[closing_time list_id=”24316″ season=”2018″ include_stats=”1″]
- After what had been a really rough week for Kyle Barraclough, Don Mattingly announced today that he will be removed from the closer’s role for the time being. While Barraclough has been pretty terrible lately, (4 hits and 4 walks over his last inning of work, plus an ERA of 12.46 and WHIP of 2.77 over the past month) likely replacement Drew Steckenrider hasn’t exactly impressed either. He holds an ERA and WHIP of 4.76 and 1.59 respectively over the past month and just this past Sunday was charged with a loss after allowing three hits and two earned runs (one home run) over an innings work. Adding Steckenrider should only be for the desperate, while the extremely desperate in deeper leagues could speculatively add someone like Tyron Guerrero or Adam Conley.
- Two likely playoff-bound teams have using moved into a more closer by committee type situation recently, with the Brewers and Indians not using incumbent closers Cody Allen and Corey Knebel exclusively in save situations. Allen has pitched much better of late, but I still think it’s in the teams best interest to use him in a setup role, along with Andrew Miller, to get to Brad Hand in the 9th. The Indians have 3 really good left-handed relievers now so saving one to work the last inning of the game shouldn’t be an issue. Knebel had also pitched better this past week (despite allowing a go-ahead HR) and is more inclined to take back his job as closer than Allen in my opinion, but he too faces a lot of competition in that bullpen with the likes of Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress and now Joakim Soria.
- Even though Roberto Osuna and Ken Giles won’t be working in save situations just yet, I think I’d still rather stash them then own most of tier 4 and 5 options. At the same time, I’d want to hold on to Hector Rondon for the time being, although Ryan Tepera only needs to be owned in deeper formats.
- Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop led the first week of August in saves with 3 apiece. Just another instance of how unpredictable this league can be since no one would have believed that sentence would become true back before the season started.
Just a small point. Giles has more or less taken the reigns. Although he does not yet have a save, both of his appearances came in the 9th with the lead and he was warming for the save before the Blue Jays blew it open on Saturday night.
Giles owners should proceed with confidence that he is, in fact, the closer. If there is a save situation tonight, I fully expect him to get it.
After tonight’s performance by Giles, I might have to back down off that a bit. He was clearly poised for the role, but 5 runs might cause them to use him in lower leverage spots for a couple games. That said, both the GM and the Manager have said they intend to give him the opportunity to close, so I’d keep holding Giles most places.
Giles is terrible.
Giles may well be terrible, but is he less terrible than Knebel at this point?