First, a very happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, most notably my own, who almost certainly read this article before you did. Unless you are her, in which case, hi Mom!
A chaotic stretch has us tackling the week in closer news bullpen-by-bullpen. I’ll cap that off by ranking my top choices for saves among pitchers currently below 30%-rostered on Yahoo. If you’re here for picks and picks alone, feel free to scroll ahead a bit.
For holds, we’ve got a few exciting new pickups all 2%-rostered and lower, and a watchlist full of lesser-known but rising names in middle relief.
Oh yeah, and 100 people would definitely defeat one gorilla. Stop it. Let me know when we get to hippo or elephant or something. Or velociraptor, maybe; did you know they’re bringing animals back from extinction now? Pretty cool.
(stats updated through Saturday 5/10)
Saves (updates)
ARI
Arizona possesses the league’s most complicated bullpen this week as far as saves are concerned. Last Sunday’s pick, Shelby Miller, blew a chance mere hours later. The D-Backs then scattered their three saves among Kevin Ginkel, Jalen Beeks, and Ryne Nelson. Nelson stuck around for the ninth on Saturday with the Arizona ‘pen depleted after generating this calamity of a box score on Friday per our own Josh Sperry.
Miller is likely the only Diamondback worth rostering for saves at the moment. He should be considered a rental, however, as Arizona received good news this week regarding their two actual closers who currently sit on the IL. Justin Martinez may be returning shortly after his 15-day allotment, and A.J. Puk’s elbow is without pain, meaning he has a decent shot at a mid-season return himself. If Martinez was somehow dropped in your league, he’s an immediate add.
BOS
Liam Hendriks is on his way up the Red Sox bullpen depth chart following seven straight scoreless appearances. Aroldis Chapman is still The Guy here by a wide margin, but given Justin Slaten’s recent struggles, it may be Hendriks slotting in as Boston’s #2.
CHC
Closer Ryan Pressly’s horrendous peripherals finally caught up to him with a meltdown of historic proportions, as he surrendered eight earned runs without recording an out against the Giants on Tuesday. He entered in the sixth inning on Friday night with the Cubs trailing the Mets 6-1, a strong-enough indication that he’d already been demoted to low leverage.
Well, we got an even stronger indication on Saturday, as it was indeed Porter Hodge taking the ninth, securing the save in a 6-5 Cubs win. Hodge makes for this week’s highest-priority pickup, and should see the bulk of the Cubs’ save chances going forward.
DET
Will Vest–me when I describe your equity allocation in that new start-up–nabbed the Tigers’ only save this week, rebounding from last week’s woes with three strong appearances. Tommy Kahnle, meanwhile, picked up Detroit’s only hold. Our take here remains the same: both Vest and Kahnle can be rostered, but expect the worst as far as predictability goes. Vest retakes a narrow lead for now.
MIA
I half-heartedly (maybe more like quarter-heartedly) placed Calvin Faucher here as a potential pickup last week. The Marlins’ leading trio of Faucher, Jesús Tinoco, and Anthony Bender all had strong weeks, but it was Tinoco re-emerging as the frontrunner, taking down Miami’s lone save on Saturday. It was a clear order for Miami, going Faucher – Bender – Tinoco in a 3-1 victory, with Faucher notching the W.
My one accurate premonition there was that I would look dumb by recommending a different Marlin here every week. So yeah, go grab Tinoco. Why not.
NYY
No Yankee saves since we last spoke. It was a messy week for the Pinstripe ‘pen as a whole, with Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz, Ian Hamilton, and even Luke Weaver all putting up at least one dud of an outing. The order here is Weaver – Williams – Cruz, and no you are still not dropping Williams, believe it or not. Hang in there, champ. We’ll get through this together, like friends.
PHI
Closer José Alvarado made two appearances this week, both in non-save situations. One went poorly – three earned runs allowed to the Diamondbacks last Sunday – and one went well, as he picked up the win against the Rays on Thursday.
This wouldn’t be noteworthy if not for the sudden revival of Jordan Romano. Romano’s been excellent for a couple weeks now, and with the falloff of Orion Kerkering, he finds himself back in an eighth-inning role for Philly, nipping at Alvarado’s heels. While I wouldn’t worry about Alvarado’s job security just yet, it’s always a bit more dicey when the top competition has the closing pedigree that Romano does. Stay tuned.
PIT
Dennis Santana returned from bereavement and picked up Pittsburgh’s solitary save this week. It was Santana’s first poor showing in over a month, though, allowing three hits and two earned runs against the Braves before escaping. David Bednar, meanwhile, picked up a hold in the eighth inning of that same game. On Saturday, that order repeated; in a 2-2 ballgame, Bednar took the eighth and Santana the ninth, with both performing admirably.
It seems that new Pirates manager Don Kelly has made his choice for closer, and Santana continues to be the top Pirate to roster for saves. Bednar merits a speculative roster spot in most leagues as well.
TEX
I was hoping for some clarity in the Texas bullpen this week given Luke Jackson’s recent struggles. Alas, the scuffling Rangers had nary a save to account for, and we’re left guessing. Jackson’s two appearances did both come in the ninth inning, albeit in a pair of blowout wins.
My order for saves here is unchanged: Jackson – Robert Garcia – Chris Martin. Jackson should certainly still be rostered. Otherwise, I would consider Garcia in deeper leagues, but if saves are your only goal, I’d leave Martin on waivers.
Saves (pickups <30%-rostered)
- Porter Hodge (CHC)
- Dennis Santana (PIT)
- Will Vest (DET)
- Jesús Tinoco (MIA)
- Zach Agnos (COL)
- Robert Garcia (TEX)
- Shelby Miller (ARI)
- A.J. Puk (ARI) – IL stash
Holds
Danny Coulombe (MIN) (2%)
One of just two qualified relievers who’s yet to allow an earned run in 2025 (Andrés Muñoz being the other), Danny Coulombe enters the fray with some of the best numbers of any RP. Coulombe’s got two saves, two holds, and a win, alongside that aforementioned 0.00 ERA, a 0.52 WHIP, and 9.98 strikeouts per nine innings.
I’m enthusiastic to include Coulombe here as a guy in his mid-30s who’s been excellent for a long time running with little fanfare – relatable, honestly. Those numbers above are no fluke; between 2023 and 2024, Coulombe’s 94 appearances came with an ERA and FIP in the mid-twos, elite batted-ball metrics, and a similar 30-ish% strikeout rate. Yeah, the Baseball Savant page is quite red, save for the velo – Coulombe is a lefty after all.
The main drawback here is a crowded Twins bullpen. Behind closer Jhoan Duran are Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Cole Sands, and Brock Stewart. I’d rank Coulombe around third on this list alongside Varland, with a comfortable gap to follow.
Garrett Cleavinger (TB) (1%)
Despite multiple watchlist appearances here, even I had to do a bit of a double-take when reviewing Garrett Cleavinger’s stats thus far in 2025.
Top level, everything sparkles: a 1.88 ERA and 0.63 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. A bit deeper, these are backed by a 2.90 FIP and 3.8% walk rate. Going even further, we see an opposing xBA of .186 and elite 37.6% Whiff rate.
It’s all good under the hood for Cleavinger. He also benefits from his increasing role in a somewhat shaky bullpen, given the volatility of the likes of Mason Montgomery and Edwin Uceta thus far this season.
Wait, I recommended both of those guys? Oh. Well, then, the law of averages says we’re due for a Rays reliever to come through. That’s just math.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) (<1%)
With SP eligibility and a sub-1% roster rate, checkbox-filler Yariel Rodríguez has come on strong of late in the Toronto bullpen.
Following a rough start to the season, Rodriguez suddenly seems to be every bit the high-leverage arm. He’s been solid for a month running, and his last couple appearances against the Angels generated a pair of holds, with seven strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Listen – this one’s risky. Picking up Rodriguez is betting on a small sample of recent performance, as we don’t have much to go off of in evaluating him in a late-inning relief role. If you’re here for high-floor guys with reliable counting stats, this week’s list ended with Coulombe. If you’re looking for a gamble with some upside, though, you can do much worse than giving Rodriguez a shot in an SP slot for the next couple weeks. Let’s see how it goes.
The Watchlist: Huascar Brazobán (NYM), Steven Cruz (KC), Greg Weissert (BOS), Nick Mears (MIL), Mason Fluharty (TOR)
