Saves are obviously an important aspect of fantasy baseball, but the closer position is shakier than it has been in years. Highlighted by the retirement of Mariano Rivera, the American League only has a handful of legitimate closers. We break down the closer situation of the AL West.
Fantasy bonus: Closers, handcuffs of the AL East
Houston Astros
The Astros have the most questionable closer situation in all of baseball. Jesse Crain, who missed the second half of last season with biceps and shoulder injuries, has been a “closer of the future” for about a decade now. He was having a terrific 2013 campaign before the injury and Houston signed him in the offseason with the intentions of letting him compete for saves. He’s not 100 percent recovered and hasn’t pitched this spring but he still might be the favorite for saves once healthy… by default. If Crain isn’t ready, veteran Chad Qualls is expected to begin the year as the team’s closer.
Closer: Jesse Crain, but he’s injured. So… Chad Qualls?
Status: Shakiest in baseball
Sleeper: Josh Fields
Los Angeles Angels
Ernesto Frieri might not be the sexiest closer to target on Draft Day, but he strikes out a ton of batters and would need to implode to lose his job. His 3.80 ERA and 1.24 WHIP from last season leave plenty of room for improvement, but Frieri will help with strikeouts. He posted 98 Ks over 68.7 innings in 2013.
Closer: Ernesto Frieri
Status: Solid
Sleeper: Joe Smith
Oakland Athletics
Jim Johnson saved 50 games for the Orioles in 2013 and lands in Oakland after an offseason deal. Johnson doesn’t rack up the Ks but has a 2.72 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over the last two seasons. He’s a low-risk option on a team that should generate a ton of save opportunities.
Closer: Jim Johnson
Status: Rock solid
Sleeper: Luke Gregerson
Seattle Mariners
Fernando Rodney inked a two-year, $14 million deal to become the new closer of the Mariners. The veteran, who turns 37 this week, has enough in the tank to save 35-plus games for the Mariners after recording 37 saves for the Rays in 2013.
Closer: Fernando Rodney
Status: Solid
Sleeper: Tom Wilhelmsen
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have three potential closers. The club appears to want Neftali Feliz to emerge, but he’s been outpitched by Joakim Soria this spring. Feliz had velocity issues early in spring, but he looked better and hit 95 mph in his last outing. Tanner Scheppers has the stuff to be a very dependable closer down the road, but he’s the third option at the moment.
Closer: Joakim Soria, Neftali Feliz and/or Tanner Scheppers
Status: Extremely questionable
Sleeper: Tanner Scheppers
Questions? Hit me on Twitter @briansflood
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