Last week we looked at several in flux situations around Major League Baseball, but some of those situations have stabilized, and most of the others don’t need repeating. With that in mind, let’s look at some closers who should be added this week as well as some who should be dropped.
A.J. Minter (26.1% owned in ESPN leagues) - Minter is my number one pickup if you need saves, and I think he should be owned in all leagues. Arodys Vizcaíno had season-ending shoulder surgery Wednesday, and I believe Minter will be Atlanta’s closer all season long. I’m sure Minter’s 9.64 ERA and 2.14 WHIP are keeping his ownership down, but it is important to keep in mind he has thrown just 4.2 innings this season.
Jeremy Jeffress (26.4%) - Unless Milwaukee trades for a closer or signs Craig Kimbrel , I think Jeffress will lead Milwaukee in saves. We know he’s good enough to close, and Josh Hader is better suited for longer outings.
Héctor Neris (5.8%) - Neris is more widely available than Seranthony Domínguez , he has had better results so far and he actually has a save this season. That being said, this is close, and I would blame anyone who added Dominguez over Neris.
Blake Parker (17.5%) - Parker allowed three baserunners and got just one out in his last outing, giving way to Trevor Hildenberger , who got the save. If you think Parker will lose the job to Trevor May or Taylor Rogers eventually, I probably wouldn’t argue, but I think he probably needs 1-2 more poor outings before that happens.
Brandon Morrow (23.3%) - I’m actually surprised Morrow’s ownership is this high, though if you have an open IL spot, Morrow is a good person to use it on. He began facing live batters Friday, and while I haven’t seen a timetable for his return, May 1 still seems like a reasonable expectation.
Closers to Drop:
Craig Kimbrel (78.6%) - I bet every guy on my add list finishes the season with more saves than Craig Kimbrel . If you want to add him around MLB draft time in case he signs once he is no longer attached to a draft pick I don’t hate that idea, but that is nearly seven weeks away. The only good thing I can say is he will almost certainly close wherever he ends up.
David Robertson (69.6) - Even if you have an open roster spot, I’d rather use it on Morrow. Who knows how long Robertson is out, and he could pitch lights out when he retuns and still not sniff a save. There’s no point in holding onto him unless it’s a very deep league or you have no other use for an IL spot.
Matt Barnes (60.3%) - Barnes looked like he was going to get a save Sunday but his team scored too many runs. That being said, Ryan Brasier has three saves to Barnes’s one, and if I had to pick just one, it would be Brasier. Even if one of these guys emerges as the clear closer, Boston could easily sign Craig Kimbrel or trade for a closer. I would much rather own A.J. Minter or Blake Parker .
Player News
Michael Harris II stole a base an drove in two runs in a win over the Rockies on Monday.
Harris broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double off Ryan Feltner. He’s up to 15 RBI on the season, and he’s now stolen six bases over Atlanta’s first 28 games. Harris hasn’t been great to begin 2025, but the hits are starting to fall again for the 24-year-old. He should be fine.
Hunter Goodman hit a three-run homer in the first inning in a loss Monday to Atlanta.
Goodman gave the Rockies a 3-0 lead with his homer off Bryce Elder in the first inning. The 25-year-old has five homers and an OPS of .827 over his 90 at-bats, and he should continue to hit in the middle of the Colorado lineup. That’s not exactly the highest compliment, but it’s something.
Raisel Iglesias worked a scoreless inning to get a save against the Rockies on Monday.
Bryce Elder held the Rockies to three runs over six innings to get a win for Atlanta on Monday.
Ryan Feltner gave up five runs over 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Atlanta on Monday.
Feltner was scratched from Sunday’s start because of tightness in his back, and it’s possible it was still bothering him during the struggles. It’s also possible he struggled because he’s Ryan Feltner. He walked one and struck out four in a start that was ineffective from the third inning on. He’ll take a 4.75 ERA into a schedule bout against the Padres. Steer clear.
Jonah Heim drove in a run while going 2-for-4 in a loss Monday to the Athletics.
Heim got the Rangers on the board with an RBI single in the sixth, but it was the last run Texas would score against JP Sears and the Athletics’ bullpen. Heim has enjoyed a solid first month of the 2025 campaign with a slash os .261/.301/.464, but he’s only driven in nine runs over his 21 games.