Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: Braves have no answer for Raisel Iglesias' struggles
Meanwhile, Justin Martinez appears to be hurt again
By
Scott White
•
9 min read
Raisel Iglesias has already allowed more earned runs this year than all of last year, and after he became the pitcher of record during a seven-run ninth-inning debacle Thursday, the Braves were forced to relent and explore other ninth-inning options over the weekend.
One of those options appeared to be Craig Kimbrel, the possible Hall of Famer who was finally recalled from Triple-A immediately after the seven-run disaster, but he made just one appearance Friday before being designated for assignment. The pitcher who worked the highest-leverage spot in that game was right-hander Pierce Johnson, who was tasked with preserving a tie in the 10th and promptly blew it on a wild pitch. Strike one. Johnson got another chance the next day, this time in an official save opportunity with the Braves leading by one in the ninth, and served up a two-run home run to Matt Chapman with two outs in the inning. Strike two.
Whether there's a chance for a strike three remains to be seen, but Iglesias finally made his return Monday, working a scoreless eighth inning with a four-run lead. Left-hander Dylan Lee worked a scoreless ninth after the Braves had extended the lead to six, but it would have been his inning in either way. I suspect that those two coming through to end the Braves' long losing streak immediately vaults them ahead of the twice-failed Johnson in the pecking order.
But clearly, it's a mess. The Braves began the year with only one closer-caliber reliever, and as we're seeing now, there's simply no other place for them to turn when he falters. Their closer conundrum kicks off my latest look at the 10 bullpen scenarios most in flux.
Note: "Pecking order" refers to rosterability in Fantasy and not necessarily who's first in line for saves (though it's usually one and the same).
Braves
| Pecking order |
So why do I say Iglesias over Lee? Because I think back-to-back failures for Johnson were enough to sober Braves fandom and manager Brian Snitker to the reality there is no easy alternative. Johnson painted Iglesias in a more favorable light, in other words, and reminded everyone why the longtime closer is worth the effort, provided he quiets the noise in a couple of lower-leverage appearances. Shoot, it's possible Monday's scoreless inning was enough. As Snitker has maintained throughout Iglesias' struggles, the characteristics of his pitches seem to be fine with the exception of the slider, his fourth most-used. Eliminating that, which he's done over his past five outings, should have eliminated his struggles. It didn't ... but it still should, and I suspect the Braves will again pin their hopes to that in the coming days.
Diamondbacks
| Pecking order |
Justin Martinez had been used as a closer ever since returning from a sore shoulder, making his fourth such appearance Monday night. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to complete that outing because of tightness in his elbow. A 2 mph drop in velocity is what signaled the initial shoulder injury, and a similar drop precipitated his removal Monday. The severity of the injury is unknown at this point, but an IL stint would seem likely. And in such a scenario, there's no place else for the Diamondbacks to turn other than Shelby Miller. Kevin Ginkel struggled so badly that he got optioned to the minors. A.J. Puk is still at least a month from returning from a flexor strain. Miller has good numbers overall, but he had several shaky outings while filling in for Martinez last time. Still, in leagues where saves are scarce, he's a priority pickup at this point.
Rangers
| Pecking order |
Chris Martin, who most presumed would get the first shot to close before manager Bruce Bochy anointed Luke Jackson on the eve of opening day, may have returned from a shoulder issue just in time to grab his long-awaited opportunity. His return appearance came in the ninth inning Saturday, albeit with a five-run lead. So why is Robert Garcia still atop the pecking order? Well, he recorded a save the following day and has in fact notched three of the Rangers' past four. Because Garcia throws left-handed and hasn't exactly taken the bull by the horns, allowing six earned runs over his past seven appearances, I still have some hope for Martin, but Bochy's preference still seems to be for Garcia right now. Depending on how insistent he is about keeping Martin flexible, Bochy could even revert to Jackson again.
Phillies
| Pecking order |
It seemed like Jordan Romano had righted the ship just in time to claim the closer role all to himself. He had delivered nine straight scoreless appearances, allowing four base runners while striking out 13, around the time left-hander Jose Alvarado, his main competitor for the role, was lost to an 80-game PED suspension. And while it's true every one of the Phillies' save chances since then has gone to Romano, it's not so clear anymore that he's righted the ship. He's allowed six earned runs over his past seven appearances, allowing 15 men to reach over six total innings. He was personally responsible for two Phillies losses last week.
So how likely are they to stick with him in such a high-leverage role? So far, manager Rob Thomson hasn't buckled, but there will come a breaking point if Romano continues to sport an ERA on the wrong side of 7.00. I suspect left-hander Matt Strahm would be the top pick to replace him. He's been tasked with the eighth inning for most of the time Alvarado has been sidelined. But right-hander Orion Kerkering has pitched better of late and still has some closer-of-the-future shine to him.
Dodgers
| Pecking order |
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed a couple weeks ago that the Dodgers don't have a set closer, but it seems like he's shooting for maximum chaos lately. Tanner Scott, who leads the team in saves with 12, is tasked with the eighth inning just as often as the ninth, it seems like. Adding to the confusion are the returns of Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech, two closer-caliber righties. The Dodgers entrusted Kopech with the ninth inning of a four-run game Sunday in what was his first appearance of the season. Scott and Kirby both preceded him. It feels like any of the four relievers depicted here could get a save on any given day, but it's unclear who's second in priority after Scott. I lean toward Yates because he has the most closing experience apart from Scott and a strikeout rate that's through the roof, but I don't pick him with great conviction.
Giants
| Pecking order |
Manager Bob Melvin anointed Camilo Doval as his closer about two weeks ago, and there's no reason to believe he's second-guessing that decision. Doval is 3 for 4 on save chances since the announcement, and five of his six appearances have been scoreless. The reason I bring up this bullpen again isn't because of him but the one backing him up. Most presumed it would be Ryan Walker, the reliever he replaced in the closer role, but when Doval was unavailable Wednesday after working three of the previous four days and the Giants needed a fill-in for a save, it wasn't Walker who got it but Randy Rodriguez.
Granted, Walker began the ninth, but he put a couple runners on, requiring Rodriguez to bail him out. And since then, Rodriguez has handled the eighth inning twice while Walker has been tasked with the sixth and seventh innings. Truth is Rodriguez wasn't on our radar before Wednesday's save, but he may just be the Giants' best reliever, boasting a 0.61 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 13.2 K/9. Again, Doval's job wouldn't seem to be in jeopardy, but if something were to happen to him, Rodriguez would likely be the preferred replacement to Walker.
Yankees
| Pecking order |
Luke Weaver appeared to have the job on lockdown, usurping Devin Williams at his lowest of lows, but injuries will keep you humble. A strained hamstring will sideline Weaver for the next 3-5 weeks, and I suspect that's enough time for Williams to reassert himself in the role he was acquired to fill and has filled as capably as anyone since 2022. He's already notched two saves since Weaver went down and is sporting a 2.25 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 12.8 K/9 over his past 13 appearances. Granted, Weaver's numbers are even better than that, but if Williams is cruising by the time Weaver returns, the Yankees likely won't want to throw a wrench into the machinery.
Blue Jays
| Pecking order |
Hoffman worked a perfect ninth inning for a save Monday, continuing his up-and-down performance as Blue Jays closer. While you might think he's calmed the waters following his five-run meltdown May 13, he has a 4.35 ERA in 11 appearances since then, serving up three home runs. He's still missing bats at a spectacular clip, which is the most important thing a closer can do and the strongest indicator of his effectiveness, but his vulnerability to the long ball could put him in hot water if it continues much longer. Helping his cause is that the most logical fallback option, Yimi Garcia, is currently sidelined by a shoulder impingement, and while he's begun a throwing program, he's probably still a week or two from returning. Chad Green served as the Blue Jays closer down the stretch last year but has been too hittable to survive in the role this year. Brendon Little has good numbers but is the one high-leverage lefty in the bullpen.
Orioles
| Pecking order |
Don't get the wrong idea here. Felix Bautista's job isn't in jeopardy. But I haven't had an opportunity to update the Orioles bullpen since the season began, and it's always useful to know who's next in line. The past couple weeks have made it clear that it's Bryan Baker, who has even better numbers than Bautista, frankly, with a 2.79 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11.8 K/9. He's recorded two saves since the calendar flipped to June, but they were both instances when Bautista had worked the previous two days and was likely unavailable.
I've said Bautista's job isn't in jeopardy -- and it isn't -- but he has been shaky in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, averaging 2 mph less on his fastball and struggling with walks. His past 11 appearances have seen him issue 10 walks while putting together a 5.06 ERA, but somewhat miraculously, has just one blown save during that time. He may not be able to navigate that minefield all season long, though, and Baker will be at the ready if that's the case.
Marlins
| Pecking order |
When Ronny Henriquez notched his first save on May 25, it seemed like a coronation of sorts. Part of the reason why the Marlins had been toggling between different closer possibilities is because they lacked a conventional choice for the role, but the 24-year-old seemed to fit the bill -- and still does with his 2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 12.3 K/9. Manager Clayton McCullough would seem to disagree, though. Henriquez's next appearances came in the seventh inning of a game, and his past couple have come in the fourth. Clearly, he's not a serious contender for saves, but that leaves the Marlins with the same uninspiring choices otherwise -- one less, in fact, with Jesus Tinoco succumbing to a forearm strain. Calvin Faucher has secured their last two saves, which tentatively puts him back atop the heap, but both came before the calendar flipped to June. Each of his three appearances since then have come prior to the ninth.
