Call to the Bullpen: Fantasy Playoff Stretch Run Edition

Call to the Bullpen is a regular feature that goes through every bullpen in baseball, and tells you, the fantasy players, which relievers are worth speculative or immediate adds to your team.  Saves are invaluable in fantasy baseball, and this column will be on top of every closer situation.

AL East:

Yankees: Can you envision any scenario where Mariano Rivera is moved from the big chair?

Red Sox: In 50.2 IP, Jonathan Papelbon has only walked eight batters. He hasn't allowed a run since July 16 and only has one blown save on the year (way back in May against the Twins). He'll get a hefty contract in the offseason but until then he's the guy in Boston.

Rays: Bryan wrote before that Kyle Farnsworth has been dominant and the only thing that could derail his fantasy value would be a trade. Well that didn't happen and Farnsworth is still chugging along.

Blue Jays: Since we last visited the Blue Jays it looked like Jon Rauch had taken the reigns of the closing gig. Then he had an appendectomy on the 16th and now it looks like we'll soon see a return to the Frank Francisco experience. I wouldn't pin my championship hopes on either guy at this point but saves are saves.

Orioles: This situation is a mess. Kevin Gregg took an 8-1 lead on August 14 and turned in a 0.0 IP, 4 ER, 2 BB performance to make the game a save situation for Jim Johnson. Since then the Orioles haven't had a save situation but watch it carefully if you're desperate for saves.

AL Central

White Sox: Just when you think Sergio Santos is cruising along, Ozzie Guillen has Chris Sale close out game. Sale has two saves this month to Santos' three and this led to Santos, Guillen, and pitching coach Don Cooper having a sit-down meeting to clarify just what his status is. Sale will be moved to the rotation next year so it won't be a long term problem but this could be a scenario where it's a 60/40 split in favor of Santos the rest of the year with Sale facing team's best lefties.

Twins: While he isn't the Joe Nathan of old, he is the unquestioned closer in Minnesota.

Indians: When Bryan checked on Chris Perez he was 22 SV to 2 BS. Now he's at 26 SV and 3 BS. The K/BB ratio is worrisome (28/22) but he gets the job done.

Tigers: Jose Valverde and his crazy dances have this one locked up. Fun fact: he hasn't blown a save all year.

Royals: Joakim Soria wasn't traded so he's still the guy in KC.

AL West

Rangers: Neftali Feliz has been very good as of late but he does have Mike Adams and Koji Uehara looking over his shoulder. Next year will be interesting as I'm sure the Feliz-to-the-rotation rumblings will be rekindled now that the Rangers have viable options behind him. For the rest of the year it's Feliz's job to lose but if he should stumble, Adams is the handcuff (one earned run in 8.1 IP since coming over from San Diego).

Mariners: Brandon League. Enough said.

Athletics: Andrew Bailey was dangled in trade rumors but that never materialized. No one wants to go back to the Brian Fuentes experience, trust me.

Angels: Jordan Walden blew his eighth save on Sunday but he will be the closer for the Angels for the rest of the year. 

NL East

Mets: Jason Isringhausen got his 300th save and now the Mets want to see what Bobby Parnell can do. Though Parnell doesn't really have anything that leaps out at you, there is one number in his favor: 97. That's what his fastball clocks in at.

Braves: I am envious of Braves fans who have Jonny Venters in the eighth and Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. Kimbrel is the unquestioned closer and that's for one major reason: 94 Ks in 59.2 IP. When you have a guy who is a legitimate threat to strikeout the side every time out and doesn't have control issues (more on that in a few) you have something special. Scott Pianowski of Yahoo! Sports ranked Kimbrel as his top closer for fantasy purposes and I have to agree.

Nationals: Drew Storen has been great. Tyler Clippard may be the better pitcher, but Storen is the closer.

Marlins: Leo Nunez wasn't traded at the deadline and this is still his job. The Marlins would be well-served to trade him in the offseason, though.

Phillies: Ryan Madson has a firm grip on the closing gig in Philadelphia. The years of "Brad Lidge is my closer, and closers close games" are an afterthought. Madson is set to be a free agent in the offseason and if he bolts, look for Antonio Bastardo to step in next year.

NL Central

Cubs: I talked about control issues and this right here is what I was talking about. Carlos Marmol has 73 Ks in 57.1 IP but when he blows saves, he blows them in spectacular fashion (take a gander at this from Tuesday). If Marmol is shut down (his velocity is down and some are saying he may need some extra rest) then Kerry Wood would step in to close.

Cardinals: Even with the blown save on Tuesday, this is Fernando Salas' job. Mitchell Boggs and Kyle McClellan are the names to monitor but don't count on either taking the job from Salas. 

Astros: Has Mark Melancon imploded yet? No? Oh, well then he's Houston's closer.

Pirates: Joel Hanrahan. Next.

Reds: Francisco Cordero has a long leash in Cincinatti. I can't see anyone taking the job from him for the rest of the year.

Brewers: John Axford leads the league in saves. Francisco Rodriguez may be the second best setup man in baseball behind Jonny Venters in Atlanta. K-Rod may poach some saves as the season winds down, but Axford is the Brew Crew's unquestioned closer.

NL West

Dodgers: Javy Guerra is in no danger of losing his job.

Giants: Brian Wilson is definitely San Francisco's closer but he is dealing with elbow inflammation. The Beard visited Dr. James Andrews and was told to rest. Wilson owners who are looking for a handcuff may consider Sergio Romo (who is currently on the DL with elbow inflammation himself, but may come off on the 25th) or Ramon Ramirez (who actually got the Giants' last save).

Diamondbacks: J.J. Putz may not be the dominant strikeout machine he was in Seattle but he is one of baseball's best closers on the year. If he can stay healthy he'll finish as one of the best in baseball, but if he gets nicked up immediately rush out and grab David Hernandez.

Rockies: This may shock you, but Huston Street is injured (again). Set-up man Matt Lindstrom is also injured (another surprise, I'm sure). That leaves Rafael Betancourt and his thousand years between pitches to close. Betancourt has been pretty good this year but Street can come back as early as August 24th. Grab Betancourt anyway, though, because there's no guarantee that Street or Lindstrom are healthy the rest of the year.

Padres: Remember when this was the most interesting situation at the trade deadline? Now it's arguably the biggest lock in baseball. Heath Bell is the Padres' closer for the rest of the year and we'll have to see if he is brought back next year by the team.

Call to the Bullpen: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Call to the Bullpen is a regular feature that goes through every bullpen in baseball, and tells you, the fantasy players, which relievers are worth speculative or immediate adds to your team.  Saves are invaluable in fantasy baseball, and this column will be on top of every closer situation.

AL East:
Yankees: Mariano Rivera. Next.

Red Sox: Jonathan Papelbon.  Again, nothing to see here.

Rays: Currently, Kyle Farnsworth is the closer and has been dominant with a 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 41.2 innings.  His control problems have disappeared, and he's turned to a cut fastball more (as a lot of closers are now).  If Farnsworth is traded, Joel Peralta is the likely heir to the throne at closer.  He's posted a 3.83 ERA this year, good but not great, and that'll be enough as the alternative, Jake McGee, is a bit young.  While Joe Maddon did insert his rookie David Price into the closer spot on their World Series run, McGee at closer won't help them win the division because they're too far out.  Peralta's revived his career over the past couple years, and if he inherits the closing job, should do a decent job for you too.

Blue Jays: Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco continue to share the closer role, and it's tough to read which has the lead.  Their peripherals are about even, but Rauch's ERA is a run lower, and he got the call on July 27th, the most recent save opportunity for the Jays, so I'd say he's the best bet here.  Jason Frasor is gone so he won't inherit the role any time soon, and I doubt new reliever Trever Miller gets in on the closer by committee they have going in Toronto.  These are closers you really don't WANT to own because they're so bad, but those in need of saves, keep a close eye on the team, and hope one of the two takes a lead.

Orioles: Kevin Gregg is the closer, Koji Uehara is the setup man, and both could be gone within the next two days.  Gregg's 3.76 ERA is tolerable at the closer spot for a bad team, and he could do decent set-up work elsewhere for a contender.  Uehara has had a phenomenal year with a 1.76 ERA and 60 Ks in only 45+ innings.  He's been the main piece on the block for the Orioles, and has a $4 million option for 2012, so contenders are interested.  The likely scenario is that Gregg stays and Uehara goes, in which case, stick with the goggled closer.  If Gregg is traded and Uehara isn't, Koji's your man.  If BOTH are traded, Jim Johnson will likely inherit the closer role by default, as his 2.55 ERA is second best in the Orioles' pen behind Uehara.  Be wary though, he's blown 4 of his 5 save opportunities so far this year, and isn't a strikeout pitcher (about 6 K/9).

AL Central
White Sox: Sergio Santos has this locked down pretty well.  Jason Frasor may become next in line if Santos blows up suddenly after the White Sox recently acquired him.

Twins: Joe Nathan has saves in his last five appearances, so he's the guy here.  Matt Capps is the set-up man and would take over closing again should Nathan re-injure himself or falter.

Indians: Chris Perez has 22 saves and 2 blown saves, no signs of him falling apart, he's still the closer.

Tigers: Jose Valverde is the unquestioned closer.

Royals: Joakim Soria is the unquestioned closer after a rough patch early in the year, but is also whispered about in trade rumors again, an annual occurrence.  The Royals' pen has actually been pretty solid this year, in large part thanks to rookie Aaron Crow, who'll likely be in the rotation next year.  Crow has a 1.8 ERA and nearly 9 K/9, so he's got the stuff closers are made of.  Should Soria be traded, look to Crow to take over.

AL West
Rangers: This situation's dicy now, as Neftali Feliz is being questioned if he's giving his all by Rangers management.  The Rangers are heavily in on Heath Bell, and if they got him, Bell may just take over the closing spot from Feliz.  It'd be tough to say, as Neftali Feliz was their closer on their World Series run, but Bell is definitely the more savvy veteran.  I think Feliz should stick at closer personally, but we'll see what happens.  If Bell doesn't go to Arlington, and Feliz is removed from the closer role, look for Darren Oliver to take over by default.  The 40-year-old veteran is remarkably consistent and has actually improved on his past two seasons by posting a 2.23 ERA this year.  It's unlikely that Ron Washington turns to Oliver to close over Feliz, as Feliz seems to have ironed things out with the skipper, but stranger things have happened, keep an eye on this situation. 

Mariners: Brandon League isn't going anywhere according to Jack Zduriencik, so no changes pending here.

Athletics: It's Andrew Bailey's spot to lose, and he's not going to.  Move along.

Angels: Jordan Walden has blown seven saves, but curiously is still the closer.  His 2.91 ERA is probably saving him here, and the fact that he barely ever gives up runs unless he's blowing a save (meaning most of his runs allowed are in only 7 games).  Scott Downs would probably be the guy to watch as the closer should Walden be removed, but Fernando Rodney is back now as well.  I don't think Scioscia wants to try the Fernando Rodney experiment again at closer, so expect Downs to be the set-up man and next-in-line at closer the rest of the year.

NL East
Mets: Jason Isringhausen has 4 saves in 5 appearances since the trade of K-Rod to the Brewers.  It's pretty clear he's the closer unless he gets dealt (the rumored team is his former long-time home as closer, the St. Louis Cardinals).  Isringhausen's been oddly solid, so he seems like a safe bet.  There's a small chance he's available in a decent amount of leagues still, so go grab him if you can.  If he's dealt, Bobby Parnell will likely take over as he's got the best stuff of anyone in the bullpen. 

Braves: It's Craig Kimbrel, unquestioned, even though Jonny Venters has been quite possibly the best reliever in baseball this year. 

Nationals: Drew Storen has lived up to the hype and has done a phenomenal job in his first year as closer.  There were rumors that the Nationals wanted to trade him for CF Denard Span of the Twins, but those were pretty silly rumors, as Span isn't worth trading a young stud like Storen for.  Unless the Nationals make an awful move, nothing to see here.  If Storen IS traded, I would expect Tyler Clippard to take over as closer, given his 1.7 ERA, and Sean Burnett's struggles to keep his ERA below 5.

Marlins: Leo Nunez is a hot name on the trade market, and the Phillies are supposedly very interested.  Nunez has been a solid closer this year with 29 saves and a 3.4 ERA.  If he's traded though, he should divebomb, as he's a wholly different pitcher on the road vs. at home (Career: 3.66 Home ERA, 4.96 Road ERA; 2011 Home ERA: 2.63, 2011 Away ERA: 4.18).  If you own him and he goes to Philly, it could be a dicey situation.  Should he leave, Edward Mujica is the next-in-line, who they acquired from the Padres last year in a deal for Cameron Maybin (Side note: It's absolutely amazing how the Padres keep churning out bullpen arms, trade them away, and don't miss a beat in their bullpen, ever.)  Ken Rosenthal seems to think it's unlikely Nunez is dealt, but I still think Mujica is a strong speculative add, on the chance Nunez does get dealt.  Once Mujica's the closer you won't be able to get him, so press the add button now.

Phillies: As I spoke about with the Marlins, Nunez may in fact come to Philly in a trade.  Should he come to Philly, I think he's in for a rude awakening as I alluded to in the above section, but he may not even take over as closer.  Antonio Bastardo has been phenomenal, Ryan Madson has been great, and Brad Lidge is back, although I don't see him playing into the closing situation much if at all.  I'd expect Bastardo and Madson to continue handling save opportunities and Nunez to fortify the Phillies pen. 

NL Central
Cubs: Carlos Marmol per usual has been a wild pitcher and has lost the faith of manager Mike Quade, who seems to favor lefty Sean Marshall.  Marshall got the ball in the 9th the last two save opportunities for the Cubs, so he's either in a committee with Marmol, or he's the full-out closer.  Either way, he should be owned in almost all formats.  Many teams have inquired about Marshall's availability in a trade, but the Cubs have balked at such a notion, since Marshall is under contract to them in 2012 as well.

Cardinals: This situation could get interesting.  Fernando Salas is the current closer and seems to have finally gotten his act together as closer, with his ERA down to 2.57, but the Cardinals just acquired three more relievers, and could go in on the Heath Bell sweepstakes.  Additionally, Kyle McClellan, who closed a bit last year, was moved back to the bullpen from the rotation, and could also see saves.  McClellan will likely become the next-in-line however, as the set-up man, and Salas should keep the closing job.

Astros: Mark Melancon has been solid of late, and has a firm grasp on the closer role.  Wilton Lopez is there waiting to close out games if Melancon implodes at some point.

Pirates: Joel Hanrahan is phenomenal, no chance he loses his spot.

Reds: Cordero hit a rough spot leading up to the All-Star Break, but has converted his last few chances since, so he'll be closer through this year more than likely.  I don't see Chapman getting the closer role, but he's probably next up after Cordero.

Brewers: John Axford continues to get the ball in the ninth over K-Rod and it'll stay that way.  Axford has saves in his last 7 appearances, as the Brewers are on a hot streak, and he won't lose his job this year more than likely. K-Rod is a good source of Ks, but unlikely to get to close unless Axford is injured.

NL West
Dodgers: Javy Guerra is unchallenged for the closer role and has yet to blow a save.  No danger here.

Giants: It's Brian Wilson, and will be for the rest of the year.

Diamondbacks: J.J. Putz returned and got the ball in the ninth at the first save opportunity, so he's obviously been vaulted back to closer.  David Hernandez did a solid job but Kirk Gibson seems to be unappreciative.  David Hernandez remains the back-up option to Putz, who just isn't what he was in Seattle a few years back.

Rockies: Huston Street is the unquestioned closer when healthy, Matt Lindstrom is the set-up man and backup option for when Street goes down to an injury inevitably.  Lindstrom's blown 3 saves this year though, so he's an iffy backup option.  Not worth holding, as he won't get enough leftover saves from Street to justify it.

Padres: Saved the best for last, as the Heath Bell and Mike Adams trade talks are probably the most prevalent, now that Beltran is a Giant.  Bell came out and said he'd sign an extension to stay in San Diego at a discount, so the Padres probably didn't expect that.  Mike Adams is their preferred option, but every team in baseball prefers him as well.  Either way, it's very possible that both end up as closers by Sunday night.  If Bell leaves, Adams is definitely the closer, and may still be available in your leagues, so add him now as a speculative move.  At worst, he provides great ERA help every week and 5-6 Ks (I start him on my team as a RP myself, and have for months). 

The Heath Bell sweepstakes is down to the Rangers and Cardinals, but given how much relief help the Cardinals have gotten (3 relievers through Toronto, and a 4th by moving Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen), I don't see him going anywhere but the Rangers.  If he does go to the Rangers, it's tough to say if he'd close or not as I spoke to in the Rangers section.  I'd venture a guess that he gets the closer role because he's the veteran and most managers lean that way, but Feliz was the closer for the World Series run last year, so either is possible.  Either way, expect Heath Bell to be traded by Sunday night.

Besides those two, basically every other Padres reliever is available, because they can't go wrong when they call up relievers, they all develop into studs.  Luke Gregerson and Chad Qualls highlight that group, but I don't see either of them getting moved.  Gregerson would take over the role as closer should Adams and Bell both get traded.