We've all experienced the headache that is the pursuit of saves during this most cursed of seasons. It would be one thing if the closers were all doing it to themselves, but the managers, frankly, have been just as unpredictable. Can't anyone just stick to the plan?
Fortunately, we're beginning to see some of the most tumultuous bullpens at the start of the season reach a stasis of sorts. Whether declared or undeclared, the Rangers, Giants and Royals all appear to have settled on a closer. Then again, for teams like the Rockies, Astros and Cubs, the role is as up-for-grabs as ever.
With all the turnover that has already happened and continues to happen, now seems like an appropriate time to survey the entire closer landscape, summing up where things stand for all 30 teams. Most specifically, I'm thinking you'll want to know who you can trust to keep getting saves -- job security, in other words, which is only partly a matter of skill.
Here's how I rank each leading man in that ever-so-important measure.
Manager Rocco Baldelli has shown a willingness to defy convention, turning to Sergio Romo for two saves already and even having Taylor Rogers pitch the eighth inning of a tie game recently. Still, there's no questioning who the ace of the bullpen unit is.
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The stuff appears intact for a pitcher with a combined 1.67 ERA the past two years, but some early shakiness combined with a recent bout with "body soreness" means the backup closer, Drew Pomeranz, actually has twice as many saves (4) as Kirby Yates (2) so far.
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Manager Gabe Kapler rather infamously doesn't "do" closers (or bullpen roles of any kind), but his actions betray him this year, seeing as Trevor Gott has all but one of the Giants' save opportunities so far while being used almost exclusively in the ninth. Whether or not he's good is, frankly, secondary.
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Keone Kela is set to return Thursday after a long absence for a positive COVID-19 test that just wouldn't go away. It's been months since we've seen him pitch, but the Pirates are installing him as the closer right away -- a role he's certainly talented enough to fill.
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Manager Mike Matheny, apparently hearing the criticism of his bullpen management during his stint with the Cardinals, has been as progressive as anyone with regard to roles so far, but Trevor Rosenthal may finally be settling into the ninth-inning spot now, his fastball back up to triple digits and his control looking improved, for the most part.
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It seemed like the Mets were just pulling back on Edwin Diaz for a while to get his head right, but he has been lights out in five August appearances and still hasn't gotten the role back, recently working the eighth to set up Seth Lugo for a traditional, one-inning save.
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With Kwang Hyun Kim back in the rotation, Carlos Martinez on the IL and Ryan Helsley having tested positive for COVID-19, the stars are aligning for the Cardinals' best reliever to have the role he should have had all along, whenever they're cleared to play again.
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Is Nick Anderson the closer? Well, he's tied for the team lead with two saves, and his co-leader, Oliver Drake is on the IL. Of course, both of those saves came while bailing out someone else in the ninth, and we know the Rays would prefer not to have a dedicated closer.
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He's clearly the guy right now, having recorded five saves down the stretch last year and three already this year, but whether Jairo Diaz is actually good remains in question. He needed Daniel Bard to rescue him from a blown save recently, though Carlos Estevez is probably next in line.
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Cole Sulser was a non-entity coming into the year and has had a couple of bad blown saves already, but the Orioles can't seem to quit him, going right back to him for the save Wednesday. Like last year, there may come a point when their save chances are so sporadic that we won't even recognize whether or not they've made a change.
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Austin Adams has been slow to recover from knee surgery and Yoshihisa Hirano from COVID-19. With Carl Edwards also landing on the IL with a strained forearm, Taylor Williams, who has already secured three of the team's five saves, doesn't have much competition left. Maybe Matt Magill?
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Ty Buttrey has gotten the last three save chances in what's supposed to be a closer committee (which tells us where Joe Maddon's head is), but his actual performance both this year and last should have us hoping Hansel Robles can recapture his 2019 form and reclaim the role.
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Ryan Pressly hasn't looked right since he started having knee trouble midway through last season, which might explain why his transition to the closer role has gone so poorly. The Astros surely would have moved on by now if they had a clear alternative in their bullpen, which is comprised almost entirely of rookies.
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The Cubs don't sound like they're completely ready to give up on Craig Kimbrel, which is why you shouldn't get too comfortable with his presumed replacement, Rowan Wick, who leads the team with two saves so far. And then there's Jeremy Jeffress, who the Cubs reserved for the ninth after using Wick in the seventh and eighth Wednesday.
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