We’re coming up on the start of the 2019 MLB season, and we’re still dealing with a host of teams that haven’t committed to a plan for the 9th inning. Well, maybe they have committed to a plan, but they sure haven’t shared it with us. As such, we’re all grasping at straws a bit trying to figure out just how about half the teams in the league will be deploying their arms in the race for saves. Ray Flowers takes an updated look at the bullpen in this piece.
GREEN – There is a closer who has the role on lockdown.
WHITE – There is clarity as to who the closer is, but there is some uncertainty about his ability to hold on to the role.
RED – There is no clarity as to who the closer is, or what the true plan is for the 9th inning.
This is NOT a rankings list. For rankings, see the Rankings.
Craig Kimbrel remains a free agent.
BRAVES: Arodys Vizcaino and A.J. Minter (shoulder) will likely share the 9th inning to start the season, that is if Minter is good to go on Opening Day. They will apparently be used in parallel with the lefty/righty thing determining who gets the call throwing shade on both of their outlooks.
BREWERS: Jeremy Jeffress (shoulder) was someone I thought was greatly underrated heading into draft season. So much for that. The team is saying that he’s not hurt, but he’s also not ready to go. “I’m just doing what the trainers say right now,” he said. “We’ve pinpointed what it was, so now I’m just going along with the routine and just getting stronger.” Something ain’t right after his last outing had his fastball at 84 mph. At least there was no pain. His struggles to get to 100 percent have cemented Corey Knebel as the O.D. closer.
CARDINALS: The Cardinals might be going full-on mix-n-match this season. It sounds like Andrew Miller and Jordan Hicks are at the top of the pecking order for 9th inning work. Further, Alex Reyes will begin the year in the bullpen and when he’s ready to go, Carlos Martinez is likely to start the year there as well. Even when Martinez proves ready to handle the rotation, it seems likely that Dakota Hudson or John Gant who shift to the bullpen to cover that open spot giving this team oodles of bullpen gas. It’s gonna be a mess for opponents, and it might be for us in the fantasy game as well.
CUBS: Pedro Strop (hamstring) will be shutdown for a week, and then they will see. They still hope he will be ready for Opening Day. Who knows if that will happen? Further, the team is saying that Brad Brach is just fine, but if he was why did they drop his base salary from $3 million to $1.65 million after a medical review? Brandon Morrow hasn’t had any setbacks with his elbow, is up to long tossing, and hopes to be back in May.
DIAMONDBACKS: I’m Team Archie Bradley this year. I don’t know how the bullpen will play out, but I like his game, and when I read that he’s adding back the curveball to his repertoire, sign me up (he stopped throwing it last year because he kept cracking his nail when he tried to throw it). “It’s kind of hard to go out there with the mentality of doing something different than your bread and butter,” he said. “But with my lack of throwing curveballs last year, I want to start seeing some curveballs that I know I’m going to have to throw in the season, and there’s no better time.”
GIANTS: It looks like Will Smith will start the year ahead of Mark Melancon since Mark hasn’t looked sharp this spring (six runs, four earned, seven hits and three homers allowed in 3.2 innings).
MARINERS: Hunter Strickland (back) threw a bullpen on Tuesday and came out of it feeling good. He is still expected to travel with the team to Japan next week. He still feels like the favorite here, especially with Anthony Swarzak (shoulder) still ramping up his throwing program.
MARLINS: Drew Steckenrider pulled a DS special on March 6th getting one out while allowing six runs. The addition of Sergio Romo could mean that the vet gains saves in the first half to drive up his sale price at the deadline. No argument that DS has better stuff than Romo, but the occasional blow up causes some pause with thinking Drew will begin the year as the sole closer.
NATIONALS: There have been rumors that Kimbrel could sign here forcing Sean Doolittle into a setup role, but the financial implications make that seem extremely unlikely.
RAYS: Jose Alvarado by default? The club has said they won’t name a closer this preseason.
RED SOX: Ryan Brasier (toe) should make his S.T. debut by the end of the week. The team still expects him to be ready for Opening Day. It’s either he, or Matt Barnes in the 9th inning. Barnes has two career saves, Brasier zero. It’s extremely odd a team with World Series aspirations would go into a season with the 9th inning be handled with two guys with two career saves.
ROYALS: Brad Boxberger and Wily Peralta have done nothing to secure the ninth inning this spring in the eyes of the team’s brass. Boxberger has allowed four runs while getting three outs while Peralta has pitched better allowing one run in 4.2 frames. At this point, you have to lean Peralta.
TWINS: The team hasn’t made the call on the 9th yet. Blake Parker has looked sharp (6 Ks, 0 BB, 1 ER in 5 IP), Taylor Rogers has been passable (has allowed three runs over five outings – five innings) and Trevor May has looked pretty darn sharp (1 ER in 5.1 innings while allowing one hit). It must be admitted that it’s entirely possible the chart above is flat out wrong. Hell, Fernando Romero could even take over the gig at some point. This one is vexing me a bit.
WHITE SOX: Alex Colome and Kelvin Herrera continue to battle for the 9th inning gig. Colome has allowed three runs with only one strikeout in 3.2 innings this spring while Herrera has allowed two runs with one punchout in his 2.2 innings. Neither is dominating. Neither figures to this season. #Messy
