So, do you have a grasp on who’s closing where yet?
Didn’t think so. That’s what happens when a third of the league enters the season without a clear front-runner for saves.
But we know more now than we did a week ago, enough that I should probably commit to breaking down every bullpen as it stands now. It helps to establish a baseline for all future Bullpen Reports. It also gives you a heads-up for possible holds standouts, in leagues where those are a thing.
Not every team’s closer pecking order is worth commenting on, but all are at least shown here.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Paul Sewald
Manager Torey Lovullo reported at the end of spring training that Sewald would get the first save chance, and he did. He also showed the velocity that had been missing since he last succeeded in the role in 2023.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? nobody
The pecking order is looser here than for any other team, and it’s hard to take much of a rooting interest in any of these guys.
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez
Suarez was targeted like a closer-in-waiting in drafts, given that we’ve so recently seen him succeed in the role, but Iglesias has a near spotless track record as well and is firmly entrenched for now.
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Ryan Helsley
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Aroldis Chapman
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Daniel Palencia
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Seranthony Dominguez
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Emilio Pagan
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Cade Smith
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Victor Vodnik
Part of me wonders if Vodnik is even rosterable because the outlook for this team — and everyone in the bullpen, for that matter — is so poor.
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Kenley Jansen
You might think a closer of Jansen’s stature would never fall victim to a committee, but I just don’t trust manager A.J. Hinch, who has been playing ninth-inning games since arriving in Detroit (and some before then as well).
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu
Abreu was widely drafted just in case Hader’s bout with biceps tendinitis turns out to be a long-term issue, but he’s still on track to return before the end of April.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estevez, Matt Strahm
Estevez’s plummeting velocity already appears to have cost him his job, leading to Erceg notching the team’s first save Sunday. John Schreiber’s save Monday was presumably just because the three ahead of him here were unavailable.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Jordan Romano, Kirby Yates
While Yates’ bout with knee inflammation likely won’t keep him out much longer, he was only a mild favorite to close before then, and Romano himself has enough experience in the role that he could run with this opportunity.
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Edwin Diaz
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Pete Fairbanks
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe
Megill’s first two appearances have come in the ninth, more or less confirming that he’s the closer over Uribe, but he’s walking a tightrope and already stumbled once by blowing a tie Monday.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Cole Sands
Sands is probably the Twins’ best reliever, and if early usage is any indication, new manager Derek Shelton is more attuned to that than his predecessor. Still, it’s not like the right-hander is can’t-miss in the role.
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Devin Williams
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? David Bednar
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Jhoan Duran
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Dennis Santana
Manager Don Kelly revealed late in spring training that he might occasionally deploy Santana prior to the ninth inning when the situation called for it, specifically citing left-hander Gregory Soto as a ninth-inning alternative.
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Mason Miller
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: medium
Who’s rosterable? Ryan Walker
Confidence in top guy: high
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Andres Munoz
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Riley O’Brien
This situation started out messy and has only gotten messier with Ryne Stanek and Matt Svanson already faltering in the ninth inning. O’Brien and JoJo Romero shared the closer role down the stretch last year and may wind up doing so again.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Griffin Jax, Edwin Uceta, Bryan Baker
None of Jax’s first three appearances has come in the ninth or even the eighth inning, which doesn’t necessarily remove him from the top of the pecking order but does confirm that this closer situation is the truest of committees.
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Robert Garcia, Chris Martin
While each of the Rangers’ first two saves has gone to Tyler Alexander, both were in unusual enough circumstances for me to suspect this is still a two-headed closing tandem.
Confidence in top guy: medium
Chances of committee: low
Who’s rosterable? Jeff Hoffman
Confidence in top guy: low
Chances of committee: high
Who’s rosterable? Clayton Beeter
