The 2019 season is underway and, predictably, it’s a disaster. Some teams seem to have no plan at all. Other teams are continually searching for answers to get the last out, either because of poor performance or injury. Very few are the situations that have nary an issue. Each week we will try to get a handle on who the closer is, who is next in line and who is bringing up the rear as the third option in the pen. We will do our best, though it’s likely that the teams will not comply fully as we hope.
THE 2019 CHART
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. It merely lists all 30 team situations in one of three categories (the
Before you panic with your closer, make sure you check the recent usage. Many times, guys go 2-days in a row and then get a rest, which is why they aren’t getting a save chance in game #3, not because they have lost their job.
POTENTIAL MLB TRADE PIECES: Alex Colome, Shane Greene, Will Smith, Sergio Romo
ASTROS: Roberto Osuna has allowed five hits his last two appearances covering 1.2 innings and resulting in a blow save and loss. That’s two blown saves in four outings for Osuna, and over his last 10 outings he’s blown three games, has a 6.52 ERA and 1.66 WHIP while allowing three homers. He’s teetering.
BLUE JAYS: Ken Giles was on the IL with elbow inflammation. He has been activated from the IL Thursday, and should return to ninth inning duties (11 saves, 1.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 15.12 K/9).
BRAVES: Luke Jackson is up to 10 saves with a 12.75 K/9 and 2.25 BB/9 rate. However, he’s allowed a run in 3-of-4 outings, and over his last eight appearances he’s allowed two homers and six runs over 7.1 innings. A.J. Minter is back, and he’s allowed but a single hit in five outings while picking up four holds. He has walked four batters, and that’s obviously not good, but with his overall effort since his return, he’s got a chance to start seeing some 9th inning work.
CUBS: Craig Kimbrel will be in the majors by the end of the month. He will be closing no later than the start of the July one would figure. Pedro Strop has allowed six runs his last seven outings, including two the last time out when he recorded just a single out. Steve Cishek has allowed a run in 3-of-5 outings. Kimbrel is showing up at the right time.
ORIOLES: Just when you think he’s got it figured out, Mychal Givens implodes. The last time out he allowed two homers and four runs, and his ratios are awful at this point (5.28 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 4.34 BB/9 rate). The last two weeks he has a 4.91 ERA which is better than Shawn Armstrong (6.00), Paul Fry (13.50), Evan Phillips (10.80) and Miguel Castro (5.87). This bullpen is a total disaster. See BURR.
RANGERS: Shawn Kelley’s last four outings: save, run allowed, save, run allowed. Kelley is still rocking a 1.05 WHIP, and that 1.82 BB/9 rate keeps the damage to a minimum most of the time. Meanwhile, Jose Leclerc continues to titillate with stuff, and suffer consistent performance indignities. Only twice in six outings has he emerged clean, and over the six innings he’s allowed two homers and five runs.
RAYS: Jose Alvarado has been away dealing with personal matters (his last outing was June 1st). He will need a “restart” meaning he’s likely to need some time in the minors to get back up to speed. Emilio Pagan has just 27 innings pitched, but he’s been very effective (11.33 K/9, 2.00 BB/9, 0.78 WHIP), if sparingly used of late. His last save was in April. Diego Castillo has one save in six outings during which time he’s allowed four runs. He’s in the lead for 9th inning work at the moment, but the situation is pretty fluid, as it’s been most of the year.
REDS: Is Raisel Iglesias still the closer after Michael Lorenzen picked up back-to-back saves earlier this week. In the firs touting, Iglesias was called on to get five outs. He got three outs, but only threw 10-of-21 pitches for strikes. He was removed for Lorenzen as two lefties were due up (Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez). At the time that move was made, Lorenzen was allowing lefties a SLG that was .140 points lower. The next time out, Iglesias was called on in the 8th inning to face the middle of the Astros order while Lorenzen got the 9th versus hitters 6-7-8. Iglesias is still the closer, but welcome to baseball in 2019.
RED SOX: This situation continues to be… muddled. The last two weeks the team has three saves: Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier and Josh A. Smith. Brasier has made six appearances without walking a batter while allowing one run. Barnes has allowed three runs over 7.2 innings with a massive 16.43 K/9 rate. Brandon Workman allowed a run over seven outings while picking up two victories. Marcus Walden allowed three homers in seven outings. There’s no clarity, which is an ongoing scenario for this club.
ROCKIES: Wade Davis has been shaky for a good portion of the season. He says he’s healthy, but the results continue to be dismaying. He’s still the preferred ninth inning option, but how long can that last given that he’s allowed a run in 4-straight outings (eight runs over 3.1 innings in a horrific display of pitching)? Meanwhile, Scott Oberg has allowed a single run over 10 outings to lower his ERA to 1.59.
TWINS: Blake Parker has been placed on the family medical list, and we aren’t clear just how long he will be away from the team. In the short run, it seems probable that Taylor Rogers will see the majority of the save chances, though with the way the Twins have handled the 9th to this point, it’s certainly possible that Trevor May gets a look at closing out a game. Rogers has a save in 4-of-5 outings and has allowed a single run over six outings while racking up 10 punchouts, versus one walk, over 8.1 frames.
