Here are the latest fantasy baseball closer updates from the past week of action.
With the baseball season entering the September stretch run, Kev Mahserejian looks at the fantasy baseball picture as it pertains to closers around the league. Which reliever should get your confidence for saves in the final month of the fantasy baseball season?
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Week 24 Fantasy Baseball Closers: Depth Chart News, Saves Tips & Bullpen Report
Boston Red Sox
- Closer: Adam Ottavino
- Backups: Hansel Robles
All-Star closer Matt Barnes was been placed on the COVID-19 IL earlier this week after testing positive, but he was already trending in the wrong direction with a 13.50 ERA and 2.70 WHIP in August, causing him to lose the ninth-inning job towards the end of the month. When he does return, he’ll have to put that slump behind him in order to win his job back, especially with the Boston Red Sox in the middle of a playoff race.
In the meantime, setup man Adam Ottavino has usurped Barnes despite a mostly mediocre season on his part. Ottavino’s 4.59 xFIP and 4.30 SIERA are not exactly the makings of a dominant closer, but he’ll have fantasy value as long as he has the job. With 11 saves on the season, Ottavino should be rostered if you can take the ERA/WHIP hit.
- Check out our Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings and Depth Charts.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Closer: Giovanny Gallegos
- Backups: Alex Reyes
Alex Reyes is another All-Star closer who recently lost his job, as his peripherals finally caught up with him after eeking out save after save to start the season. Although Reyes’s velocity is disgusting, his location issues were noticeably awful for a closer and his 4.75 xFIP and 4.52 SIERA reflected that. Like Barnes, Reyes endured a terrible August with a 7.84 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP last month, necessitating his removal from the role.
Giovanny Gallegos — whose peripherals are much sharper than Reyes’s — has taken over the job and should hang on to it the rest of the way. Gallegos has notched eight saves since the beginning of last year and is better suited for the closer role given his ability to limit opposing baserunners (career 0.91 WHIP). He should see plenty of save opportunities down the stretch and could provide a massive boost to fantasy teams, making him a top waiver wire pickup in all formats.
