Finding closers on the waiver wire this next month or two is always the most difficult time of the season. Many teams have settled on their closer at this point, and we likely won’t have any significant developments until the trade deadline. With that said, we still have a few changes every month since it’s impossible for every closer to pitch efficiently and hold on to their job.
With that said, let’s get started and look at some of the developments for this week.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- Rest-of-Season Rankings
- Rest-of-Season Projections
Saves + Holds Rankings & Waiver Wire Targets (Week 9)
Closer Situations to Watch
These are bullpens we need to monitor.
Baltimore Orioles
Craig Kimbrel was losing his grip on this role, but it looks like the king is back. He’s recorded four straight perfect appearances, picking up a save in his most recent outing. The Orioles said they wanted him to be the closer. Another clean week will have them out of this section.
Chicago White Sox
It looks like Michael Kopech is the closer in Chicago, but we have to keep them in here since he only has five saves. That’s more about how bad this White Sox team is. We’ve seen Kopech collect three saves in his last five appearances, going scoreless in all of them. With how this team is trending, don’t be surprised to see Kopech moved before the deadline.
Colorado Rockies
As someone who lives in Colorado, I’ve watched the Rockies have the worst bullpen in baseball for the last 30 years. Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley blew their chances to be the closer, but Jalen Beeks has been great since taking over. He blew a save on Wednesday but has recorded four in his last seven appearances. This is a converted starter with some lackluster stuff, so don’t be surprised to see more blown chances in the near future if he even gets any.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have been free-falling down the standings, but Jason Foley has been fantastic. He leads the team with 10 saves but has only recorded one since April 28. That is nearly a month of action, and it’s terrifying since Alex Lange has been lingering around. We expect Foley to get the next chance, but keep an eye on Lange as we advance.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Phillips is slated to work some rehab games this weekend, which could have him back with the Dodgers next week. He’ll resume his role as one of the best closers in baseball, but Daniel Hudson has been filling in during Phillips absence. Hudson has two saves in his last five appearances, allowing just one baserunner in that span. He’s the guy for the next week if you’re desperate for some streaming saves.
New York Mets
Edwin Diaz has been the best closer in the league over the last decade, but something is off right now. The hard-throwing righty has struggled since his return from offseason knee surgery, generating a 10.80 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across his last eight appearances. That has led to the Mets putting Diaz in a “fluid” role, which means he could get some low-leverage chances before his next save. Calling it fluid is as annoying as it gets, but we will guess that Reed Garrett gets the next opportunity. We’ll talk about him later.
Tampa Bay Rays
Pete Fairbanks just came off the IL last week and recorded a save a few days ago. We thought Jason Adam might take over as the closer for good, but Fairbanks has resumed his role as the ninth-inning guy. Both players need to be rostered everywhere, as they should be guaranteed 20 holds+saves from here on out.
My Saves/Holds Rankings
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1. | Josh Hader | HOU |
| 2. | Edwin Diaz | NYM |
| 3. | Emmanuel Clase | CLE |
| 4. | Evan Phillips | LAD |
| 5. | Camilo Doval | SF |
| 6. | Ryan Helsley | STL |
| 7. | Raisel Iglesias | ATL |
| 8. | Clay Holmes | NYY |
| 9. | Jordan Romano | TOR |
| 10. | Andres Munoz | SEA |
| 11. | Jhoan Duran | MIN |
| 12. | Mason Miller | OAK |
| 13. | David Bednar | PIT |
| 14. | Paul Sewald | ARI |
| 15. | Kirby Yates | TEX |
| 16. | Robert Suarez | SD |
| 17. | Alexis Diaz | CIN |
| 18. | Pete Fairbanks | TB |
| 19. | Craig Kimbrel | BAL |
| 20. | Jose Alvarado | PHI |
| 21. | Jason Foley | DET |
| 22. | Hector Neris | CHC |
| 23. | Kenley Jansen | BOS |
| 24. | James McArthur | KC |
| 25. | Kyle Finnegan | WAS |
| 26. | Jason Adam | TB |
| 27. | Tanner Scott | MIA |
| 28. | Trevor Megill | MIL |
| 29. | Carlos Estevez | LAA |
| 30. | Alex Lange | DET |
Relievers on the Rise
With Diaz being shifted to a “fluid” role, Garrett will likely get the next save chance. He has a 1.04 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 13.5 K/9 rate this season, recording the team’s most recent save on May 19. He also took a loss in his most recent outing, and NY wants to keep him in a fireman role going forward. We expect Diaz to resume his role as the closer, but Garrett could get some chances now and should lead the team in holds going forward.
This is only a one-week fill-in. Hudson has been nearly perfect over the last two weeks, picking up two saves for LA in that span. As long as Phillips is out, Hudson should get most of the saves over the next week.
Potential Holds Specialists
JoJo Romero, Hunter Harvey, Erik Swanson, Ryan Pressly, David Robertson, Scott Barlow, Matt Moore, Bryan Abreu, Aroldis Chapman.
Potential Closers on the IL
Felix Bautista (BAL): The O’s closer is out for the year after Tommy John surgery.
Devin Williams (MIL): Williams played catch over the weekend and will have to jump multiple hurdles before being ready. He’s still out for at least another month with his back issue.
Evan Phillips (LAD): Phillips is rehabbing his hammy issue but is projected to return with the Dodgers within the next week!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.