We’ve made it to Week two – yes, you and I both – making me officially a veteran sportswriter and you an avid reader with a longstanding tradition. So, seeing as we’re well acquainted, let’s go behind the curtain a bit.
Heading into Friday’s games, I’d written up the majority of this article with Anthony Bender as my top pickup for saves and Ben Casparius as one of my top choices for holds. Since then, Bender’s less-than-firm grip on the closer role slipped significantly, and Casparius got utterly demolished by my beloved home team. No one said being a Cubs fan was easy, but this is a unique spin on it.
On the other hand, my next-best bets each shined brighter following multiple positive outings. So let’s shuffle things around a bit. What can I say? Part of why I find myself drawn to relievers in particular is the volatility, and some of these recommendations will fall flat before they even get off the ground. One does their best with the information at hand and lets the chips fall where they may. While I won’t let one game here and there sway me too much, I will keep the stats and suggestions in this article as up-to-the-moment as possible.
(stats updated through Saturday 4/12)
Saves
Emilio Pagán (CIN) (21%-rostered Yahoo)
I noted Emilio Pagán as an “injury-related rental” for a potential grab in last week’s article, but he’s done more than enough to earn the bump to prime-time status. The demotion to honorable mention last week was due to two key hang-ups. First, Alexis Díaz does lurk on the IL, but given his disastrous spring and ensuing rehab stint growing longer by the day, we’re inching past the point of concern there. Second, while Pagán was my top choice for saves of the group, the roles in the Reds ‘pen were muddled.
Now, things look clearer. The key trio in question are Pagán, Tony Santillan, and Graham Ashcraft. Thus far, it’s Pagán in the traditional closer spot, with four saves including clean back-to-backers on Friday and Saturday. Santillan is a better play for holds leagues, as he’s taken on the Andrew Miller fireman-style role for manager Terry Francona. And, since it’s Ashcraft’s first year in the ‘pen, it would have been unlikely to see him vault into the ninth right out the gate anyway, Mason Miller he’s not.
It’s saves we’re looking for here, so I’ll roll the dice on Pagán just as Cincinnatians roll the dice on that second bowl of Skyline.
Porter Hodge (CHC) (17%)
We’ve entered that timeless fantasy RP tier of Guys Who Aren’t The Closer Yet But Are Good And Also Their Team’s Current Closer Is Kinda Struggling Or Injured Or Just Generally Mediocre So It’s Worth A Shot.
Porter Hodge burst onto the scene last year and was nothing less than elite. Across 39 appearances, he racked up three wins, nine holds, and yes, nine saves after taking on the Cubs’ closing duties late in the year. He complemented those counting stats with a sparkling 31.7% strikeout rate, an opposing batting average of .132, and a 1.88 ERA backed by a 2.75 FIP.
Alas – and I say alas as a Cubs fan – the Cubs traded for Ryan Pressly in the offseason, and Hodge has been relegated to setup man. I’ll save the stat dump and state the obvious: Pressly ain’t what he used to be. If it is stats you’re looking for, here’s a Baseball Savant page with far too much blue on it.
Things do get a bit complicated by the fact that there’s a chance Pressly only waived his no-trade clause to be the guy, and the Cubs may feel they owe him. But that sort of thing won’t go too far for too long, with the Cubs looking every bit a contender. It’s reasonable to predict that Hodge will be named closer by May. If that does end up being the case, he immediately vaults near top 10 at the position. In the meantime, he’ll give you the goods when it comes to ratios and strikeouts, and of course, in any holds league, he’s already a high-end option.
Anthony Bender (MIA) (9%)
Mariano Rivera is not walking through that door this week, so you gotta be flexible.
Pun intended.
The aforementioned Anthony Bender did seem to be on the verge of locking down the Marlins’ closer role as recently as Thursday. Jesús Tinoco had a rough spring and hit the IL after just one regular-season appearance. Calvin Faucher had been simply terrible, with an 8.31 ERA and 2.08 WHIP that didn’t exactly seem undeserved. Bender was chugging along just fine–as he typically does–through 5.1 hitless innings, nabbing the Marlins’ only save.
On Friday against the Nats, Bender entered the eighth up two runs with two men on. Despite the inning being a tick low this would’ve been an encouraging sign, solidifying him as the highest-leverage Marlin reliever. Bender put up a clunker, however, allowing both runners in – plus a third for good measure – blowing the save and taking the loss. To complicate matters further, it was Faucher entering a 7-6 game the following evening, picking up his first save with a clean ninth.
I still think Bender is the choice here, but this is a bullpen to avoid other than the deepest of roto leagues. Or in other words, for those of you in the deepest of roto leagues, boy do I got a guy for you!
The Watchlist: Lucas Erceg (KC), Griffin Jax (MIN), Will Vest (DET)
IL Stash/’Desperate Times…’: Liam Hendriks (BOS)
Holds
Bryan King (HOU) (2%)
Bryan King is off to a tremendous start in 2025: seven appearances, 6.2 innings, 11 strikeouts, and a mere trio of baserunners allowed. He’s vaulted the ranks of the Astros bullpen to arguably the #3 man in charge, in the mix with the struggling Bryan Abreu and rising Steven Okert.
With apologies to Okert, King seems like the top lefty option for Houston, meaning extra opportunities due to opposing hitter composition alone. But King isn’t just a lefty specialist; while he may not have been on your radar after joining the ‘Stros in June last year, he was terrific then too, putting up 10.94 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.39 ERA over 26.1 innings. This year he’s seemingly ditched a curveball to become a fastball/slider guy–his four-seamer usage is up from ~52% to ~68% thus far–and the results look even better.
It may be overly optimistic, but I see King as having a real chance of being this year’s Cade Smith as an elite breakout RP in points and holds leagues.
Adrian Morejon (SD) (2%)
Less of a breakout than King and more a guy who should’ve gotten more flowers last year, Adrian Morejon is the second lefty on our list, but first in our hearts, or whatever.
I’ll lead with the negative, this being the internet and all. The Padres bullpen is utterly stacked: Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, even Yuki Matsui… the list goes on. There ain’t exactly a dearth of elite options here, and that means sometimes even a guy as good as Morejon gets left stranded in the ‘pen, playing those quirky games that bullpen guys do with each other and such.
Still, we’re talking about a guy who will put up elite ratios across the board, and given the team he’s on, there will still be plenty of chances for counting stats here. In fact, Morejon’s seven appearances have been good for two holds and a save already. On nights when Suarez isn’t available, or perhaps even when he is, if there’s a lefty-heavy part of the lineup coming to bat in the ninth, Morejon might even be the de facto closer.
All in all, I see Morejon as a high-end option in holds leagues and a guy worth rostering in deep roto leagues to plug in situationally for ratio stabilization and a handful of saves.
Ryan Zeferjahn (LAA) (<1%)
I was due for a sub-1% guy here anyway.
Ryan Zeferjahn, like King, got his first taste of major-league action last season and was up to the task. While pitching in generally low-leverage spots, he put up a 2.12 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 17 innings. This year, Zeferjahn made the leap to high leverage, picking up one win, save, and hold each across his first seven appearances. Not to mention the little matter of striking out nine dudes in 4.2 innings.
Giving Zeferjahn even more of a boost this week is an injury to top setup man Ben Joyce, who hit the IL on Friday with shoulder inflammation. While perhaps minor, this at least puts Zeferjahn in pole position for holds in what was already an incredibly shallow Angels bullpen.
The Watchlist: Gabe Speier (SEA), Reed Garrett (NYM), Abner Uribe (MIL)
IL Stash: Matt Brash (SEA)
SPRPs: Graham Ashcraft (CIN), Jakob Junis (CLE), Hayden Birdsong (SF)
