MLB Closer Watch 2012

Baseball closer is not a position with much job security. We update our Closer Watch grid daily in-season (and pretty often off-season) so you know who's in line for saves with each MLB club.

Update: PHI2/1/2012

The Phillies added some inning-eating bullpen help by signing free agent Chad Qualls to a one year deal today, according to ESPN. Qualls is no spring chicken, but he's as reliable as they get when it comes to eating up middle innings and inducing ground balls.

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ARZ
ARZ		 Putz 
D-Hernandez 
Ziegler 
Saito 
Breslow 
 The Diamondbacks have been through more relievers than most entire divisions during the past few seasons, and 2012 doesn't look to be much more stable. The signing of free agent Takashi Saito will help a little, but this still looks a lot like a team struggling to build an identity from spare parts.

 
COL
COL		 Betancourt 
Lindstrom 
Belisle 
Brothers 
Roenicke 
 With Huston Street gone to happier fields in San Diego, Colorado's closer situation is a bit up in the air once more. There's an assortment of veterans and scrap parts available, but for the long-term, Colorada's always preferred to look within. This year could be interesting. Casey Weathers, a premium college closer working his way up the farm system, was shipped to the Cubs in the offseason, but fellow youngster Rex Brothers still looks ready to rock soon.

 
LAD
LAD		 Guerra 
K-Jansen 
MacDougal 
Troncoso 
Kuo (FA) 
 It's hard to nail down what the half-rebuilt Dodgers will do in the bullpen for 2012: Lefty Hong-Chi Kuo underwent surprise elbow surgery (his fourth) in the winter and won't be back soon, if he ever returns to LA at all. That means that unless the team brings in someone new, it'll be young Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra competing for the job in spring. Neither is a big, fancy option, but either could get the job done.

 
SD
SD		 Street 
Gregerson 
Frieri 
 Huston Street, one of the best closers in baseball no matter what uniform he changes into, will take over for Heath Bell in San Diego for 2011. Street was 29-for-33 in save opportunities in homer-happy Colorado last year, and he's got to be pleased to be upgrading his environment to the cavernous Petco Park. He's signed through 2011 with a 2012 player option that he's now almost certain to select, if the Padres don't sign him longer-term first.

 
SF
SF		 Wilson  
Romo 
Affeldt 
Lopez 
Casilla 
 Wilson did a commendable (if dramatic) job again in 2011, so he should be a lock to return in 2012, and he'll have a nice long leash this time around. Sergio Romo, who has often looked like the Giants' best pitcher, needs to find a consistent groove if he's going to be second-in-command. SF is likely to add some bullpen depth in the winter, but it'll be for setup and innings-eating purposes: Wilson's job is as safe as they get.

 
ATL
ATL		 Kimbrel 
Venters 
O'Flaherty 
Vizcaino 
Hoover 
Linebrink (FA) 
 Atlanta's young setup duo of Craig Kimbrel (right) and Johnny Venters (left) was excellent again in 2011, even though Fredi Gonzalez received some heat for overusing the baby arms. Unless either one breaks down in March, it seems very very likely that they'll be used in the same 1-2 punch that almost took Atlanta to the playoffs. And on a slightly more-refined and seasoned Braves team, they might actually make it this time. Young Arodys Vizcaino, one of the next wave of phenom Braves arms, should open the year in the bullpen, though he'd be better deployed as a starter in seasons to come.

 
MIA
MIA		 Bell 
Mujica 
Cishek 
Oviedo 
Buente 
Hensley 
 Heath Bell moves from San Diego to Miami, but the change in humidity shouldn't impact much: he will remain one of baseball's most reliable ninth-inning men. Behind him will be a slew of lesser-known names, including the impressive (and overperforming?) 2011 rookie Steve Cishek and an older man with a new name, Juan Oviedo (a.k.a. Leo Nunez). Though they look less deep than usual at first glance, the Marlins remain the Marlins, so they should continue to introduce their usual collection of surprise young 99mph arms to the new park everyday this season.

 
NYM
NYM		 F-Francisco 
Rauch 
R-Ramirez 
Parnell 
Byrdak 
F-Cabrera 
 The Mets were nobody's latecomer at the 2011 winter meetings, and it looks like they were well aware of the sad state of the bullpen in Flushing. In addition to landing workhorse Ramon Ramirez, the team quickly signed free agent closers Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco. We like Franky two-times to close here, but any of the newest three Mets could perform better in the ninth than the 2010 bullpen. Tim Byrdak remains the invaluable LOOGY here, with hard-throwing Bobby Parnell very likely to hold a late-inning job as well. Suddenly the Mets bullpen looks pretty good, even if the roles are pretty interchangeable.

 
PHI
PHI		 Papelbon 
Bastardo 
Qualls 
Aumont 
De Fratus 
 The Phils sure know how to play fantasy-style baseball in the real world, jumping out quickly to snag the biggest name closer on the market in Jon Papelbon for a long-term deal. Papelbon is exciting, and can be frustrating, but his fiery personality should fit in just fine in feisty Philly. Of course, with a returning rotation still topped by workhorses Halladay, Lee and Oswalt, it's possible the Phillies could finish dead last in save opportunities for their new prize, too. If Papelbon breaks down and Bastardo can't do the job this year, the two most interesting relief options on the Philly farm are probably ex-starter Phil Aumont and young Justin De Fratus, who looked great at the tail end of 2011.

 
WAS
WAS		 Storen 
Burnett 
Clippard 
Lidge 
H-Rodriguez 
Coffey (FA) 
 The Nats are counting on first round pick Drew Storen to hold down the role of everyday closer in 2012, with Sean Burnett behind him, and that duo has given every indication that they're up to the task. If they stumble, the team has also stashed away veteran Brad Lidge and a serviceable collection of power arms that will do as a holding measure. Recent pickup Henry Rodriguez, while risky, probably has the most long-term upside of the bunch.

 
CHC
CHC		 Marmol 
Wood 
Samardzija 
Caridad 
Weathers 
Corpas 
 Carlos Marmol seems to have the Cubs closing gig well in hand, if 'well' means a whole lot of late inning drama, but it was the re-signing of Cub favorite Kerry Wood in January that made fans cheer loudest. Wood will set up (and mentor?) Marmol and support young Casey Weathers, a premium college closer two years back from TJ surgery. Weathers is a terrific dark horse to emerge and challenge Marmol by 2013. Manny Corpas, also returning from a lost season, shouldn't be forgotten either: it wasn't long ago he was looking like a great closer in Colorado, after all.

 
CIN
CIN		 Chapman 
Madson 
Marshall 
Masset 
Arredondo 
 A great reliever is better than a flaky starter, especially when that starter suffers elbow soreness while stretching himself out. So front office posturing to the contrary notwithstanding, we suspect Aroldis Chapman will get at least one more year in the bullpen for the Reds, though he'll be jousting with journeyman righthander Ryan Madson for the closer's role this time around. Either way, the addition of Sean Marshall also gives the Reds the dominant lefty setup guy they've wanted to have in the pen, too. Beyond that, though, the team still looks a bit thin in the relief corps, so some additional trades should be in the offing before midsummer, too.

 
PIT
PIT		 Hanrahan 
Meek 
Grilli 
Resop 
Leroux 
Watson 
 Pittsburgh has churned through a half-dozen veteran closers in the last several years, but no matter how good or bad they have been, their opportunities to impact games were always severely limited by the eternal ineptitude of the Pirates as a team. You can't save a game if you never have a lead. Should the Pirates ever turn the corner and return to credibility, Evan Meek remains the best of the home-grown options going forward, despite his struggles in '11.

 
STL
STL		 Motte 
Salas 
Boggs 
Lynn 
McLellan 
 Now that the LaRussa / Duncan era is over, will the Cardinals take up the tradition of actually naming a closer? If so, Jason Motte seems to have done the most to earn it, though Fernando Salas was no slouch in 2011, either. Veteran Octavio Dotel, such a big part of the Cards' historic push in 2011, is gone again, but he shouldn't be missed much: this bullpen is solid.

 
HOU
HOU		 Lyon 
Lopez 
Gervacio 
Sosa 
Rh-Cruz 
 He lost the job to now-departed Melancon Brandon last season, but Brandon Lyon is still the 'best' bet in Houston right now. Even when successful, Lyon is a gamer who gets by on average stuff, so this is a situation that nobody should be envying right now, since his most experienced backups all lack real closer stuff. Wilton Lopez is certainly as capable here. As longer shots, Sammy Gervacio should be back from surgery this year, and sneaky dark horse pickup Rhiner Cruz (if he sticks on the roster) could even sneak into the role by June. If you're getting the idea this is a very messy bullpen situation, you're right.

 

Notes and Updates

Update: PHI2/1/2012

The Phillies added some inning-eating bullpen help by signing free agent Chad Qualls to a one year deal today, according to ESPN. Qualls is no spring chicken, but he's as reliable as they get when it comes to eating up middle innings and inducing ground balls.

Update: BOS1/22/2012

The Red Sox reached a one-year agreement with reliever (?) Daniel Bard on Saturday, settling at the arbitration midpoint of $1.6M. The Sox are still making noises about repurposing Bard as a starter, but we're not buying it.

Update: MIN1/16/2012

He's been rebuilt so many times already he's more machine than man: after a late-night negotiation, the Minnesota Twins will be the team installing batteries in the 2012 version of Joel Zumaya.

Update: CIN1/11/2012

Ryan Madson will spend a money-year in Cincinnati trying to pump up his value for a return to free agency next year. The addition of a righthander with burning desire like that could help the improving Reds a lot.

Update: LAD1/5/2012

The Dodgers bullpen got a little less dodgy today. The team has re-signed Mike MacDougal to shore up a leaky bullpen situation.

Update: TB1/5/2012

Fernando Rodney has inked a 1-year $2M contract to pitch in the topsy-turvy Tampa Bay bullpen in 2012. With incumbent closer Kyle Farnsworth (sic) the only man higher on the ladder, Rodney should earn his share of save chances, and will probably even receive the gig full time at some point.

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