Fantasy Baseball Closer Report – Three’s Company, Four’s a Crowd
With the third week of the fantasy baseball season upon us, it is pretty clear if you are set at the closer position or if you have a gaping hole at the bottom of your lineup. The position is growing more and more important in fantasy baseball and is always worth taking a closer look at. Each week of the season I will dissect the closer position; by evaluating injuries, looking at position battles, and end with the latest saves statistics. Below is the week 3 edition of my fantasy baseball closer report:
Closer Controversy:
Washington Nationals
Brad Lidge vs. Henry Rodriguez – Most of the fantasy world is in one of two camps in the Nats’ bullpen with the seasoned vet, Mr. Lidge or with the young King Henry VIII who is waiting in the wings to usurp his right to the throne.
Kansas City Royals
Jonathan Broxton vs. Aaron Crow – With Joakim Soria out for the year following Tommy John Surgery, everyone thought that job would be handed to Broxton. However, Crow has already stolen one save from Broxton, as the duo both have registered a save each. Broxton is still the favorite to keep getting the saves in the City of Fountains, but expect Crow to be a nuisance for the remainder of the year.
Texas Rangers
Joe Nathan vs. Mike Adams – Nathan has an illustrious 264 saves under his major league belt, but calling for Adams to close games will just not go away. Nathan has looked shaky at times this year with two loses on the year, one of which being a three-run collapse in a 3-4 blown save against Seattle last week. Adams on the other hand has 1 save and 5 holds on the year, allowing only 1 run through his 7 innings of work. Nathan is the man for now, but a couple more tough outings could let Adams jump in the saddle for the Rangers.
The Med Room
San Francisco Giants
Injured Starter: Brian Wilson – It is hard to fear the beard, when it will be sitting on the bench with Wilson for the remainder of the year. Wilson was one of the highest drafted closers in all of fantasy this spring, but the news has just surfaced that the three-time All-Star needs to have Tommy John for the second time in his career.
Replacement: Sergio Romo
With another passing week, another All-Star closer is heading to the Disabled List . Romo is the favorite to replace Wilson as the team’s closer and if he remains in that role, could easily rack up 20 plus saves because of how early in the season it is. Romo is a great free agent pickup in deeper leagues and could be a MVP in NL-only leagues considering the starting pitching in front of him.
By the Numbers:
| Player, Team | Saves |
| 1. Javy Guerra, LAD | 5 |
| 2. J. J. Putz, ARI | 4 |
| Brandon League, SEA | 4 |
| Jim Johnson, BAL | 4 |
| Craig Kimbrel, ATL | 4 |
| 6. Joe Nathan, TEX | 3 |
| Fernando Rodney, TB | 3 |
| Frank Francisco , NYM | 3 |
| Hector Santiago , CHW | 3 |
| 10. Mariano Rivera, NYY | 2 |
| Rafael Betancourt, COL | 2 |
| Grant Balfour, OAK | 2 |
| Brett Myers, HOU | 2 |
| Jonathan Papelbon, PHI | 2 |
| Matt Capps, MIN | 2 |
| Chris Perez, CLE | 2 |
| Alfredo Aceves, BOS | 2 |
| Jason Motte, STL | 2 |
| Bryan Shaw, ARI | 2 |
| 21. Brad Lidge, WSH | 1 |
| Francisco Rodriguez, MIL | 1 |
| Jose Valverde, DET | 1 |
| Mike Adams, TEX | 1 |
| Huston Street, OAK | 1 |
| Jonathan Broxton, KC | 1 |
| Sean Marshall, CIN | 1 |
| Brian Wilson, SF | 1 |
| Carlos Marmol, CHC | 1 |
| Joel Hanrahan, PIT | 1 |
| Sergio Santos, TOR | 1 |
| Henry Rodriguez, WSH | 1 |
| Aaron Crow, KC | 1 |
| Alexi Ogando, TEX | 1 |
| Tyler Chatwood, COL | 1 |
FEATURED PARTNERS
- A User's Guide To Qat, The Grossest Drug In The World
- 27 Dogs That Are Growing Suspicious Of You
- This Video Game Montage Is Strangely Moving
- Derrick Rose Tears ACL, Out for the Season
- NBA Star Gilbert Arenas -- Changed His Mind About His Ex ... and His Lawsuit!
- Kris Humphries -- Date with 16-Year-Old Fan Makes Her Dream Come True
- How Crazy Would It Be to Drop a Deuce In This Bathroom With a 15-Story View?
- Nutella Settles for $3 Million After Woman Feels “Betrayed”
- Does World’s Most Beautiful Person Guarantee The Top Spot In This Week’s Hottie Index?
Recent Comments