Closer reports: AL West | AL EAST
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox traded closer Addison Reed to the Diamondbacks this offseason, opening the door for Nate Jones to emerge as the ninth-inning man. A glute injury has slowed Jones in camp but he still appears to be the favorite for saves on the South Side. Jones is already 28 and posted a 4.15 ERA last season, which hardly excites me. He did post an 89/26 K/BB ratio over 78 innings last season, so he clearly misses bats. Jones could surprise and emerge as a nice fantasy option, but the White Sox brass likes him better than I do.
Closer: Nate Jones
Status: Questionable
Sleeper: Matt Lindstrom
Fantasy baseball draft strategy: Sleepers to stash
Cleveland Indians
John Axford scares me for fantasy purposes. He was a complete stud in 2011, posting 46 saves with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Things fell apart in 2012 for Axford and he lost his job while posting a 4.69 ERA. The Indians inked Axford to a one-year, $4.5 million contract to pitch the ninth inning until Cody Allen is ready to take over.
Closer: John Axford
Status: Keeping the seat warm
Sleeper: Cody Allen
Is Scott Kazmir the new Cliff Lee?
Minnesota Twins
Glen Perkins was given a four-year, $21.48 million contract extension by the small-market Twins this winter. The contract alone should be enough to convince fantasy owners that Perkins is a legit closer.
Closer: Glen Perkins
Status: Rock solid
Sleeper: The Twins are in big trouble if Perkins struggles
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers had severe ninth-inning issues in 2013. They signed Joe Nathan to a two-year, $20 million contract and the ninth-inning problems are solved, assuming the 39-year-old Nathan stays healthy. The veteran has 341 career saves and is a terrific fantasy option.
Closer: Joe Nathan
Status: Rock solid, but old
Sleeper: Bruce Rondon
Kansas City Royals
Greg Holland is a household name in the fantasy community, but still relatively unknown by the average baseball fan. That should change soon. Holland is among the most dominant closers in baseball, finishing ninth in the AL Cy Young race and 15th in the AL MVP voting last season. He’s probably the best bet in the American League for fantasy purposes. All he did in 2013 was save 47 games with a 1.21 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
Closer: Greg Holland
Status: Rock solid
Sleeper: Aaron Crow
Questions? Hit me on Twitter @briansflood
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