The concept of the closer tandem peaked in popularity about 3-4 years ago. You may remember that the term "leverage guy" entered the lexicon to describe a team's most dominant reliever -- the one who would have assumed the closer role in more conventional times but was instead tasked with the seventh, eighth or ninth inning, depending on the stakes.
I can only speculate as to why it's fallen by the wayside, but it obviously has. Last year saw some of the managers most committed to the committee (namely Rocco Baldelli of the Twins and Kevin Cash of the Rays) instead settle on a singular closer, and this year has brought even more predictability to the ninth inning, with surprisingly little closer turnover across the league. (It's why this Bullpen Report has been less frequent than in years past.)
One team that's clearly relied on a closer tandem, though, is the Phillies, who have had left-hander Jose Alvarado and right-hander Jeff Hoffman trade off eighth and ninth innings as circumstances have warranted.
But is that beginning to change?
Note: "Pecking order" refers to rosterability in Fantasy and not necessarily who's first in line for saves (though it's usually one and the same).
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If nothing else, I feel confident saying that Hoffman has overtaken Alvarado as the preferred option from a Fantasy perspective. He still trails Alvarado in overall save count, 13 to nine, but Hoffman has gotten four of the team's past five, with Alvarado working the eighth inning in the past two.
And that's probably the way it should be. While Alvarado has been adequate, Hoffman has been one of the best relievers in baseball, earning an All-Star nod with a 1.17 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 11.3 K/9. He's also the one who throws right-handed, and it stands to reason that in most instances, more right-handed hitters than left-handed hitters would be due up in the ninth inning (as is true for every other inning). I imagine the Phillies will continue playing matchups in the eighth and ninth innings just because it's gone so well for them so far, but all matchups being equal, Hoffman may be the guy.
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Just as the Phillies closer tandem begins to show some cracks, a new one has emerged In Los Angeles. OK, so it may not be as entrenched yet, but there's no dismissing the trend of Alex Vesia contributing to the saves tally. The left-hander has three of the Dodgers' past eight, for crying out loud, and in two of those instances, presumed closer Evan Phillips, a right-hander, has handled the eighth inning. It doesn't even seem to be a strict lefty/righty thing given that the last time Phillips worked the eighth, Christian Yelich was due up second.
For as good as Phillips is, Vesias has been closer-caliber himself, putting together a 1.36 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 11.3 K/9. We'd still prefer he not interfere for Fantasy purposes, but in deeper leagues where saves are scarce, he might be worth a pickup in the hope he delivers a handful.
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Jordan Romano's year-long battle with a balky elbow may have finally reached its conclusion following surgery to address an impingement about a week ago. Or it may not have. He hasn't officially been ruled out for the season, though the requisite six-week recovery will leave him with little time to ramp up again. And by that point, I suspect Yimi Garcia will be entrenched in the role.
Of course, Garcia is presently out with his own elbow issue, but he's begun a rehab assignment and is expected back soon. Meanwhile, he's been excellent when healthy, putting together a 2.57 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 11.9 K/9 while also registering five saves during those other times he's filled in for Romano. I suppose it's possible that Chad Green, who has recorded the Blue Jays' past two saves, could stick in the role, but it wouldn't be my bet.
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The only reason the Diamondbacks closer situation bears mentioning is because Paul Sewald began July with three consecutive clunkers, allowing multiple earned runs in each. I wouldn't say it's enough for the Diamondbacks to pull the plug on him -- not with his history in the role -- and he may have already stopped the bleeding with a perfect inning against the Braves on Wednesday. But these things can spiral out of control quickly. A couple more blown saves over the next week could force manager Torey Lovullo to weigh other options, and it would be helpful to know who those options are
Kevin Ginkel held down the closer role when Sewald was sidelined by an oblique injury earlier this year, but since then, Ryan Thompson has overtaken him as the eighth-inning guy, boasting a better ERA and WHIP. The wild card is Justin Martinez, who may have trouble commanding his pitches at times but has a sinker that averages 100 mph along with two swing-and-miss secondaries.
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Like Paul Sewald with the Diamondbacks, Clay Holmes has fallen on hard times lately, allowing at least one earned run in five of his past eight appearances for a 9.00 ERA. He's no stranger to these sorts of rough patches, lacking the big swing-and-miss ability normally found in a modern closer, so we can feel pretty confident in manager Aaron Boone's willingness to ride it out with him. But just in case, what's the succession plan? Failed starter Luke Weaver has been a revelation in the setup role and would probably be next in line, but more likely, the Yankees would address the matter via trade, perhaps even acquiring a closer who trumps Holmes' claim to the role.
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When I said the concept of the closer tandem has fallen by the wayside, I failed to mention manager Scott Servais' unending fascination with it. It's pretty clear Andres Munoz is the preferred option still, but every time you think he has a lock on the role, in comes a wrinkle. This year, that wrinkle has been Ryne Stanek, who during one stretch in June recorded four saves without Muñoz registering even one. (Muñoz handled the eighth inning twice during that span, for what it's worth). Normalcy has returned since then, with Muñoz picking up three of the Mariners' past four saves (including, most recently, Wednesday), but you can never get too comfortable with Servais on the prowl. If Stanek's ratios were better, I'd recommend adding him for those occasional save chances in deeper Rotisserie leagues.
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If you've been coasting the past couple of months with Trevor Megill, who's been an excellent fill-in closer for the Brewers, you're in for a rude reminder that he's indeed just a fill-in. That's because Devin Williams, an All-Star closer last year and one of the league's most dominant relievers since 2020, is nearing a return from the back fractures that have kept him out from the start. He hasn't yet embarked on a rehab assignment but has been throwing live batting practice and is targeting the end of July for his return. So, fair warning, you're entering the final two weeks of Megill being a viable saves source, and, also fair warning, you're running out of time to pick up Williams wherever he's still available.
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David Bednar's latest absence for a strained oblique has clarified that Aroldis Chapman is the Pirates' choice to fill in for him. It's also clarified that Chapman isn't up to the task, still striking out batters at a ridiculous clip but also walking far too many to make good on it. Fortunately, Bednar has begun a rehab assignment and should be back as soon as this weekend, but if he were to suffer a setback, perhaps right-hander Colin Holderman would get a look.
