Closing Time 8/5: Ranking the Top 40 Closers Every Tuesday

The Padres made the biggest splash at the deadline because, of course, A.J. Preller would, with the team giving up a top 3 prospect in all of baseball, plus others, for Mason Miller. Typically, when you give up that kind of package for a reliever, you’d expect them to be closing on his new team, but Miller looks likely to settle into an eighth-inning role for now, moving All-Stars Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon, plus Jeremiah Estrada, into fifth, sixth, and seventh-inning roles, respectively. With Suarez now being the fifth-best reliever in San Diego, I’m not sure if he will be able to hold on to the closer role the rest of the way (Tanner Scott took over late last season), but for now, Suarez is still getting the saves here.

The Tigers, on the other hand, didn’t make any big impact moves to their bullpen; instead, they just added some solid depth pieces. Kyle Finnegan is the one closer they got back, and of course, he already has two saves with his new team. He may be the closer for now, especially with Vest scuffling a bit, but I don’t have a ton of faith in Finnegan still. The landing spot was perhaps the best possible one for him, though, with a pitcher-friendly ballpark and light-hitting divisional opponents.

 

Notes

 

• Raisel Iglesias stayed put at the trade deadline, so he should remain in the closer role for the Braves the rest of the way. It’s been a rocky season for Iglesias, but he has pitched better over his past 20.2 innings, with a 2.18 ERA (2.73 SIERA), 0.73 WHIP, plus 31.6% K and 40% CSW rates.

 

• JoJo Romero has taken over the Cardinals’ closer role, and it’s hard to argue against the move as Romero has allowed just two earned runs over his past 29 innings pitched. That ERA does come with a slightly inflated WHIP (1.10) due in large part to a walk rate near 10%, so the overall 16.8% K-BB over this span has me thinking his upside is capped. He’s still a fine second closer for those of you who lost closers over the past week.

 

• Jose A. Ferrer also fits that mold as an RP2 replacement, but one who will likely help out your WHIP more than ERA. Since May, Ferrer has held a 4.15 ERA but a 2.58 SIERA and 1.08 WHIP, but again, the lack of strikeout upside (16.2% K-BB) limits how much he can rise up the rankings. In Washington, Ferrer has the closer role to himself, as there is next to no competition left.

 

• With the Athletics, Jack Perkins is entering the rotation, so that leaves veterans like Sean Newcomb and Michael Kelly as the most likely closer candidates. Newcomb could have some value if he does claim the role, as he has been great with the A’s in a relief role since landing there. Over the past two months, Newcomb has held a 1.73 ERA (2.35 SIERA), 0.88 WHIP, and 25.3% K-BB over 26 innings pitched.

 

• I wouldn’t suggest chasing anyone from 33 on, but if you are 16+ teamers or AL/NL only, these are the potential closers you may have to look into. Keegan Akin may continue seeing chances in Baltimore, or they could go with a committee still. In Arizona, Kevin Ginkel is back on the IL, and now it’s anyone’s guess as to who will see the bulk of the save chances. Kyle Backus picked up a two-inning save yesterday, so perhaps he will get a chance at the role, or they could go with the veteran in Kendall Graveman despite how poorly he’s pitched this year.

 

• The Twins have two remaining bullpen members after shipping out half of their team last week, leaving Cole Sands and Justin Topa to potentially close out games. There’s very limited upside in both of them. In Colorado, Seth Halvorsen is out due to an elbow injury, so we will likely see Victor Vodnik filling in.

 

Rank	Pitcher	Team	Change
1	Josh HaderT1	HOU	-
2	Edwin Díaz	LAD	-
3	Aroldis Chapman	BOS	+1
4	Trevor Megill	MIL	+1
5	Devin Williams T2	NYM	-2
6	Andrés Muñoz	SEA	-
7	Jhoan Duran	PHI	-
8	Jeff Hoffman	TOR	+1
9	Daniel Palencia T3	CHC	+1
10	Randy Rodríguez	SF	+1
11	Cade Smith	NYY	+1
12	Emilio Pagán	CIN	+1
13	Raisel Iglesias	ATL	+3
14	Jose A. Ferrer T4	SEA	+8
15	JoJo Romero	STL	+8
16	Dennis Santana	PIT	-2
17	Pete Fairbanks	MIA	-
18	Kenley Jansen	DET	-
19	Carlos Estévez	KC	-
20	Robert Suarez	ATL	+18
21	Robert Garcia	TEX	-1
22	Kyle Finnegan	DET	+UR
23	Mason Miller T5	SD	-15
24	Will Vest	DET	-9
25	Ronny Henriquez	MIA	-4
26	Alex Vesia	LAD	-2
27	Grant Taylor	CWS	-1
28	Sean Newcomb	CWS	+UR
29	Phil Maton T6	CHC	+4
30	David Bednar	NYY	+7
31	Ryan Walker	SF	+4
32	Blake Treinen	LAD	-1
33	Calvin Faucher T7	MIA	+UR
34	Reid Detmers	LAA	+5
35	Keegan Akin	BAL	+UR
36	Yennier Cano	BAL	+4
37	Kyle Backhus	PHI	+UR
38	Cole Sands	MIN	-8
39	Justin Topa	MIN	+UR
40	Victor Vodnik	COL	+UR