With several top closers possibly out for the season, RotoExpert-turned-motivational speaker Paul Bourdett attempts to pick up their owners with a few pick-ups of his own. Billy Wagner out for the year? Sure, looks like it. George Sherrill down for the count? I wouldn’t be surprised. Troy Percival hurt again? You betcha. With speculation running rampant that all three of these closers could be done for the season, bad news just got a lot worse for their respective owners. If you happened to own more than one of them, it’s safe to say the fantasy gods weren’t exactly on your side in ’08. But enough of the “woe is me” charade. I don’t subscribe to defeatism, and I certainly don’t plan on RSVP’ing to your pity party. Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and do something about it. Why? Because if you’re still in contention to win your league, and there are precious points in the saves category still up for grabs, crossing your fingers and hoping your best closer makes a speedy recovery would be a true effort in futility. What you need to do now is make a move. Your mission? Get your hands on some saves. Remember, your season is hanging in the balance here, so life must be put on hold. If it’s your kid’s birthday, trick him into disobeying you and then put him on punishment. If it’s your anniversary, explain to your wife the true meaning of priority. If you’re at work, make up some BS excuse about why you need to take off early. Do whatever you have to do. Just make sure that the minute you finish reading this column, you make your way over to the waiver wire/free agent list. Your league championship depends on it. Stats as of August 19, 2008 "Closer-by-Committees" Pittsburgh Pirates Bullpen
It’s not of major significance, but John Grabow was removed from Tuesday night’s save situation after allowing an earned run in two thirds of an inning. T.J. Beam, of all people, was called upon to get the last out and “vultured” the save. Grabow had pitched well since the departure of Dámaso Marte (4-for-4, 2.45 ERA), but the return of Matt Capps is just around the corner. I wouldn’t be surprised to see those two share save chances, at least initially, once Capps is back, so I’m sticking with the committee approach in Pittsburgh until someone takes this role and runs with it. New York Mets Bullpen
Welcome to New York, Mr. Ayala – the land of opportunity. Seriously, what other team in baseball could Luis Ayala have gone to where he would have had a legitimate chance to become that team’s closer? Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Brian Stokes, Joe Smith, and Duaner Sanchez aren’t getting it done. Can you? Baltimore Orioles Bullpen
With George Sherrill going on the DL, who do the Orioles turn to for saves? Well, since I pegged Jim Johnson and Fernando Cabrera as the next two guys in line (respectively) as late as last week, I’ll stand firm in that projection. I actually like Cabrera more, based on the better stuff (25 Ks in 23 IP), but since Johnson’s been the Orioles’ primary setup man for most of the year, he’ll probably get the first chance. Personally, I don’t think Johnson will stick. With only 35 strikeouts and 27 walks in 64.2 innings, he’s not exactly closer material. I don’t see Dennis Sarfate as a viable option either. He’s allowed 107 baserunners in 65.2 innings this season, 53 of them via the free pass. “On Board” Mariano Rivera, NYY
Don’t let two losses and a blown save in August fool you. Mariano is still elite.
28-for-29, 55 IP, 64 Ks, 1.64 ERA, 0.75 WHIP
Next in line: Edwar Ramírez
Third in line: Jose Veras Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
After picking up career save number 105 against the Orioles on Monday night, Papelbon is now second on the Red Sox’ all-time list.
33-for-37, 53.2 IP, 62 Ks, 1.84 ERA, 0.86 WHIP
Next in line: Justin Masterson
Third in line: Mike Timlin Joe Nathan, MIN
Nathan is earning every penny the Twins pay him (and what fantasy owners paid for him too).
34-for-37, 54 IP, 59 Ks, 1.00 ERA, 0.91 WHIP
Next in line: Matt Guerrier
Third in line: Jesse Crain Brad Lidge, PHI
With three saves and seven strikeouts in his last three outings, it appears Lidge has his groove back. He says his shoulder feels “better” but that the pain is not “totally gone,” so keep that info in your back pocket and have an alternative just in case.
31-for-31, 52.1 IP, 70 Ks, 2.06 ERA, 1.22 WHIP
Next in line: Chad Durbin
Third in line: Ryan Madson Francisco Rodríguez, LAA
K-Rod is now on pace for only 61 saves. With only two saves in August (and two blown saves), perhaps it’s not a given that he breaks Bobby Thigpen’s record?
47-for-52, 51.1 IP, 57 Ks, 2.81 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
Next in line: Jose Arredondo
Third in line: Scot Shields Francisco Cordero, CIN
Cordero now has 200 career saves. He’s also followed a horrible July (5.68 ERA, three blown saves) with an ugly August (7.71 ERA). I’m still on board, however, because who else are you going to replace him with at this point? He’ll still get you saves and Ks; just don’t expect him to be dominant.
23-for-29, 55.1 IP, 61 Ks, 3.90 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
Next in line: David Weathers
Third in line: Jeremy Affeldt José Valverde, HOU
There’s no love lost between Valverde and his former team, the Diamondbacks.
32-for-38, 57.1 IP, 64 Ks, 4.08 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Next in line: Doug Brocail
Third in line: Geoff Geary  | | Have your cake and eat it too, while the "Mexicutioner" takes you on a title run. Photo Credit: Icon SMI |
Joakim Soria, KC
I love Joakim Soria like a fat kid loves cake. And yes, I just used a line from 50 Cent to express my appreciation for a baseball player.
33-for-35, 54.2 IP, 58 Ks, 1.48 ERA, 0.80 WHIP
Next in line: Ron Mahay
Third in line: Robinson Tejeda Bobby Jenks, CWS
Jenks hasn’t given up an earned run in a save situation since May 9. On a separate note, if you’re wondering why Gavin Floyd is now rockin’ a baldie, it’s because he lost a bet to Jenks.
25-for-28, 45.1 IP, 25 Ks, 1.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP
Next in line: Octavio Dotel
Third in line: Matt Thornton Kevin Gregg, FLA
Gregg blew his first save in well over a month last Friday but returned the next day to earn his 27th save of the season.
27-for-34, 57 IP, 48 Ks, 2.68 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Next in line: Matt Lindstrom
Third in line: Renyel Pinto Salomón Torres, MIL
Not all blown saves are created equal. Torres’ blown save last Saturday was the result of an inherited runner coming around to score after a costly error in the field. No worries here. Plug and play.
23-for-28, 62.1 IP, 42 Ks, 2.60 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Next in line: Eric Gagne
Third in line: Guillermo Mota Trevor Hoffman, SD
Hoffman’s last blown save came on June 1. Since then, he’s a perfect 15-for-15, with a 2.95 ERA.
26-for-29, 37.1 IP, 41 Ks, 4.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
Next in line: Heath Bell
Third in line: Cla Meredith B.J. Ryan, TOR
With an ERA under three and only three blown saves on the season, Ryan is one of the better value picks of the year.
24-for-27, 44 IP, 41 Ks, 2.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP
Next in line: Scott Downs
Third in line: Jesse Carlson Brian Wilson, SF
Wilson’s now saved 24 in a row (his last blown save was on May 2). He’s also strung together 10.1 scoreless innings.
33-for-36, 48.2 IP, 51 Ks, 3.88 ERA, 1.42 WHIP
Next in line: Tyler Walker
Third in line: Keiichi Yabu Jonathan Broxton, LAD
Just when it looked like Broxton had righted the ship, he gave up the winning run against the Brewers last Saturday. That’s now five earned runs in his last five appearances, and he hasn’t pitched since. I said it last week and I’ll say it again – a “tired arm” followed by a poor performance isn’t always bad news, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. In other news, here’s an interesting story on how the Dodgers found Broxton.
9-for-15, 52.2 IP, 65 Ks, 3.59 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Next in line: Hong-Chih Kuo
Third in line: Joe Beimel Joel Hanrahan, WAS
Hanrahan hasn’t been stellar since Jon Rauch’s departure (4.32 ERA), but anytime you can plug a closer into an SP slot, you’re at an advantage.
3-for-5, 69.2 IP, 78 Ks, 3.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
Next in line: Saul Rivera
Third in line: Steven Shell Kerry Wood, CHI (NL)
After pitching three straight days, and picking up his first save since July 11, it’s safe to say Kerry Wood is back…isn’t it? Perhaps he should carry around the pink backpack for good luck, although that might not be such a good idea, with Wood’s back issues and all.
25-for-30, 50.2 IP, 61 Ks, 2.66 ERA, 0.99 WHIP
Next in line: Carlos Mármol
Third in line: Jeff Samardzija (no, he’s not starting) Chris Perez, STL
Forget about closer-of-the-future, Perez is the Cards' closer-of-the-present. It’s not by default either (see Jason Isringhausen/Ryan Franklin woes). Since rejoining the big league club on August 6, he’s a perfect 4-for-4 in saves, with nine strikeouts and only two hits allowed in six scoreless innings. For what it’s worth (and I like to think it’s worth a whole lot), I’m on board for the rest of this season, and beyond.
4-for-6, 29.2 IP, 31 Ks, 3.34 ERA, 1.35 WHIP
Next in line: Kyle McClellan
Third in line: Ryan Franklin Fernando Rodney, DET
Joel Zumaya is completely out of the picture, Todd Jones is back on the DL until September, and Kyle Farnsworth has done absolutely nothing to garner the trust of Jim Leyland (7.36 ERA in 7.1 innings with the Tigers). This leaves Rodney as the team’s official closer in my book, no matter how many times Leyland says the word committee. The only issue I have with Rodney or Leyland here is that he often picks up saves of the one-inning-plus variety, leaving him unavailable to close out games on back-to-back nights. Regardless, if Rodney can continue to pitch like he has over the last two weeks (4-for-4, 9 IP, 13 Ks, 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP), he should be in line for plenty of strikeouts and saves down the stretch.
5-for-9, 27.1 IP, 32 Ks, 4.28 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Next in line: Kyle Farnsworth
Third in line: Aquilino López Eddie Guardado, TEX
Eddie’s been just fine, and no one else in the Rangers bullpen has stepped up (I’m talking to you Frank Francisco). Play/buy with confidence.
4-for-4, 47.2 IP, 26 Ks, 3.21 ERA,1.01 WHIP
Next in line: Frank Francisco
Third in line: Joaquín Benoit "On the Fence” Mike Gonzalez, ATL
Looking for saves from Mike Gonzalez is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
5-for-5, 19 IP, 21 Ks, 3.79 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
Next in line: Blaine Boyer
Third in line: Jeff Bennett Dan Wheeler, TB
I was going to list Tampa Bay’s closing situation as a committee, but with Wheeler picking up three saves on three consecutive nights this past week, it looks like he’s the go-to guy. If this proves to be a trend over the next week or so, I’ll have no problem jumping on board.
7-for-8, 54 IP, 38 Ks, 2.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP
Next in line: Grant Balfour
Third in line: Chad Bradford Brian Fuentes, COL
First Adam Dunn, then Greg Maddux. Could Fuentes be next?
23-for-27, 48.2 IP, 56 Ks, 2.96 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Next in line: Manny Corpas
Third in line: Taylor Buchholz Brad Ziegler, OAK
Stop the presses! After going 39 scoreless innings, Ziegler’s given up an earned run in each of his last two appearances. And while I hate to discount what he’s done this season, I think it’s finally time for us all to take off the blinders. First, he’s been extremely lucky up until this point. With a 94.9 percent strand rate and a .203 BABIP (numbers well out of line with his career rates at any level), it’s obvious there were some cosmic forces at work here. The 20 strikeouts and 13 walks in 42 innings aren’t all that impressive either. Second, there’s no way Bob Geren can keep throwing Ziegler out there for multiple innings at a time, AND expect him to be available to close in every save situation. Lastly, there are two other arms in the A’s bullpen (Joey Devine/Santiago Casilla) that were skipped in line due to injury and are now back with the team. Also, who’s to say that Huston Street doesn’t get another crack at it? All in all, there are just too many variables working against Ziegler remaining in the closer’s role for me to have a ton of confidence in him.
3-for-3, 42 IP, 20 Ks, 0.43 ERA, 0.90 WHIP
Next in line: Joey Devine
Third in line: Santiago Casilla Jensen Lewis, CLE
I’m not a Jensen Lewis fan, but if Rafael Pérez hasn’t been handed the closer role by now, it’s obvious that Indians manager Eric Wedge prefers having a righty seal the deal. Besides, Lewis has done just fine over the past couple of weeks (3-for-3, four scoreless innings). As a non-believer though, it’ll take more than that for me to start endorsing him.
3-for-4, 48.1 IP, 33 Ks, 3.91 ERA, 1.53 WHIP
Next in line: Rafael Pérez
Third in line: Masa Kobayashi “On the Ledge”
J.J. Putz, SEA
Putz can’t even nail down the occasional save (no saves since June 9). To be honest, I’d rather use the RP slot on a good setup man (notice I said good, not even great).
7-for-14, 32.2 IP, 38 Ks, 4.41 ERA, 1.90 WHIP
Next in line: Mark Lowe
Third in line: Sean Green Brandon Lyon, ARI
Interesting set of circumstances on Tuesday night. Jon Rauch pitches the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Padres and allows an earned run. Lyon comes on in the ninth with his team up four and proceeds to give up three earned runs in a third of an inning. Tony Peña then comes in to record the last two outs and picks up his second save of the season. I might be the only one who feels this way, but Lyon is probably one blown save away from losing his gig. If Rauch is out there (he’s still available in 49 percent of ESPN leagues and 55 percent of CBS Sports leagues), you have to go out and get him.
25-for-30, 47 IP, 36 Ks, 4.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
Next in line: Jon Rauch
Third in line: Chad Qualls “On the Shelf” Matt Capps, PIT
Word on the street has it that Capps is 15 pounds lighter since going on the DL in early July. Good for him. If all goes well with his rehab appearances this week, he could be back in the majors as early as Saturday. Whether he’ll be closing games right away is still up in the air, but he’s sure worth the pickup if someone in your league dropped him.
17-for-22, 40.1 IP, 29 Ks, 3.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP Billy Wagner, NYM
Uh-oh. Wagner’s still experiencing pain and swelling in his elbow. It’s beginning to look like the Mets will have to move on without him in ’08.
27-for-33, 46 IP, 50 Ks, 1.96 ERA, 0.83 WHIP Todd Jones, DET
That was quick. Within two days of coming off the DL, Jones was right back on it (shoulder issues). Now it doesn’t look like he’ll be back with the team until some time in September. It’s a shame too. With the way the relievers in the Tigers bullpen had been failing in save situations, he probably would’ve had a good chance of getting his job back.
18-for-21, 41.2 IP, 14 Ks, 4.97 ERA, 1.63 WHIP George Sherrill, BAL
Sherrill has only saved five games since July 1 and has a 5.91 ERA since the All-Star break. Currently on the DL with shoulder soreness, do the Orioles have any reason to bring him back?
31-for-37, 50.1 IP, 54 Ks, 4.47 ERA, 1.49 WHIP Troy Percival, TB
I might’ve spoken too soon regarding Percival’s health in last week’s column. Within hours of submitting the article to editors, Percival was back on the shelf with cartilage damage in his right knee (the knee he pushes off the rubber with). He’s opting against surgery for now and thinks he’ll be back in two weeks, but as an owner, you can’t love comments like this: “When I’m good to go, I’ll be out there. I don’t think it’s going to get any worse, any better.” Thanks, Troy. Now that we know you’ll be out there pitching with a bum knee, we have the utmost confidence in you.
27-for-30, 39 IP, 36 Ks, 3.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP Got a question or comment? Send Paul an email at
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and he’ll be happy to discuss.
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