Closing in on that reliable arm?

Byline: Josh Bousquet

COLUMN: Fantasy Sports

Relief pitchers are like angry patrons after last call - all they want is a shot. If the bartender acquiesces, it can lead to false courage. When a reliever gets his way, it can lead to false courage, but also fantasy gold.

Every year, there is talk around major league baseball about closers who don't have the right mentality, ones who have lost the courage necessary to shut down the opposition. Every year, there is also someone who then steps into the open opportunity and suddenly becomes a new demigod.

This tendency to treat the position as a mythological land of heroes is foolish. A closer's importance simply highlights that players have slumps or break down. It also emphasizes that pitching one inning isn't quite one of Hercules' labors, any major league pitcher is good enough to do it.

Granted, there are some so good at the job that they occupy the Mount Olympus of closers. The Mets' Francisco Rodriguez, Boston's Jonathan Papelbon, Minnesota's Joe Nathan, the Yankees' Mariano Rivera and the Phillies' Brad Lidge have all proven themselves worship-worthy over many seasons.

Having one of those players anchor your relief corps is a nice luxury, but I find it only as necessary as a comb. Just the fact Kevin Gregg has somehow recrossed the River Styx over the past week after falling off the fantasy radar proves the position provides unexpected windfalls, a welcome change in this time of economic crisis.

Examples already abound, as there are already seven teams with unsettled closer situations and another that offers temporary fantasy salve with its primary closer on the disabled list.

That injury situation is in Milwaukee, where all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman is battling a strained oblique. This opens opportunity for Carlos Villanueva, limited though it may be. Hoffman is eligible to return April 11, but even if Villanueva only gets save chances for a week, he'll still be on a roster in most fantasy leagues.

Other teams offer even more intriguing situations where no one has a clear hold on the final-inning slot, making the closer-in-waiting worth drafting as well.

Baltimore's George Sherrill had a solid 2008, recording 31 saves while filling in for incumbent Chris Ray, who missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery. Sherrill also posted a 4.73 ERA last year, though, so even if word is that he will start 2009 getting the majority of save chances, it seems likely Ray will gradually earn back his spot.

Toronto's B.J. Ryan has been a closer since 2005, but is trending downward. He has a 9.00 ERA in Grapefruit League play, and has walked seven batters against only six strikeouts. His fastball has only topped out at 87, and manager Cito Gaston has already intimated Ryan may lose some save chances to Scott Downs. Sounds like the manager has a favorite, and it won't take much for him to wholly give the job to Downs.

Some managers, though, play the game like parents and refuse to take sides or pick favorites. Oakland's daddy is Bob Geren, who has said that Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine will split closer duties. Both have the ability to be shutdown pitchers, as Ziegler posted a 1.06 ERA in 59-2/3 innings last year, and Devine's ERA was 0.59 in 45-2/3 innings.

Devine, though, had elbow discomfort after pitching Monday against the Dodgers and now will visit Dr. James Andrews and start the season on the DL. He has already missed two weeks this spring with elbow problems, so this could be serious and remove him from consideration. Until his elbow is deemed dead or Geren commits to one or the other, though, Devine is worth stashing on a fantasy roster.

A similar situation is taking place in Colorado and St. Louis. The Rockies have gotten 23 saves out of Manny Corpas over the past two seasons, so they are brave enough to give him the ball late, but Huston Street has now joined the team and may be leading this vaunted battle between closers who lost their jobs last season.

The Cardinals appear set to give most of their save chances to Jason Motte, as manager Tony LaRussa gave this lukewarm vote of confidence: "We are going to use whoever is available, but I would believe that Motte is going to get a chance to close games." Sounds to me like it's worth also drafting Ryan Franklin, who got 17 saves for the Cards last year.

Finally, we travel to Seattle, where Miguel Batista appeared set to return to the full-time closer status he had not held since 2005. That is he was ready until prospect Brandon Morrow was sent to the bullpen along with a pair of scissors poised to snip Batista's time as closer.

Someone please grab a shot for Mr. Batista, Jager this time since the other kind doesn't sound like it's going to work.

Contact Josh Bousquet at

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