Closing the Door

Closers may be the most intriguing breed of baseball players. They are highly debated, analyzed, ridiculed, and speculated on. Their biggest contribution to a fantasy lineup (Saves), they have little control over. They warm up, get ready to pitch, and when their offense scores a run to put their team up 4, they sit down and go back to spitting seeds while a guy, possibly just as capable, making a fraction of what the closer makes, trots out for the 9th inning. If you tried to describe fully, the modern MLB closer to somebody who had never heard of the concept, they'd look at you like you were crazy.

We obsess over these guys; we really do. I've spent the last 10 days in one of my leagues trying to trade for closers, offering every team in the league every possible combination of OF and SP imaginable just to get some Saves in return. They're a scarce resource, Saves are. They're feast or famine, unpredictable, and as volatile as some of the men out there earning them. These days some players are brought up with the intentions of being a closer from day one (Huston Street), while others fall into the role (Jonathan Papelbon). Some are old (Trevor Hoffman), some young (Joakim Soria). Some right-handed (Mariano Rivera), some left-handed (Billy Wagner). Some have been closing for ages (Mariano Rivera), and others are as green as they come (George Sherrill). Regardless of what brand they come in, one thing always remains the same: if your team is up by less than 3 in the 9th inning and loses the game, it's your closer who is going to be blasted on the back page the next morning.

Let's take a look at some of this year's more interesting closers, and see what we can't find...

Brian Fuentes, Colorado Rockies

Fuentes has re-taken over his position closing games for the Rox that he lost last season to Manny Corpas. I thought removing Brian from the closer role was unjustified last season, and I am very glad to see him shutting the door in Denver again. If you can remember way back to 2006, Fuentes was one of the best closers in the NL, locking down 30 Saves. There are rumblings of trades, of Corpas taking the 9th inning duties back eventually, or even Taylor Buchholz being the next player to swipe the job from Fuentes -- I don't believe it. If his owner in your league believes any of that, get him on the cheap. He'll be worth it for the rest of this season.

Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals

In March, Soria was the only mid-tier Closer that I felt comfortable drafting, and thought would earn his draft position in 2008. I was very skeptical, and while some of those mid-tier guys have had strong starts (Brad Lidge), Soria has been a rock, as predicted. Having fanned 15 in 13 innings pitched, Soria has yet to allow a runner to cross home plate, earned or otherwise. If he was on a bigger market team who won some more games, people would be tripping over themselves to own him; and by June, they may be anyway. Do not sell Soria high, because what you'll actually be doing is losing out on one of the premier K/9, reliable closers not named Mariano or Jonathan. If you can buy high from somebody looking to sell him high, do so. You'll be happy you did.

Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres

The Great Hoff Debate rages onward here at Rotodatabase, and in the essence of the upcoming election, in true political fashion, I traded for him yesterday despite taking the position that he's in for his worst season since George H.W. Bush was in office (actually shortly thereafter). Why? Because like I said, we'll do crazy things to get these Saves, including go against our better judgement. Hoff currently sits with a 6.52 ERA, which is just a shade higher than his ERA at the end of last April (6.23). He's notched 5 Saves, the same number as last April. Last season he saved 42 games; and if he's able to do that for me this year (only 37 more to go), I'll live with the ratios that he posts, which won't be anywhere near as bad as they currently are, even if they aren't up to the standard Trevor Time has set over the last decade and a half.

John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves

The starter turned closer turned starter may very well turn closer yet again when he comes off the DL this time. Last time he was finishing games, from '02 to '04, he was second only to Eric Gagne in terms of fantasy production. If he's healthy, it stands to reason that he could be capable of similar production -- a silver lining to the cloud that his owners are feeling after losing him as a Starter in their leagues. Everything hinges on Smoltz being healthy enough to close the door in the 9th.

Other notable closers currently excelling outside of your usual suspects include Brad Lidge, who apparently just needed a change of scenery to forget the Albert Pujols HR that still hasn't landed back in Houston. Troy Percival has looked like, well, Troy Percival -- but the version we saw in Anaheim, not Detroit or St. Louis. George Sherrill has as many Saves as Joe Nathan, and Brian Wilson as many as Jonathan Papelbon. Mariano Rivera hasn't let up a run all year, but still has less Saves than Brandon Lyon.

Every coin has a flip-side, though, and J.J. Putz is waiving the banner for it so far in 2008. He's been injured, and when not, ineffective. Chad Cordero was grooving in 78-MPH fastballs before surrendering 9th inning duties to Jon Rauch, and heading to the DL for his second stint of '08.

Keep an eye out for B.J. Ryan, who just got clearance in Toronto to start pitching on back-to-back days. All of you who were hanging on to Jeremy Accardo, Scott Downs, and any other Blue Jay reliever you could get your hands on can safely go push the Drop button now. Ryan has looked great so far this year, in an absurdly fast return from Tommy John Surgery. Also, continue to watch Joey Devine, in case Uncle Billy decides to move Huston Street; and Carlos Marmol, in case Kerry Wood remembers how much fun it is being on the DL.

All this talk about closers has me tuckered out. Time for me to go root for Eric Gagne to blow another one...

Until next time... (case closed)...