Waiver Relief: Week 12

This week in fantasy RP news brought a litany of developments across the usual suspects of chaotic bullpens: the A’s saw the emergence of a potential new closer; the Royals put their reins firmly in the grasp of a newcomer; the White Sox and Angels each saw their veteran closers slip further; the Tigers welcomed the return of a future hall-of-famer.

In other words, there’s a lot to cover, so let’s get to work. As in last week’s issue, I’ll follow up this news recap by providing my top-10 rankings of all closers, setup men, and SPRPs on the wire.

(stats updated through Thursday, 6/11)

 

Closer News (by team)

 

ATH

It was all the way back in week one that I named Elvis Alvarado as one of my top sleepers for saves to start the season. To say that prediction “stumbled” out of the gate is to say that Kevin “stumbled” with that pot of chili, as Alvarado found himself demoted to Triple-A by late April. However, following a dominant stretch in the minors, Alvarado was recalled to the bigs last Friday. In the 4.1 innings he’s thrown since, Alvarado has allowed just one hit while striking out nine batters, picking up the first save of his career against Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

So, as with any new, healthy relationship, the question is this: how much does one open their heart to its inevitable destruction? The cons here are obvious: Alvarado pitches in the most extreme hitters’ park outside of Coors Field, for a team that’s been so inconsistent at closer that they DFA’d a guy (Joel Kuhnel) who’d currently be second on the team in saves. The role is far from his, and again, we’re talking about a guy who was in the minors a week ago. The pros? Alvarado possesses as much strikeout upside as any potential new closer we’ll see all season, with a fastball topping out at 100 mph and a slider registering a 125 Stuff+ grade. His top competition, Hogan Harris, is a lefty who could easily fall back into a matchup-oriented role. And, of this week’s few new targets, Alvarado is the only one pitching for a team that should stay anywhere near .500.

This is a longer blurb than most, and it’s because I’m taking a strong stance on little results. Alvarado immediately becomes my top saves target below 10% rostered, and if he does manage to pull away with the role, he could be among the best RP adds of the entire season.

 

CHW

“Closer” Seranthony Domínguez is now nearly three weeks removed from his last save. You can shout the good name of Grant Taylor from the rooftops all you want, but there is no closer on the South Side of Chicago. Five different White Sox relievers have recorded a save in the last month. It’s also very much worth stressing that Domínguez hasn’t been bad at all and is even on a run of eight scoreless appearances. Nonetheless, as his usage has fallen from consistent to scattered, Domínguez tumbles down my closer rankings. Taylor, while roster-worthy in just about any league, remains little more than an occasional vulture when it comes to saves and saves alone.

 

DET

Wrapping up a surprisingly brief stretch on the injured list, Kenley Jansen returns to action for the Tigers today. The likes of Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan can be sent back to waivers in the majority of league formats.

 

KC

Following the removal of Lucas Erceg from the ninth inning, I expected the Royals’ save chances to be shared evenly by a few relievers. Instead, Alex Lange ripped off a streak of four consecutive saves and became the week’s hottest add among RPs. I’m not really buying it; even lately, Lange has hardly been reliable. He’s allowed 10 baserunners in his last five innings, including four in a loss against the Rangers on Wednesday, raising his season-long WHIP to 1.45. Nonetheless, the hunt for saves is more about chasing the role than trusting the pitcher, making Lange impossible to ignore. He jumps off the watchlist onto my rankings below.

 

LAA

Kirby Yates has had his fair share of chances as the Angels’ closer and failed to take advantage. Yates’s last three outings of record combined for a blown save and two losses. If not for the stubbornness of manager Kurt Suzuki, I’d knock Yates off my rankings entirely in favor of Sam Bachman, who continues to have a solid season. Instead, there’s no choice but to wait for a role change; Yates remains at the bottom of my rankings, with Bachman just a watchlist candidate.

 

WSH

It was another week of poor showings from both Clayton Beeter and Gus Varland, as the Nationals’ league-worst bullpen continues to flounder. I’ll once again point in the direction of Orlando Ribalta, who is at least consistent if not exciting, and seems most deserving of save chances for Washington. For now, I’ve removed both Beeter and Varland from my rankings entirely, and left Ribalta on my watchlist until he actually gets an opportunity.

 

Saves – Top 10 (<=60%-rostered Yahoo)

Seranthony Domínguez and Kirby Yates each fall a few spots this week; Alex Lange and Elvis Alvarado enter for the first time.

1. Jacob Latz – TEX (43%)
2. Tanner Scott – LAD (46%)
3. Gregory Soto – PIT (47%)
4. Alex Lange – KC (24%)
5. Yoendrys Gómez – MIN (14%)
6. Elvis Alvarado – ATH (1%)
7. Caleb Kilian – SF (7%)
8. Seranthony Domínguez – CHW (51%)
9. Antonio Senzatela – COL (16%)
10. Kirby Yates – LAA (6%)

The Watchlist: Grant Taylor (CHW), Keaton Winn (SF), Orlando Ribalta (WSH), Sam Bachman (LAA), Daniel Lynch IV (KC)

 

Holds – Top 10 (<=5%)

Rising names among setup men this week include Gabe Speier, Sam Bachman, and Orion Kerkering.

1. Daniel Lynch IV – KC (5%)
2. Colin Holderman – CLE (3%)
3. Gabe Speier – SEA (4%)
4. Brooks Raley – NYM (4%)
5. Sam Bachman – LAA (3%)
6. Orion Kerkering – PHI (5%)
7. Kyle Hurt – LAD (3%)
8. Braydon Fisher – TOR (5%)
9. Will Klein – LAD (2%)
10. Jack Dreyer – LAD (3%)

 

SPRPs – Top 10 (Yahoo-eligible)

Rising names among SPRPs this week include Didier Fuentes, Drew Anderson, and Mason Fluharty.

1. Jacob Latz – TEX (43%)
2. Grant Taylor – CHW (22%)
3. Yoendrys Gómez – MIN (14%)
4. Didier Fuentes – ATL (8%)
5. Braydon Fisher – TOR (5%)
6. Jack Dreyer – LAD (3%)
7. Drew Anderson – DET (1%)
8. Keaton Winn – SF (8%)
9. Mason Fluharty – TOR (2%)
10. Antonio Senzatela – COL (16%)