Colorado Rockies Closer Situation

July 2, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Art Morath
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Colorado Rockies closer Brian Fuentes has blown his last four save opportunities and was removed from closing duties. On Saturday manager Clint Hurdle announced that Fuentes would be temporarily be moved to a setup role, but he declined to name a new closer. Hurdle said Manny Corpas, Jeremy Affeldt, LaTroy Hawkins and Jorge Julio were all in the mix to replace Fuentes.  In a twist of irony Fuentes was named to the All-Star team on Sunday.

The 31-year-old Fuentes had converted 20 out of 22 save opportunities before blowing the last four, taking the loss in each of the four. The left-hander was well on his way to a career high in saves this year. He had 31 saves in 2005 and 30 saves in 2006 for the Rockies. Since June 21 his ERA has ballooned from 1.89 to 4.17 and his WHIP from 0.84 to 1.20. Hurdle says the plan is to bring Fuentes back as closer, but obviously Fuentes will have to show marked improvement to regain his job. For the time being he will appear in low-pressure situations. On Sunday he pitched the ninth inning with the Rockies already down 10-0 and gave up two runs. Fantasy owners should keep Fuentes on the bench and wait to see how this situation shakes out.

Manny Corpas and Jeremy Affeldt are the two most likely to replace Fuentes. Corpas is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Affeldt is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Corpas has 29 strikeouts to Affeldt's 24 strikeouts, but Corpas has pitched 40 innings to Affeldt's 33. Affeldt has 18 career saves, most of them coming when he was with the Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old Corpas has never recorded a save. However, the rookie Corpas has been the primary setup man for Fuentes, so he may be given the initial opportunity to close games. Affeldt has been pitching very well lately. Since May 17 he has lowered his ERA from 4.02 to 2.73, giving up only three earned runs in that time. Corpas and Affeldt are both worthwhile pickups for owners trying to fill the void left by Fuentes' demotion. 

Hawkins is a former closer with 75 career saves. The 34-year-old Hawkins last closed regularly in 2005 for the Chicago Cubs, but he was supplanted by Ryan Dempster early in that season. Before closing for the Cubs he was a closer with the Minnesota Twins. He signed with the Rockies this past winter and has posted a 0-3 record with a 4.64 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Hawkins is probably the least likely of the four candidates to be handed the closing duties.

Julio is also a former closer with 99 career saves. The 28-year-old Julio was acquired from the Florida Marlins on May 13 for Byung-Hyun Kim. At the time of the trade Julio had a 12.54 ERA, but he has pitched well since the trade. Julio has posted a 1.76 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 18 appearances for the Rockies. For the season he is 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA and 1.86 WHIP.

For fantasy owners looking elsewhere than the Rockies to replace Fuentes, there are few good options available. One option for the time being is Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol. He has a 1.13 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP along with 34 strikeouts in 24 innings. He is expected to get some save chances along with Bobby Howry while Cubs closer Ryan Dempster is on the shelf. Another closer situation to watch is in Baltimore where Chris Ray has been struggling this year. Ray has a 5.15 ERA and 1.31 WHIP to go along with 13 saves this season. Possible replacements there are Scott Williamson, Jamie Walker and Paul Shuey.

Altogether, we think Fuentes will regain his job, possibly as soon as after the All-Star break. So hang on to him, and grab either Corpas or Affeldt to handcuff to him.

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Art Morath
Art Morath has been a contributor to KFFL since 2007.

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