Closer Watch Blog Week 16

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Chicago Cubs
Ryan Dempster still Closer
Bob Howry still 1st in line
Scott Eyre to 2nd in line in place of Scott Williamson

Williamson was traded to SD yesterday for two pitching prospects. The former closer is having an inconsistent season with a 1.52 WHIP and 5.08 ERA in 28+ IP.

Eyre has a 1.28 WHIP & 2.22 ERA in 44+ IP with 50 K and 11 holds. The left hander is very effective against left hand hitters with a .612 opposition OPS and has a .749 opposition OPS versus right hand hitters. Eyre is currently day to day with a hamstring injury.

Dempster has settled back in to the closer role here after going to the brink of losing it a few weeks ago. The 29-year-old closer has recorded four straight save opportunities with only 1 run allowed in those outings.

Seattle Mariners
J.J. Putz still Closer
Rafael Soriano still 1st in line
Mark Lowe to 2nd in line in place of George Sherrill

Lowe set Putz up yesterday with a perfect 8th in a 5-2 game. The rookie Lowe has impressed in 5 outings since an early July call up having not allowed a run; 6+ IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. The 23-year-old had a 0.91 WHIP in 46 combined high A and AA IP earlier this year with 60 K and 6 saves.

The left handed Sherrill dominates left hand hitters with a .325 opposition OPS and right hand hitters have a much more successful .783 opposition OPS.

Toronto Blue Jays
B.J. Ryan still Closer
Justin Speier still 1st in line
Jeremy Accardo to 2nd in line in place of Brandon League

The Blue Jays acquired Accardo from SF in the Shea Hillenbrand deal. The 24-year-old Accardo was an attractive next in line closer to the struggling Armando Benitez earlier this year. The rookie had a 1.21 WHIP in 40+ IP with 40 K, 8 holds and 3 saves with the Giants.

League still has decent future closer value with his plus velocity. The 23-year-old has a 1.38 WHIP, 6.23 ERA and 1.059 opposition OPS in 4+ IP after an early July call up.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Milwaukee Brewers
Dan Kolb to Closer in place of Derrick Turnbow
Derrick Turnbow to 1st in line in place of Jose Capellan
Matt Wise still 2nd in line

Turnbow was pulled from a save opportunity last night and after the game manager Ned Yost FINALLY removed the all-star from the closers' role. To replace Turnbow, Yost mentioned a closer committtee led by Kolb, who has closing experience. The 31-year-old Kolb has a 1.57 WHIP & 5.87 ERA in 30+ IP with 18 K and 5 holds on the season. Kolb started the 2005 season as the Braves' closer before blowing up.

Capellan still has decent future closer value, but a current shoulder injury might prevent him from getting involved in this open closer situation.

San Francisco Giants
Armando Benitez still Closer
Brian Wilson to 1st in line in place of Jeremy Accardo
Vinnie Chulk to 2nd in line in place of Brian Wilson

Accardo has been traded to the Blue Jays for Shea Hillenbrand and Vinny Chulk.

Wilson has poor overall numbers on the season, 1.98 WHIP in 13+ IP, but has pitched better of late with a current 3 game scoreless appearance streak.

Chulk had a 1.42 WHIP in 24 IP with 18 K and 1 hold for the Blue Jays this year.

Florida Marlins
Joe Borowski still Closer
Taylor Tankersley to 1st in line in place of Logan Kensing
Logan Kensing to 2nd in line in place of Taylor Tankersley

Tankersley is picking up momentum as a quality late inning reliever. The 23-year-old rookie has a 1.10 WHIP & 1.32 ERA in 13+ IP with 17 K, 7 holds and 2 saves on the season. The left hander has been very effective against both right and left hand hitters with an opposition OPS versus both in the .400's.

Texas Rangers
Akinori Otsuka still Closer
Francisco Cordero still 1st in line
Rick Bauer still 2nd in line

Bauer got the final out of the 7th last nigth in a 2 run game then stayed on through the 9th to record his second save of the year in a 10-3 game; 2 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K. The 29-year-old has a 1.38 WHIP in 46+ IP with 25 K and 4 holds on the season.

Toronto Blue Jays
B.J. Ryan still Closer
Justin Speier still 1st in line
Brandon League still 2nd in line

Scott Schoeneweis got the final two outs of the 8th last night in a 3 run game then stayed on for the 9th with the lead pushed to 4 to record his first save of the year; 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB 2 K. The 32-year-old left hander has a 1.39 WHIP in 31+ IP with 16 K and 17 holds on the season. Schoeneweis is very effective against left hand hitters with a .596 opposition OPS with a not so good .877 opposition OPS versus right hand hitters.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Cleveland Indians
Fausto Carmona to Closer in place of Bob Wickman
Rafael Betancourt to 1st in line in place of Fausto Carmona
Fernando Cabrera to 2nd in line in place of Rafael Betancourt

The Indians bailed on the 2006 season yesterday, dealing their closer in Wickman to Atlanta for a catching prospect Max Ramirez. The Indians talked earlier in the year about Carmona being their closer of the near future and GM Mark Shapiro confirmed after the trade that Carmona would succeed Wickman. The 22-year-old rookie has a 1.34 WHIP in 43+ IP with 34 K and has not allowed an earned run over his past 9 appearances.

Atlanta Braves
Bob Wickman to Closer in place of Ken Ray
Ken Ray to 1st in line in place of Jorge Sosa
Tyler Yates still 2nd in line

The Braves are hoping their 2006 closer carousel ends with the veteran Wickman. Ray may have emerged as a decent closer if the Braves went with him, but they desperately needed late inning structure. Ray, with his 1.17 WHIP, will be the main set up man to Wickman.

The 37-year-old Wickman has a 1.43 WHIP in 28 IP with 17 K and has converted 15 of 18 save opportunities this year. Wickman is far from a dominate closer as left hand hitters have a .845 opposition OPS against him, but he is very effective versus right hand hitters with a .618 opposition OPS.

Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Papelbon still Closer
Mike Timlin still 1st in line
Manny Delcarmen still 2nd in line

Papelbon was rested yesterday after picking up saves each of the previous three days. In his place, Timlin pitched a perfect 9th in a 6-4 game to record his second save of the season. The 40-year-old veteran has a 1.22 WHIP in 34+ IP with 18 K and 16 holds on the season.

Minnesota Twins
Joe Nathan still Closer
Juan Rincon still 1st in line
Pat Neshek to 2nd in line in place of Jesse Crain

Neshek has impressed in 3 outings since a recent call up; 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K and 1 hold. The 25 year-old was dominate at AA earlier this year with a 0.92 WHIP in 60 IP with 87 K and 14 saves.

Crain, who once had high future closer value, has been inconsistent this year with a 1.43 WHIP and 4.70 ERA in 44 IP with 35 K, 4 holds and an unimpressive .807 opposition OPS versus right hand hitters.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Milwaukee Brewers
Derrick Turnbow still Closer
Jose Capellan still 1st in line
Matt Wise still 2nd in line

Turnbow blew a 1 run save last night to extend his blown save streak to 4 and has 8 on the season. Manager Ned Yost said after the game that the struggling all-star was "fine", indicating he would remain in the closers' role. Turnbow has a 1.51 WHIP and 5.54 ERA in 39 IP with a .791 opposition OPS this year; not exactly numbers of a pitcher that should warrant untouchable closer security.

It's close between Capellan and Wise for next in line to close. Capellan is the hard throwing future closer and Wise is the veteran, savvy change up pitcher.

Capellan has been out since the weekend with a shoulder injury, but Yost said he should return on Friday. The 25-year-old rookie has a 1.24 WHIP in 49 IP with 38 K and 10 holds on the season.

Wise has a 1.35 WHIP in 33+ IP with 19 K and 11 holds on the season. The 30-year-old has a poor .934 opposition OPS against right hand hitters with an impressive .607 OPS versus left hand hitters.

Philadelphia Phillies
Tom Gordon still Closer
Ryan Franklin to 1st in line in place of Arthur Rhodes
Geoff Geary to 2nd in line in place of Ryan Franklin

The Phillies did not have an attractive next in line closer if Gordon is traded at the deadline. Rhodes has been a disappointment this year with an ugly 1.99 WHIP and 6.07 ERA in 29+ IP.

Franklin has a 1.42 WHIP in 50+ IP with 25 K, 8 holds and an .843 opposition OPS on the season.

Geary has a 1.58 WHIP in 52+ IP with 33 K, 5 holds and a .771 opposition OPS this year.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Pittsburgh Pirates
Mike Gonzalez still Closer
Matt Capps to 1st in line in place of Roberto Hernandez
Salomon Torres still 2nd in line

Gonzalez was rested yesterday after pitching on 3 straight days. In his place, Capps pitched a perfect 9th in a 3-1 game to record his first career save. The hard throwing rookie has decent future closer value and has a 1.09 WHIP in 51+ IP with 37 K and 3 holds on the season. The 22-year-old has been scored on in just 2 of his past 19 appearances.

The 41-year-old Hernandez has a 1.65 WHIP in 40+ IP with 31 K and 9 holds on the season. The veteran has been scored on in 3 of his past 4 appearances.

Closer Watch Blog Archive:
Week 15
Week 14
Week 13
Week 12
Week 11
Week 10
Week 9
Week 8