Positional Tiers: Relief Pitcher

Who better to finish up the Café’s Positional Tiers Rankings than the guys who close out games night-in and night-out? After the clearly-defined top dogs, there are many closers and setup men that can help your fantasy team, both by booting strikeouts and saves and lowering your ratios, and there is a relief pitcher for almost every budget. Take one early and wait for a while, or wait a while and stock up on upside, it doesn’t really matter as long as you stock up when the time is right and remember the old adage…NEVER overpay for saves!

Tier 1: Rounds 5-6

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Jonathan Papelbon	Bos	51	2.34	0.95	41	5	77
Joe Nathan	Min	65	1.33	0.90	39	1	74

If you are going to take a closer early, you are picking between one of these two guys. Papelbon has seen an increase in his numbers from God-like in 2006-07 to simply super-human in ‘08. With the increased fastball velocity and better control he exhibited last season, the ceiling for Papelbon could be even higher. Nathan has posted a sub-2.00 ERA in four of the past five seasons and is a lock for 35-38 saves with great peripherals. Everyone else below these two comes with a measure of risk that you don’t have to worry about with the Tier 1 guys.

Tier 2: Rounds 7-8

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Joakim Soria	KC	93	1.60	0.86	42	2	66
Mariano Rivera	NYA	74	1.40	0.67	39	6	77
Brad Lidge	Phi	73	1.95	1.23	41	2	92
Francisco Rodriguez	NYN	59	2.24	1.29	62	2	77

Soria is the only pitcher in this group that plays for a sub-par team, but don’t kid yourself; he has the stuff to thrive even on a team like the Royals. Don’t expect another sub-2.00 ERA, but you won’t be disappointed with his razor-sharp WHIP and save totals. Rivera returned to form in ’08, recording insane numbers at the age of 38 – with the rotation in front of him and the run support in the Bronx, he could easily sniff those numbers again. Lidge is back and a legit top-five closer, but don’t expect him remain perfect in save opportunities this season. Rodriguez rounds out the top-shelf closers, and you could do much worse than him as your first closer. Don’t be fooled by his move to the NL, and don’t expect anything close to 62 saves this season, but you should be handsomely rewarded otherwise.

Tier 3: Rounds 9-11

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Jose Valverde	Hou	113	3.38	1.18	44	6	83
Bobby Jenks	ChA	107	2.63	1.10	30	3	38
Jonathan Broxton	LAN	116	3.13	1.17	14	3	88
Carlos Marmol	ChN	114	2.68	0.93	7	2	114
B.J. Ryan	Tor	125	2.95	1.28	32	2	58
Brian Fuentes	LAA	126	2.73	1.10	30	1	82
Kerry Wood	Cle	127	3.26	1.09	34	5	84

These guys are a bit riskier than the six before them, but there are some bargains to be had. Valverde has topped 44 saves for two straight years and is joined by the established Jenks, Ryan and Fuentes as solid options in the early-middle rounds this season. Broxton and Marmol are both intriguing youngsters stepping into the closer role for the first time, and if they live up to their potential, they could both climb their way into the second tier of stoppers. Both will have their ups and downs and certainly aren’t without risk, but in the 10th-11th round, they are certainly worth the small gamble. Wood rounds out this tier and is the last guy who can provide 35-plus saves and solid strikeout numbers while not destroying your ERA and WHIP. He should be taken before even considering any of the closers below.

Tier 4: Rounds 12-14

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Francisco Cordero	Cin	143	3.33	1.41	34	5	78
Matt Capps	Pit	151	3.02	0.97	21	2	39
Brian Wilson	SF	158	4.62	1.44	41	3	67
Mike Gonzalez	Atl	174	4.28	1.19	14	0	44

As the rounds continue, the closer volatility meter continues to climb as well. Cordero saw a big spike in his WHIP toward his career norms, and you shouldn’t expect it to be as low as it was in 2007 in Milwaukee. Capps could be a steal here if he stays healthy, something he has not yet done since assuming closer duties in Pittsburgh. Wilson could challenge for 40 saves again but will not do you any favors in the ERA or WHIP departments. He is the last guy on this list whose job is pretty safe despite his volatility though, and an improved staff in front of him and lineup around him bodes well for at least a repeat of his 2008 line.

Tier 5: Rounds 15-16

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Trevor Hoffman	Mil	167	3.77	1.04	30	3	46
Heath Bell	SD	175	3.58	1.21	0	6	71
Huston Street	Col	182	3.73	1.21	18	7	69
Joey Devine	Oak	188	0.59	0.83	1	6	49
Frank Francisco	Tex	187	3.13	1.15	5	3	83
Matt Lindstrom	Fla	183	3.14	1.45	5	3	43

At this point in the draft, you should either, A) already have decided to punt saves completely, or B) have a closer or two under your belt, because otherwise you will be wasting a pick on these guys. Other than Hoffman, who you can expect to keep his job for the whole year barring injury, and Lindstrom, who has very little serious competition in Florida, the rest of these guys have other bullpen mates breathing down their necks. I love the upside of Devine and Francisco, but there are not sure things by any means. Street takes his ballooning walk-rate to the Mile High City, which is grounds for some concern, and Bell has some seriously big shoes to fill in San Diego (not to mention he will have to do so with limited opportunities!).

Tier 6: Rounds 17-19

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Joel Hanrahan	Was	203	3.95	1.36	9	6	93
Chad Qualls	Ari	197	2.81	1.07	9	4	71
Chris Perez	StL	224	3.46	1.34	7	3	42
Brandon Lyon	Det	217	4.70	1.48	26	3	44
Chris Ray	Bal	218	DNP	–	–	–	–
J.J. Putz	NYN	229	3.88	1.60	15	6	56
Troy Percival	TB	230	4.53	1.23	28	2	38
George Sherrill	Bal	226	4.73	1.50	31	3	58
Brad Ziegler	Oak	196	1.06	1.16	11	3	30

This is the area where some of those hidden gems will come from once all the dust has settled. Hanrahan just misses out on the group above because of his poor control and the terrible pitching staff in front of him, but his stuff is good and he will rack up the strikeouts for you. Qualls, Perez and Lyon all have dubious situations and will likely not close all year for one reason or another (i.e. injury, ineffectiveness, etc). After those three, we move to the land of the “vulture save” and part-time closer candidates. Ray and Sherrill might finish with similar save numbers if Baltimore decided to ease Ray back into the closer role, while Putz and Ziegler look to clean up the scraps from Rodriguez and Devine respectively. Percival is just keeping the closer seat warm in Tampa and won’t get enough opportunities to warrant a higher spot on the list, even when healthy.

Tier 7: Fliers/Waiver Wire Fodder

	Team	MDP	2008 ERA	WHIP	S	W	K
Mark Lowe	Sea	N/A	5.37	1.76	1	1	55
Grant Balfour	TB	251	1.54	0.89	4	6	82
Jose Arredondo	LAA	256	1.62	1.05	0	10	55
Kevin Gregg	ChN	254	3.41	1.28	29	7	58
Hong-Chih Kuo	LAN	N/A	2.14	1.01	1	5	96
Fernando Rodney	Det	N/A	4.91	1.59	13	0	49
Manny Corpas	Col	N/A	4.52	1.46	4	3	50
Jon Rauch	Ari	N/A	4.14	1.19	18	4	66

Lowe is the lowest of all guys currently listed as the opening day closer for their team because he is the monochrome relief pitcher volatility. The job is his to lose though, and the hard-throwing youngster can run away with it if he pitches like he did before being injured in 2007. Balfour and Arredondo will post great peripherals and have chances to pick up some cheap wins and saves, though neither will get a significant enough role to justify taking them any earlier than this. Gregg could end up being the man in Chicago should Marmol falter or suffer an injury, and he would be a great low-risk pick at the end of your draft. Kuo proved his mettle in the latter parts of games last year and should be rostered by anyone looking for some cheap wins and a boost to their ERA/WHIP. The last three guys are on here because they are the second-in-line on their respective teams and represent decent upside if they stumble into a closer’s job, though you could do better if looking for solid MR-like numbers at the end.

As you can see in the tables above, the RP position becomes very volatile around the 15th round, and it’s a widely speculative task on draft day to pick the guy who fits your lineup the best. If you need some cheap saves and can take a hit to your ERA/WHIP, then feel free to grab that third or fourth mediocre closer, but at the same time if you need some help on your ratios and are well-covered in saves, you can always snag guys like Ziegler and Putz who could provide great sneaky values down the stretch – if you play your draft strategy right, it’s a win-win scenario!

We’ve now covered catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, outfield and starting pitcher. That’s a wrap, hope you enjoyed the series!

 
Michael Stephens is an avid sports enthusiast with over 7 years of fantasy experience, who writes for the Cafe. He is an aspiring sports journalist who hopes to continue fantasy writing as a career in the future. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, he is naturally a die-hard Mariner fan! You can find Michael in the Cafe's forums where he actively posts under the name of WaCougMBS.
 

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