Longshot closers for 2011?

by P.S. on Sep 15, 2010 6:39 PM EDT

Hey all,

In a keeper league, I'm looking to pick up two pitchers who may be closers next season. They would need to be starting the year as closers, otherwise I would most likely just drop them before the auction. Do you have any thoughts on the guys below?

Here is the list of guys who are available and who I thought had a decent possibility of becoming closers:

Mike Adams
Mike Gonzalez
Chris Sale
Ryan Perry
Robinson Tejeda
Brian Fuentes
Jon Rauch
Michael Wuertz
Takashi Saito
Bobby Parnell
Jason Motte

Thanks for the time.

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a few more

Braves-Craig Kimbrel or Jonny Venters
Phillies-Scott Mathieson
Marlins-Jose Ceda
Pirates-Daniel Moskos, Evan Meek
Brewers-Zach Braddock, Jeremy Jeffress
Dodgers-Kenley Jansen

raygu
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 16, 2010 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

thanks - a question...

Thanks, Ray. I already have Venters. RotoWorld (i think it was them) mentioned Kimbrel as an in-house possibility but personally I don’t see why he would be ahead of Venters.

Do you see any of the ones you mentioned as being near the top of the pack (i.e. between those and the ones I brought up)? Also, who would you see as the top 2+ shots (not necessarily considering quality of work, at least as long as the quality is enough to retain the job)? Meek is already taken by a league-mate, for the record.

by P.S. on Sep 16, 2010 6:49 PM EDT reply actions

sorry

Messed up the reply.

by P.S. on Sep 16, 2010 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions

top 3

is bard available? I assume not.

I would go adams, kimbrel and jansen….although I do own both kimbrel and jansen in a NL-only keeper league. Kimbrel has pitched very well since getting the call up earlier this month-9-0 K.BB rate in 4 innings. Jansen has K’d 30 in 19 IP since his callup.

raygu
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www.sbnation.com

by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 16, 2010 9:37 PM EDT reply actions

forgot to add

that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has stated there will be roster changes this offseason…..leading me to beleive he will deal some of his core players-Kemp, Ethier, Broxton, Loney, or Billingsley in the right deal. He certainly won’t give them away, but they have already stated they want to add a power hitter this offseason. Broxton could be expendable due to his $7 million salary next season.

raygu
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www.sbnation.com

by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 16, 2010 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

thanks for so much information!

Bard is taken.

This sure does add a lot to consider.

What do you think of Chris Sale? Apparently he’s a temp closer already. The situation in Chicago seems wide open … a problem is the multitude of options, though. At least Putz is a free agent, but you still have Jenks, Thornton, and even Santos lurking. Plus, Sale could become a starter — although he’d at least have value for the fantasy team that way, as long as he could keep his ERA at 4 or below (iffy proposition, I think).

Currently have:

Joel Hanrahan
Hisanori Takahashi (also potentially valuable if being a SP next season due to RP eligibility)
Joaquin Benoit
Jonny Venters
Ryan Madson

By shuffling the roster, I won’t have to drop any of these guys to make any RP pickups. However, if certain occurrences happen, I might end up dropping one for a prospect (no free agent $ cost). I’m assuming the drop would be Madson, who I actually just picked up due to Lidge’s recent elbow soreness. Right?

Thanks again for any thoughts. :)

by P.S. on Sep 16, 2010 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Sale

White Sox general manager Ken Williams told Scott Merkin of MLB.com that that Chris Sale will be given an opportunity to claim a rotation spot out of spring training next season.

raygu
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by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 17, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

appreciated

That has the potential for quite a bit of value in this league. Although a closer would probably net much more. I’m not sold on Sale, so he’s probably a guy I’d try to trade if I picked him up. And if he hasn’t been practically guaranteed a starting rotation slot by the end of February, he wouldn’t have a ton of value to other teams yet. Tricky to decide on that.

by P.S. on Sep 17, 2010 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions

and here is something

from ESPN’s Tony Jackson in his chat earlier this evening:

sacramento z (tustin, ca)

what is the closer situation for next year?
Tony Jackson (6:39 PM)

muddled. But if they don’t bring somebody in, I think the best candidate is Kenley Jansen, unless they decide to take their chances on Broxton again, which probably would be a mistake.

WOW!! Broxton would be a mistake?……I think he knows something that we don’t, I assume.

raygu
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www.sbnation.com

by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 16, 2010 9:50 PM EDT reply actions

Broxton a mistake??

Only way I can see this if it is on a $$ level. Statistically even if he goes back to middle relief this guy is top notch, and every team in the league would love to have him in their pen (even if he did get popped for 2 runs again tonight).

If Brox is smart he spends the winter on slimfast and comes back ready to ball next year.

I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. - Rogers Hornsby

BallKnowledge

by Shutdown on Sep 18, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I hope so

he appears to have lost confidence on the mound if you ask me. The offseason should help. Spring training will be huge for him, imo.

raygu
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www.sbnation.com

by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 18, 2010 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions

What about Jordan Walden of the Angels?

If you didn't know by now, my screen name is sarcastic

by mathisrocks5 on Sep 17, 2010 12:43 AM EDT reply actions

from John Perrotto's article on BP

One scouts view on Walden:

Angels set-up reliever Jordan Walden: “I love this kid. He comes out of the bullpen throwing 99 mph and he’s fearless. He goes right after hitters, dares them to try to hit him and, at least so far, they can’t. I know the Angels will screw around with Fernando Rodney as their closer next year but I’d give the job to this kid. He could handle it.”

raygu
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www.sbnation.com

by Ray Guilfoyle on Sep 17, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Walden

Thank you both for the consideration of him. Sounds like he would have to shoot over Rodney and Jepsen, but I suppose it’s possible sometime in the year. His minor league K/9 spooks me, as while being a reliever this year it was only 7.95 in AA. First 9 ML innings have been littered with Ks, of course. Previous decent numbers as a starter leads me to believe that as a reliever, perhaps 7.95 was a 43-inning fluke.

by P.S. on Sep 17, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Chris Sale

In competition for starting rotation for 2011 not closing.

Tanner Scheppers for Tex because Feliz might be back in the rotation as well.

by bezeerk on Sep 17, 2010 5:32 PM EDT reply actions

thanks!

I have Tanner Scheppers, and since he qualifies as a minor leaguer he won’t need to take up one of the keeper slots (though keeping him on the team would necessitate dropping one of the other minor leaguers as the team has too many that are still eligible).

Have you read anything about Scheppers closing next season? With the late-season struggles, and having not even pitched in the bigs yet, it seems like he wouldn’t start the season as closer, at least. Since I have him in the minors that really doesn’t matter though, as he’s not taking an active spot.

by P.S. on Sep 17, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions