In fantasy baseball, immersing yourself in the closer debate is an annual rite of passage during draft season. Should you invest an early pick to land an elite closer such as Josh Hader? Or should you cite the volatility of the position, wait until the later rounds, settle on a lesser-known pitcher and hope it pans out?
Regardless of on which way you choose, in-season management of closers can be a harrowing experience as injuries are abundant and managers’ hooks can be quick. But to add to the fracas, you need to start examining which closers may be dealt near the MLB trade deadline and, of that group, which, if any, will retain their value.
The “retaining value” aspect is usually a quick answer. Most, if not all, contending teams acquiring reliever help already have an established closer, so if your guy is traded to one of them, consider the value lost. There are, of course, a few exceptions, such as Boston, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, but by the time the trade deadline rolls around, two of the three already could be settled. With that being the case, we need to then identify which closers currently helping their fantasy teams in saves are least likely to continue down that path.
The three biggest names to watch will be David Bednar of the Pirates, Daniel Bard of the Rockies and Gregory Soto of the Tigers. All three teams sit well below .500, yet all three relievers rank in the top 15 for saves. Bard and Soto actually rank in the top 10. The three organizations are expected to be sellers come the trade deadline, so unless one of the aforementioned contenders without a closer believes in one of these arms for full-time ninth-inning work, they likely will be languishing in setup roles come August.
To combat the potential loss, you need to determine who on those teams could fill the role once the closer is traded. Those names might not even be on the roster as of today, but keeping tabs on the likes of Chris Stratton, Michael Fulmer and Carlos Estevez is probably a wise move. Even Duane Underwood, Joe Jimenez and Robert Stephenson could be intriguing.
You will want to be proactive when it comes to locking down saves late in the year. Everyone will be scrambling at the deadline, so while you can try to sort things out then, the competition will be intense. Maybe spare yourself the aggravation and seek out a deal for a more established closer. Better to pay extra in trade for Emmanuel Clase than to have to rely on a Dillon Tate.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball advice.