Michael Kopech wasn't good enough to secure a full-time closer gig with the White Sox ... but he's going to with the Dodgers?
Maybe. The hard-throwing right-hander recorded two saves for them over the weekend and has been darn near untouchable since coming over at the trade deadline. Or actually, it started before then. His scoreless streak stands at 15 innings, and he's allowed just two hits during that stretch, walking two and striking out 21.
So why do I say "maybe?" Because manager Dave Roberts has been frustratingly non-committal since removing Evan Phillips from the role, seeming to embrace a by-committee approach. There's also the matter of the Dodgers' latest save going to someone other than Kopech.
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).
| Pecking order |
To be fair, Kopech had worked three of the previous four days, so he wasn't an option for Monday's game. But Roberts described him as "gassed" coming out of the weekend and acknowledged that Kopech wasn't accustomed to this sort of workload with the White Sox. He then handed Monday's save to his former closer, Phillips, who now has nine consecutive scoreless appearances. Resilience, not just the mental kind but also the physical kind, is a necessary quality for a closer, and if Roberts isn't convinced Kopech can be available enough to handle the role, he's likely to turn somewhere else. Daniel Hudson may have taken himself out of the running by allowing six earned runs in his past five appearances, but Phillips could be a possibility again.
Of course, all enthusiasm is rightly directed at Kopech right now, who looks like he could be a total world-beater in the ninth and is absolutely deserving of all the FAB dollars you can throw at him. But Roberts' comments should serve as a reminder that nothing is set in stone yet.
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I'm keeping Pete Fairbanks (strained lat) at the top of the pecking order both because the Rays haven't ruled him out for the season yet and because they seem reluctant to appoint a replacement, raising the likelihood of a committee. "We're going to need a pretty collective group effort," manager Kevin Cash said, though he did cite right-handers Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodriguez specifically. My initial leaning was toward Rodriguez, who has settled into the eighth-inning role following Jason Adam's departure, but lately, I've begun to think Uceta makes more sense. His numbers -- a 0.94 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and 11.0 K/9 in 18 appearances -- are nothing short of absurd, and leaving Rodriguez to handle the eighth would be less disruptive overall. Of course, left-handers Colin Poche and Garrett Cleavinger are also capable of closing out games, so it's possible the role is divided between too many pitchers to be of any use to anyone.
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With manager Craig Counsell continuing to sing Hector Neris' praises following another blown save attempt Friday, the Cubs front office decided to take matters into its own hands and release the 35-year-old Monday. So who takes his place? Jorge Lopez, who handled the team's latest save chance Saturday, makes the most sense. He has a 0.83 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 in 19 appearances since coming over from the Mets, not to mention closing experience from his time with the Orioles. Porter Hodge (2.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 10.4 K/9) and Tyson Miller (1.34 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 7.2 K/9) would be viable as well. There have been no official pronouncements yet, but I'd throw my FAB dollars behind Lopez.
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This situation seemed pretty straightforward a week ago, all things considered. Sure, Hunter Harvey had just gone on the IL with a back strain after seemingly overtaking James McArthur for ninth-inning duties, but his removal forestalled what could have been a messy standoff between him and Lucas Erceg, who might make even more sense as the closer. Erceg got the next two saves for the Royals but then was asked to put out a fire in the seventh inning Sunday, staying in to work the eighth. McArthur then handled the ninth with what at that point was a seven-run lead, making both him and Erceg unavailable for Monday's game, in which John Schreiber wound up getting the save.
Not so straightforward anymore, is it? Yeah ... well, I still think it's Erceg. It just so happened that the seventh inning was the highest-leverage spot Sunday, and manager Matt Quatraro wasn't willing to give away the game in adherence to bullpen roles. I suspect that under less dire circumstances, Quatraro would have been content reserving Erceg for the ninth.
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I've seen this Craig Kimbrel movie enough times that I think I know how it ends -- i.e., with him back in the closer role -- but I'll admit that this latest version has dragged on longer than the others. Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun breaks it down for us:
Craig Kimbrel has hit snags in previous years, but the one he's in now is the worst of his career. In his past 10 games:
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) August 18, 2024
13 runs -- most in 10-game span, previous high was 10
12 walks -- tied most in 10-game span
4 homers -- tied 2nd most in 10-game span https://t.co/WcWYXjG2Xk
Manager Brandon Hyde seems to be losing faith in the right-hander righting himself even though he saw Kimbrel work through a similar rough patch in May. "I'm going to continue to try," Hyde said of finding Kimbrel opportunities, "but ultimately it's up to him." Meanwhile, the Orioles have an adequate replacement now in Seranthony Dominguez, who has some closing experience from his days with the Phillies. He did just take a loss Monday, serving up a home run in the ninth inning of a tie game, but has a 2.53 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 11.8 K/9 in his 11 appearances with the Orioles. That loss might be enough to leave the door open a crack for Kimbrel, but after allowing a combined four runs in his past two appearances, issuing four walks, and serving up two home runs, he's no closer to stepping through it.
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This past weekend was a bad one for Justin Martinez, who took a loss on both Friday and Sunday. Sunday's came in his second inning of an extra-inning game, with the ghost runner on second, which perhaps softens the blow, but between the two appearances, he did issue three walks. He's up to 4.8 BB/9 on the season, which could be his undoing as a closer, not that he was ever officially named to the role. The good news is that former closer Paul Sewald, who had seemingly regained his mojo with six straight scoreless outings in lower-leverage spots, struggled to close out a five-run lead against the Marlins Monday, allowing two runs on three hits. Whatever thoughts manager Torey Lovullo may have had about reinserting him into the role are likely shelved again, giving Martinez a longer leash despite his weekend struggles.
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Ben Joyce has two of the Angels' three saves since Carlos Estevez was removed from the equation, but he had to put in overtime both times. The first save was of the four-out variety Aug. 3. The latest was of the five-out variety Friday. Each of his past five appearances has been to close out a game, even if the actual save opportunities have been lacking, so I suspect he's manager Ron Washington's first choice for the role. Armed with a 104 mph, Joyce would certainly be the most exciting choice, though I'll note that at this early stage of his career, he's a little more sizzle than steak, averaging less than a strikeout per inning.
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There's a fine line between patience and apathy, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton is treading dangerously close to the latter with his handling of the closer role, sticking with David Bednar even after the two-time All-Star suffered two blown saves and two losses in the span of three appearances. Bednar bounced back with two saves over the weekend, with the second even ending his streak of six straight appearances with at least one run allowed (huzzah!), so it's fair to assume the next chance will go to him as well. But with his ERA still sitting at 5.70, the leash has to be down to nothing, particularly with Aroldis Chapman looking like an ace reliever again. The left-hander has allowed two earned runs in his past 13 innings, striking out 19 while walking just two.
