Joakim Soria

Okay, so when I said that my Last Minute Shuffle would be the last Spot * On blog before the start of the MLB Season, I was lying. So sue me. I've been fascinated with closers for some time now (no, I don't mean Kyra Sedgwick), how people obsess over them, when to draft them, their role both in baseball and in fantasy, and how to utilize them most effectively in general. The polar opposing opinions that exist are stifling, if not fun to read. I want to take a look at a good number of 9th inning men today, as well as who I'm avoiding and targeting for Saves this season; and my picks may surprise you...

And so the two weeks draws to a close, appropriately, with a look at the Top 10 Closers. A volatile position at the best of times, 2008 seemed to be the craziest season ever in terms of the amount of closers losing their jobs through injury or bad performance.

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.

I am constantly seeing 'Players You Must Have in '08', 'Deep Sleepers in '08', 'Late Round '08 Steals', etc., etc., etc.

But what about the players who are staring you in the face as your pick approaches, and you know that deep down, you must pass?  Who are these mystery men of 2008?

Well, here's a few...

Again, not a big shocker. Dustin Pedroia won it walking away.
I get the feeling this won't be the last time we hear the name Pedroia.