Shuffle Up and Deal: Calling the bullpen
Our first lap around the re-ranks is complete with today's audit of the save-chasers. Dig in, and let's have some intelligent disagreement in the comments.
The usual rules apply: I'm ranking the players from today-on, the results to this point are merely an audition; assume a 5x5 scoring format; players at the same price are considered even. Next week we'll rake the infield.
$22 Jonathan Papelbon(notes)
$21 Francisco Rodriguez(notes)
$21 Joe Nathan(notes)
$20 Jonathan Broxton(notes)
$20 Mariano Rivera(notes)
If you had to do it all over again, would you spring for a first-tier closer? Let's toss that around. … Broxton is one of the top profit closers relative to what he cost in March. … Rivera has been hit by the gopher ball a bit, but he's still an elite option (one walk, 22 strikeouts). … After walking just eight men all of last season, Papelbon already has 10 free passes this year (one intentional). Let's keep an eye on that.
$18 Heath Bell(notes)
$17 Trevor Hoffman(notes)
$17 Brad Lidge(notes)
$17 Brian Fuentes(notes)
$16 Francisco Cordero(notes)
$16 Joakim Soria(notes)
$15 Bobby Jenks(notes)
$14 Frank Francisco(notes)
$14 Brian Wilson(notes)
$14 Chad Qualls(notes)
$14 Scott Downs(notes)
$14 Kerry Wood(notes)
$13 Ryan Franklin(notes)
$13 Matt Capps(notes)
$13 Huston Street(notes)
$13 Matt Lindstrom(notes)
$12 Fernando Rodney(notes)
$12 Jose Valverde(notes)
Congratulations, Heath Bell, you're the winner of the 2009 timing lottery. … The thing most people forgot about Hoffman when he left San Diego was the fact that his road ERA has been lower in four of the last five seasons; Petco, for whatever fluky reason, wasn't masking anything. … Soria will rocket up this list if he can make it back fully intact physically. We'll see. … Is it too early to worry about Lidge's struggles? You can see by this rank, I don't think so. … Street's last 10 appearances tell us all we need to know: 16.1 IP, 0 R, 3 BB, 18 K. The slider is biting and he's back. … I'd like to go higher on Franklin, but his journeyman career and the presence of several challengers (Motte has rallied nicely) keeps the price down. … There are plenty of red flags on Wood right now, but then you see the 18 strikeouts in 13 innings and you start thinking, hmm, maybe I'll buy low.
$11 Troy Percival(notes)
$11 Mike Gonzalez(notes)
$10 Kevin Gregg(notes)
$9 David Aardsma(notes)
$9 Andrew Bailey(notes)
$9 George Sherrill(notes)
$8 Carlos Marmol(notes)
$8 Brad Ziegler(notes)
$7 Joel Hanrahan(notes)
$6 LaTroy Hawkins(notes)
$6 Juan Cruz(notes)
$5 Rafael Soriano(notes)
$4 Brandon Morrow(notes)
$4 C.J. Wilson(notes)
$4 Jason Motte(notes)
$4 Ryan Madson(notes)
$4 Jason Frasor(notes)
$4 Chris Ray(notes)
$3 B.J. Ryan(notes)
$3 Dan Wheeler(notes)
Marmol still needs to be owned in any medium and deep mixed league, there's too gigantic an upside and don't forget Gregg's injury history. … Sherrill is still walking too many guys, but he's only been scored on in one of his last eight appearances. … Bailey's zesty strikeout numbers make him worth carrying even if he's not getting saves. … Cruz has stepped up as the No. 2 guy in Kansas City, but he needs to pound the strike zone a little more regularly (10 BB in 18.2 IP). … Kudos to the Jays for realizing that Downs deserves to be the stopper in the pen, not Ryan. … Soriano could find a way to 10-plus saves as Bobby Cox isn't afraid to use Mike Gonzalez before the ninth inning.
$2 Manuel Corpas(notes)
$2 Michael Wuertz(notes)
$2 J.J. Putz(notes)
$3 Jose Arredondo(notes)
$2 Santiago Casilla(notes)
$2 Takashi Saito(notes)
$2 Grant Balfour(notes)
$2 John Grabow(notes)
$2 Octavio Dotel(notes)
$2 Leo Nunez(notes)
$2 Mark Lowe(notes)
$2 Joel Zumaya(notes)
$2 Mark DiFelice(notes)
The Mets were pulling our legs with all that talk about Putz getting a lot of ninth-inning looks. K-Rod has 11 saves at the quarter pole, Putz just one. … Grabow hasn't thrown the ball well of late, but a hedge is needed in Pittsburgh with Capps struggling. … Saito hasn't been great, but he's probably the first option Terry Francona would consider if something were to happen to Papelbon, albeit Okajima is surprisingly effective against right-handed hitters. … Arredondo has righted the ship nicely and has a place in the mixed-league world, but Fuentes's contract gives him an awfully long leash, and he's been better of late, too.
Also receiving votes: Joe Nelson(notes), Jensen Lewis(notes), Hideki Okajima(notes), Joe Beimel(notes), Chris Perez(notes), Rafael Betancourt(notes), Ryan Perry(notes), Jesse Carlson(notes), Kip Wells(notes), Kiko Calero(notes), David Weathers(notes), Tony Pena(notes), Dan Meyer(notes).
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Images via Associated Press
