Sherrill sharing closer role

After saying he'd gladly hand he role back to a rehabilitated Chris Ray in the offseason, George Sherrill had his closer role taken away by the Orioles on Monday.

The O's will go with a closer-by-committee setup until someone emerges, but the requisite names of Chris Ray, Dennys Baez and Jim Johnson all got mentioned in articles today. None excites us, although we'd have to believe Ray's experience in the role might eventually make him the fallback option. Baez has pitched best this year, so he'll certainly be the name floated by most fantasy baseball resources. His previous season's ERA of 6.44, however, is not a confidence-builder.

Fantasy Impact: Stash Ray. He lost the role due to injury and will eventually take his turn. Oddly enough, Baez worked two innings in middle relief for a win Monday night while Johnson and Sherrill followed in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively for an 8-4, non-save victory over Tampa. It was like nothing had changed in Baltimore.