Fantasy Baseball and MLB News, Rumors and Injury Updates

Closer Hot Seat

April 4, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Welcome to KFFL's Closer Hot Seat. We'll forecast every sketchy closer situation in the majors each week, and we'll let you know who is next in line for the job in the very volatile closer situations across baseball. So sit back, relax and put your feet up as we fire up this week's Closer Hot Seat.

HOT SEAT STATUS: INJURY QUESTIONS

Kansas City Royals

Closer: Octavio Dotel

Next in line: David Riske

Other possibilities: Joel Peralta

Analysis: Dotel developed a sore left oblique at the end of spring training. The Royals declared that he wouldn't pitch for the first few days of the season to give him time to recover. However, he has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. It's a tough spot, given how dynamite Dotel was in the exhibition season. In the meantime, David Riske will fill in as the closer. Dotel owners should head to the wire for Riske, especially if Dotel was (gasp!) their No. 2 closer. As a No. 3, you can wait, but someone with dead roster space may add Riske. Riske is not a special pitcher and won't record a ton of strikeouts. However, he will get the save chances.

Durability grade: 3

Job security grade: 8

Texas Rangers

Closer: Eric Gagne

Next in line: Akinori Otsuka

Other possibilities: Joaquin Benoit

Analysis: Gagne threw 20 pitches in a minor league game at the beginning of the week and is scheduled to pitch again Wednesday in extended spring training. After that, the team plans for him to pitch in three games for Double-A Frisco. The club still plans to activate Gagne when he's eligible to return - April 13 - but manager Ron Washington wants to see Gagne's arm strength return. Meanwhile, anyone who handcuffed Otsuka to Gagne gets a gold star. Otsuka will get any save opportunities until that date and perhaps later.

Durability grade: 2

Job security grade: 6

St. Louis Cardinals

Closer: Jason Isringhausen

Next in line: Tyler Johnson

Other possibilities: None

Analysis: Isringhausen is bar-none the closer, because the Cardinals didn't come into the season with a fallback option, even with Izzy returning from surgery for a degenerative hip condition. Fortunately for them, he has been sharp in exhibition play (a 1.50 ERA in six appearances), and signs indicate that the right-hander is healthy. The team will be cautious with him and not use him on back-to-back days for awhile. Manager Tony La Russa has said that, if Isringhausen isn't available at some point, one of the starters will have to go back to the bullpen. The Cardinals haven't yet required his services this season. If he can return to form, fantasy owners have themselves a steal.

Durability grade: 4

Job security grade: 8

San Francisco Giants

Closer: Armando Benitez

Next in line: Brian Wilson

Other possibilities: Kevin Correia

Analysis: General manager Brian Sabean has declared Benitez healthy. If that's true, Benitez is another great bargain in the making. Sabean must believe it, because he has taken Benitez off the trade market after shopping him all spring. The Giants also optioned reliever Brian Wilson, believed to be the frontrunner to replace Benitez if needed, to Triple-A Fresno. San Fran opens play today against the Padres. It'll be interesting to see how Benitez's first few chances go.

Durability grade: 1

Job security grade: 6 (Last week: 3)

Seattle Mariners

Closer: J.J. Putz

Next in line: Chris Reitsma

Other possibilities: George Sherrill

Analysis: Putz experienced elbow soreness this spring, but last week he declared himself ready for the season. That's a little surprising considering that he only pitched one inning this spring, giving up two runs. The runs aren't a concern so much as the lack of work. He threw a couple of bullpen sessions and pitched in a minor league game, though. It didn't appear to be much of a problem in his first outing of the season, either. He pitched an inning to wrap up the Mariners' 4-0 opening day win, giving up one hit. He didn't fan anyone, though. Brandon Morrow remains a deep dark horse for the job, should Putz miss time down the road.

Durability grade: 7 (Last week: 6)

Job security grade: 9

HOT SEAT STATUS: LACKLUSTER PRODUCTION

Chicago Cubs

Closer: Ryan Dempster

Next in line: Bobby Howry

Other possibilities: Kerry Wood

Analysis: Dempster certainly isn't the most popular choice as a fantasy closer, with good reason, but he had a solid spring. That's all out the door now. The Cubbies had their hats handed to them on opening day, so Dempster hasn't had a shot to nail one down yet. When he gets one, all eyes will be on him. Fantasy owners will find out soon enough if the ninja training that Dempster claims he's undertaking can help him disappear from the ninth without leaving any evidence of damage. Wood (shoulder) took his customary spot on the DL, so Howry would be the team's only short-term option should the "Dumpster" blow it early.

Durability grade: 7

Job security grade: 5

Houston Astros

Closer: Brad Lidge

Next in line: Dan Wheeler

Other possibilities: Chad Qualls

Analysis: What's the best way to hang onto your closer's job after a horrible exhibition season? Don't do what Lidge did. He worked with Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan to correct his mechanics this spring, but apparently it hasn't helped. Lidge blew his first chance of the year on opening day, giving up two hits and a walk to the Pirates. He squandered a one-run lead when he gave up a solo shot to Xavier Nady in the ninth, and the Bucs went on to win 4-2 in the 10th. Publicly the team still expresses faith in Lidge, but fantasy owners have to wonder. Wheeler blew a save of his own against the Pirates the following night, giving up two runs and three hits in an inning. If you own Lidge, and Wheeler is out there, it still might be wise to stash Wheeler.

Durability grade: 10

Job security grade: 5

Detroit Tigers

Closer: Todd Jones

Next in line: Joel Zumaya

Other possibilities: Fernando Rodney

Analysis: Most fantasy owners seem to think that it's not a matter of if, but when, Jones will cede his job to the young reliever with a howitzer for a right arm. Zumaya has gone abnormally high for a reliever without closing duties, but his ratios and strikeout rate make him worth owning whether he's the closer or not. Fantasy leaguers may be disappointed, though, because Jones has a hold on the job for the foreseeable future. The veteran walked one and allowed no runs in his inning of work on opening day, but with the game tied, he got no save. Zumaya pitched two scoreless frames as well, but Rodney, incidentally, took the loss by giving up two runs in the 10th.

Durability grade: 8

Job security grade: 4

Arizona Diamondbacks

Closer: Jose Valverde

Next in line: Brandon Lyon

Other possibilities: Tony Pena

Analysis: The job is all Valverde's, unless he breaks down like he has in the past couple of seasons. He didn't get off on the right foot just a few days before the start of the season, when he slammed a finger on his pitching hand in a car door. (Smack yourself in the forehead for that one.) He later played catch and reported no problems. Apparently he had none, because he shut the door on the Colorado Rockies in the D-Backs' opening day win. He allowed one hit, but he fanned three for a scoreless ninth frame. He blew a chance the next night, however, when he gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits in 2/3 of an inning. Lyon has pitched two scoreless frames so far, with no hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Don't grab Lyon just yet, but in deeper leagues, he could be worth stashing.

Durability grade: 3

Job security grade: 6

HOT SEAT STATUS: COMMITTEE SITUATIONS

Cincinnati Reds

Frontrunner: David Weathers

Next in line: Mike Stanton

Others: Victor Santos

Analysis: The water only gets murkier. The Reds cut Hermanson loose after he refused assignment to Triple-A Louisville. Manager Jerry Narron pointed toward Weathers and Stanton as his likely options in the final inning; but are those two really fantasy options? A quick survey of many waiver wires says no. Further complicating the mess is the reported possibility of Kirk Saarloos and Todd Coffey entering the mix as well. Narron can try whatever he wants now, but a name to watch might be pitcher Victor Santos, whose contract Cincinnati purchased from Triple-A Louisville before the season began. In 11 2/3 innings Santos allowed zero runs and five hits while fanning eight.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Frontrunner: Al Reyes

Next in line: Shawn Camp

Others: Chad Orvella

Analysis: Thought to be an option at the conclusion of spring training, Orvella was the odd man out before the season began. The Rays optioned him, along with reliever Seth McClung, to Triple-A Durham. This spring McClung seemingly blew his shot at any meaningful job in Tampa, but Orvella pitched well, producing a 0.87 ERA in nine appearances. Instead, it looks like the top dog is Reyes, who's attempting to complete a comeback of the storybook variety after he missed all of last season while recovering from elbow surgery. He allowed two runs in nine innings this spring. Brian Stokes and Shawn Camp are also options, but no one is officially the closer here. Tampa could call up Orvella at any time in the near future, too.