Free-agent relief pitcher Scott Barlow agreed with the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $2.5 million contract on Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. The deal is still pending a physical. Barlow will head to the National League Central in 2025 after going 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA (4.02 FIP), a 1.36 WHIP, two saves, 68 strikeouts and 31 walks in 55 relief innings for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. The 32-year-old right-handed veteran became a free agent last fall when the Guardians released him in September. In Cincinnati, he'll be in play for the Reds as a late-inning setup man alongside Taylor Rogers and Emilio Pagan in front of closer Alexis Diaz. Barlow has seen a dip in velocity the last couple years, although he did still post a 28.2% strikeout rate last year. He has 58 career saves in seven big-league seasons, but he's unlikely to see many save chances in Cincy as long as Diaz stays healthy.
Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Scott Barlow picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 3-2 win over the Orioles. Barlow came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by one and struck out the side to seal the win. Closer Emmanuel Clase has pitched each of the last two days, so Barlow was called upon to close things out. The 31-year-old has pitched well overall this season, picking up 16 holds with a 3.66 ERA, a 12.38 K/9 rate, and a 4.78 BB/9 rate in 32 innings of work. While he has spent time as a closer in his career, Barlow will likely see very limited opportunities given Clase's elite skillset. However, his high strikeout numbers and high-leverage usage could make him worth a look in saves-plus-holds leagues.
The Cleveland Guardians have acquired relief pitcher Scott Barlow from the San Diego Padres on Friday. The Padres will receive right-hander Enyel De Los Santos as the return for Barlow. It's a bit surprising to see the Padres give up on Barlow this quickly. It's worth noting that Barlow is due close to $7 million in arbitration this offseason. Possibly, the Padres didn't believe Barlow's value was worth the pay increase. The right-hander posted a 4.37 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, with 79/34 K/BB ratio and 13 saves last season. He pitched extremely well during the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. The Guardians have a good track record with relievers, so hopefully they'll be able to turn him around.
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow is being traded to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. The right-handed reliever will be moved in exchange for pitchers Jesus Rio and Henry Williams. The Padres appear to be hanging onto Josh Hader, which isn't going to help Barlow's value going forward. Barlow is basically going to be a set-up pitcher, so he'll only have value in leagues where holds matter. The assumption is that Carlos Hernandez is going to be the favorite for saves in Kansas City with Barlow headed elsewhere.
Royals Drawing Interest In Scott Barlow, Carlos Hernandez
The Kansas City Royals continue to draw significant trade interest in relief pitchers Scott Barlow and Carlos Hernandez as the Aug. 1 trade deadline draws near, according to sources. Barlow is more likely to be moved based on club control; he's set to be a free agent after the 2024 season, while Hernandez will be arbitration-eligible for each of the next four years. Barlow, 30, has recorded 12 saves this and has fanned 45 hitters in 36 2/3 innings, but he also has a bloated 5.15 ERA (3.61 FIP) and 1.53 WHIP on the year. Hernandez, 26, doesn't have any saves and has posted a 3.78 ERA (2.82 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, 13 walks and 57 strikeouts in 50 relief innings for the Royals.
Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his 12th save of the season in Monday's 5-3 win over the Guardians. Barlow entered the game to pitch the ninth inning up by two. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first out on a lineout, allowed another single, and got the final two outs on a lineout and groundout. The 30-year-old is currently having the worst season of his career, blowing only two save opportunities but compiling a bloated 5.15 ERA with an 11.05 K/9 rate and a 5.15 BB/9 rate. While he has little competition in the bullpen, Barlow's fantasy value is limited given his poor performance and the lack of save opportunities in general with the Royals.
Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow picked up his 11th save of the year to hold down a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Barlow allowed a hit and struck out one in his inning of work. The lanky righty isn't having the success he had last year in the closer role, but his job seems to be secure given the recent trade that saw Aroldis Chapman shipped out of town. Now the only problem is the lack of opportunities Barlow has seen. He is 11-for-13 in save opportunities and is unlikely to see a big uptick in those numbers given the Royals' ineptitude. He's still a solid low-end closer to have in 12-team leagues or deeper where saves are valuable.
Scott Barlow Finishes Off Dodgers For Four-Out Save
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Scott Barlow registered four outs with a strikeout on one walk en route to his to 10th save of the season in Saturday's 6-4 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Just as it seemed the 30-year-old was losing his grip a bit on the closing job, Kansas City flipped Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers on Friday. It removes the most significant threat to Barlow's role, solidifying his status as the Royals stopper going forward. The right-hander still has work to do, though, toting a middling 4.06 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 43:15 K:BB across 31 innings this year. It's worth noting that KC has only supplied 24 save opportunities so far in 2023.
Kansas City Royals closer Scott Barlow was off his game in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Guardians, blowing his second save of the season and earning his fourth loss. Barlow came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first out on a strikeout, walked a batter, allowed a two-RBI double, and finally ended things with a groundout and fly-out. The 30-year-old has pitched uncharacteristically poorly this season, compiling nine saves with a 4.40 ERA, 12.56 K/9 rate, and 4.40 BB/9 rate. His fantasy value was always limited given his team context, but it is now even lower given his performance. He is still worth a roster spot in deeper roto leagues for now but is not trending in the right direction.
Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow allowed one hit while striking out two over a scoreless inning to earn the save during Thursday's 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He entered the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. The 30-year-old retired three of four batters he faced to notch his ninth save of the season. Barlow has converted 9-of-10 save opportunities while posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 39: 13 K: BB across 27 2/3 innings in 2023. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Barlow in all league formats, as he's the primary closer for the Royals.
Scott Barlow
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Reds
