Arizona filled a need for some bullpen help with this trade, and there's a chance Rauch could supplant Brandon Lyon as the D-Backs closer right away because Lyon has given up five runs in his last two outings. Rauch, who took over as the Nats closer when Chad Cordero injured his shoulder in April, is 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA this season and has converted 17 of his 22 save opportunities. If he does manage to claim the closer's job in Arizona, he could well turn into a No. 1 closer, as the D-Backs will likely be a contender until October.
How about it, D-Back fans, is Lyon in danger of losing his job at all? I was about to drop Rauch for another arm, but now that I've read that news, I'd like to keep a No. 1 closer
"Jul 22 Mark Zuckerman, of The Washington Times, reports Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta may use a closer-by-committee approach for the time being with P Joel Hanrahan and RP Saul Rivera getting the bulk of the work."
With the trade of Jon Rauch to the D-Backs on Tuesday, setup man Luis Ayala will likely get the first shot to close with the Nationals. Saul Rivera is another candidate, but it's more likely Rivera moves into the setup role at this point. (Updated 07/22/2008). Fantasy Analysis Ayala is a sleeper in deeper NL-only leagues at this point, because of his potential to save games, but the Nationals are a team that doesn't figure to give a whole lot of save opportunities on a consistent basis. Rivera is a more intriguing middle reliever now.
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by Rman3911 » Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:16 pm 
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