[closing_time list_id=”14882″ season=”2018″ include_stats=”1″]

I had originally planned on talking about how it’s not time to panic on Kenley Jansen after last Friday night when we saw his velocity way down. I figured his velo was fine this spring so I’d chalk it up to being some minor mechanical flaw. So of course when I woke up this morning and saw what he went out and did last night, I had to circle back and confess that yes, I am beginning to panic. The velo was still down, but the biggest shock of the night to me was that he actually walked two batters in a row. This is a guy who didn’t walk a single batter til the last week of June last year, compiling 51 K’s in the meantime. There is obviously something wrong here, whether it be an injury (he claims to be healthy) or some type of problem with his mechanics. The walks indicate to me that he knows something isn’t right and he is trying to overcompensate by getting too fine with his location. The next outing will be a big one, but for now I still think he deserves (to steal a phrase from Nick) TIARA status and I’d still want him over any other closer on the list (Kimbrel right on his heels though). Definitely don’t sell low, as owners who likely had to spend a 3rd or 4th round pick on him in the draft (and this is why you shouldn’t draft closers that early) would be selling for pennies on the dollar at this point.

Here’s a look at some of the other news in the closer landscape from the past week.