2016 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: August 10

2016 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: Update August 10

Closers & Saves

Cleveland Indians

When the Indians acquired lefty Andrew Miller from the Yankees at the trade deadline, the expectation was that Miller would serve as the Tribe’s closer while incumbent Cody Allen was to move into an eighth inning set-up role. However, things have not turned out as such with Indians manager Terry Francona opting to play the match-ups and force fantasy owners into a committee situation. Since his acquisition, Miller has been used in both closer and set-up capacity and has picked up two holds and one save over four appearances. He hasn’t exactly been lights-out upon arrival as he’s given up two runs (both on home runs) over 3.2 innings, but given the track record, it’s hardly a concern. But Francona puts the club over fantasy owners’ needs and has been happy to use both relievers as needed. Allen picked up his first save Tuesday and is likely to continue getting save opps should the match-ups dictate a need for righty over lefty. The scales should tilt in Miller’s favor overall, but with this situation, Allen should not be dismissed as just a mere holds guy. He should be able to provide you with decent numbers when not getting the save chance, so if you’re in need of saves, he could serve you better than a low-end starter will.

Colorado Rockies

After back-to-back beatings in which he allowed a total of seven runs over just two-thirds of an inning, Carlos Estevez has been yanked from the closer’s role. A bit premature? Probably. The guy was coming off six-straight scoreless appearances and notched five saves in that span, but manager Walt Weiss apparently saw all he needed to at that point. But did the team return to lefty Jake McGee? Nope. Despite allowing just two runs over his last 12 appearances, McGee will remain the lefty set-up man while one-time closer Adam Ottavino gets a crack at the gig. Ottavino had briefly worked as the Rockies closer to open the 2015 season but ended up having Tommy John surgery in May and was lost until his July return this season. It’s tough to say how long he’ll last in this role as Weiss seems to be somewhat fickle, but he should be owned in all formats. I wouldn’t give up on Estevez just yet though. If you can afford the bench spot for a week or so, I would stash him just to be sure. Should Ottavino stumble while Estevez regains his form, there could be another switch or possibly even a committee implemented.

Los Angeles Angels

While the Reds bullpen remains my least-favorite of all the bullpens, the Angels are rapidly gaining ground with the rash of injuries they’ve had to endure. Huston Street is still out until at least mid-August with his knee issue, Joe Smith was traded and now Cam Bedrosian has been placed on the DL with tendinitis in his right middle finger. It’s a huge bummer for the Halos who will now have to turn to a committee approach with Fernando Salas likely leading the way. Manager Mike Scioscia is going to have a tough time playing the match-ups given how bad his bullpen has been, so steer clear from this situation until either Street or Bedrosian return. There is no one else who is going to get you consistent saves and not stick it up your WHIPhole on a nightly basis.

Miami Marlins

Pardon the pun but it’s a tough break for fantasy owners as closer A.J. Ramos has been placed on the DL with a broken ring finger and while the Marlins have a tentative return date of August 21 penciled in, it could take longer for the 29-year old right-hander to return. Fernando Rodney, who went from being unhittable in San Diego to a part-time punching bag with his arrival in Miami, has settled down from his recent struggles and will slide in to the ninth inning. The leash is likely to be fairly long for him as neither Kyle Barraclough or primary lefty Mike Dunn seem like strong closing candidates. The Marlins actually tried it with Barraclough for a brief moment this season but that failed miserably. Those in deeper leagues who dropped Rodney upon his trade are likely kicking themselves right now, but chances are he’s still available on your waiver wire.

Relievers & Holds

Minnesota Twins

If you’re looking for somewhat of an off-the-radar type guy in a holds league, check out Taylor Rodgers who actually leads the league with five holds over the past two weeks. Yes, it’s tough for the Twins to get and hold a lead, but when they do, Rogers, who serves as their primary lefty set-up man, is being used often. He’s not going to dazzle you with strikeouts, but he also hasn’t allowed a run in his last seven outings, so he’s got the confidence of manager Paul Molitor.

New York Yankees

With the Yankees shifting things around and returning Luis Severino to the rotation, Adam Warren has been moved into a set-up role and work just ahead of Tyler Clippard, the new eighth-inning man. Since being re-acquired by the Yankees, Warren has thrown seven scoreless innings with a 6:2 K:BB and picked up his first hold as a Yankee on Sunday. The pecking order here in the pen, barring injury, shouldn’t move much at all the rest of the way, so grab your relievers accordingly. You might see Chasen Shreve grab a hold or two just being the only lefty, but still the heavier load goes to Clippard and Warren.

Seattle Mariners

It’s gone from bad to worse for former-closer Steve Cishek who lost his job to Edwin Diaz and now lands on the disabled list with a torn left hip labrum. The Mariners have not ruled him out for the season just yet, but his chances of coming back this year, effective or not, seem pretty slim. As for the rest of the bullpen, Drew Storen moves up into the eighth-inning set-up role while Nick Vincent, just off the DL, should work the seventh. Both will be decent holds candidates as the Mariners remain competitive in their quest for the wild card. Southpaw Vidal Nuno will also remain in the mix for holds as the primary lefty in the pen.

**One quick note of change here in the holds section. While we’ve done overall holds leaders in the past, given the amount of bullpen movement we’ve seen recently, it’s better to just look at the leaders from the last two weeks. A more recent view will tell us not only who the latest guys are to grab, but also what teams are hot right now. Hot teams equals more holds, people, and there’s nothing wrong with treating some of these holds guys as if they’re in a revolving door.

Strength of Bullpen

Closer Grid