2009 MLB Closers

MLB closer report updated 7/16/09 @ 7:00 p.m. CST

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Current list of MLB closers and candidates for the 2009 season. Closers are listed at the top under each team name. Their competition follows. This list will be updated through the season as needed:

Arizona Diamondbacks:
Chad Qualls
Jon Rauch
Juan Gutierrez
Scott Schoeneweis
***7/7/09*** After a long stretch without much luck, Chad Qualls gets his 16th save and third in the month of July, as the Diamondbacks get past San Diego, 4-3. Perhaps Qualls' arm issues are behind him. He's a low-end No. 2 closer that can move up to a high-end option when he's right.

Atlanta Braves:
Rafael Soriano
-or- Mike Gonzalez
Peter Moylan
***7/8/09*** It appears more and more likely that Rafael Soriano is emerging as the Braves first option for saves. Mike Gonzalez sets him up again in Chicago, and Soriano handles the job, getting three straight outs for his 10th save. That gives him one more than Gonzalez on the year. Gonzalez did face lefties Koyie Hill and Kosuke Fukudome in the eighth, and Soriano saw righties in Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez before turning switch-hitter Milton Bradley to the left side (his weaker side this season). That said, Soriano is getting more chances than Gonzalez, straight up. Braves beat the Cubs, 4-1.

Baltimore Orioles:
George Sherrill
Jim Johnson
Danys Baez
***7/12/09*** George Sherrill locks down an even 20 saves before the All-Star break as the Blue Jays beat the Orioles, 4-2. Sherrill is a solid No. 2 closer who's saved three straight games.

Boston Red Sox:
Jonathan Papelbon
Takashi Saito
Hideki Okajima
Manny Declarmen
Justin Masterson
***7/8/09*** Jonathan Papelbon gets knocked around for a run on a walk and two hits, but he gets through the jam to hold onto a 5-4 Red Sox win over the A's. The effort is good enough for his 22nd save. Papelbon's 1.37 WHIP keeps him out of the discussion for the game's best closer, but he's not far off with his 1.89 ERA.

Chicago Cubs:
Kevin Gregg
Carlos Marmol
Angel Guzman
Aaron Heilman
***7/1/09*** Kevin Gregg works his 14th save for the Cubs in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. That makes it three straight positive outings for the Cubs' closer, who pitched well over the month of June with just two sub-par performances. He's hard to trust, but now that the ERA is down to 3.82, he's tough to ignore.

Chicago White Sox:
Bobby Jenks
Octavio Dotel
Scott Linebrink
Matt Thornton
Tony Pena
***6/24/09*** Bobby Jenks continues to climb the ranks in the saves column, earning his 18th of the season in a 10-7 White Sox win over the Dodgers. Jenks works a perfect ninth, striking out one batter. He's an outside possibility for an All-Star bid as the Sox really don't have a better candidate.

Cincinnati Reds:
Francisco Cordero
David Weathers
***7/7/09*** Francisco Cordero is beginning to heat up with his third save of July, as he finishes off a 4-3 Reds victory over the Phillies. Cordero owns 21 saves this season and remains a No. 1 closer.

Cleveland Indians:
Kerry Wood
Rafael Betancourt
Chris Perez
***7/9/08*** After struggles against the Cubs and the Pirates, Kerry Wood has pitched lights out in four consecutive outings. The Indians closer strikes out two White Sox in a one-hit ninth to record his 11th save. His 4.85 ERA is not ideal for a closer, and he's pitching for a bad Indians team. That limits his value to something of a No. 3 option.

Colorado Rockies:
Huston Street
Manny Corpas
Alan Embree - 15-day DL, fractured right tibia (out for season)
***7/12/09*** Huston Street pitches a scoreless ninth and then ends up earning his third win of the year when Colorado pushes home the winning run in the bottom of the inning. The Rockes defeat the Braves, 8-7. Street's WHIP plunges to 0.99, making him worthy of No. 1 closer status.

Detroit Tigers:
Fernando Rodney
Joel Zumaya
Brandon Lyon
***7/8/09*** It's a good day for Fernando Rodney owners. The mercurial Tigers closer earns his 19th save with a two-strikeout performance in a perfect ninth against the Royals. Detroit wins, 3-1. Rodney remains a middle- to low-end No. 2 closer with decent competition in the Tigers 'pen.

Florida Marlins:
Matt Lindstrom - 15-day DL, elbow sprain (June 24)
Leo Nunez
-or- Dan Meyer
Kiko Calero - 15-day DL, right shoulder inflammation (June 18)
Brian Sanches
Scott Proctor - on 60-day DL (right elbow surgery - out for season)
***7/1/09*** Leo Nunez picks up his fourth save and second since Matt Lindstrom hit the DL for at least six weeks. Nunez strikes out a pair of Nationals in a perfect ninth as the Marlins win, 5-3. If he throws like this, he may never reliquish the closer role. Then again, it's not exactly his.

Houston Astros:
Jose Valverde
LaTroy Hawkins
Chris Sampson
Doug Brocail - 15-day DL, strained left hamstring (May 4)
***7/12/09*** Jose Valverde's injury-riddled first half comes to a close with his eighth save of the season, which comes in a 5-0 Astros victory over Washington. Valverde has the potential to break out in the second half. He also has the potential to wind up a setup man on a contending team like the Yankees. Proceed with tempered enthusiasm.

Kansas City Royals:
Joakim Soria
Juan Cruz
Kyle Farnsworth - 15-day DL, torn right-groin muscle (June 25)
***7/9/08*** Joakim Soria is locked in. The Royals closer notches save No. 14 with a perfect ninth in Kansas City's 8-6 victory over the Red Sox. Soria's stellar 1.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP suggest his shoulder woes are a thing of the past.

Los Angeles Angels:
Brian Fuentes
Justin Speier
Rich Thompson
Scot Shields - 60-day DL, left knee surgery (out for season)
***7/12/09*** Brian Fuentes saves No. 26 in a 5-4 Angels victory over the Yankees. Fuentes continues to pitch brilliantly over his last 12 innings, as he hasn't yielded a run since the last day of May.

Los Angeles Dodgers:
Jonathan Broxton
Ramon Troncoso
Corey Wade
Hong-Chih Kuo - 60-day DL, left elbow (April 30)
***7/1/09*** Jonathan Broxton gets save No. 19 in a 1-0 Dodgers victory over the Rockies. Broxton remains one of the game's top closers.

Milwaukee Brewers:
Trevor Hoffman
Todd Coffey
Carlos Villanueva
***7/8/09*** Trevor Hoffman walks one batter and allows two more to reach on base hits, but he's able to strand the tying and winning Cardinals runs on base to earn save No. 19. Hoffman remains a fantasy star as a No. 1 closer. The Brewers win, 5-4.

Minnesota Twins:
Joe Nathan
Matt Guerrier
Jose Mijares
***7/1/09*** For the second time in three outings, Joe Nathan earns a save in just 1/3 of an inning. This time he picks up save No. 21 in a 5-1 Twins victory over Kansas City.

New York Mets:
Francisco Rodriguez
J.J. Putz - 15-day DL, right elbow surgery - out 8-10 weeks (June 5)
Pedro Feliciano
Sean Green
***7/12/09*** K-Rod makes it four times in his last six outings that he gives up a run, but he holds on for his 23rd save before the All-Star break. The Mets beat the Reds, 9-7, and Rodriguez owns one of the best closer track records in baseball. He may need the break more than any of the elite closers, and we can expect him to get back into form in the second half.

New York Yankees:
Mariano Rivera
Phil Coke
Phil Hughes
Brian Bruney
Damaso Marte - 15-day DL, shoulder tendinitis (April 26)
***7/9/08*** Mariano Rivera gives up a hit but dominates again, earning his 23rd save in a 6-4 Yankees victory over the Twins. Rivera's 2.43 ERA continues to plummet, and he's hitting his stride as the season reaches the All-Star break.

Oakland Athletics:
Andrew Bailey
Brad Ziegler
Michael Wuertz
Russ Springer
Santiago Casilla
Joey Devine - on 60-day DL, out for season (April 4)
***7/12/09*** Andrew Bailey goes two innings for his 10th save before the All-Star break, a 7-3 Athletics victory over the Rays. Bailey continues to pitch well and could have 30 saves potential for the season. Maybe.

Philadelphia Phillies:
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
J.C. Romero
***7/9/08*** Brad Lidge owns four saves in four chances, and although he lost a game in his last outing, he's been relatively solid in recent days. Lidge picks up save No. 17 in a 9-6 Phillies win over the Reds. His ERA falls to 6.89, the lowest it's been since May 5th, and he's still got the backing of his team. It's amazing he's lasted in the closer role this long, but Lidge might just right the ship this time.

Pittsburgh Pirates:
Matt Capps
John Grabow
Joel Hanrahan
Tyler Yates - 15-day DL, right elbow surgery - out for season (May 16)
***6/30/09*** Matt Capps gives up a walk but nothing else, closing out his 18th save in a 3-0 Pirates victory over the Cubs. Despite the walk, Capps actually lowers his WHIP to 1.50, which still isn't very good. Call him a No. 2 closer.

St. Louis Cardinals:
Ryan Franklin
Jason Motte
Kyle McClellan
Denny Reyes
***7/12/09*** Ryan Franklin closes out his 21st game of the year in a 4-2 Cardinals victory over the Cubs. Franklin got favorable strike calls in striking out the side, but that sort of thing happens when you're pitching well and you have a great catcher setting you up. Franklin remains a decent No. 1 closer who is likely pitching over his head.

San Diego Padres:
Heath Bell
Cla Meredith
Edward Mujica
***6/30/09*** Heath Bell evens up Brian Fuentes for the league-lead in saves with his 22nd in a 4-3 Padres victory over Houston. Bell has saved 22 of 23 chances, leaving him in short company as one of the game's best closers.

San Francisco Giants:
Brian Wilson
Bob Howry
Merkin Valdez
Jeremy Affeldt
Sergio Romo
***7/7/09*** A day after Brian Wilson needed 37 pitches to get through a rocky ninth inning to earn his 22nd save, Sergio Romo fills in and earns his first career save in a 3-0 Giants victory over Florida. Romo was possibly the freshest pitcher in the Giants bullpen this evening, and he doesn't figure to get too many chances the rest of the year.

Seattle Mariners:
David Aardsma
Mark Lowe
Sean White
Miguel Batista
Roy Corcoran
***7/12/09*** David Aardsma earns his 20th save of the first half of the season in a 5-3 Mariners win over the Rangers. Perhaps the unlikeliest of closers to land in the top two tiers this season, Aardsma will be an interesting case study in the second half of the year. He's a high-end No. 2 as we hit the All-Star break. That could change considerably.

Tampa Bay Rays:
Troy Percival - 15-day DL, right shoulder tendinits (May 22)
J.P. Howell
-or- Randy Choate
Dan Wheeler
Grant Balfour
Joe Nelson
Jason Isringhausen - 60-day DL, torn right elbow ligament (June 14)
***7/9/08*** Joe Maddon continues to be impossible to predict in his closer choices. Sometimes it's Randy Choate, usually it's J.P. Howell, but now, finally, it's Dan Wheeler. The man considered to be the favorite to take over for the injured Troy Percival hasn't entered the conversation in a while, but tonight Wheeler records a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. Maddon sometimes goes with the hot hand, and sometimes he throws the pitcher with the best matchup options for the inning. Then there's the offhand chance he goes with his gut and pitches his relievers on a hunch that one might be better suited on a given day than the others. Maddon is maddening in that way. We'll continue to call J.P. Howell the favorite in the bunch, but we wouldn't be surprised if that changes consistently at Maddon's inconsistent whim. Tampa Bay beats Toronto, 3-2.

Texas Rangers:
Frank Francisco
C.J. Wilson
Eddie Guardado
Jason Grilli
***7/5/09*** Frank Francisco takes a step back toward respectability with his second straight solid save. He's up to 14 on the season after a shutout ninth in a 5-2 Texas win over Tampa. Francisco can become a dominant force as a closer if he can stay healthy.

Toronto Blue Jays:
Scott Downs
Jason Frasor
Brandon League
Jeremy Accardo
Jesse Carlson
***6/23/09*** Blue Jays de facto closer Jason Frasor earns his second save in a 5-3 victory over the Reds. He gives up a hit and strikes out one, lowering his ERA to 2.10. Start him in place of the injured Scott Downs as Frasor has little competition for the time being.

Washington Nationals:
Mike MacDougal
Joe Beimel
Julian Tavarez
Sean Burnett
***7/28/09*** Mike MacDougal works a perfect ninth for his third save as Nationals closer. The Nationals beat the Orioles, 5-3. MacDougal is a risky option, but he's pitching about as well as he ever has at this point.

2009 MLB closers - first half review

A list of the top MLB closers over the first half of 2009. Criteria used in evaluation: Saves, blown saves, ERA, WHIP, BAA

First Tier:

1. Joe Nathan
2. Heath Bell
3. Mariano Rivera
4. Ryan Franklin
5. Huston Street
6. Francisco Cordero
7. Francisco Rodriguez
8. Jonathan Papelbon
9. Jonathan Broxton
10. David Aardsma
11. Brian Fuentes
12. Trevor Hoffman


Second Tier:

13. Joakim Soria
14. Frank Francisco
15. George Sherrill
16. Bobby Jenks
17. Fernando Rodney
18. Brian Wilson
19. Rafael Soriano
20. Scott Downs
21. Andrew Bailey
22. Kevin Gregg
23. Chad Qualls
24. Matt Capps

Third Tier:

25. Matt Lindstrom
26. Kerry Wood
27. LaTroy Hawkins
28. Brad Lidge
29. J.P. Howell
30. J. Valverde
31. Mike Gonzalez
32. C.J. Wilson
33. Brad Ziegler
34. M. MacDougal
35. T. Percival

Rebirth of Berkman

Lance Berkman's slow start is appearing to be a thing of the past. The Astros first baseman slugs his 18th home run and extends his hitting streak to 11 games in a 2-4 effort in a 9-4 victory over Washington. Berkman's on pace for right around 100 RBI and 90 runs scored, which is pretty good after his woefully slow start, which included a strikeout rate of more than 30 percent. He's now hitting .277 and looking like he can climb into the .290s by season's end.

Fantasy Impact: Berkman remains one of the game's most consistent performers. His contact hitting has come around dramatically since the end of May. Berkman's struck out just 20 times since June 1st, and he's upped his average 119 points since the end of April. He's a must start, a keepable asset, and one of the top options at first base. It was only a matter of time before he came around.

Richard rocked

Clayton Richard hasn't just suffered a recent run of bad luck, the White Sox starter has pitched so poorly that he's now in danger of losing his rotation spot altogether. Richard gave up six earned runs on three walks and four hits in a single inning of work against the Indians on Thursday. He failed to record a single out in the second inning before getting pulled.

Fantasy Impact: Aaron Poreda owners will be upset, because the young phenom is not even in the running for Richard's rotation spot if he gets pulled. Instead, Bartolo Colon or D.J. Carrasco will get the first shot. The situation is fluid, however, as Richard might make his next start after the All-Star break.

Ross is boss

Ross Ohlendorf throw his best outing in two months as the Pirates ride their big right-hander to a 3-0 victory over the Cubs. Ohlendorf has pitched well in his first full season as a starter, posting a 7-6 record with a 4.41 ERA on a losing team.

Fantasy Impact: Certainly, you can do better than Ohlendorf, but you can also do much, much worse. The young righty continues to pitch well despite his low strike out total. He actually notched eight in seven innings in this one. He's a great low-end rotation option. If you've got him as a 5the or 6th starter, you're exceeding your replacement value.

Ug-Lee

Indians starter Cliff Lee threw the Chicago White Sox batting practice in game two of their series giving up 7 runs on 11 hits in three innings. His ERA soars to 3.39, which is obviously very respectable but still bot that of a frontline fantasy ace.

Fantasy Impact: Earlier in the year we talked about Lee's inflated value after his Cy Young season. Certainly there are fantasy managers out ther who over-valued the solid lefty. The fact of the matter is this: Lee is a good to very good pitcher, but he's not one of the top 10 or even 20 pitchers in baseball. He'll never dominate like the game's best, and therefore he'll continue to be a top-end No. 3 or low end No. 2 fantasy starter. If you drafted him high or kept him, here's hoping you moved him prior to this paltry showing.

Ramirez rehab scheduled

Aramis Ramirez's rehab assignment begins Thursday, which is good news for the Cubs. Ramirez's bat has been sorely missed, but the Cubs are seeing production in his place from rookie Jake Fox. Fox went 2-3 Monday in a 3-1 victory over the Pirates, leaving him at .347 at the Major League level this season. Fox is Chicago's hottest hitter, and taking him out of the lineup would only be counterproductive while he's hitting so well.

Fantasy Impact: If and when Ramirez is ready to come back, the Cubs will have a serious decision to make: do they sit Fox, a below-average defensive player, in favor of Milton Bradley in right field? Ramirez would certainly inherit his third base spot when he's available, meaning Fox will have to slot somewhere else. Right field might be the only option.

Alexei's OK

Alexei Ramirez left the White Sox game against the Indians when a Chris Perez pitch struck him in the head. Ramirez stayed down for a couple of minutes as the White Sox training staff evaluated him on the field. While it was a scary moment, Ramirez says he will be able to play on Tuesday.

Lesson learned?

Did the Brewers learn a valuable lesson last year via the CC Sabathia trade? This year, Milwaukee is not going to deal top prospects like Matt Gamel and Alcides Escobar for high-priced free-agents to be, even if it's badly needed pitching they can acquire in return. Doug Melvin, who giddly said "We're going for it!" last year, has certainly changed his tone regarding a blockbuster deal.

"It's almost impossible. You never say never but it's not my focus at all. Those young players are valuable." After LaPorta was dealt for Sabathia, who led the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, Escobar moved up to the top spot in the organizational prospect rankings by Baseball America magazine, with Gamel at No. 2. As badly as the Brewers need starting pitching help with Dave Bush on the disabled list and Manny Parra in the minors, Melvin said the price would be too high if he included Gamel or Escobar. Gamel has been with the Brewers since May 14 and is batting .244 with two homers and 12 RBI in 32 games.

Middle- to small-market teams like the Brewers who cannot afford a dearth of big contracts need to hang onto their high-end prospects, because in the end, they get nothing. The traded prospect is gone, and so is the player Milwaukee traded for. We ripped Milwaukee for the Sabathia trade last year, saying mortgaging the future wouldn't bring them a title. This time The Brewers wised up.

Lesson learned?

Did the Brewers learn a valuable lesson last year via the CC Sabathia trade? This year, Milwaukee is not going to deal top prospects like Matt Gamel and Alcides Escobar for high-priced free-agents to be, even if it's badly needed pitching they can acquire in return.

"It's almost impossible. You never say never but it's not my focus at all. Those young players are valuable." After LaPorta was dealt for Sabathia, who led the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, Escobar moved up to the top spot in the organizational prospect rankings by Baseball America magazine, with Gamel at No. 2. As badly as the Brewers need starting pitching help with Dave Bush on the disabled list and Manny Parra in the minors, Melvin said the price would be too high if he included Gamel or Escobar. Gamel has been with the Brewers since May 14 and is batting .244 with two homers and 12 RBI in 32 games.

Middle- to small-market teams like the Brewers cannot afford a dearth of big contracts need to hang onto their high-end prospects, because otherwise, they get nothing in the end. The traded prospect is gone, and so is the player Milwaukee traded for. We ripped Milwaukee for the Sabathia trade last year, saying mortgaging the future wouldn't bring them a title. This time The Brewers wised up.

Tulo standing tall

Troy Tulowitzki's resurgence after a tough stretch early in the year may be attributed to altering his batting stance. He's standing more upright at the plate.

Fantasy Impact: Anyone who hits seven homers over 19 games should be worth a start, and after the top shortstops, Tulowitzki remains one of the best options at the position.

Backing Beckham

Over the past nine days, Gordon Beckham's nothing average has climbed steadily to .196. In that span, he's hit three doubles and a home run, bumping his slugging percentage up to .314, which is nearly respectable for a player hitting just below the Mendoza line. His 2-3 day with a double against the Reds gives him hits in six of his last seven games.

Fantasy Impact: Beckham is hitting .348 over that stretch of seven games, making him more than a viable option at third base or shortstop during while he's hot. He probably won't keep up this pace, but even if he slips just a bit, he's one of the better middle infielders in fantasy baseball. Grab him.

Not bad, Volstad

After four straight losses and back-to-back flame-outs, Chris Volstad got it back on track against the Yankees in a 6-5 win. Not only did Volstad earn a quality start, he also managed to walk just one and strike out four over six innings. Despite a 4.74 ERA, Volstad's WHIP is a solid 1.28.

Fantasy Impact: Volstad's struggles saw him dropped in numerous fantasy leagues, but he's still an average or above-average starter for the most part. If he's available, grab him, because he won't last long.

Hot Rodriguez

Sean Rodriguez launches his 22nd home run of the season (21 came in the Pacific Coast League) as the Angels beat the Giants, 9-7. Near the bottom of the Major Leagues in home runs this season, Los Angeles could use Rodriguez's bat in the lineup, but Mike Scioscia seems committed to Maicer Izturis at second base.

Fantasy Impact: Pick up Rodriguez just in case he starts getting a more legit shot at second base. He can be a Dan Uggla-type second baseman if Scioscia eventually lets him play every day.