Closing Thoughts: Put that coffee down, Fernando Rodney
Not much has changed since our last review of the closing situations around baseball, but there are a few things worth mentioning. Let's take a bulleted approach:
• Brandon Lyon signed with Detroit and immediately became the favorite for saves. Fernando Rodney gets the steak knives, and Joel Zumaya begins the season in a setup role.
• There's a decent chance that Miguel Batista will close for the Mariners. He's not the most exciting name, but he is SP-eligible. That's not a small detail.
• Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg reportedly will compete for closing duties in Chicago, but Marmol is the clear favorite. He's ownable in mixed leagues regardless of his role. Gregg will earn $4.2 million this season; Jose Ceda will not.
• Juan Cruz is by far the most interesting unattached relief pitcher. He's a Type A free agent, however, so teams have been reluctant to sign him.
• The Cardinals' bullpen hierarchy has not been established. In fact, the situation is murky enough that the word "committee" has been tossed around.
• Whoa, one of us is ridiculously high on Joey Devine. We'll defend that rank in the A's Hot Stove Helper.
After the jump, you'll find a hideous spreadsheet that happens to contain some useful bullpen information. We'll keep it updated throughout the season.
If you can think of anything we might do to improve the design -- perhaps a brighter yellow? Or more Corderos? -- please share your thoughts in comments. The tiny number next to each closer's name is his Mock Draft Central ADP.
You'll notice that we've added guys like Morrow, Price and Scherzer to the list. They're not really candidates for saves, but they do have RP eligibility.
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Photo via AP
