It seems like every intro to this article lately is some variant of “boy, it sure was a wild week in bullpens” but boy, it sure was a wild week in bullpens. In the last few days we saw a quartet of star closers hit the injured list and multiple high-profile names fall out of favor. On the bright side, my job security has never been higher.
This week, I’ll recap the latest in closer news, including those aforementioned injuries. In an attempt to answer as many “Player X vs Player Y” questions as possible, I’ll follow this up by ranking all available closers, along with setup men and SPRPs for holds leagues.
(stats updated through Thursday, 4/23)
Closer News (by team)
ATL
Up first on our list of teams with injured closers, the Braves placed Raisel Iglesias on the injured list on Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation. Reports indicate Iglesias is likely to return as soon as he’s eligible in early May. In the meantime, elite backup Robert Suarez will have his old job back in full. Suarez is already so heavily rostered as to not qualify for discussion here, but is certainly worth the pickup where available.
CHC
Closer Daniel Palencia hit the injured list on Friday with a left oblique strain. The latest prognosis sounds as though Palencia will only be on the shelf for a few weeks, so he’s an easy IL stash. Caleb Thielbar has taken on the role in Palencia’s absence, picking up a win and two saves in his last three appearances. Thielbar is a high-priority temporary add in any league, though others (i.e. Ben Brown) may see save chances when Thielbar’s left-handedness suits the Cubs better in an earlier inning.
LAA
Jordan Romano seemingly lost his grip on the closer role after a pair of poor outings, but his replacement Drew Pomeranz blew his first chance in an ugly blown save against Toronto on Tuesday. Pomeranz still has a slight edge for Angels saves, but we may see someone like Sam Bachman enter the conversation soon. The real play here is probably just to stash Kirby Yates in an IL spot and hope he takes over when he returns. Yates made a rehab appearance in Triple-A on Wednesday and should be rejoining the team shortly.
LAD
Edwin Díaz is set to undergo elbow surgery and likely won’t pitch again until August, making him droppable unless you can really spare that IL spot. Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia are the two Dodgers to roster, and should be picked up wherever they’re available. It’s tough to say who to prioritize between the two, but I have Scott just a single spot higher on my closer rankings below.
NYM
Different borough, same story. Just like in 2025, Devin Williams seems to be allergic to the ninth inning in New York, pitching to the tune of a 9.95 ERA and 2.26 WHIP so far this season. It’s time to grab Luke Weaver where you can in case Williams doesn’t figure things out immediately. Seeing as Weaver has hardly been dominant himself (6.23 ERA, 11.1 K%), Brooks Raley and Huascar Brazobán can be considered watchlist material in deep leagues as well.
PHI
A la Daniel Palencia, Jhoan Duran was also placed on the injured list this week with a left oblique strain. Fortunately, like Palencia, it sounds as though Duran should only miss a couple weeks. In the meantime, Brad Keller should see the bulk of the Phillies’ save chances. Keller is worth adding in any league until Duran returns.
TOR
Manager John Schneider’s stubbornness seems to have worn off, as Jeff Hoffman sounds like he’ll finally be replaced as the Blue Jays’ closer. Hoffman had the day off on Wednesday to discuss his role with the team. I’m not exactly a relationship guru, but I can tell you that “we need to talk” never ends well. Louis Varland (1.36 SIERA, 34.8 K-BB%) has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season, and figures to take over the role with aplomb. Varland is this week’s best pickup among all relievers, and immediately claims the top spot on my rankings to follow.
Saves – Top 10 (<=60%-rostered Yahoo)
Recent graduates from this list include Riley O’Brien (82%), Abner Uribe (65%), and Paul Sewald (72%).
- Louis Varland – TOR (26%)
- Lucas Erceg – KC (42%)
- Bryan Baker – TB (31%)
- Tanner Scott – LAD (44%)
- Alex Vesia – LAD (39%)
- Joel Kuhnel – ATH (26%)
- Jakob Junis – TEX (28%)
- Gregory Soto – PIT (24%)
- Clayton Beeter – WSH (11%)
- Victor Vodnik – COL (9%)
The Watchlist: Luke Weaver (NYM), Erik Miller (SF), Keaton Winn (SF), Cole Winn (TEX), Gus Varland (WSH)
Temporary Adds: Caleb Thielbar (CHC), Brad Keller (PHI), Enyel De Los Santos (HOU)
IL Stash: Kirby Yates (LAA)
Holds – Top 10 (<=5%)
Recent graduates from this list include Caleb Thielbar (22%), Louis Varland (26%), and Dylan Lee (6%).
- Brooks Raley – NYM (2%)
- Anthony Nunez – BAL (2%)
- Keaton Winn – SF (3%)
- Cole Winn – TEX (4%)
- Jack Dreyer – LAD (4%)
- Caleb Kilian – SF (1%)
- Braydon Fisher – TOR (3%)
- Yennier Cano – BAL (1%)
- Mason Montgomery – PIT (2%)
- Brent Headrick – NYY (<1%)
Honorable Mention: Greg Weissert (BOS), Will Klein (LAD), Kai-Wei Teng (HOU), Sam Bachman (LAA), Shawn Armstrong (CLE)
SPRPs – Top 10 (Yahoo-eligible)
Rising names among SPRPs this week include Grant Taylor, Ben Brown, and Jack Perkins.
- Jack Dreyer – LAD (4%)
- Tyler Wells – BAL (2%)
- Tyler Holton – DET (10%)
- Jacob Latz – TEX (2%)
- Kai-Wei Teng – HOU (1%)
- Grant Taylor – CHW (7%)
- Tyler Alexander – TEX (9%)
- Ben Brown – CHC (3%)
- Tobias Myers – NYM (2%)
- Jack Perkins – ATH (<1%)
Honorable Mention: Drew Pomeranz (LAA), Antonio Senzatela (COL), Blade Tidwell (SF), Cole Sands (MIN), Ian Seymour (TB)
