pretty good stuff (at least back in ’14) like Shelby Miller only fanned 127 in 183 innings that season. After that season, everyone was hot to Betances as he’s was drafted in virtually every mixed league last year and again this year even as Andrew Miller was named the replacement for Aroldis Chapman during his suspension.

Truth be told, I’ve been keen on studly middle relievers for a while now as I like to use a couple at the backend of an AL/NL only league staff instead taking some lame fifth starter who is likely to do more harm than good. The really good ones can have mixed league viability (12+ teams, even Betances isn’t an automatic in 10-teamers) as the wire dries up or if you’re just looking to protect ERA/WHIP while awaiting the return of a DL’d arm or something. Betances, Wade Davis, and Carter Capps have been some of the biggest standouts in this category the last couple of years. Davis has now become a stud closer and Capps was on way to the same fate before losing the year to TJ this spring.

So who are the next guys? I’ve got seven names for you.

By the way, I was going to include Sean Doolittle as he has settled in after a shaky start (15 Ks, 9 base runners, and 1.64 ERA in last 11 IP), but he’s still likely on a lot of teams speculating for saves as Ryan Madson isn’t exactly dominating and taking a stranglehold on the job. But if he’s available, go ahead and scoop Doolittle.

Looking at CBS roster rates, all of these guys are available in 74% or more leagues and because CBS caters to deeper leagues than Yahoo! and ESPN, they are almost certainly more widely available at both of those outlets.

Hector Neris – PHI – 36% K – 19% SwStr – 28% K-BB%

The Phillies bullpen was mess coming into the season with David Hernandez as the assumed closer and not much worth betting on behind him. Hernandez allowed 3 runs without logging an out in his first appearance of the season and it didn’t take long for Jeanmar Gomez to wrest the job from him. Gomez has logged an MLB-high 16 saves, though he’s hardly their best reliever.

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A few belated bullpen notes from last night:

• Joe Smith is 4/5 on saves in place of Huston Street but is also supporting a mediocre 3.60/4.45/4.56 ERA/FIP/xFIP pitching line. Never known as a strikeout artist, Smith was usually around league average but has seen his strikeout rate dip to 15.5% this year. His job isn’t in danger but it’s worth noting that Fernando Salas saved his second game of the year last night, throwing a perfect ninth lowering his ERA to 2.29. That ERA will creep up as he likely won’t keep a .229 BABIP all year but if Smith falters, Salas could start seeing more ninths. Huston Street remains on the DL with an oblique injury and although he played catch last week, he’s still a few weeks away from a return but will regain the ninth once he comes back.

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A few notes from Monday:

• Aroldis Chapman is back playing for New York. There was no save opportunity but Chapman came in the game throwing is normal ~100 mph heat. Chapman allowed a run to score but he didn’t issue a walk and struck out two batters throwing his regular velocity. Whether or not he stays in the Bronx all season long, Chapman must be considered a top-five closing option in fantasy moving forward.

• Bryan Price has yet to name a closer but after his save last night, Cingrani has now recorded the last two saves for the Reds. Two successful saves is about as good as anyone has done on the Reds so I would expect Cingrani to continue to be the ninth inning guy.

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We don’t always post Bullpen Reports on a Sunday but when we do, we talk about the Reds.

• Tony Cingrani threw 1.2 innings for the save on Friday, his first of the season. However, Bryan Price hasn’t suggested that it means Cingrani will now be the closer. In today’s game – Blake Wood blew a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning so I wouldn’t count on future saves from him in the near future. Ross Ohlendorf was called on in the eighth, and he gave up the go ahead run on a Jonathan Lucroy homer. Ohlendor stayed in to throw a scoreless ninth and finished the day with two innings, four strikeouts, three baserunners and the loss.  Although Price hasn’t named Cingrani (or anyone for that matter) the closer, I’m going to move him to the top spot for now, with knowledge that this situation remains hilariously fluid. After throwing two innings today it’s likely that Ohelndorf will get Monday’s game off as well, so expect Cingrani to see the opportunity if one arises.

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Thanks to some comments we have updated a few down ballot spots on the grid. The closing chairs all remain the same but the Marlins bridge to A.J.Ramos (David Phelps and Kyle Barraclough) along with a few other situations have been changed. As always – continue to let us know where we have done you wrong.

Onto the games…

• Tony Cingrani entered the game against the Mets with one out in the seventh, suggesting there is a closer carousel in Cincinnati. Cingrani allowed a triple to Curtis Granderson and gave up the go ahead run after David Wright hit a two-out single, knocking in the Grandy Man. Caleb Cotham then entered in the bottom of the eighth and struck out two batters. It’s really anyone’s guess who will receive the next save chance but it looks like Caleb Cotham, Tony Cingrani, J.J. Hoover, Blake Wood and even Ross Ohlendorf could be in line. I would stay away unless you’re desperate for saves and if you do roster one of the Reds options, I would recommend stashing them on the bench as waiting for this situation to figure itself could hurt your ERA.

• In mop-up duty in the eighth Drew Storen came on and allowed four hits and three earned runs, raising his ERA to 9.39. Woof. Storen won’t continue to have a 22% HR/FB ratio and a 53.3% LOB% all year but he can’t keep this up if he wants to see important innings. Brett Cecil hasn’t been much better of late either with a 5.19/4.12/4.39 ERA/FIP/xFIP pitching line of his own. I think the Blue Jays will allow these two a chance to redeem themselves but if the free fall continues, look for Jesse Chavez (2.35 ERA and a 12/1 K/BB in 7.2 innings) to move into a setup role.

• A day after recording a one-out save, Alex Colome only needed to get two outs for his fifth save of the year. Erasmo Ramirez threw a perfect seventh and eighth, handing the ball off to Xavier Cedeno (L) to get out the tough lefty, Chris Davis before letting Colome finish the job. The Rays have allowed Cedeno to pitch crucial innings, calling him on to get tough lefties but he’s never been as effective against right-handed hitters (.332 wOBA against righties and.222 wOBA against lefties in 2015) so I would still put Erasmo Ramirez ahead of him for now. However, with Brad Boxberger cleared to resume baseball activities, it won’t be long (mid-May) until everyone is moved down the chain.

• Jepsen blew a one-run lead against the Indians on a Mike Napoli homer and now has three blown saves on the year. Glen Perkins is still on the shelf with a sore shoulder but hopes he can begin throwing in a week. Until Perkins is actually throwing on the side, it’s tough to give a timeline on his return but with a sore shoulder and his checkered injury past, I wouldn’t rely on a quick return. I still expect Jepsen to see the ninth but the seat is getting warmer. Alex Meyer isn’t near saves as he was just called up but if he does well in the pen in Minnesota he could make some late inning noise.

• On a positive note for Jepsen owners, Cody Allen gave up four baserunners and an earned run giving Jepsen a win for the second night in a row. Cody Allen had an ERA north of 11 last April and didn’t lose his job but he was also still striking batters out and largely getting unlucky. Allen’s swinging strike rate is still above average, but down from last year’s mark as is his average fastball velocity which isn’t a good sign. The sky isn’t falling, especially after a clean save last night but Allen doesn’t have the same wiggle room as he did before or last year.

• Jeanmar Gomez gave up a two-out hit but finished the scoreless inning for his fifth save on the year. Hector Neris pitched a clean eighth with two strikeouts and he might be the new setup man in Philly. On the year Neris has a 0.75/2.08/1.89 pitching line with an impressive 20 strikeouts against four walks in his 11 innings pitched. Whether or not Neris will keep up a 22.8% swinging strike rate, he still seems like a solid resource for strikeouts and the occasional hold for the Phillies.

• Quick Hits: The Mets won their fifth game in a row and for the third straight day, Jeurys Familia recorded the save. Expect Familia to have the night off if a save chance arises tomorrow and look for Addison Reed or Hansel Robles to get the opportunity in his place. Hector Rondon (4) recorded a save as well.

Closer Grid:

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

The biggest challenge writing for deep league managers is trying to cover the broad continuum of league depths in a limited space each week. In response to last week’s column, one commenter lamented that both of the players recommended had been rostered in his 20-team league since the start of the season. So for you masochists out there languishing in the bowels of waiver wire obscurity, I present you with this special Über Deep League Waiver Wire edition.

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A few quick notes from Sunday:

• Jake McGee had a bad night allowing five earned in less than an inning. Every dog has it’s (bad) day and I don’t think McGee’s job is in danger but we’ll keep Colorado yellow for now. Miguel Castro who pitched himself into setup duty was put on the DL with an apparent non-serious shoulder injury. Chad Qualls and Boone Logan both move up a spot with McGee still ahead provided he doesn’t repeat last night’s performance.

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