Sleeper of the Week

And the closer carousel keeps turning…

This time, speculation centers on Oakland, where Arthur Rhodes may be on the brink of losing his job following another dismal performance in which he gave up three runs to St. Louis. In his last seven appearances, Rhodes has allowed 14 hits and been charged with eight earned runs. The fact that he was brought in in the seventh on Wednesday also isn’t a good sign. Rhodes will miss the team’s next two games to attend a funeral, and whether he’ll still be the closer when he returns is doubtful.

But who inherits the job if Rhodes is out? Unfortunately for fantasy owners, there doesn’t seem to be a clear front-runner. Justin Duchscherer appeared to be the heir apparent, but has struggled mightily in his last four outings. Similarly, Chad Bradford, Chris Hammond, and Ricardo Rincon have been far from impressive of late. Jim Mecir has been effective, but is he truly closer material? Even Rich Harden’s name has been mentioned, but the club always shrugs off that particular rumor as idle speculation.

As if the situation weren’t murky enough, the A’s have now called up 27-year-old Justin Lehr from AAA Sacramento. In 32 innings of work this season, Lehr has earned 12 saves and posted an impressive 1.97 ERA, with 38 strikeouts and just 10 walks allowed. His control has always been good, as evidenced by his career minor league K/BB ratio of 2.51, and he has added velocity to his fastball, which now reaches the mid-90s. He also appears to have the composure to thrive in late-inning situations.

If Rhodes is replaced, it’s likely that several relievers will receive looks before the team makes a decision. Duchscherer should probably still be considered the favorite, but this race may go to a dark horse. Keep an eye on Lehr, and consider taking a flyer on him in AL-only leagues if you have a roster spot to spare. He may not be Oakland’s best pitching prospect, but he just might be in the right place at the right time.