| Fantasy Firemen: AL East |
| Written by Angus and Status | |
| Sunday, 03 August 2008 | |
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Welcome to the first installment of Fantasy Firemen. Here you will find a breakdown of the current situation of each major league team’s bullpen and how it effects fantasy. This is your source for finding your best options for saves and holds and deciding which situations are the most volatile.
The various risk levels will be assigned to each situation as well as the current closer and the top threats for that position among the set-up men. Even the lowest risk level is still called smoldering because no closer is ever completely safe in his role. An inferno is the situation is which the bullpen is either in a closer by committee situation or the current closer is really on the hot set. We will post the statistics with the big players for each pen and will give you the date on which each situation was updated. We start with the AL East. Enjoy.
Risk Level Very Low: Smoldering Low: Smoking Moderate: Burning High: Blazing Very High: Inferno
American League East (updated 8/3/08)
Baltimore Orioles
Closer- George Sherrill (44.2 IP, 30 SV, 49 K, 0 HLD, 4.23 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 9.87 K/9) Threat #1- Jim Johnson (58.1 IP, 1 SV, 32 K, 18 HLD, 1.85 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 4.94 K/9) Threat #2- Chad Bradford (38.2 IP, 0 SV, 13 K, 16 HLD, 2.56 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.03 K/9)
Risk- Burning George Sherrill was acquired along with Adam Jones from the Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, and he has been a revelation for the O’s. Sherrill earned a spot on the AL All-Star Team, and there was a ton of interest for him at the deadline. He already has 30 saves, but in the long run we see him as more of a set-up man. His spot is safe for now, but he has really struggled in the last month with a 7.36 ERA and 2.45 WHIP. The O’s relief pitchers – Jim Johnson, Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker, and so on – present little danger to Sherrill’s closing spot. Johnson is probably the best because Bradford, who has a lot of holds, is just a fantasy liability with very low K totals. Even if he did get the role, his K/9 would kill you. The real threat is Chris Ray, but unfortunately, he has been shut down for the season.
Boston Red Sox
Closer- Jon Papelbon (47.1 IP, 30 SV, 56 K, 0 HLD, 2.09 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 10.65 K/9) Threat #1- Hideki Okajima (43.0 IP, 1 SV, 39 K, 18 HLD, 2.72 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.16 K/9) Threat #2- Manny Delcarmen (45.2, 0 SV, 43 K, 14 HLD, 4.14 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.47 K/9)
Risk- Smoldering The Red Sox bullpen situation is set in stone. As goofy as he is, Jonathan Papelbon is a stud closer who will be the go-to guy in Boston for the next few years at least. The Red Sox will be in tough to lock him up to a reasonable salary – he appears to be balking at signing something long term. Okajima is the best set-up man and holds source despite his struggles with men on base this season. Manny Delcarmen is also a great young strikeout and holds source in the pen which is the strongest in the division.
New York Yankees
Closer- Mariano Rivera (48.1 IP, 26 SV, 58 K, 1.49 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 10.80 K/9) Threat #1- Damaso Marte (50.0 IP, 5 SV, 53 K, 16 HLD, 3.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.54 K/9) Threat #2- Jose Veras (36.2 IP, 0 SV, 39 K, 6 HLD, 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.57 K/9)
Risk- Smoldering Mariano Rivera’s save totals have been declining over the past few seasons, but with the money he makes the Yankees will keep giving him the ball in the ninth inning. Newly acquired Damaso Marte will help set up for Rivera and is an elite holds option now. He will have to be effective if he wants to be brought back by the Yankees – he has a $6 million option for the 2009 season. Veras is getting more holds opportunities than Ramirez or Bruney but they both have awesome numbers.
Tampa Bay Rays
Closer- Troy Percival (33.2 IP, 24 SV, 33 K, 2 HLD, 3.48 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 8.82 K/9) Threat #1- Dan Wheeler (50.0 IP, 5 SV, 53 K, 24 HLD, 3.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.54 K/9) Threat #2- Grant Balfour (30.0 IP, 4 SV, 45 K, 3 HLD, 1.20 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 13.50 K/9)
Risk- Smoking Troy Percival is the man to close on Tampa for the short term, but his age and injury problems make his position there somewhat shaky. The Rays have a solid pen – and have gone with a save by committee approach when Percival has gone down. Grant Balfour has been effective this season, as has Dan Wheeler who is sporting a minute 0.90 WHIP and is a monster for holds. Wheeler and Balfour are the best of the Rays pen, and one of them may be the closer when Percival inevitably gets hurt again. J.P Howell (11 HLD) is another important source for holds and numbers because he qualifies at SP.
Toronto Blue Jays
Closer- B.J. Ryan (38.0 IP, 21 SV, 36 K, 1 HLD, 3.32 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.53 K/9) Threat #1- Scott Downs (52.2 IP, 5 SV, 45 K, 16 HLD, 1.37 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 7.69 K/9) Threat #2- Jesse Carlson (40.0 IP, 1 SV, 42 K, 13 HLD, 1.80 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.45 K/9)
Risk- Smoking B.J. Ryan is set as the Jays closer, even with his shaky play this season. The Jays paid a big sum to lure him away from the division-rival Orioles. Jeremy Accardo – who is currently on the DL – replaced Ryan last year pretty well with a 30-save showing, but he is more of a set up man and will be put in that role once he returns. Scott Downs is definitely the best relief pitcher in the Jays bullpen. He is a tricky pitcher to hit and may get the odd closing opportunity if Ryan gets hurt again. Casey Janssen is also a great holds source from last season (24 HLD) but he is out with a torn right labrum this season. With the absence of two significant set-up men, rookie Jesse Carlson has arrived and put up better numbers than either of them. We believe that spending big on a closer is a waste of money. It is much easier to find and convert a pitcher into a closing role than to find a starting pitcher (or some bats for the offensively-starved Jays).
We have more divisions to come. They will all be a permanent part of the website under Fantasy Firemen on the left side menu. Thanks for reading.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 20 August 2008 ) |
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