Closers who will lose their jobs

[PresHabib]

Well...we all know that teams like Cleveland, Toronto, and Kansas City have been changing their closers every other week. This makes it very difficult when trying to trade for closers in my leagues. Something else occured to me though as my friend today told he would trade my Danys Baez (don't worry this isn't a trade question posted in the wrong forum). I thought to myself...Danys baez is a decent closer on a bad team...bad teams trade their decent guys, like closers, at the trade deadline to good teams. For example last year that happend to Scott Williamson (closer Cinci, went to setup in Boston), Mike Williams, Armando Benitez, and to some degree Ugueth Urbina. These guys were good for some saves and all of a sudden lost their jobs because they got traded? Who should we be watching out for in this regard this year? Right now, I'm thinking guys like this:

Baez
Jiminez
Looper


Does anyone agree with me that this is something that should be taken into account when trading for closers? If so, do you agree with those 3 guys I've just listed? Who else would be on this list?

[crapshooter]

bad teams don't trade their good players ...they trade their good players who are without contracts the next year! Baez should not fall into this category

[TEKTON]

looper?

mets paid pretty well and I dont see them getting rid of him, unless you have not looked at the NL East lately it's pretty much up for grabs.

[PresHabib]

I haven't really looked at the NL East...I was just thinking he (looper) was a possibility, but fine, he's a bad example. But aren't there guys that fall into this category?

I think if a bad team thats out of the race and feels a need to rebuild can unload their high priced talent for cheap players and prospects, they do it, regardless of how many years are left on their contract.

[willieroe]

Good question.

I think that the large number of "closers traded then moved to setup" in 2003 was probably an aberration. (Partly) in response to all of the media fuss about the Red Sox bullpen's situation, several teams moved to shore up their bullpens, and there became a bit of a run....

Guardado could be someone to watch this year, though.

[slomo007]

Judging from tonight's game...Koch is about to lose his job...I think Takatsu will be taking over very shortly.

[Pedro]

Biddle.

[PresHabib]

Hmm....I checked out a lot of stats...it does seem like 2003 trading of closers does seem to have been an abberation.....i cant seem to find any guys who were closing at the start of 2002 only to be traded and lose their jobs...though, I suppose this begs the question....was it really an abberation, or could it be the beginning of the trend? Hmmmmm

[willieroe]

Hmm....I checked out a lot of stats...it does seem like 2003 trading of closers does seem to have been an abberation.....i cant seem to find any guys who were closing at the start of 2002 only to be traded and lose their jobs...though, I suppose this begs the question....was it really an abberation, or could it be the beginning of the trend? Hmmmmm

Considering the mixed results in 2003, and with all of the closer/bullpen transactions in the last offseason, I don't think that teams will be as aggressive this year. Of course, you never know....

[BronxBomber9201]

Rhodes will lose his job if he hasn't lost it already to Duch????berger