Top 100 Relievers for Save+Hold Leagues: 3/29 Update

Following up on our weekly closers and holds articles will be our top 100 relief pitchers for SV+HD leagues every Friday. Use this list to get a feel for the current reliever market and to gauge value for trades, waiver adds, etc.

Keep in mind, holds are much more volatile and harder to predict than saves. Only seven pitchers have recorded 30 or more holds since 2016, while 37 closers have gone over 30 saves in that same time frame.

 

 

Notes

 

• Taylor Rogers, not Trevor May or Blake Parker, was called upon for a four-out save yesterday afternoon. He came in to get a lefty, Greg Allen, to end the eighth and then finished out the ninth against a lefty, a switch-hitter and Jordan Luplow, who pinch hit for lefty Tyler Naquin. Rogers was dominant in the outing, but the big takeaway here is that he will see save chances if a predominantly left-handed hitting lineup is due up in the ninth. He’s worth picking up in 12-teamers for now.
• Raisel Iglesias‘ Opening Day usage probably has some owners scratching their heads, but we were warned this may happen. He came in to protect a lead in the seventh inning, and while he did do that, he allowed two hits, a walk and a run over 1.1 innings of work. While Iglesias started the ninth, he issued two walks before being replaced by Amir Garrett. David Hernandez, who wound up getting the save, is still more of a 15-team add at this point.
• In other interesting closer usage news, the Phillies decided to use David Robertson in the eighth inning while leading by seven runs. The game got out of hand in the bottom of the seventh while Robertson was getting ready to be used to protect a three-run lead in the eighth, but it’s still interesting to see that he was going to work the eighth. Does that mean Seranthony Dominguez was in line to close out the ninth, or was Robertson going to work two innings? I think the latter is more probable, but this usage is set to be different throughout the year. It’s worth noting the Braves had their two through four hitters due up in the eighth, so it’s likely manager Gabe Kapler just plans on using Robertson against the meat of the opponent’s order late in games no matter the inning. Still, this is frustrating for owners of any Phillies relievers.
• The Royals decided that incumbent closer Wily Peralta deserved the first crack at a save opportunity, and as expected, it didn’t work out. Brad Boxberger ended up finishing the game and should see the majority of save chances moving forward. He’s still far from a must-own in 10- to 12-team mixed leagues.

(Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire)