Calling the Shots: Week of April 25

Did one of your buddies just send over a trade offer for Mariano Rivera? Don't press "accept" just yet! by David F. Baer

I try to follow the classic fantasy baseball wisdom of drafting hitters on contending teams and drafting pitchers from the National League, but the one rule I’ve lived and won by since I first played over ten years ago is to never, ever, EVER overpay for saves.

William Shakespeare once wrote: “What’s in a name?” He may not have been thinking about fantasy baseball at the time, but, in closer-ville, anything goes when it comes to the dudes picking up the saves.



Jon Rauch, Darren Oliver, Darren O’Day, Cody Eppley, Mitchell Boggs, Jordan Walden, and Craig Kimbrel are all picking up saves for their respective teams. Rauch started the season as the Toronto Blue Jays closer, and now shares the role with Frank Francisco. Olver, O’Day, and Eppley are now vying for closing duties in Texas while Neftali Feliz sits on the DL. Boggs replaced Ryan Franklin in St. Louis and Walden replaced Fernando Rodney in Los Angeles of Anaheim. And Kimbrel earned the lead closer role over Jonny Venters in Atlanta.

We’ve already seen 42 different players record saves for the 30 teams in the Majors and we’re not even one month into the season. Even teams like the New York Yankees (with Mariano Rivera) and the Minnesota Twins (with Joe Nathan) have had multiple pitchers record at least one save in 2011.

So, in honor of my college career coming to a close, here’s my status report on MLB closers:

Stock Rising

Jordan Walden, LA Angels of Anaheim

Walden replaced Fernando Rodney the first week of the season, and hasn’t looked back yet. He recorded three saves so far this season and hasn’t allowed a single earned run. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt he’s closing for starters like Jared Weaver and Dan Haren.

Sidebar: Rodney was the first closer I drafted for my fantasy team this year in my 12-team league.  I took him in the 13th round ahead of my last-round pick Joel Hanrahan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who has five saves so far.

Darren Oliver, Texas Rangers

Oliver earned the first shot at replacing Neftali Feliz as the Rangers closer when Feliz went on the DL with inflammation in his rotator cuff in his throwing arm. Big D.O. converted his first save opportunity.

Stock Falling

Jon Rauch, Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays activated Frank Francisco from the DL and the two closers will now share the ninth inning duties. It also doesn’t help that the Jays play in the same division as the Yanks, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.

Words of Wisdom

At 42 years old, Mariano Rivera is still the best closer in baseball (and the closest thing to a sure thing at the position)… Of all the pitchers with at least one save, only eight have logged over 10 innings… and, despite his Mariners having the worst record in the league (8-15), Brandon League’s five saves are tied for third best in the league behind Rivera and Chris Perez of the Cleveland Indians.