Fantasy Baseball: National League Closer Report

NL Closer Report

This is the second of two columns regarding the closer position for each Major League Baseball team for the 2019 season. In this column, we will take a look at the National League.

When it comes to how you should attack the closer position in your fantasy draft, there is no one sure fire way to guarantee success in the same category. Some owners will draft a closer as soon in the fifth or sixth round. Some will wait until double-digit rounds, and some will just look for value later in the draft.

Personally, I like to guarantee myself one bona fide closer. One closer who I believe will keep the job all season long. So, that usually means I will look at drafting one around the eighth-round after the first 5-6 closers go off the board. My second closer will be someone a little less secure in the role several rounds later, and I will follow that up with a couple of dartboard throws at the end of the draft, hoping to hit a bullseye. If by some chance, I lost out on closers, if I was always on the wrong end of a run, then I’m not against drafting top setup men. Remember, half of the closers at some point in time will lose their job by July, odds are some of these setup men will end up being the closer and I can ride with a top setup man who is protecting my ratios (ERA, WHIP), until that time. Once again the teams below are listed in alphabetical order.

Quick Links

• American League Closer Report
• Average Draft Position (ADP) 2019

National League 

Arizona Diamondbacks: Who closes for Arizona will likely be determined during spring training. I have Archie Bradley listed as closer on the grid but Greg Holland or Yoshihisa Hirano could also be given the job before opening day. The Diamondbacks are likely reloading this season after trading Paul Goldschmidt and seeing A.J. Pollock leave during free agency so whoever closes won’t quite be as valuable as they could’ve been should Arizona had kept their best two offensive players. Bradley could prove to be more valuable in a setup role as he is capable of pitching more than one inning. If Holland is able to prove that he is being back to the reliever he was in 2017 rather than the one he was in 2018, then it may be just a matter of time until the job is his in any scenario.

Atlanta Braves: Arodys Vizcaino has proven to be a reliable closer when healthy. Last season, he only pitched 38.1 innings due to shoulder issues. Vizcaino is healthy now and should be the closer with A.J. Minter possibly stealing some saves if the opposing team has left-handed batters lined up for the ninth inning.

Chicago Cubs: Brandon Morrow may or may not return to the closer role, but either way he is out until at least May as he is still rehabbing from elbow surgery in November. That leaves the closer role in the hands of Pedro Strop. Strop was actually pretty good in the role last season until suffering a hamstring injury while running out a ground ball late in the season which ended his 2018 campaign. Strop could keep the job even when Morrow returns should he perform well during the first quarter of the season.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds actually believe they can be somewhat competitive this season. While I certainly don’t see that, not in this division, they should be a cellar dweller either, at least not in the entire league. Raisel Iglesias may not be a household name or as flashy as some other closers but is a solid second-tier option. One thing to keep an eye on is that Cincinnati has said it wouldn’t mind using Iglesias for more than just three outs. This could lead to a few more saves for Jared Hughes should Iglesias not be available.

Colorado Rockies: It’s so hard to trust any pitcher in Colorado. We tend to avoid these like the plague, not wanting to take the change that they might implode at any moment. It’s unlikely that I would start a Colorado pitcher in Daily Fantasy, and probably not that thrilled about head to head leagues either, but in your standard rotisserie leagues, I’m good with it under most circumstances. This includes relievers. Wade Davis is the closer here and he doesn’t face any competition for the job. The Rockies are a good team so while I wouldn’t have Davis as a top-eight closer, he’s not that far behind either. The bigger question for Colorado will be who will be the top setup man. Seunghwan Oh and Scott Oberg will battle during spring training for that role.

Los Angeles Dodgers: I can certainly understand if you’re having some misgivings about drafting Kenley Jansen. The heart surgery he had last season was the second of his career and while it sounds worse than it actually is, if you’re risk averse, then perhaps it’s best you take someone else. Let’s face it, if you’re having doubts about his health, the fact you will need to take him as one of the top three closers off the board and thus spend an early pick isn’t going to do anything to ease your mind. I’m good with Jansen, I’ll take the risk, but I more than understand if you won’t. Free-agent addition Joe Kelly should be the top setup man for LA.

Miami Marlins: My first thought here is, does it matter. If the Orioles aren’t the worst team in MLB, the Marlins are. I mean, can you name five Marlins? Come on, don’t cheat. Combine the fact that winning 60 games would be like winning the World Series for Miami with the fact that manager Don Mattingly has already stated that he will go with a closer by committee approach and you have a recipe for disaster. There just isn’t anything to see here, but if you must, Drew Steckenrider is your man

Milwaukee Brewers: Corey Knebel lost the closing job last season for a time due to injury and poor performance but ended up winning it back. The bullpen for Milwaukee performs best with Knebel closing and Josh Hader being used in a multiple-inning role to bridge the gap between the seventh and ninth innings. I’m not afraid to draft Knebel as a top 10 option this season.

New York Mets: Whether or not you believe the Mets did the right thing in possibly mortgaging their future in order to acquire Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano, there should be little doubt that they will be a better team this season because of that deal. Diaz gives the Mets what may be the first closer off the board in some leagues. The Mets may have the best starting rotation in MLB, and if not, it’s top three. Combine that with an offense that should be slightly better than league average, and you have quite a few games that should be there for Diaz to close out. If he stays healthy, 40+ saves should be coming pretty easily.

Philadelphia Phillies: Some believe this could be a landing spot for Kimbrel. If so, you can forget about everything I’m about to write as he would be the closer for Philly, but until that happens, free agent addition David Robertson is expected to handle that role. Sure, Seranthony Dominguez was dominant at times last season, but his inability to keep up that dominance on back to back days likely makes him an intriguing weapon for manager Gabe Kapler to use for more than one inning to help breach the gap to Robertson.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates aren’t a good team, but they aren’t the Marlins or Orioles either. Felipe Vazquez is secure in his role as a closer here and should finish with somewhere around 30 saves. He’s a safe option in your draft as the only way he is likely to lose his job would be due to injury or a trade to a contending team.

San Diego Padres: If you give the Padres a couple another year or two, they will be one of the best teams in the NL. The offense is just about there and that’s before they promote Fernando Tatis Jr. The starting pitching staff, however, is a work in progress. What I’m trying to say is that you’re not likely to have a whole bunch of 2-1 games in SD this season. They are going to be more like a 6-5 type of team, but us fantasy owners don’t care. We will take a save any way we can get one. Kirby Yates is the closer here, but it’s fair to wonder if he could be dealt at some point this season, just like Brad Hand was last year.

San Francisco Giants: Manager Bruce Bochy seemed to realize last season that just because Mark Melancon has the big contract, that doesn’t mean he should be the team’s closer. That’s just a sunk cost at this point in time. Will Smith is the favorite right now, but Sam Dyson, Tony Watson, and Melancon could all push him for the role should he struggle. The Giants, however, are not going to be a good team this season. If you can name one of their outfielders without looking at a depth chart, then you’re doing better than most. Saves may be few and far between for whomever closers by the bay.

St. Louis Cardinals: This is actually one of the more intriguing closing situations in MLB. The Cardinals are a good team but with a cloudy closer situation despite top options. Jordan Hicks has a fastball that clocks in at over 100 MPH. Andrew Miller might be the best left-handed reliever in the game outside of Aroldis Chapman. The plan right now is for this duo to split the closing duties depending upon matchups. There is also the curious case of Carlos Martinez. His future does seem to be in the bullpen, and he might be a top-notch closer if given the opportunity. What about Alex Reyes? So many options.

Washington Nationals: The closer position always seems to be the Achilles heel of the Nationals. Whether it’s Drew Storen melting down in the playoffs or Jonathan Papelbon trying to choke Bryce Harper, there is always an issue in D.C. Sean Doolittle looked like he would settle down things as closer last season but then missed two months with a fractured toe. Doolittle is still the closer you want to draft this season but the Nats did bring in Trevor Rosenthal, the former closer for the Cardinals, but he has to prove that he is all the way back from Tommy John surgery before he’s a true threat to Doolittle.