Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat - AL

by Bryce McRae on May 18, 2010 @ 14:00:00 PDT

Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: AL | NL

Fantasy baseball closer depth charts: AL | NL

In fantasy baseball, the closer position remains volatile. Rarely does every closer hang on to the job for an entire season - injuries, poor performance and managerial decisions can cloud a team's bullpen picture.

Should you be concerned about a struggling stopper? Which relievers are climbing the depth chart? Are any injuries popping up? KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat keeps you informed when you're looking for saves.

Mound meetings

Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon gave New York Yankees fans something to cheer about. The outspoken closer gave up two ninth-inning homers en route to a blown save and loss. It was the first of the former in his last 23 chances, not including the playoffs.
Working against Paps: pitch selection. Papelbon threw only fastballs, which he called "flat"; he has been at his best this year when he has shown some diversity.
Papelbon better lay off the heat

The Tampa Bay Rays' Joaquin Benoit struck out all five batters he faced yesterday. He has some closing experience and can be dominant (8.2 career K/9). At some point, he could be one of the best options, though probably not the first the way Grant Balfour has pitched, after Rafael Soriano.
Plan B should closer Alfredo Simon fail for the Baltimore Orioles could be Koji Uehara. Manager Dave Trembley has talked about using the soft-tosser in that capacity because he likes Uehara's efficiency. That alone doesn't guarantee long-term success, though; he's AL-only speculation.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: AL | NL

Fantasy baseball closer depth charts: AL | NL

About Bryce McRae

Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.