Be sure to check out and bookmark our Closer Depth Chart.

With the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline rapidly approaching, there may very well be a new group of closers by next week’s Closer Report. The most likely candidate to be traded remains the Phillies’ Jonathan Papelbon. Ken Giles is more than ready to step into ninth-inning duties, and should be owned in most leagues in anticipation. Giles won’t get a bunch of saves because of the rest of the Phillies, but he’ll put up excellent strikeout numbers and won’t hurt in the ERA and WHIP departments.

Another somewhat likely candidate to be traded is the Brewers’ Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod is having an excellent season, learning to still get guys out despite not quite having the fastball that brought him into the league. The Brewers’ situation is a bit less clear. For one thing, K-Rod isn’t as certain to be traded as Papelbon. For another, they do not have a closer-in-waiting like Giles. The Brewers may go with a dreaded committee approach if Rodriguez is traded, or they may decide to go with the traditional one-closer method. Who that one closer will be remains to be seen. Jonathan Broxton has closing experience, but is having a rough season. Will Smith has been great, but he throws left handed and has drawn interest from contending teams himself. Jeremy Jeffress seems like another likely candidate. He has 42 strikeouts in 41 innings and only 15 walks. Overall, he has posted a 3.07 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.

Many changes will happen in the next week and there will be huge fantasy impact. Keep an eye on any late inning relievers who move teams but also remember that closers being traded away will need to be replaced on their original teams. Solid, established setup men on teams out of contention are always solid fantasy adds in advance of the trade deadline, in case their closers move to another team.

Closer News Around the League

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs signed Rafael Soriano on June 9th. At the time, they were using a frustrating closer-by-committee. They finally called him up to the big club on July 19th, where he will work in middle relief for now. He’s likely to enter the competition for saves once he shows he can be effective. All of this can change if the Cubs acquire a closer like Papelbon or Rodriguez, but for now Soriano could be a solid choice for manager Joe Maddon to turn to if he decides he wants to switch things up in. While Soriano took the loss Friday against the Phillies, it came after Jason Motte blew the save in the 9th inning. In his time in the minors, Soriano did not allow an earned run and posted a 7:3 strikeout to walk ratio.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers aren’t having the best season, and they also don’t have the best closer. While Joakim Soria has not been the problem for the Tigers, he also hasn’t been the closer he once was. In fact, on July 20th, Soria had his first 1-2-3 inning since June 28th while securing his 21st save. For the season Soria has 22 saves to go with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. While those numbers seem decent enough, his 4.91 FIP shows that he’s been incredibly lucky. If the Tigers had a better record, they’d be prime candidates to acquire a closer, but in their current position, they may be more likely to sell or at least stand pat at the deadline. Soria’s owners should try to trade him now before he blows up as his peripheral stats show he will.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves lost closer Jason Grilli for the season when he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon on July 11th. He’s out for the season but has promised he’ll return next season. In the meantime, Jim Johnson has taken over closer’s duties in Atlanta. He’s had a great season. Johnson’s numbers so far include a 2.15 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 32:14 strikeout to walk ratio. He had 20 holds as Grilli’s primary setup man, and now has eight saves to go with it. He may end up being traded to a competitor, as the Braves hoped to do with Grilli, and likely won’t close if he moves. Johnson’s owners may want to sell high now while he still holds fantasy value.

Injury Updates

Oakland Athletics closer Sean Doolittle is confident that he’ll return to the A’s bullpen this season. Doolittle has made only one appearance this season thanks to two separate strained shoulder injuries. He started the year on the disabled list, made one appearance, and then landed right back on the DL. He’s been playing catch and is getting close to starting work off the mound. Tyler Clippard has been saving games in his place, but he’ll likely be traded at the deadline, leaving Evan Scribner and Edward Mujica likely battling it out for saves. While the A’s aren’t going anywhere this season, it would be nice to see Doolittle return for a few outings before the end of the season so that he can be on a regular offseason program leading into 2016.

Interesting Tidbit

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim closer Huston Street saved his 300th game on Wednesday. He is the 27th player in baseball history to reach the milestone. Street is having a great season, securing 25 saves and posting a solid 2.21 ERA and 0.93 WHIP along with 36 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.

Top Performers

Andrew Miller – 4 IP, 4 SV, 6 K, 2.25 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

Craig Kimbrel – 3 IP, 3 SV, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP

Jim Johnson – 3 IP, 3 SV, 1 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Trevor Rosenthal – 3 IP, 3 SV, 5 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP

Not the best week for closers overall, as only Miller of the Yankees secured four saves. Only Kimbrel of the Padres, Johnson of the Braves, and Rosenthal of the Cardinals even saved three games. Miller was his typical excellent self, striking out six in his four innings of work while allowing just one run to cross the plate. Kimbrel was actually the best this week, saving three games while not allowing a single base runner in his three innings. Johnson saved three games and allowed only one run despite striking out just one batter. The Cardinals got three saves from their closer, Rosenthal, who struck out five in his three innings, also allowing one run.

Spec Picks for the Upcoming Schedule

Drew Storen vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (Friday, July 24-Sunday, July 26)

The Pirates and Nationals are both great teams with their eyes set on the playoffs. While it’s still July, this series is big for both teams with the trade deadline only a few days away. There has been some buzz lately about the Nationals being interested in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. That should motivate Drew Storen, who is already having an excellent season, to do even better these next few games to prove that he should keep the ninth inning role if his team acquires bullpen help.

Kenley Jansen vs. New York Mets (Thursday, July 23-Sunday, July 26)

The Dodgers are a better team than the Mets, but New York’s pitching staff is fantastic. These games should all be close but will likely end in the Dodgers’ favor. In steps closer Kenley Jansen. Already elite, Jansen may earn two or three saves this series.

We welcome any comments and suggestions you have to make the report as useful as possible for your fantasy team’s needs.

Don’t forget to check out our Closer Depth Chart.

David A Marcillo is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from David, check out his archive and follow him @DavidMarcillo77.

