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July 21, 2014

Closer Report

Week 17

by Mauricio Rubio

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I wrote about the fantasy angle on the Huston Street trade here. There are a few ancillary angles we can talk about regarding the Padres bullpen, however, as they are left with Joaquin Benoit, Dale Thayer, Kevin Quackenbush, and someone I figured would make a run at the job in Alex Torres. Thayer and Quackenbush are clearly in front of the erratic Torres. I’ve long thought Torres had closer stuff but not closer command. It’s holding true to this point.

San Francisco Giants

Romo is not fixed.
— Wendy Thurm (@hangingsliders) July 20, 2014

No. No he is not. He’s rocking a 5.26 ERA and hasn’t had a good stretch of outings since May 18. It’s not looking too good for Romo here in the stretch run. If you’re still holding out hope that he corrects it, I would start moving on.

Detroit Tigers
They know. They have to know. Joe Nathan was messing around with some mechanical changes before the break, and it was working out okay, but it’s clear that he’s just not the same guy he was in 2013. The strikeouts are down, the walks are up, and he’s getting hit more often. The Tigers could go back to Joba Chamberlain who’s been on a roll since blowing a save in spectacular fashion on June 8. I honestly think the Tigers might be looking for an external solution.

Chicago White Sox
Zach Putnam is having a nice run here and might end up being the closer in the interim while Matt Lindstrom and Nate Jones are on the shelf and the Sox bullpen struggles with consistency. Putnam has command and he misses enough bats. I’m not in love with him in the ninth, but considering the other options, he’ll do.

St. Louis Cardinals
Trevor Rosenthal gave up a ninth-inning run against the Dodgers to give them the lead on Sunday night. He’s had an up and down season so far, but I think he’s the type of guy who stabilizes as he continues to learn at the major league level. I still believe.

Notes

Philadelphia Phillies
I whiffed on Ken Giles twice: once as a prospect and once in this column’s graphic. The comments section rightfully called me out on it. It will be rectified in this week’s graphic.

Tampa Bay Rays
Craig Goldstein and I finally dropped Grant Balfour from our lineup in TDGX, which is a 20-team dynasty league. We were likely the last fantasy team to do so.

Colorado Rockies
I saw the LaTroy Hawkins Closer Experience in Chicago years ago. It wasn’t a good time then. I still have no idea why it’s working out now. But it is.

Graphic

Mauricio Rubio is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @MRubio52
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