Valverde back as Diamondbacks' closer

September 3, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan R. Bonini

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jose Valverde opened the season as the Diamondbacks closer; but, after struggling in that capacity, his role was usurped by relief pitcher Jorge Julio back at the end of May. Valverde finished the season last year as the Diamondbacks closer, after recording 15 saves in 17 opportunities, while posting a 2.44 ERA. This led to him beginning this season as the closer. He lost the job as stated above, and was given every opportunity to reclaim it, but after giving up three runs and walking two in one inning of play Friday, June 23, the team decided a stint in the minors would be best.

After almost a month in the minors relearning how to mix his pitches effectively, Valverde returned to the team in the middle of August. When he returned, Julio was still the closer but he had been struggling. Since the end of June, Julio was 0-1, with a 6.09 ERA and nine saves in 12 chances. That opened the door for Valverde. This season, Valverde has posted a 2-3 record, with a 6.64 ERA, but he has also converted 14 of 17 save opportunities.

What will this do for your fantasy aspirations? While Valverde has been named the closer, this situation is by no means stable. There is a huge difference between closing at Triple-A ball and closing in the majors. Valverde will be given every shot to keep the role though, and he is definitely worth a look based on his past success.

If you had been using Julio as your closer, it is worth picking up Valverde to cover you at the position, but Julio could easily find himself back in that role. He will be moved to a less pressure-filled, middle relief role for now, although he could easily bounce back once he regains his confidence. Prior to July, Julio had racked up 15 saves for the Diamondbacks.

If you want to look elsewhere, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Mike Timlin could be worth a look, as he will likely replace closer Jon Papelbon (elbow) for at least the next few games, and possibly the season. He has a 5-3 record, with a 3.98 ERA, and three saves so far this season.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Mike Stanton is another injury fill-in at closer as he has replaced CL Armando Benitez (knees), who is out with arthritic flare-ups in his knees. He should not be viewed as long-term option for you, but he will close games for the Giants for at least the next few days. He has a 5-6 record, with a 4.45 ERA, and four saves this season.

Neither of these guys could be closing past the end of next week, but they should be able to give you enough time until the Diamondbacks closing situation has been sorted, in which case that closer would then be worth starting.

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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.

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